"Cynthia?" Trixie murmured, tapping gently on her friend's bedroom door; coat on, buttoned up and ready to go. "Are you still alive in there?!"
The door opened and the other nurse stepped out. "Yes" she replied with a smile, silently acknowledging that for once she had taken a rather long time getting ready, closing the door behind her, "but why are you whispering?" Almost by default Cynthia's voice was low too and she had no idea why.
"Chummy's only just got back in after that delivery" Trixie replied, looking back down the corridor to the end where the other Nurse's room lay. "She's asleep".
"Only just?" Cynthia responded, surprise causing her to accidentally raise her voice. "She went out at four this morning!" she continued, dropping her voice again so not to disturb, even though it was highly unlikely that anything would wake the other Nurse up now. She knew what it was like being out for all hours; all the girls did and sleep tended to be precious.
"I know" Trixie replied. "She said something about having to go to the London with the mother. I think it was a close call. I know she telephoned and asked for Sister Julienne at one point".
"Oh…" Cynthia responded flatly. "But it was alright?"
"I think so" Trixie responded with a scrunch of her nose. "But she looked dead beat. I was going to ask her if she wanted to come out for tea after all, but I think she'll fall asleep at the table at this rate".
"Wasn't Peter meant to be coming with us too tonight?" Cynthia asked, seeing Trixie nod in the affirmative; Jenny walking towards them from her room.
"Is everyone ready?" Jenny asked, appearing at their side, noting they were one short.
"We are" Cynthia replied. "Chummy is out for the count though". Downstairs they heard the doorbell ring before anyone could explain any further and the three turned to go downstairs. "That'll probably be Peter" she noted. "We'll have to go and break the bad news".
So instead of going out on what had been a long planned trip to a new café that had opened, Peter found himself sitting at the table in Nonnatus; a cup of tea thrust into his hand by Sister Julienne as she had, realising he wasn't going anywhere anytime soon, accosted him to ask if he really wouldn't object to accompanying her on a planned visit to Baffin Buildings tomorrow. Or if he couldn't; could he find someone else?
"That's fine Sister" he replied. "I know the family you mean and yes, I think it a very good idea someone comes with you. We inherited that family from Hackney" Peter advised, knowing some unsavoury things just by word of mouth. "They even warned us they were being moved by the Council to our patch! None of you should go near that family without one of us there, night or day".
"Thank you Constable" the Sister responded from the other side of the kitchen table. "It is much appreciated. I do feel that I have somewhat ruined your date with Nurse Browne tonight though". Peter looked at her confused, even though Trixie had already explained why they were one woman short. "It was me that sent her to that delivery and I really should have ensured she swop with another nurse when it became clear the delivery was progressing so slowly".
"It's quite alight" Peter replied, knowing the odd hours she worked already. "We can go to that café any time".
Sister Julienne lifted her cup but before she could drink, the telephone rang. "You will have to excuse me" she said with a smile.
"I am afraid I will have to impose upon you again Constable" she said when she returned. "Would you be so kind as to wait here until Sister Evangelina returns from Clinic? She will only be ten minutes or so but I do need to go and attend to that call. It is rather urgent, otherwise I would not ask".
Ten minutes of sitting there and drinking tea wouldn't harm him. He'd wait and when the Sister came back make his way back home, perhaps picking up some supper on the way and go to bed himself. As much as he had wanted to see Camilla tonight, it had also been a long week and his bed was calling him loudly. So he sat. Ten minutes crept to twenty as he took a glance at his watch becoming nervous. All he needed now was the telephone to ring again and then he'd be firmly stuck. To his relief though he heard footsteps and wondered for a second if he had missed hearing the front door go as they were rather close.
Instead, when he looked to the sound of the steps, he saw Chummy, rubbing her eyes and yawning, glasses tucked into the neck of a brown cardigan she had thrown over her uniform. "Hello" he remarked lightly.
Chummy jumped in surprise at seeing him there, perched at the kitchen table, second cup of tea in hand. Well perhaps, as her glasses were off, 'seeing' was not quite correct. A voice familiar to her and a blur.
"What are you doing here?" she asked, realising too late how rude it sounded as she walked over to the kettle; feeling it still warm and pulling on her glasses.
"I did come to pick you up" Peter reminded her gently before he heard the sharp intake of horrified breath.
"Oh gosh!" she exclaimed, eyes wide in horror as she turned to look at him. "We were meant to be going out, weren't we?"
"We were" he responded. "The girls have gone and Sister Julienne just asked me to wait until Sister Evangelina came back". Chummy yawned behind her hand as she sat down opposite him still bleary eyed. "But don't even think of going back upstairs to get ready to go out. We can go another time".
"Do you really mind?" she asked anxiously.
"No" he laughed. "Not really". He reached across and took her hand. "As much as I want to go out with you and paint the town red, the night shifts this week have just about killed me. I was thinking of going home and sleeping. You need to sleep too".
She nodded carefully. "Shall we have something to eat here? I'm sure I can rustle up something. Or we could go down to the main road if you want?"
"No, we'll stay here" Peter replied. He was comfortable now and of no need to move. "First though…." he said, getting up and walking around to her side of the table, sitting down on the chair next to her. "Forgot something".
With that, she felt his palm on her cheek, pulling her forward into what she could well describe as an intense kiss until Peter felt her start laughing. "I'm sorry" she replied, placing her hand over her mouth, feeling altogether shy. "One wasn't expecting that!"
He just raised an eyebrow, feeling confident, and did it again. "Peter!" He felt her palm on his shoulder and a slight push. "I think I should start on our tea and you can sit there and keep your mitts to yourself". She wasn't telling him off, quite the contrary, she was positively laughing with him and as she stood up she heard him make a huffing noise.
"Do you know something?" he asked seeing her get up and walk towards the fridge where she knew there were some of Mrs B's pies waiting to be warmed up. "One of these days…."
"You mean when I might be making your tea every night?" she interrupted, not daring to look at him as she leant on the fridge door, staring at the contents. He turned in his chair, even though she still had her back to him. Clearly it was something on both their minds and the atmosphere in the room changed to dramatic unease immediately.
"Yes" he replied. "I'd like you to be". Peter knew it sounded wrong to say it that way; her trapped in a kitchen attending to his needs, but he hoped she heard the meaning behind it. She took out the pies and closed the fridge with caution; still not looking and swallowed carefully too. Wanting to hear those words and actually hearing them were really quite different scenarios and before she could say anything more, he had stepped closer to her.
Chummy turned this time to find him leaning against the worktop, a foot or so beside her. "But, that is a question for you to answer not for me to make a statement on". Peter could see the flash of alarm in her eyes but knew why and he had also heard the door go, knowing they were going to be quickly interrupted.
She was about to reply when she saw Sister Evangelina barrel into the kitchen. "Is that kettle going on while you two are standing there like a pair of statues?" she asked, breathing heavily in her rush, thumping a medical bag down on the table.
"Yes Sister" Chummy squeaked, quickly glancing at Peter who had walked away to his seat again.
Tea was eaten in relative silence although she would have to admit that she felt more awake with some energy in her blood. Peter was about to put his coat on to go when she interrupted him. "Shall we go for a walk?"
They did indeed walk, mostly in silence again up towards the park. It was quite a quiet evening, a few children running around but peaceful enough. Peter knew a perfect spot and hand in hand she followed blindly as he cut through the trees and found one of the wooden benches that had been placed there long ago. They sat; the fresh air and the atmosphere that had built up over tea causing them both to be ever so slightly on their guard.
"Peter?" she began, hands tight in her lap. "Can I be honest?"
He nodded carefully half dreading what was to come.
"You know about my family. You know what they are like", she began. He had only experienced a taster from things she had told him, but his imagination was doing the rest. "I have told Mater and Pa about you. I wrote to them and told them I was walking out with a chap in uniform". She knew she could have been clearer; knew she really should have said he was a policeman but she was feeling on top of the world and thought Mater would be happy that at last there were prospects on the horizon. She also knew it was mischievous to leave a cryptic post script on her letter but by the time she sealed the envelope it was too late.
Peter considered her words for a second. "Well, that's right. Technically, I am in uniform most days".
"She will think you are in the Forces", Chummy clarified. "Air Force...Navy...Army..."
"I was at one point" he replied, but she knew immediately that scrubbing around in ditches however was not quite Mater's bag.
"One thinks one was being flippant about it when one wrote as…." She took a deep breath. "I thought she might be happy that there was someone at last. I didn't think properly".
"You didn't think?" he asked suspiciously, shifting slightly in his seat.
"Mater expected me to marry well. Financially well" she added quickly seeing his face twitch. "Someone she chose and who she thinks would be worthy of my supposed station in life".
"Well if that's the case. I'm not the man for you" Peter responded, not really knowing how else to say it any other way. There was no spite in his voice at all; he wasn't angry or even hurt. It seemed like a statement of fact if what she was saying was true. There was no way on God's earth he could compete with that class of man that it seemed her mother wanted for her.
"You are" she replied softly, mesmerised by a stone on the floor by her foot, panicking inside now that he was going to take offence but trying not to show it. "She may not see it that way, but I do. You have to believe me; I only want to be here with you. Money isn't important to me".
"Good job" Peter responded with a short laugh.
"I don't want to fight with you". He could hear the timidity in her voice.
"We're not fighting" he replied, deliberately taking up her hand, wondering why for a second why she thought he might be upset. "Your mother wants more for you than I can ever give you. That's obvious. Even if it is overweight bank account or a Rolls Royce". He'd be a fool to think he had either but he could still cling onto that hope that the fact that he loved her would win out.
Chummy sighed. "She wants to meet you. She's coming over in a couple of weeks".
"I'd expect nothing less, particularly if we might be thinking of the future". He swallowed. "And I know I've not said it before but hope you're not surprised by that".
"I am….a touch" she replied, feeling shy again. "I'd always hoped there'd be a chap along the way. Someone that might think he might…..but these last few years? It always felt like blind hope or stupidity".
"There's nothing stupid about thinking that way Camilla" he responded. "I love you." Peter hesitated for a moment. "I will always love you and if she does…..object…..the sooner she knows the quicker she'll get used to the idea".
She frowned. That was so wonderful yet so hard to hear, particularly as he seemed so blasé about it. He had to be though - had to be confident for the pair of them - obstructing any thoughts that somehow her family could interfere and separate them. Surely her mother really cannot be that bad? Surely her mother would see he looked after her and cared for her? Surely, surely she could be pleased about that?
Chummy saw him take a quick look around to make sure they were alone. "I can't tell you any other way" he said, leaning across to kiss her, reciprocated keenly. "I know you've spent a lot of your life alone or feeling alone. I know what it's like to have a family around me every day of the week that I can go to about anything I like, but you aren't alone any more".
"I know" she whispered in response, still feeling his palm on her cheek. She was so proud of him, finding someone at last who shared her view on the world, wanting to support him, wanting to share his life. Those occasions where she had seen him on duty, smart in his uniform, her heart had practically burst from her chest. That was why she told Mater about him in that last letter, innocently believing that Mater would be happy. "All I want is you. Nothing more, nothing less and I promise that".
As the words fell from her mouth she had no idea the storm that was brewing a few hundred miles away.