London, Spring 1938.
Helen emerged from the manager's office and slipped on her gloves, adjusting her hat as she followed him out into the main atrium of the bank.
"Thank you very much Dr Magnus," he told her and clasped her hand to shake it earnestly.
"No, thank you Mr Simmonds," she replied pleasantly. "I shall see you again soon I'm sure."
"Indeed. Geoffrey would you escort Dr Magnus..." he began, gesturing at one of the staff waiting beside a tall wooden counter.
"Really it's quite alright, there's no need," Helen interrupted and raised her palm. "Goodbye." Before either man could protest she trotted down the two steps into the entrance hall and made her way towards the door, oblivious to the appreciative stares she garnered from the other patrons as she went.
She reached the rotating door and stepped into the compartment as it turned, eager to be out of the stuffy interior of the bank. As she exited a man entered the door on the other side and their eyes met momentarily through the glass. Helen gave him a smile as he grinned at her, turning his head as she came out onto the stone steps outside and following the rotating door back around to step out beside her.
"Well hello," he said congenially and Helen turned her head away and watched a bus roll by along the street below, smiling in amusement.
"Hello Freddie," she replied indulgently.
"This is a happy accident. How are you?" Freddie said reaching down and taking her hand. Helen tried and failed not to smile at his cheeky face as he shook her hand up and down slowly.
"I'm very well thank you," she told him, attempting to push down the flutter in her stomach as he ran his gaze up and down her appraisingly.
"Yes you look ah...wonderful, as always Helen," Freddie said after a moment. "Business at the bank?"
"Hmm mmm," Helen replied. "That is usually what brings one to...the Bank, Fred," she mocked and he tilted his head and regarded her through slitted eyes.
"Quite," he responded dryly and Helen could not suppress her chuckle. "Actually Mother mentioned you the other day, said you'd been for tea Tuesday last. I just missed you."
"Yes, she said she was expecting you," Helen said.
"Ah, and I suppose she told you all the sordid details?" Helen coughed lightly and pursed her lips at his sheepish expression.
"She...told me about your divorce, yes," she said in a neutral tone and Freddie winced, his perfect teeth showing between his lips. "I'm sorry about the baby." Helen touched her hand to his arm.
"Oh my" he said. "You know you're the first person to come right out and say it." Helen looked abashed. "No, no," Freddie explained. "It's funny. It's like people expect me to carry on as though I didn't care at all, like nothing happened." Helen was a little taken aback at his forthrightness.
"I'm sure it's really none of my business, Freddie," Helen said, shifting from one foot to the other. He let out a cynical huff of laughter.
"Everybody says that too." He looked at her intently and she smiled uncomfortably under his scrutiny.
"I'm afraid I really must be getting on," she said after a moment. "It was nice to see you, Freddie"
"Helen!" He called as she turned and started down the stone steps. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to be off. Listen!" he said, trotting down after her and catching her by the elbow. "I say I don't suppose you'd like to have lunch with me would you?"
"Oh Freddie, really," she chided.
"Oh come on Helen, I'm bored to tears being back in London. Won't you take pity on me?"
"Yes I'm sure it's purgatory living at the Savoy. Honestly Freddie you are quite the opportunist you know?" she told him, gesturing at a cab that approached through the slow traffic.
"So is that a yes?" he asked, grinning and Helen shook her head as the car came to a stop. "Go on!" he said in a soft voice and when Helen met his eyes she found it impossible to to say no.
Freddie bent her ear amid the tinkling of ivories and the murmur of chatter in the hotel restaurant. Helen convinced herself she was being a sympathetic friend as he told her the sorry story of his short lived marriage although he didn't seem as cut up about it when their legs brushed together under the table.
"So are you going live in a hotel for the rest of your life?" she teased over the remnants of her grilled Sole, leaning back in her chair and sipping a glass of wine. She held onto it in an attempt to avoid Freddie's overgenerous top ups.
"I don't really know what I'm going to do to be honest," he replied tiredly, scraping his fingernail down the label of the bottle on the table in front of him. "Look, I know how it must seem to you, me living here. It isn't like that really it's just I don't really fancy living with my mother," he shrugged and Helen smiled.
"And how does it seem to me?"
Freddie coughed and tilted his head to the side, fiddling with the knot on his tie. "Well..." he began but didn't say anything else, just stared at her with that look he'd had in Capri.
"You could just find yourself a flat" she told him, peering over the rim at him before dropping her eyes as she sipped her wine. "Although, I have to confess I do rather like it here."
"It's not bad is it?" he replied, turning to look over the room and Helen watched at his profile for a long moment and reminded herself that he was really much too young for her.
"Thank you, Helen, for listening to me go on. I'm afraid I've been a frightful bore," Freddie said apologetically as he escorted her out of the restaurant and into the lobby a little while later.
"Don't be silly," she said sweetly, squeezing his arm.
"I don't suppose you'd stay for another drink?" he asked her as they reached the foot of the stairs and Helen shook her head stoically.
"No...ah...really I ought to be going," she said, looking up and finding him gazing at her. He held her gently by the elbow.
"I think you're...well I like you Helen," Freddie told her wistfully, his face swaying imperceptibly closer. Helen licked her lips and he leaned forward a little further.
"Look, Freddie you're really quite nice and I'm flattered, truly I am," she explained, stopping him with a palm to the chest.
"But..." he prompted.
"I'm just not really in the habit of going back to gentlemen's hotel rooms, even if they are very handsome," she said gently and he raised his chin to see the earnest expression on her face. She squinted a little at his smirk.
"You think I'm handsome then?" he asked cheekily and Helen sighed in exasperation.
"Goodbye Freddie," she said and hoisting her bag over her shoulder, her heels echoing loudly off the high ceiling as she walked away.
