"That was quick!" she noted as she opened the door to him, bearing her a cup of tea and unconsciously letting him in, not thinking twice about it.
"There were no escapees" he replied, referring to the herd of cows who were safely tucked up in the barn. He put the tea down on her bedside table. "I'll leave you to your nap" Peter continued, thinking he might go and sit on the porch for a while.
"Stay with me?" she asked simply. The look on her face told him enough and he didn't need to reply. She slipped off her cardigan and they settled down at the scene of where some may say she faced her downfall just a night ago. Setting her glasses down on the bedside table, she took a healthy sip of tea before lying down.
Chummy felt a kiss pressed to the back of her head as he snuggled to her back feeling her breath in, drowning her lungs in welcome oxygen. His arm was tight around her middle and she was amazed how safe she suddenly felt. A minute or two passed in silence as Chummy's eyes began to drift closed but something was burning in Peter's throat.
"Are you going to marry me?" he asked quietly, deciding that this was the moment. Her eyes flew open, sleep temporarily forgotten, and the devil on her shoulder jumped in first before the angel could even think of responding.
"Your Mum said you had to propose to me properly! One's told you that already!" she replied, hiding her smile. He couldn't see anyway.
"Camilla, turn around". It wasn't really an order but it came out that way. She turned over anyway.
"Are you going to marry me?" he enunciated, the serious look on his face stopping her from adding any more cheek to the conversation. She closed her eyes briefly, a small smile dancing across her lips.
"I suppose so" she replied casually.
She had never seen him smile quite like that before, eyes brightening, reaching across to kiss her.
"I do love you so much. Please remember that" he said, feeling his palm rest on her neck. Looking at him, the connection she had with him was entirely overwhelming and she was on the verge of forgetting herself again. Nothing stopped her progressing their relationship last night and there was very little stopping her now, except perhaps a modicum of self restraint.
"What if the adults come back?" she mumbled through the kiss.
Slightly bewildered he looked at her and nodded in resignation certainly not wishing to be caught out. "You do mean it that you'll marry me though?" he asked apprehensively, it still lingering in his mind of only the immediate past.
"Yes. Regardless" she replied, resolute. "One has no intentions of running away this time".
"Good" he responded, an idea striking. "Do know what I think though? I think we should set a date for the wedding whilst we are here".
"That would be perfect" she replied, wondering on one hand how you even chose a date to get married, although a particular day had sprung to Peter's mind immediately. "24th of September" he said.
"Philip's anniversary?" Chummy asked, recognising the date immediately.
"Yes I want to remember him with something positive" Peter said, wanting to honour his brother with a song of new beginnings and a positive future.
"Next year?" she replied, laying her hand on his chest.
"This" he said.
"That's hardly 8 weeks!" she exclaimed, eyes wide before pausing to run through the calender in her mind. "Its six weeks and two days!"
"Do you mind? I want us to get married as soon as we can". Once he had said it, his enthusiasm was catching and suddenly Chummy had no argument against it.
"Well if you do so do I" she replied getting swept along. "24th September it is. I can speak to Father Williams on Sunday after the service".
He smiled and kissed her, just a small peck on the lips. "I'd come with you but I'm on duty until seven in the evening".
"I don't mind" she responded with a slight shrug of the shoulders. "I can just speak to him after the service and let you know what he says what we have to do. It's enough to organise it, I think" Chummy continued with a worried frown. "We don't want anything extravagant do we?"
"If you do, I do but if you don't then I don't" Peter replied, only thinking of the fact she had said yes. The logistics were something that didn't concern him much.
"I don't" Chummy insisted, the thought of walking down the aisle; all eyes on her was quite horrific even in the immediate joy of their agreement. "Something quiet, not grand. I can ask if the nuns and the girls. They'll all help with the preparations".
"Mum will too" Peter noted. She smiled and kissed him again.
"Stop it!" he teased, raising an eyebrow, and hearing her tut. "Come on, you said you were up here for a nap".
They settled down, Peter pulling a throw over them and quickly fell asleep, wrapped up in each other's arms.
"No, not out ve back" May said as she came into the kitchen, having been in search of her nephew and Chummy since they all returned from the Hospital. "Ve car's vere but Gods knows where ve are!".
"I'll check upstairs" Renee said. "You knows Camilla likes her reading. She might be in her room".
Irene trekked up the stairs, seeing the door to Peter's room wide open and her son nowhere to be seen. "Bloody kids" she muttered under her breath, walking the further ten yards up the corridor to Chummy's room. "If ve've gone out again an' not left a noteā¦."
"Camilla you up 'ere Petal?" Irene asked outside the room, hearing nobody inside. Ever so gently she pushed the door, sticking her head around to find them both, still fast asleep, wrapped up in each other. She sighed loudly. "Little buggers!" she cursed, but gently closing the door behind her not to disturb.
"You needs to speak to 'im Bill" Irene said finding her husband and sister back in the kitchen after she crept away from the room and imparting her news.
"What vor?" Bill replied, putting his tea cup down. "I don'ts see 'ow you findin' 'em fast asleep, fully cloved, means anyfink".
"Unwed" Irene emphasised. "Sharin' a bed. May put 'er in vat room deliberate".
"I did" May replied, also nursing a cup of tea to her sister's side. "Vat bolt 'as a purpose for bein' vere!"
"Reen" his father soothed, using his mother's nickname. "If you wants I'll speak to 'im, but we ain't ones to talk and 'e knows 'e was ve reason you finally said yes to me".
"Well I wants different for vat girl" Irene replied. "'Er farver's monied enuff to make sure Peter nevver sees 'er again and I'm not havvin' vat. For 'im or for 'er. I don' fink she's strong enuff yet to fight vat. The one fing vat girl needs is someone to be 'er muvver and I'm takin' vat on, so 'ave words wiv your son" she concluded with a wave of her finger to her husband, May nodding in agreement to her left.
"I can' force 'im to marry 'er or 'er to marry 'im for vat" Bill replied, knowing only he knew that a proposal had already been rejected. He decided not to tell his wife for now.
"You're 'is farver" she replied. "You can tell 'im".
"E ain't eighteen any more" Bill protested.
"No you're right, an' 'e doesn't know I caught vat Jean girl up in 'is bedroom when 'e was eighteen so you are speakin' to your son!" Irene concluded, vehement that he would be having that conversation come what may.
"Speaking to me about what?" Peter asked, having woken up and leaving Chummy asleep. He had heard voices downstairs, slightly raised and came downstairs to find out was going on, locating his parents and aunt in the kitchen.
"Son" his father said, getting up off his chair. "Off for a walk. You an' me. Come on".
"No need Dad" Peter replied, having actually heard more of the conversation than he was prepared to let on when he had stopped on the stairs to listen in as he had heard his name.
"Oh yes ver is!" his mother replied with a sarcastic laugh as she regarded him standing in the kitchen doorway.
"No, Mum, there is no need at all" Peter insisted.
"Alright ven, go on ven Einstein why is ver no need?" his mother questioned, looking him up and down.
"Because she said yes".
