Chapter 88: Poker Face 5th February 1943
Gerry was a lucky man… and he knew it.
The train's derailment was not something he ever considered would happen, even though they'd trained for such occurrences. There was no reason to believe that there would be a problem with the rails when they set out on their journey from one end of the harbour to the other, but a piece of broken track proved to be their undoing. One of his colleagues spotted it when he looked out ahead of them, but they were too late to do anything about it. A significant danger of working next to the River Foyle was the likelihood of ending up in it, which was exactly where he'd ended up. His bosses were more furious about the loss of the engine than his injuries, but it was understandable at a time where money was scarce.
His saviour, the Englishman that he so admired, was a man he would forever be grateful to. Only James could have broken him free from where he was trapped beneath the water, the powerful young man able to pull him out from a twisted metal coffin. It was still a close-run thing when they were both under for a good couple of minutes, but in the nick of time they'd resurfaced for air, just before he would have otherwise lost consciousness. The whole trip to the hospital he remained conscious, Mary by his side in the ambulance with tears rolling down her cheeks. She'd so very nearly lost her precious husband, leaving her more terrified that she'd ever been before. Remaining in safe hands once he was in a hospital bed, the recovery process began. James' diagnosis of a broken leg proved to be accurate, and in addition to the cut on his forehead, he'd also broken his collarbone too. Traumatic injuries when added together, he couldn't quite believe he'd survived. There was always a reason for why James came into their lives, though the Southerner hardly expected it to be to save his life.
However, just because he'd survived the incident, it didn't mean that the family were safe from further suffering. At first at least. The Doctors confirmed what they knew anyway; he would not be fit to work for a number of weeks, if not a few months, while his leg healed. The other injuries would heal quicker, but before his job he needed both working arms and working legs, which wasn't the case. The furious bosses where he worked were the main cause for grievance though, deciding not to pay him, citing losing their engine as their reason. He'd protested, Mary too, but they would not budge. Telling him that he was lucky that they were allowing him to keep his job, they were going to have to do without his income into the household. Already working on a shoestring budget, Mary was driven to sobs at the thought of them having to survive with less money than normal. That was until her Da stepped in, somehow managing to secure them the income that they needed through the local authorities. At a time when there was almost not a penny to spare, it was quite remarkable how he'd managed it. Not that he had, of course… but he did know someone with ample funds who he knew would help.
Being unable to work left Gerry bored, as well as feeling completely useless. Apart from to his father in-law, who thought he was useless anyway. Having said that, he'd noticed the change in Joe's attitude towards him, not that he'd at any point requested his pity. The older man made far less quips that were directed at him, even helping him at times when he struggled around the house. For the first few nights after he'd returned from the hospital, he'd slept downstairs but eventually, he wanted to be back in bed beside his wife again. Trying to manoeuvre him up the stairs was quite the challenge, but Mary leant on her Da to help as well as Orla, the two of them having experience in the field after Sarah broke her leg upon first meeting Shane. As a family they'd managed it, although Gerry hated to feel as if he was a burden upon all of those around him, especially when he could do little to repay them in return.
The school did not help him in his quest to make himself feel more useful either. Rather innocuously, Sister Michael had granted all of the school children the day off on the first Friday of February. Reasoning her decision based on her belief that it was a well-earned day of rest for them as well as a day that the teachers needed to be able to regroup and plan for the weeks ahead, it was scheduled at incredibly late notice. Spreading the word on the Wednesday of that week, meant that there was no one home to look after Anna. Marie too didn't have anyone to care for her, Joe having made up an excuse to not be around, which both daughters interpreted as a trip to Pump Street upon respectively hearing his thoughts. None of them could get the time off work to be able to look after her, not that she needed too much looking after anyway, including Sarah and Shane. The situation was far from ideal.
Naturally, Mary went to argue her case to the factory management the following morning, but they held firm. Where Anna was concerned at least. Marie's situation they assessed differently, surprisingly allowing Orla to bring her to work with her. She couldn't be around any of the machines yet was more than welcome upstairs in the offices where some of the lads in the accounts would make sure she was fed and entertained. Understandably aggrieved that such an offer was not extended to Anna, Mary ranted and raved for a good ten minutes before a stern warning of her employment security was given. Falling into line she accepted defeat not too gracefully, wondering what she was supposed to do about her daughter for the day. The solution to the problem came though, via her eldest daughter. She couldn't have any time off too, not even bothering to ask. Her thinking was a little more out of the box.
Realising that her Mammy's complaints were getting her absolutely nowhere, she took it upon herself to reach out to someone who could possibly help. Setting off alone at lunchtime, in the direction of the bank, it was to James that she went too. A pull of gravity almost, not that it would be recognised that way by the young woman. As the manager of the bank, he held the authority to be able to have a day off to look after her sister, and he would be trusted to. If he'd have not been back out on coastal patrol again, she could have asked Lance, the Yank returning later that afternoon, not in time to be able to help. It was probably best that she didn't anyway; Anna would only take all of the sailors' money off of them again playing cards. She couldn't condone her sister bankrupting the American Navy due to her incredible talent for playing poker.
Predictably, James was more than happy to drop everything in order to look after Anna for the day. Erin had barely finished telling him about why she needed his help when he agreed, bringing a smile to her face to know that he would care enough to do so. Neither the McLaughlin's nor Danny were fazed by their boss not being there for the day, even if Ian and Tommy did make a couple of remarks when they thought their boss wasn't listening. He was though, James heard everything, not that he was angry for them for doing so. After all, they were only sniggering about what his heart was trying to tell him constantly. Erin's continued visits, along with his agreement to look after her younger sister for the day, left them in no doubt about where the two of them were heading, even if they could not see or would acknowledge it themselves. It was all that James wanted, but he would not push his luck.
After his wife and eldest left for work that morning, the former very reluctant to leave her recovering husband at home even for five minutes with Anna, he was very careful. Insisting that Anna stay in his eyeline at all times so that she did not hurt herself or do anything that would leave her in a position where he could not help her, they waited for James together. Settling on sitting down to read on the floor in front of her father, Gerry caught the expression on her face when she heard the door being knocked. Most visitors to the house would simply walk in, but there was always going to be one guest who applied gentlemanly decorum. Racing out to the door to meet him, the youngest Quinn daughter leapt onto the Englishman, though an expectant James was already ready for her to do so. He knew how excited she would be; he was excited enough himself.
"James!"
"Anna!" He replied with equal enthusiasm. "Are you well?"
"Aye I'm cracker! Even more cracker because I get to spend the day with you!"
Her joy at being around him was one that melted James' heart, although they'd always maintained a healthy understanding despite his past with Erin. Friends from the very moment they'd first met, in the relatively little time they'd spent in each other's company, they'd established a firm companionship. He admired her incredible smarts, knowing that if she wasn't already, she would be considered as smarter than him in the future. In turn, Anna viewed him as a greater being, in a sense. James was a war hero that should have been revered for openly in her opinion, as well as being a young man with a good heart. She could see that at her tender age, though she was indeed smarter than most. He was a positive male role model in her life too, not that she lacked for them with her Da and Granda both being just as good role models to her as well.
"Can we go?" She enquired, bouncing on the spot. "Have ye got the car!?"
"We will see in a minute, won't we?" He grinned, pulling her in for a hug after putting her down. "… but I just want to have a word with your father before we go."
"Right… aye… but then are we goin' in the car?"
Despite her incredible brain, Anna was still very much a child. The thought of a trip in the Morgan sent her practically wild with excitement. James was one of the privileged few to own a vehicle, his being a very classy one that made him stand out from the crowd a lot more than most. It only endeared her to him more, to remind him that she was just as happy as every other child. Being so smart would often mean a lot of expectation and pressure would be placed upon someone so young, but she came from a family that would never hound her into constantly succeeding. It wasn't how they did things in the Quinn household.
Walking through to the front of the house with her, he'd decided long before meeting her at the front door, that he would talk to Gerry. The two hadn't spoken properly since he'd pulled him from the water a couple of weeks earlier, given that the injured man wasn't able to go to church. Unwilling to intrude on their home lives when it might give out the wrong impression that he was trying to muscle his way back into Erin's affections, James hadn't sought him out prior to that day but the opportunity was too good to miss. Saving Gerry was finally an act that eased his aching conscience, rather than added to its darker edges. If anything, it at least equalled one of the many lives lost due to him, directly or indirectly. Likewise, Gerry hoped to see the Englishman later on at the hospital on the day of incident, only for Lance to show up next to Erin in his place. At the time he hadn't held any resentment against the American, until Joe told him the true picture of the fella's response. Ever since, secretly so that it did not give any incentive to Erin to prove him wrong about Lance as well as Mary, he'd began to hate him. Once he was healed, providing that it was not too late, he'd already set himself the challenge of driving the Yank away from his daughter, permanently.
"Good Morning, Gerry". James greeted him, walking into the living room with a spring in his stride. "How are you today?"
"Ach hello son…". He laughed softly, nodding to the wee English fella. "I've been better, so I have. It doesn't hurt so much now I've been sat for a while but when I move again… the good Lord does not want to find any mercy for me".
"At least you are alive to tell the tale. It could have been much worse".
"I'm only here because of you son". Speaking firmly and fondly, Gerry's gaze remained fixed on his saviour. "I… I don't think I'll ever be able to repay ye for what ye did for me. For what ye've done for all of my family".
Joe wasn't the only man in the family who saw James as the man who should have been at Erin's side, Gerry's words a silent passing of such a belief. The Englishman knew as much as well, but he would not revel in such acceptance. He and Gerry always did have an understanding, just as he did with Anna, which stretched back to before the war started. Men who were outsiders in the city, there where similarities between the two, their outlooks being the main one. Both men looked out for those around them, willing to put themselves second to see to the needs of their nearest and dearest. They operated the same mantra and were both very much honourable. It was no wonder why Gerry wanted him to be with Erin…
"Do forgive my insolence, but I would have done it for anyone, Gerry". James replied, honest as ever. "But pulling you from that train was one of my proudest moments".
"I know ye would have done it for anyone son… so would I".
"Yes… you would. How is your leg? Erin told me you have been having problems with being able to do things for yourself?
Problems were an understatement. It was an absolute nightmare having a broken leg. When he was used to having to be up and around for his family a lot of the time, Gerry being unable to do much for himself was aggravating. Erin confided in James that she was worried for his sanity if it lasted for much longer, though James knew the man better to know he was stronger than that. Gerry was still sighing though, a sign to the young man that it was wearing him down.
"I hate it, so I do". Gerry replied, scratching his neck. "It wouldn't be so bad if I hadn't done the collarbone as well ye know but… ach, what can I do?"
"Daddy's very brave, isn't he, James?" Anna asked, with a hopeful tone to her voice.
"Without doubt, Anna". Answering her, he glanced down with a smile. "I remember when I… well, I remember recovering myself from injuries in Italy. There was so little that I could do for so long, but it will improve eventually, Gerry. You will have to give it time".
"I know… I know, James. Sarah said the same to me when she was tellin me' what it was like after she broke her leg. She got there in the end though… got married! Who knows, I might be the King of England after I've healed!"
Desperately trying not to wince, he was still trying to get used to dealing with off the cuff remarks about the Royal Family. Not for Gerry to know that he was sat in front of a man who had more of a chance of becoming King than most, though even that was extremely unlikely, James always felt his heart jump at such words. The Southerner definitely would not become the King of England, that was for certain, though the banker did hope that a brighter future was on the horizon for him. They'd suffered a lot as a family since the beginning of the war, the loss of Erin and James' child hitting Gerry hard, as well as the death of their wee dog, Napoleon to the more recent deaths of the Devlin's. He deserved better, though James alone could not deliver that future for him.
"I could stay here if you wanted me to?" James offered. "I do consider myself quite domesticated".
"But what about my ride in the car!?" Anna quickly protested.
"No, you go James". Gratuitously, Gerry shook his head. "A wee bit of advice son; never disappoint a woman under this roof".
A friendly wink, the apparently unheard of sort in the city, was given to the young man who hid his pleasure at it well. Once again, Gerry was giving him a message without the whole story behind it, but James knew exactly what he was trying to say. Although the injured man might have gone a bit too far in his efforts to please, being effectively hen-pecked, he knew how to keep the woman of the house contented. One day, he hoped that James would be able to take his eldest daughter away from it, to show her the world as a couple, the best man to do so for her in her father's mind. Until then, the former pilot would instead have to settle for spending the day looking after his youngest. It spoke volumes in his own mind, that he trusted James explicitly with Anna. Should it have been Lance offering to look after her, the answer would not have been a positive one.
"I shall bear that in mind". The young man answered quietly.
Extending his hand out to Anna, she refused it for a moment, to climb up onto the arm of the chair that her Da was sat in, to place a kiss upon his cheek. She was even somewhat reluctant to leave him in the state he was, but Gerry had shown he was at least capable of being able to make it to the toilet and back. One of the other revelations of the prior couple of weeks was the very chair he was sat in; Joe's armchair. The older man happily gave it up for his comfort, not without telling him that he expected it back in the same condition as he leant it out in. Perplexing as it was, he decided to enjoy the newly found respect and offerings from his father in-law.
"I'll see ya later, Daddy!" She exclaimed.
"I'll see ye then, Anna, love. Ye take care now and make sure ye eat whatever James gives ye. Ye know we can't wa-".
"We can't waste food because it's not right when there are people with less than us who are starvin'. I know Daddy, I will!"
She was sometimes a little too smart for her own good, but he could forgive a cheeky comment or two. Exchanging an amused look with James, he watched on as the Englishman finally took her hand, the two of them racing out towards his car. Deciding to get up from the chair for a moment, he just about managed to get over to the window in time to see them walking towards the car. There were a lot of pleasant sights around, but seeing James interact with his family was one that Gerry would never grow tired of. The Englishman was not only his saviour but a valuable friend that he'd very graphically seen he could trust with his life. Very few Englishmen could have the force of personality to be able to make such an impact in Derry, James being the exception to a history of brutal norms.
Out by the car, he watched as James explained details to Anna about how each part worked in sync with one another, even noticing from afar how she took it all in. His skill as an officer was never something that the older of the two would have doubted but there was something very… fatherly… about how he interacted with his younger daughter. He would have made a brilliant father to the child that he and Erin lost over three years earlier, a young life stolen away when he or she would have had the most kind, caring and loving parents possible. The American Lieutenant that Erin now classed as her fella was not even a tenth of the man that James was. Desperately, Gerry wanted her to see sense, to see who the better man was for her. Unlike his wife though, he wouldn't tell Erin that to her face.
He would just have to sit and wait. And hope.
Hope that it would not be too late for him to be able to entrust his eldest's safety to the man he'd always seen as the most suitable candidate.
"Come on Erin, love… do what's right…".
There was no audience to his words, but Gerry's sincerity remained.
Time, however, was against his wishes…
A day on from her argument with works management, Mary Quinn was struggling to understand why she wasn't allowed the day off with her daughter. At the start of the week, there was a lot of work to be done by all of the girls in the factory, understandably leaving them all very busy. Even the day before there was a lot to be done when she was denied the following day off, however come late Friday morning, the work was complete. The next batch of orders wasn't expected until the end of the following week, which meant they were all sat around waiting for something to do, not wanting to start to avoid having the same problem the week after. Part of her wanted to go up to management to argue her case once more, though whether it was a good idea or not was another matter. The last thing she could afford to do was lose her job.
"Shockin'… absolutely shockin', so it is…". She moaned. "I should be able to be at home with Anna not… sat here… doin' nothin!"
"Injustice feels terrible doesn't it, Mary?" Her sister piped up. "I'm not enjoyin' watchin' them do this to ye… I thought we were all free".
Sat with her mother and Aunt for a change, along with Michelle and Orla, Erin rolled her eyes. Sarah's comments about freedom were somewhat misjudged given that they lived in a time of world war, where they much more free than a lot of people throughout Europe. Knowing her mother, Erin knew she would not let the arguments of the prior day go though. It was where she received her own stubbornness from. Like mother, like daughter. The whole of the prior evening she'd rattled on about how unfair it was that Marie could be allowed to sit up with management and not Anna. Her eldest wasn't best pleased to find her evening would be dictated by her mother's moaning, only for the following day to then feature a duo of her mother and Aunt going on about it. What was done was done as far as she was concerned.
"At least we've got James to rely on…".
As soon as she said the words, Mary's gaze quickly flickered towards her daughter. Erin knew what her Mammy was trying to do, fishing for some sort of reaction from her. She couldn't deny that her friendship with James was strong again, but that was all that it was. The voices in her head may have insisted that it was something else, but as far as the blonde was concerned, James not her fella. Not anymore. Being able to co-exist in harmony was a forward step for her regardless, especially when she could rely on him to help her and the family, being the gentleman that he was. Friends did that for each other, she'd seen it in operation before. Few friends would sacrifice's a day's work to look after their friend's little sister for them, a truth she didn't acknowledge. Couldn't do, not without having to re-examine that friendship once again.
"What did ye expect, Mary? He's related to me!" Michelle exclaimed loudly, pulling Erin from her thoughts.
"Aye… right…". An unconvinced reply was sounded.
"What!?"
"Nothin' Michelle… ye've always proven yerself to be so reliable in the past".
Opening her mouth immediately to contest the clear insinuation against the words that were spoken, the young Mallon thought better of it. Although she was always there for her friends, there were times when she perhaps put other things first in her life where her cousin would not have done. However, in the same scenario, she would have taken the day off work at the bank to be able to look after the wain. Spending time with Anna was a treat in many ways, as despite realising that she was far inferior in terms of smarts even when Anna was only seven years old, she enjoyed her wit and company. She definitely wasn't teaching the younger Quinn daughter an array of vocabulary that would make her mother's toes curl either. Absolutely not…
"Right, I'm goin' to go up and see my Marie". Orla announced, rising from her stool. "Does anyone else want to come? Seein' as we've got nothin to do. Oh look, a seagull!"
Distracted by the bird outside of the window, standard practice for Orla even into her twenties, her cousin sighed quietly to herself, shaking her head. Mary also declined politely with a nod of her own head, which came as little surprise when she was trying to restrain herself from having a go at management. Being within a few metres of those she wanted to shout at did nothing to help that restraint, nothing at all.
"I'll come and see my wee Princess". Michelle replied verbally first. "You comin' Sarah?"
"Aye I'll join you's, so I will. Sure, it is gettin' cold just sittin' here…".
The three them headed off in the direction of the stairs up to the top floor where management and accounts were based. The lads up there were more than happy to have Marie for company, especially when she was quiet and kept herself to herself. Anna would have probably caused too much trouble for them while they tried to work, a thought that passed through the minds of Erin and Michelle the prior day. She would have probably demanded to help them, as well as showing them up when she could probably already do their jobs without breaking sweat. There were far too many egos on the top floor that would be bruised if she was let loose.
Left with her mother at her station with her, Erin fidgeted a little, trying to distract herself from where her mind was taking her. When there was silence after the other three left, her mind turned to what Anna might have been getting up to with James. The two of them were no doubt having much more fun than she was sat at work doing nothing, a pang of jealousy towards Anna even existing within her heart. Jealousy could only mean one thing, though she did not dare confront what that was. She'd came across that revelation before where James was concerned, then acting upon it before the war. When she was already with a fella then that course of action could not be taken. It did nothing to stop her from thinking of the two of them spending the day together, or more accurately, thinking about him…
"He's a real grand fella, isn't he, love?"
"Wh-What… who?" She answered, pretending to be naïve.
"James". Mary responded, a hint of disdain in her voice at her daughter's poor attempt to appear to not know who she was referring to. "I can't think of many fella's better… only my Gerry… and Da…".
"Lance".
Mother and daughter's latest argument about the latter's affection was about to kick off and both of them knew it. Going against her husband's wishes that they did not directly tell Erin what to do with her future or who to spend it with, she was going to make sure her point was heard when Gerry was not there to stop her. Erin too knew what was going to happen, resenting her Mammy's meddling when she was clearly a racist towards Lance. Kind-hearted Lance who didn't have a bad word to say about anyone whenever they were together, he was not the evil man that her mother painted him to be. There was never any tangible evidence for the older woman, but she, like her husband and father, couldn't help but feel there was something off with him. There was a side to the man that she thought she hadn't seen around her daughter, worrying her greatly when she did not know if she could place her trust in him.
"I said better, Erin…". Retorting with venom, she held nothing back. "That Yank of yers isn't like, James, love".
"He's a kind fella, Mammy!" A riled up Erin fired back. "Lance has been nothin' but good to me over the last year. I won't listen to you putting a good man down!"
"Catch yourself on, he's not a good man!"
Pushing her luck, venturing far over her own usual restraint let alone the line her husband placed in the metaphorical sand, Mary's daring was not smart. Fed up with having the American Lieutenant in her family's life when she did not like him though, she was always going to have to make an appeal to her daughter to see sense. Sense coming in the form of an English gentleman who would care for her without question. She knew what the Americans were about too; they were not the brilliant young men that her daughter saw, not all of them at least. Inadvertently, she couldn't see through her tunnelled vision to note that all she was doing was pushing Erin closer to him.
"How would you know, Mammy!? Ye've never given him a chance!"
"I don't need to, Erin… I know what he's about… what all these Yanks are! He's trouble, so he is, and ye'd do well to wise up and see it!"
"Me wise up? It's you who need to! Yer a racist, that's what ye are!"
"Don't ye start bringin' that into it! I'm just tellin' ye what ye need to hear, Erin. James is a better man for ye, so he is… why can't ye see that!?"
"James!".
She stopped, realising she'd shouted his name, alerting their argument to all of the other girls in the factory. With the number of gossips around the place, who would no doubt listen in closely if they continued at the volume they were going on at, Erin wasn't about to air her business to the city. Furious with her Mammy for her comments about Lance, she knew she was going to have to switch to whispered seethes in order to show her how angry she really was. It wasn't so much that her mother was being derogatory against Lance in a way, even if she did take some offence to it, but more her audacity for trying to tell her what to do. As far as she was concerned, she was free to make her own decisions about the future that was ahead of her, not have her Mammy decide for her. Balling her fists with rage, cheeks burning red from the fire within her belly, the icy stare she gave her mother was enough to make Mary recoil. Madusa would have been proud of it.
"James is just my friend, Mammy. You know why we can't… you know why I can't be with him. I'm with Lance now and I will spend the rest of my life with him if I want to!"
"Ye can't… ye can't live in the past., Erin". Suddenly, Mary was softer, the thought of the child her daughter lost subduing her own anger. "Look at what James has done for this family. You were happy with him before and he's always looked after ye. Always".
"He… he didn't when…". Attempting to make a familiar argument, Erin was stopped by her mother's raised brow. "Alright, he couldn't then but… but I've moved on. We are still friends… good friends… James knows that, Mammy. Just because he saved Daddy, doesn't mean that I should leave Lance for him!"
"I'm not sayin' it does, Erin". Growling, Mary's softness disappeared once more. "But did ye Granda not tell ye about what Lance did while James was savin' yer Da?"
Frowning, Erin didn't quite understand what she meant. Lance hadn't been there when the train derailed, he'd been summoned by a couple of sailors from the ship who were present. It was a lie of course, but she'd bought it very easily. The blonde could never see it when he was manipulating her, the American a master of the art. He would not tell her the truth, not when he'd been forced to see her running to James when he resurfaced from the water. His rival for her affections knew what he was doing and to avoid the look that he would be tarnished with if she found out he was prepared to let her Da drown, Lance lied. If he would not tell the truth, then Mary would.
"What… what are ye talkin' about, Mammy! Lance wasn't there!"
"Oh he was, love… yer Granda spoke to him when James was in the water". She continued. "Lance was goin' to let yer Da drown, Erin. The man did nothin… he couldn't care less about yer Da! Is that the sort of man ye want to spend yer life with!"
There were tears in Mary's eyes as she spoke, one final tool in her attempt to make Erin see what was good for her. The fella that she wanted to potentially spend the rest of her life with was not a nice fella at all. Despite her many protests about Lance, she didn't want to have to resort to exposing the truth of his actions to Erin, but she was at her wit's end. Hoping to the Lord that her eldest daughter might finally listen to such reason, the look that Mary received back from her immediately crushed all hopes of that. The same fire that burned within her to tell Erin the truth was the exact same fire she saw reflected back at her. Flames that were about to become verbal.
"Yer lyin'… yer makin' that up… draggin' Granda into it". Erin's voice was unsteady, but still condemning. "Lance wouldn't do that! He hasn't got it in him!"
"Erin he-".
"Miss Quinn!"
Prevented from arguing back, the interruption did at least give Mary a second to dry her eyes. It came through their supervisor, Meyler, who'd appeared out of nowhere almost, the two of them so focused on arguing with each other, they hadn't spotted him approaching. He'd been the only person to stick up for Mary the day before when she made her case for being giving the day off to look after Anna, though she showed him little gratitude when she did not get her own way. All in black in what was the sort of suit that one would wear to a funeral, he'd not walked over to them to engage with the older of the two women sat on their stools. It was to Erin where his attention went, not missing the scathing look she shot to her mother before turning her head up to him.
"Mr Meyler… what can I do for ye?"
"Go home".
"I beg yer pardon!" Jumping up off her stool, Erin rose to her feet. "Ye can't fire me just because I was havin' an argument with my Mammy!"
"What?" He answered, plainly confused. "I'm not firin' ye, Christ! Ye can argue all ye want as long as ye don't get violent. No, I'm sendin' ye home because we don't need ye today".
Confused herself, she remained stood where she was, once again finding the whole of the factory staring at her. It wasn't her best morning when it came to keeping herself out of trouble, and if she was going to be the centre of attention again, she would have at least wanted to be wearing her best dress, not the cream, flowery blouse that she was wearing that morning. Shrugging her shoulders up slightly, Meyler took it as a sign that he needed to explain himself properly.
"Look, we're lettin' one person per section go home because of the lack of work. Ye've been chosen to go so I'm tellin' ye… go".
"What, why me? Why not Orla? She could go home and look after Marie?"
"Marie… Marie's havin' too much fun up with the lads in the accounts, so she is. She asked her Mammy if she could stay and she said yes. So… we chose you instead".
"What about me!?" Mary cut in briskly. "Yesterday you's were all sayin' that it was too busy for me to take a day off to look after my Anna but now yer lettin' a load of the girls go! What's goin' on!?"
Meyler sighed, before taking a deep breath. The only detractor from walking out onto the shop floor to tell Erin was her mother's presence. Management's answer that they'd sent to deliver via him, made him the messenger that was out to be shot. Events of twenty-four hours or so earlier, had not been forgotten.
"Things have changed since then, Mary…". Meyler tried to be diplomatic, using her first name too. "We can't justify havin' so many of you's sat around doin' nothin' so some of ye can go home. Andrea from yer section has been chosen…".
"Andrea! Andrea has two cats and a rotten old plant pot to go home to! I have a wain that needs lookin' after and you's won't even give me consideration!"
"I think after yesterday… and I'm sayin' this as someone who admires ye greatly… ye might be better off just acceptin' this and keepin' quiet. Besides, Erin can always look after her sister, can't ye, Erin?"
Still stunned by being told that she could go early, the blonde hadn't moved, but snapped to attention when she heard her voice. She'd been vaguely listening into their conversation anyway, as she began to think of what she would do with her afternoon. Ironically, the same conclusion was drawn for her too although Meyler was not aware that there was already someone looking after her sister, someone who she would not stop from doing so. Instead, she would join them. Wanting to disguise just how keen she was in case it gave her mother the wrong impression and would therefore make her start to believe that she was correct, Erin's answer ended up being a dishonest one. The last thing that she wanted to hear was her Mammy claiming victory that she was right in preferring James to Lance.
"I… I suppose but we do have someone else doin' that". She replied, ignoring Meyler's surprised reaction. "I'll be off then. I'll see ye later, Mammy".
"Bye, love". Mary murmured, not even looking her in the eye.
Rushing off in the direction of the changing rooms, Erin got all of her belongings together, making a swift exit, though not before she'd said goodbye to Michelle, Orla, Sarah and Marie. Popping up the stairs quickly, her heart found fondness in watching the accounts lads helping the three women to entertain the wain. At just over three years old, Marie was starting to understand more and more, her development at a critical stage. Although she might not have been as far along as Anna was at such an age, Marie was still a joy for the family, showcasing increasing flashes of her father within her. David's legacy would continue to live on and Erin, like everyone else, was extremely proud to have her within the family.
Once she'd said goodbye to everyone that she needed to, Erin wasted no time in heading off to the only place that she was ever going to go to in such a situation. After her short-tempered argument with her mother over Lance, she needed to clear her head as well before doing anything else. Her Mammy must have been lying, she must have, because the Yank simply did not act in the way in which she described him to. If he'd have been on the scene when her Granda apparently alleged that he was, then he would have dived in as well as James. Whether the two of them got along she did not know, but they would have worked together to save her Da, she was sure of it. She must have been lying… she must have… Erin just couldn't see it any other way. Couldn't see that Lance really wasn't the man she thought she knew.
The walk over to James' cottage gave her the ample time that she needed in order to rid herself of the majority of the rageous feelings inside of her. In their place came a very different set of feelings, that she was still none too happy to have to carry with her. She felt funny, not ill but not quite right, an odd sensation running through her veins that she recognised, to a degree. What she was experiencing, she'd experienced before, only it couldn't quite be the same set as it was then. After all, she was in love with Lance and not James, though she hadn't felt the same way when she'd first got together with the American. The feelings were ones that harked back to the blissful summer of nineteen thirty nine, just before the world was plunged into war by the Nazi's. When she'd loved the very man who she was about to see. Her fingers were tingling with anticipation, no matter how hard she tried to ignore them.
She was excited to see James.
Far too excited for someone who wasn't in love with him.
The familiar sight of the red Morgan, imposing itself over the gravelly driveway, homed into view as she quickened her pace. Her excitable energy was driving her on, the blonde choosing to abandon her previous attempt to control herself. A friendly few hours with a good mate in James? No problem… those tingly fingers would go away. Eventually. She just needed to have a sit down, talk to him and process her unexpectedly good day. The predefined layout of the day had changed so much in the hours prior, that it was understandable that she would be feeling different to usual. It didn't have anything to do with the fact that she felt as if she was stealing an afternoon to be with the Englishman, who meant nothing more to her other than the fact that he was her friend. There was no doubt. She told herself… repeatedly.
In her excitement, Erin caught her foot on some the loose gravel, stumbling forward ungracefully, only just about managing to stay upright. Little did she know that she'd nearly fell exactly where the deceased Aisling's corpse slumped one night months earlier, having been shot in the head by the then recently returned and retired pilot. Composing herself for a moment, she continued on the short journey to the door, though not without chastising her lack of focus.
"Come on, Erin… it's just James… why are ye getting' so worked up!".
Being at his cottage again, brought back memories that she was hit with as soon as her hand was raised in order to knock the door. The day that the two of them professed their love for each other properly, when she'd felt what it was really like for a fella to give all their love, she'd turned up in a much worse state. Creeping over her lips, turning them up at the ends, was the ghost of a smile when she thought of her arguably greater stupidity then. Jumping off her Da's train on Anna's first ever journey on one, she'd ran all the way to the cottage from there, with blood pouring out of her knees from the rough landing. It was wet too that day, a horrible day for July. A damp, bloody mess when she got to the cottage, James took her inside to take tender care of her at first, before their confessions came. It was just about the best day of her life…
But it couldn't be. Not anymore. She could no longer think of such a time, not when she loved Lance. Like she told herself for what might have been about the millionth time. Maybe, this time the thought would stick…
*KNOCK* *KNOCK*
When she'd first arrived on her side of the door, Erin was so lost in her own thoughts that she'd blocked out the sound from inside the cottage. After knocking, she refocused herself and heard the laughter coming from inside. Anna was never not going to have fun when she got to spend her day with James, who she regarded as her hero. It was at her own doing that the two of them became firm friends so quickly during his prior stay in the city, encouraging Anna to engage with him and in turn, the Englishman opened himself up to her as a role model. There were times when she looked at him with her sister, back before the war that was, and thought of how brilliant he would be as a father. Sadly for them, their chance of exploring parenthood together was taken away when the Lord decided it was not their time.
Opening the door, she was greeted by a sight she certainly wasn't expecting. Well, she was expecting James to answer the door to his cottage, but not with Anna sat on his shoulders as he did. Barely fitting under the ceiling of the hallway of his home, her little sister was giggling adorably as their eyes met. Like he had been that morning, Erin was reminded that even though her sister did have more smarts than anyone that she knew, she was still just a child.
"Erin!" Shouting out her name, Anna was shocked. "What are ye doin' here? Ye should be at work!"
"I know… but I've been told I can have the afternoon off, so I can, so I thought I'd come and see how ye were for a minute. Yer not causin' James any bother, are ye?"
"Me? James is the troublemaker here, Erin!"
With a mischievous smirk slapped across his face, James was a damn handsome bastard. That was categorically NOT the first thought in Erin's mind though, obviously. The smirk was a foreign one to him though, being the gentleman that he always was. He was even dressing very much in that image, a familiar brown, double breasted suit with two toned chalk stripes. The very same outfit she'd first seen him in, the day that he strode out of the Mallon household and into her life. James always was a bolt out of the blue, and somehow, he'd manage to stun her twice in the space of four years with the same suit. It was quite the achievement.
"Why doesn't that surprise me?" Erin replied, quirking her brow up to him.
"What an honour it is, to have the most troublesome of them all compliment me…". He replied, copying her expression in return and maximising it.
"You! James Maguire, ye need to watch yerself!" She replied, slapping his arm. "Ye were right Anna, he is a troublemaker".
There was no mistaking what was going on. Even Anna knew it, without being stupid enough to call them out on it. They were flirting, in an odd but warming sense. Friends could interact with each other in the way they had done, the way they'd tell anyone else they had done if they were challenged about it. Except friends didn't look at each other the way they did, didn't change their facial expressions to convey wee challenges to one another about what they were going to do next. Each change was minimal, a micro-expression changed but with just the slight twitch of a jaw, a whole script could be read between the two. Enough evidence was already there on the surface without having to analyse the heartbeats of either of the adults.
For argument's sake though, their hearts were running wild.
"You are welcome to join us for something to eat, Erin". James offered. "There is enough for three and I am certain Anna would love to have you".
"Aye! And ye can stay with us then until James takes us home!"
As tempting as it was, it was an offer that she couldn't find a definitive reply to for a couple of moments. Spending an afternoon with both her little sister who she adored and James, who she… well, anyway, the chance to have their company on a Friday afternoon was brilliant. Except there was something else to weigh up to. When her Mammy returned home after her shift at the factory, to find Erin wasn't there looking after her Da and was instead with James, she would feel vindicated. Allowing Mary a victory over her in their ongoing battle about where the young Quinn's future should be held, was not on her agenda at all. Yet such was the temptation she was up against, she was not strong enough to resist. Gerry would cover for her anyway, because above all, her Da understood that she wanted to maintain a healthy friendship with James. If anything, he encouraged it more than anyone.
Before she could accept though, there was a rule that needed to be put into place.
"I… I guess I could stay…". Almost shyly, clasping her hands together and swaying slightly, she finally replied. "But not a word to Mammy, Anna! Or I'll make sure yer washin' the dishes for the next month!"
"My lips are sealed!" The younger sister quickly responded. "Mammy won't find out a wee thing, Erin. I promise… I can hold me water!"
"So you can keep a secret". James tilted his head back to talk to her. "How very interesting".
"Ach ye remember!" Delightedly, Erin hummed. "The list?"
"What can I say, I did have a very thorough and patient teacher".
Dropping his voice to an alluring tone, the blonde could feel her knees weakening. She loved Lance, obviously, just telling herself again for reassurance. James was a devil when he didn't know he was being one, although for a change he did know not like before, his mannerisms sending her emotions into orbit. When they'd been friends in the past, during the first couple of weeks after his original arrival in Derry, it was she who'd helped him to settle in and explore the local culture. Thanks to Erin, James knew the difference between wising up and catching one's self on, as well as what it meant to hold one's water and even shite one's tights. His purred reminder would have made a slightly older girl gag, but from above him, Anna smiled. She knew what was going on between her sister and her idol, perhaps more so than they did. She was too smart not to. Old ground was being crossed from four years earlier, a road that a then three year old Anna remembered very well indeed.
"We best get to it then". James, using a commanding tone befitting of the officer he once was, ordered his two grinning soldiers. "I do not want to hear any rumbling stomachs!"
He didn't have to hear any rumbling stomachs thanks to his swift decision to get them back inside, which was just as well as, because James became rather invested in what he was seeing and hearing throughout lunchtime. Anna took her spot at the kitchen table as soon as they went in, retrieving her playing cards to indicate what she wished to do immediately after they'd finished eating. Until then though she was more than content to sit back and watch two of her favourite people work together in order to make them a lunch. James hadn't been lying when he said he had enough food for all three of them, which wasn't even a perk of being who he was. He was more than used to surviving on less food than what the civilian population were having to live on, his cupboards stocked well without him feeling the need to gorge upon his rations.
Working in tandem to make themselves and Anna something to eat, James and Erin both secretly revelled in their close proximity to each other. The former was far more open to himself about it than the latter was, the perfect afternoon for the young Englishman. Since the moment he'd left her at the start of the war, to fight the good fight and end the scourge of the Nazi's, he'd wanted this. The two of them in the kitchen together, spending time with each other whilst getting what they needed to do done, in this case, lunch. There was a domesticated bliss about the experience that he was basking in, in addition to feeling close to her. She wasn't dressed in her best yet was still incomprehensibly beautiful in his eyes. Should fate have been kinder to them then there would have been a child of their own in Anna's place, one of the two rather large stumbling blocks preventing that dream to be lived out in the future, alongside Lieutenant Hamilton. Erin fought a lot harder to deny herself the capacity to think the same way, and although she was moderately successful, the feelings of being where she belonged spoke too loudly to be ignored. If Anna wasn't there, she couldn't be sure she would keep it together…
When lunch was finished, and James and Erin had washed the dishes with Anna's help, the three of them were back around the table playing poker. Erin was a self-declared hopeless idiot when it came to the game, which showed when she could barely get by without a bit of assistance from one of the other two. She knew how to play of course, but when Anna and James were going toe to toe and she was so far behind, they wanted to help her out to at least make it interesting. Her younger sister rarely lost a game, but in James she found a worthy opponent who could not only challenge her strongly, but beat her as well. Unlike when she'd visited the Lyman and taken more money than she should have honourably taken from the Americans, there was no such dominance over the Englishman. Backwards and forth they went, the games tense but always finishing with a hug no matter who won. Erin was always invited to join each embrace too, though she was just as contented to sit and watch than feeling the need to add herself to it. From what she could see with Anna, he really would have made a brilliant father if the world hadn't been so cruel to them.
Once she'd had enough, around half past two, Anna let out a large yawn to indicate how much the poker had taken out of her. She wasn't used to having an opponent that tested her full range of abilities and whilst it was a pleasant change to be challenged, and even beaten, it tired her a lot quicker than normal.
"Tired, Anna?" Her older sister asked, putting an arm around her.
"Yeah… I am". She replied, barely stifling a second yawn. "Can I… Can I have a wee sleep on yer sofa, James".
"The sofa?"
"Aye. Can I… please?"
"It is not the most comfortable, Anna". He answered the request, his voice soothing. "You can sleep on my bed if you wish".
Brought up with courtesy, the younger of the two sisters' immediate reaction was reluctance. She was a guest at his cottage, she couldn't just commandeer his bed because she felt tired. However, sensing the reason for her hesitancy, James swiftly ensured that the decision would be a straightforward one.
"You would not be offending me by doing so". He clarified. "Please, use my bed. As long as you are in my cottage, you have access to everything".
Leaning across to hug her friend and role model, Anna let out another yawn in his arms, prompting her sister to take her hand and walk her to the room. Nothing was said at how easily Erin could remember the way to that room, Anna not being the first of the Quinn sisters to have been in it. Albeit, Anna was just sleeping on the bed. Erin… had gone further. Settling her sister down for a minute, she didn't have to stay long as she was soon at peace, curling herself up a little. Her excitement during the day really took it out of her alongside the multiple games of poker, more than deserving of the rest that she was getting.
Satisfied that Anna was asleep for good, Erin crept out of the room, heading back to the kitchen table where James was still sat. For a moment, as she approached, she watched him seemingly lost in thought. There was a wide smile upon his face as he did, which only grew wider when he spotted her walking back towards him. Lance smiled at her a lot too, but there was something more to James' smile that the Yank could not quite match. More warmth… more of an invitation to feel welcome, the Englishman knew how to make anyone around him feel engaged and cared for. During recent nights she'd realised how much she regretted pushing him away upon his return, but in the same breath remained focused on what their future could be. As friends, of course.
"Ye've knackered her, James". Erin chuckled as she took her seat to the right of him, lifting her glass of water to her lips. "Sure, Mammy'll have yer hide if she doesn't sleep tonight!"
"I dare not aggravate your dear mother, Erin". He laughed too. "I would fear for my life".
The pair of them both ended up laughing at his statement, which wasn't exactly without grounding. Going up against a stubborn Derry mother, not least as an Englishman, did not offer the most favourable odds. She swatted his arm playfully too, for the second time since she'd arrived at the cottage that afternoon. Establishing physical contact with James was like second nature to her though, having once been so besotted with him that not touching him hurt her. Falling back into such an easy friendship helped her conquer her grief over Clare's death, even when it was still so raw and new. Every time she could feel herself struggling without her deceased friend by her side, she knew she could always pour her heart out to James, and he would listen to her. Although she'd told him about the child she'd lost, she just didn't quite feel as if Lance could offer the comforting reassurance she needed.
"Forgive me for prying but, I must ask…". Turning his head, James addressed her. "Why wouldn't you want Anna to tell your mother that you were here?"
Shifting her focus from him for a moment, Erin almost felt guilty. He was the reason, partly, because of the lack of satisfaction that she wished for her Mammy to feel. The argument might have been quickly forgotten by the time that she'd reached the cottage, but it was still right there in her mind, dislodged by his question. On any other occasion she wouldn't have minded her mother knowing that she'd spent the afternoon up with him. Mary just had to go and put her foot in it though, in an act that was once again driving her daughter closer to the man she did not wish for her to be with. Patiently, James waited for her, Erin almost lurred when he was still there gazing towards her when she turned back.
"Me and… me and Mammy have had a few wee… arguments, lately. Ye know, about me spending my time properly and not… not wastin' it…". Lying poorly, her reply was nervy. "If she knows that I've come here instead of cleanin' the house or… or lookin' after Daddy then she'll start another argument and I… I don't want that".
"I see…". The Englishman answered, a hand caressing itself through his slick back hair. "I am sorry to hear that you are arguing. I hope that the cause is worthwhile or if not, you would talk to each other to stop these arguments".
"Ye've met my Mammy, James… tryin' to get her to back off isn't goin' to happen".
"Perhaps I could try to mediate?"
"NO!"
Her answer was far too swift, James' eyebrow raising at her vehement rejection at his involvement. She had to, of course, when he was a part of the reason why mother and daughter were arguing, not that he knew that he was. Once more, Erin found herself in an awkward position when it came to the men in her life, and more crucially, him. Looking away for a second time, she couldn't bear to keep eye contact with him when she was so confused about what she wanted. His friendship, of course, but there was never a doubt that it would change that afternoon. A torturous balancing act of trying to win a victory over her mother whilst keeping her feelings in check, she could barely cope.
"Please forgive me, I should not have asked". Taking upon his shoulders to blame himself, James reached out a hand and placed it on her shoulder. "Erin… look at me".
She turned slowly, trying to suppress the way that her body tingled again under his touch.
"I am sure that whatever it is that you are arguing about with your mother, that the two of you will come to an understanding. You are both kind-hearted women… you will find common ground".
"I… I'm not sure we will". She sighed, still fighting her emotions whilst his hand remained there. "Can we… can we talk about somethin' else?"
"Certainly". He nodded. "How was your work today? Are Michelle and Orla well?"
He would do anything at her command, a simple change of the topic more than within his repertoire. Although it might have been where her major argument of the day took place, Erin was comfortable talking about the rest of her work. There wasn't much to really discuss when it was a quiet day, but she would do her best to be able to steer him away from the topic she did not want to talk too much of. Offering her friends wellbeing as an escape, it was to the two of them that her focus went. James did see Michelle more often that he used to, but he hadn't spoken to her since Sunday, eager to see how she was faring during the week. Clint being away on patrol yet again upset her, especially when they were running out of time before he left for combat proper. She loved the fella with all of her heart, but the war was determined to see them apart.
"They're fine, so they are. I'm glad I'm not there actually, Michelle can get dead irritating when she gets bored". Chuckling, she tucked a loose strand of hair back behind her ear.
"I am glad to hear it. I have been concerned about Michelle. Sometimes I feel she hides her worries from me but still wants my support, even if I do not know what her problems are. She has not confided in you at all, has she?"
"Not really. I guess… ye know, Clare dyin' hasn't helped her recently. Hasn't helped any of us…".
"Yes, I suspect that is part of the problem". He mused. "I do feel as if there is more to it though. You will keep an eye on her, for me?"
She would do as much for him as he would for her, not that he knew, or she was ready to openly admit it. In what was a simple conversation, the pair of them were once again dancing around what was truly held between them, not just what they'd agreed to. He might have been asking her to look out for his cousin as a friend, but the tone of James' voice was not just that of a friend. They were speaking to each other as if they were together again, discussing a day at work like a married couple would in the surrounds of their kitchen. There was no doubt in Erin's mind that she would make sure to keep a close eye on her dark-haired friend but racing through her mind at that moment in time was not Michelle's welfare. It was how she could just about feel his breath on her cheek…
"'course. I wouldn't be a good friend if I didn't, would I?"
She winked at him.
Another line was crossed because the wink was anything but innocent. Friendly winks didn't exist in the city of Derry, Mary Quinn preaching that fact as if it were holier than the majority of the bible. A woman couldn't just go around winking at any fella without serious substance, that usually being the fact that she was in a relationship with him. The blonde's cheeks were suddenly beginning to heat, a flushed pink colour to them that she desperately hoped that James hadn't seen. He had, he never missed anything when she was in front of him where he wanted her but did not comment on them for her sake. That was the gentleman that he was.
And that was when she realised something completely different.
"Shit!"
Exclaiming aloud, he was taken aback by it. It was surely enough to wake Anna from the bedroom, though neither of them heard her stir in the few seconds before she spoke again. Erin's brain wasn't working particularly logically that afternoon thanks to how close she was to James, sending it off on all sorts of tangents. She'd forgotten to do something completely, a task which showed more about her relationships than she wanted to realise. Focused on spending her free time with her sister and the Englishman, put to one side in her mind was the one person she should have been dying to see. The return of her actual fella from his latest stretch of coastal patrol. He was due to return at two o'clock and when he'd departed the last time, she'd promised to be there for him. She'd broken her promise to Lance.
"Shit! Shit!" She fidgeted, continuing to swear.
"What is the matter?" A concerned James enquired.
"I was supposed to take a late lunch and… and meet Lance when he got back. Shit! I… I'm sorry James, I have to go".
Pushing her chair back at speed, an emotionally charged Erin rose from her seat, eyes already flickering towards where her coat was hung up in his hallway. Before she could move towards it though, the sound of the Englishman's chair copying the action, filled her ears. James' movement was faster, faster than hers, and there was no telegraphing what he was doing this time. There was no vindication behind trying to label what he was doing as an act of purely friendship alone. Reading the prior signals of their flirting, of how they worked together in the cottage as if they did it daily as part of a routine, he wasn't going to lose to the American again. He loved Erin Quinn and was going to be damned if the Yank stole her away from him again after the afternoon they'd had.
Launching his hand out, he grabbed her wrist the very second her feet began to pivot round.
An act that almost stopped time itself.
"Stay".
The word was a whisper, but in four short letters he had her attention. Erin's conscience was being ripped from pillar to post, one moment thinking of James, the next of Lance. In all of the time that she'd been with the American though, she'd never been privy to the loving but vulnerable side of a a man, not in the way that James was staring back at her. The young banker was looking at her as if she was the most gorgeous horizon in all of existence, which to him, she was. Like it was on the night of her birthday when he arrived at the Quinn house with flowers for her, the air was tense. Without either of them noticing, their fingers were interlaced, with hearts that were racing rapidly again.
Searching her eyes, James found what he believed to be permission for what he wanted. She certainly wasn't opening her mouth to stop him, and when his hand found her waist, her body shuddered at the touch. All of the feelings that she was denying were bubbling up to the surface, feelings that were far too powerful for her to stop. Her cheeks weren't just warm, they were throbbing and pink, her knees barely still able to function. If he hadn't touched her waist, then she would most likely collapsed into his muscular chest, which would not have been an unpleasant landing by any means. Their bodies, separated for so long, were pressing against each other, responding to the complete lack of boundaries between them. For years there'd been barriers in the way of what they once had, but that afternoon, suddenly those barriers were disappearing.
Taller than her, towering over her in the most glorious of fashion, James began to tilt his head down to meet her lips. His warm breath cascaded across her features, sending a rush of blood through her body that nearly sent her crashing to the floor. Kissing Lance was not like this, she knew. She could control herself whenever she kissed him; with James, all hope of control was lost.
Their mouths moved closer towards each other, as she arched her head up to meet him.
The distance closed, lips puckering slightly, anticipating the contact.
Air could only find the slightest of pockets to flow through between the two, down the narrow trench, flanked on either side by skin starved for so long without contact.
Filling her nostrils, the smell of his cologne was spinetingling.
It was what he wanted.
What she-
"James! Erin!"
Jumping apart, they nearly fell back over their respective chairs. Anna's shout broke the moment, the air going from tense to awkward in a half second. The spell that she was under, entranced by him, was no longer active. Reality took over, reality telling her that Lance was her fella not James. She couldn't betray his good nature by giving into the residual feelings that she held for the Englishman, even if he was so devilishly handsome. It was wrong… she was wrong… but it felt so… so… right.
"What is it, Anna!?" James called out, just about finding his voice.
"Can I have a glass of water?" She asked sweetly.
"Yes, of course you can. I will get it for you now".
"Thank ye!"
With his own cheeks burning from what happened, what so nearly happened, he did not hesitate to comply with her request, though not without glancing to his beloved. Stood shellshocked, she didn't know what to do or how she was going to proceed. They couldn't talk about it, nor could they act upon it again. If Anna was to see anything then there was no way she would be able to keep the pretence up at home, when her little sister could use it against her if she so wished. Anna wasn't like it all, but Erin couldn't take the risk.
James didn't want to leave them in total silence though, his gentlemanly code of honour preventing him from allowing the atmosphere to fester how it was.
"We should… we should go in to… to see her and… make sure she is alright". He nervously suggested, trying to study her expressions. "We could always play some more poker if she is feeling better".
"Aye… that… that sounds…". Equally awkward, Erin's hands were jumping over each other. "… it sounds like a plan. I… I'll go now if ye… ye get the water".
"Yes… yes I will… I will do it now".
The air was still awkward, but once they were together with Anna again, a joviality fell back into place. Neither of them could ignore what they'd nearly done internally, but Erin's younger sister provided a pleasant distraction for them both to not show it externally. For the rest of the afternoon, in fact, the three of them spent more precious time together, before he finally took them home just before five o'clock, keeping Erin's wish of returning home ahead of her Mammy. A smiling Gerry watched them walk to the door with James, though he missed the rather awkward farewell that he gave Erin. Their embrace lasted for a second too longer than it should have done, as if they were afraid to let go of each other, now that they'd found each other again. The blonde couldn't afford to give in though, not when she was already in a relationship with another man.
Yet the signs were telling.
Despite having promised him, she never made it to the docks to see Lance.