Author's note: This chapter is purely for fun.

Barbara spent the afternoon resting. She was unsure if it was terror or excitement, but the thought of going to Buckingham Palace to meet the Queen had given her a roaring headache and coupled with her aching side, she couldn't face being awake. A long bath, a sleep in the shade on Tommy's back lawn and some fresh air had done her good. She reluctantly woke when Denton spoke.

"Miss Havers. Miss Havers."

"What, Charlie?"

"Umm." His eyes glinted in the sun behind his round glasses.

Gotcha!

Denton recovered quickly and continued as if she had addressed him as expected. "You mentioned you'd like to see my play. I wondered if you'd like to come tonight?"

"Er, yeah, I guess. What did Tommy say?"

"I said it was a wonderful idea if you're up to it."

Barbara shaded her eyes. She hadn't seen him standing there, and she had referred to him as Tommy. It had been an unconscious statement. Now he was grinning at her as if she had just told him he'd won the lottery. "Yeah, okay. Can I wear jeans?"

"It's the 21st century, Miss Havers, of course you can. Our little production doesn't stand on ceremony."

The Old Red Lion in Islington had a pub downstairs with a small theatre above it. With a red ceiling and timber and brass bar, the pub looked like a caricature of the classic London pub, but it was real, and Barbara loved it. Alluring scents of Indian spices and Basmati rice wafted through the pub every time the door to the kitchen opened.

Tommy carried two pints across to an old soft Chesterfield lounge that sat next to the fireplace. "Cheers. Do you fancy a bite? The show doesn't start for an hour, and it's not far to go."

"Chicken curry."

"You don't need the menu?"

"Nah, I read the specials board on the way in."

"Two chicken curries coming up."

Barbara was impressed. The show was as professional as any in the West End if you ignored cheaper sets and a smaller stage. Charlie was magnificent as Henry Higgins. He reminded her of Tommy, a little in looks but also in mannerisms.

"He's modelled him on you," she whispered.

"No. I'm not that grumpy and irascible."

"Aren't you? Fooled me."

"Barbara Havers, I'm nothing but sweetness and light itself."

In the dim light, she could see his eyes sparkling. She leant slightly closer. Tommy moved towards her. Now would be the perfect moment. Wait. She was in a theatre. Surrounded by people. She pulled her head back and stared back at the stage. "Shhh."

Tommy sighed. Barbara had looked at him with such soft and loving eyes. No barriers, no class divide, just two people who cared greatly for each other. For a second, he thought she was about to kiss him. He sat back and smiled. Progress.

It was late by the time the three of them alighted from the cab in front of Tommy's townhouse. Denton had observed them all evening. The tension between them was enough to power a small city, but he realised that they both respected each other so much and feared for the future that they needed a gentle nudge to get them over that final hurdle.

"Thank you, Charlie, it was a fantastic evening," Barbara said as Tommy fumbled in his pocket for his keys.

"My pleasure, Miss Havers. I'm gratified that you enjoyed our humble little show."

"I did."

Tommy put his arm over her shoulder to escort her through the open door. "Barbara likes anything that pokes fun at the superficiality and stupidity of the social climbing classes."

"Well, with your lot, you need taking down a peg or two."

"Class is silly and irrelevant. George Bernard Shaw says so."

"George Bernard Shaw probably never had to live in a council flat and sell his soul for minimum wage."

Denton saw where this was headed, and it was completely in the opposite direction to where he wanted it to go. "Will you both share a celebratory drink with me before retiring?"

Barbara smiled. "Of course."

Although Denton had wanted to go into the informal living area off the kitchen, where he thought Barbara would be more at ease, Tommy insisted on the drawing room. "You're not helping," he whispered to his boss. "You want her relaxed, not tense."

"Huh?"

Denton shook his head when Tommy frowned at him. For an educated and intelligent man, he had no understanding of people at times. "Make her want you, M'lord. Don't frighten her off."

After a few drinks, Denton noticed that his boss was yawning. It was time for him to act. "Well, M'lord, Miss Havers, it's time I took my leave. Would you like breakfast in bed in the morning or on the terrace?"

Barbara looked at Tommy. "The terrace?"

Denton nodded and cast a side-eye at his boss. "As you wish, although my breakfast in bed is something to behold, even if I do say so myself."

Tommy must have taken the hint. "He's right. Breakfast in bed for two, please. We can have it together."

"Certainly, M'lord."

"Umm,' Barbara said, then shrugged. "Okay."

Denton looked straight at Tommy. "I will bring it to your room when you both wake."

His boss nodded. But Denton was not sure they were going to take the hint. "I'll turn down your bed. Good night."

Denton went upstairs. He knew he should turn down both beds, but he needed to push just a little harder. He ignored Barbara's room. He turned down both sides of Tommy's bed and left Barbara's pyjamas on the side she had occupied in the morning. He toyed with moving her toiletries into Tommy's ensuite, but that was pushing unprofessionalism too far.

"I'm slightly tipsy," Barbara said as she and Tommy finished their drinks. "I think that's a good thing. I might sleep better tonight."

"I hope you do. Although you seemed to sleep well this morning."

Barbara bit her bottom lip. "Yeah, but…"

"I don't want you to be alone," Tommy said as he stroked her arm. "The thought of you having a nightmare and me not being there is… unsettling."

They reached her room, and Barbara stopped outside the door. "I have to learn to be a big girl sometime."

"Does it have to be tonight?"

Barbara closed her eyes. "If I don't do it now, I might… get used to not being alone."

"Is that a bad thing?"

She shrugged. "I dunno. Good night, Tommy." She stood on tippy-toes and gave him a peck on his cheek.

Tommy gave her one of his special smiles. "Call me if you need anything. Come over, even if you don't and just change your mind."

Tommy smiled when he saw his bed. Charlie was being mischievous. If only it had worked. He left the bed untouched while he had a quick shower. He enjoyed the hot water running over him until inappropriate thoughts about going to her room clouded his mind. He shut off the heat and stood in the cold stream until he began to shiver.

When he returned, the pyjamas were gone. Disappointment clutched his heart and squeezed.

"Hiya. I think Denton was playing matchmaker."

Tommy jumped. Barbara was standing by the window in her pyjamas. He grinned at her. "You're still here. Did it work?"

He watched her as her eyes ran over his body. They gleamed with something he had never seen in them before – desire. He touched his hips with his fingers, double-checking that he was decent, and when he felt the soft cotton, he almost wished he hadn't wrapped his towel around his waist.

"At the hospital, I was in your room, and I fell asleep. I heard you speaking to me, but I don't know if it was a dream or if it was real."

Tommy stepped forward. "It was real."

"So, you did call me an out-of-tune church organ."

"I also told you I adored you."

She shrugged. "Yeah. I heard that too."

"You called me a cat."

Barbara looked shocked. "You were asleep."

"No, I was drifting in and out of consciousness."

"You were purring when you snored."

Tommy laughed. "Okay, so we have established that my snoring is more genteel than yours. But did you mean what you said?"

Barbara sighed. "Yeah."

"Then why are we standing here?"

"Because I'm scared. You're scared too, aren't you? Just a bit?"

Tommy swallowed. "Yeah."

"Could we… let it evolve? I'm not sure I'm ready for… you know. That."

"Will you stay with me? I promise to behave. I… just want you close."

Barbara nodded. "Are you going to sleep in that?"

Tommy looked down. "No. Damp towels are not my favourite nightwear. What would you like me to wear?"

Barbara gave him a saucy grin that seemed to countermand their last conversation. "Pyjamas. But one day, your elephant trunk?"

He grinned at her, then went into his walk-in robe and rustled through one of his drawers. He brought out the elephant and held it up. "I'll put it here on the dresser. You tell me when you want me to wear it. I'll um, just take my pyjamas into the bathroom. I'll be right back."

Denton knocked on the door and waited to be invited in. He did not want to catch the couple undressed or in a compromising situation. He was a little disappointed when Tommy replied instantly, but he had already checked Barbara's room, and it had not been slept in. That was a promising sign.

"Good morning, M'lord, Miss Havers. Shall I open the curtains, or would you like more time?"

"No, open them. And Barbara informs me she is starving, so please serve breakfast once it's ready."

"Of course. It'll be ten minutes."

Denton smiled when he opened the blinds and saw that hideously ridiculous elephant staring at him. He wondered if perhaps his boss had been showing Miss Havers his ancestral jewels after all.