Chapter Four
"Charles, will you just stop a minute. Please!" His mother called, running down the stairs behind him.
He carried on down the steps, putting the last box of his things in to the boot of his car and turning to face her. "What now?" He sighed. Thankfully it hadn't taken him long to pack, given that everything was still in boxes from when he'd picked it up from the house he used to share with Rebecca.
His Mum faltered slightly as she looked at the expression on his face. She'd been non-stop at him all day about Molly and wanting to know why he wasn't making more of an effort with Rebecca. He'd been patient to start with but she'd really started to get on his nerves in the last hour or so.
"Well?" He prompted when she still didn't say anything.
"I just…. Well, are you sure you want to move out?" She asked. "I really don't mind if you do want to stay here, it seems silly really. You're going to get all this stuff and set up a whole new house and who knows what'll happen in the next couple of months. You might not even need to."
He rolled his eyes, knowing exactly what she was getting at. "Mum." He sighed, closing the boot of his car and taking a step towards her. "I'm not going to get back together with Rebecca. I really don't know what I can say to you to make this any clearer. We're getting divorced. That's the end of it."
"But you don't know how you'll feel in a few months time!" She protested.
"I know that since we finally admitted things weren't going to work I'm the happiest I've been in years." He told her. "So can you just drop it now? Please?"
She folded her arms and stared at him for a second. "I just don't want you to throw away everything you've got with Rebecca for some stupid fling with that woman."
That woman was what his mother had taken to calling Molly. It didn't matter how many times he corrected her, reminding her that Molly did in fact have a name, she still referred to her as it with the same tone of disdain in her voice. "If you're going to start this again then I think it's probably time for me to go."
She didn't say a word as he climbed into the car, just standing at the bottom of the steps and watching him as he drove away. He was going to have to try and reason with her at some point, he knew that. Especially if Molly was going to stick around, which he was seriously hoping she would. He could deal with his mother at another time though, he just wanted to get his stuff moved into his new home as soon as he could. The idea of having his own space and not being suffocated by his parents constantly was becoming more and more appealing by the second.
Molly was waiting for him on the driveway as he pulled in. "I was starting to wonder if I'd got the right house." She laughed, pointing at her watch as he climbed out of the car. "Not having second thoughts are you?"
He shook his head. "No, believe me. I love my parents but my god am I pleased to be out of there."
Molly's face turned serious again. "Your Mum still isn't happy then?"
He bit his lip, not really sure what to tell her. He'd tried explaining to Molly a couple of times that it was just the way his Mum was and she shouldn't take it personally. Whoever he'd taken home after Rebecca wouldn't have been good enough, there was no doubt about it. But it was easier said than done, he knew that. Despite the fact she hadn't really said anything about it, he could tell from the look on her face every time his parents were mentioned that Molly had definitely taken it personally.
"I wouldn't worry about it." He said softly, putting a hand on Molly's shoulder. "She'll come around eventually."
Molly muttered something under her breath that he didn't quite catch before moving around to the back of the car and undoing the boot. "Come on then." She said, nodding towards the door. "Get that open and we can get these boxes in. We've got furniture to put together and I've got to be up early in the morning!"
"Yes Ma'am." He winked, fishing the keys that the estate agents had given him out of his pocket and heading towards the front door.
He'd been dreading the actual process of moving in. The vivid memories of the arguments and stress he'd had with Rebecca the last time they'd moved house came flooding back. It was surprisingly easy though, without Rebecca there shrieking at him that everything was in the wrong place. With Molly there barking the occasional order at him to get up and get on with it instead of sitting there staring at the boxes he hadn't got any choice other than to get on with it.
Molly had somehow managed to put the bed together entirely on her own in the time that it had taken him to unpack a couple of boxes in the kitchen. He was impressed, he'd looked at the instructions when the furniture had been delivered the day before and lost the will to live before he'd even started.
"You're very good at this." He commented, leaning against the bedroom door frame and watching her as she tightened the last screw.
She grinned at him, turning around and bowing dramatically. "You're welcome. It's another one of my many talents."
"So it would seem." He grinned back.
"You going to get in here and help me lift this mattress or not?"
"Alright, alright." He held his hands up in mock surrender. "I feel sorry for Spanner and Peanut if you're barking orders at them like this all the time."
She pointed the screwdriver at him, trying to keep her face seriously. "I don't need to with them. They know who is in charge."
He laughed. "I think I'm learning."
"Good." Her serious expression was replaced with a mischievous grin. "Now get over there and help me lift this."
His phone rang and he stopped, grinning at her. "Saved by the bell…"
"Make it quick." She rolled her eyes at him as he answered it.
"Hello?"
"Hi Char- Er, Captain James. It's Georgie."
He was quiet for a moment, surprised. "Everything okay?" He asked, dropping his voice slightly as Molly looked at him curiously.
"Yeah… Um… I just wondered if I could ask you a favour?" Georgie asked.
"What's that?" He asked, frowning slightly.
"Would you have a phone number for Captain Dawes? I was trying to get in touch with her about something." Georgie asked hesitantly.
"She's actually here now if you want to speak to her." The words were out of his mouth before he thought about it.
Georgie laughed quietly on the other end of the phone. "Oh, I see."
"Sorry…" He mumbled, although he wasn't sure why he was apologising. Molly was staring at him like he'd grown another head from across the room and he couldn't say he blamed her. The whole thing was very strange.
"Okay then." Georgie said.
"Okay what?" He asked.
"Can I speak to her?"
"Right, yeah. Sorry." He muttered, nearly dropping the phone in his haste to pass it to Molly.
"Who is it?" She asked under her breath as she took the phone from him.
"Lane." He hissed. "I'll go and put the kettle on." He disappeared before Molly had a chance to protest.
"Hi Lane." Molly said, holding the phone up to her ear. "Everything okay?"
"Hi, I'm really sorry. I thought Char… Captain James might have a phone number for you so I could call you during the week. I…"
"You weren't expecting me to be with him." Molly finished the sentence for her.
"Sorry." Georgie cringed.
"It's fine, you've saved me from building some more furniture. What do you need?" Molly asked, still trying to figure out quite why she was on the phone to Georgie Lane.
"I was hoping you might have some time spare somewhere during the week? I was wondering if I could come and see you to pick your brain about a few things?" Georgie asked.
Molly paused for a moment. "About what?"
"Work related." Georgie answered quickly. "I just… I know you were a medic and I just wanted to ask you some advice."
Molly was quiet for a moment, considering it. The whole thing was very strange, but she had to admit she was intrigued. She would have assumed she would've been the last person Georgie would ever have gone to for advice after everything that had happened. "Wednesday."
"What?" Georgie sounded confused.
"Wednesday should be fine." Molly said. "I'll let you know if it isn't. Come any time, I don't think I've got anything on."
"Right…" Georgie sounded uncertain. "I'll see you on Wednesday then."
"See you then, Lane." Molly nodded, hanging up the phone.