Chapter 6: as requested. Intimate moments on the day of the Summer Fair.

Spring gradually turned into Summer. Did anyone at Nonnatus House notice another momentous change that had taken place? Sister Bernadette was in love, how could they not see? Excitement, fear, longing and doubt caused total disruption to her sleeping and eating. Only constant work and prayer could ease the exquisite torture, before desperation returned with a vengeance at night. Despite her talk with the vicar, she clung to the idea that it was all some sort of test. The remedy she reasoned, was to grit her teeth, carry her cross and conquer temptation. Perhaps, if she had ever known any other kind of life, she might have seen how fast she was running away from the truth.

Worse still, she was the only member of their community to notice the budding romance between Jane and the Reverend Appleby Thornton. Fate was letting her see how love for most people could unfold naturally and gently. "This is what real earthly love is like, and it is not for you," it seemed to say.

The ante-natal clinic was at full stretch during the month of May. So, on the day when Timothy walked into the clinic with a bad graze, his father was unusually irritable. On hot days like this, the parish hall could become unbearable. Sister Bernadette was only too happy to attend to Timothy while his father got back to work. The boy's company was like balm to her soul. She could mother him all she liked for twenty minutes, cleaning and bandaging the wound.

"I got a house point for my Science Project," he said proudly, "and it's up on the classroom wall now!"

"But not the stag beetle, I imagine," joked Sister.

His father came towards them. She could see he was exhausted but his tired eyes were smiling. "That's enough of the royal treatment for you, young man! Time to get back to school. I'll walk you round."

He turned to Sister and said, "To be honest I could do with a breather!" and she smiled sympathetically. Her fine features seemed to him to be glowing today. Why was it, that each time he saw her she grew more beautiful? He tried not to think about it. In his right senses, he knew she was untouchable, but he couldn't shake the feeling that she was lonely. He wanted to talk to her about things. Wanted to know what she thought about...

"Dad, come on!"

......

On Saturday night, all of the midwives were out at the dance. Sister Bernadette had read the same sentence of her book at least four times, when the muffled noise of someone crying penetrated her bedroom wall.

She discovered a sobbing Jane curled up on her bed. She reached out and lightly placed a hand on her shoulder.

"You couldn't go through with the dance, could you?" ventured Sister Bernadette, and was rewarded with a tearful look of surprise. "I think he loves you Jane, you can explain it all to him tomorrow, and he'll understand, I'm sure he will," she assured her.

It was not far off midnight when the two of them found themselves in the kitchen making Horlicks. Jane was clearly troubled, but she was comforted to know that someone cared. Unlikely as it seemed, she could tell that Sister Bernadette understood her misery. Insight came suddenly, as it often did with her and she looked up from stirring the milk to say,

"You love someone too...don't you!"

It was said with absolutely no trace of judgement. Sister Bernadette gave her a weary look of resignation. It felt good to tell someone.

"Is that why you've been so sad lately?" ventured Jane as they sat down at the kitchen table.

"Yes."

"Does the man you love, love you back?"

"I don't know... and I'm a nun Jane!" whispered Sister Bernadette,

"Well, yes, but you are very young still. Forgive me Sister for saying this but, surely a convent...is not a prison...is it?"

......

The vicar's wife had been adamant that Doctor Turner must be involved in allocating the funds from the forthcoming fair. Sister Bernadette was the very nurse chosen to help him. When the day came for their meeting, she was full of trepidation, but her eyes were shining as she cycled through the streets of Poplar. She was going to see him, to talk to him, alone.

Doctor Turner was happy too, it seemed the sort of day to celebrate being alive! As he parked next to the Parish Hall, he felt his stomach leap at the thought of seeing her. Sunlight flooded the hall, blinding him at first, but there she was.

"Good morning Sister Bernadette,"

"Greetings Doctor," she replied in her quaint way.

The conversation had seemed so mundane, so routine until she had looked up at him, her eyes so blue in the sunlight. At that moment there was no hiding her adoration. He drank in the beauty of her face, and saw the love in her eyes for the first time. She loved him.

They both jumped at the sound of Timothy's voice,

"Dad, you're wanted at the Surgery!"

......

It was most out of character, but Doctor Turner was very distracted for the rest of that day. His stint at the fair had been interrupted by a dreadful call out to the woman who had terminated her pregnancy. Despite the awfulness of it all, he had a warming thought to treasure. Sister Bernadette loved him! He returned to the fair just in time to see his two favourite people running the three-legged race.

She had fallen over, she was leaving, he wanted to follow her...needed to see her.

And then before he knew it, he was holding her hand, and kissing it.

Sister Bernadette knew at last that he cared about her.

Love had silently been declared.

And now I just long to see them happy! Please let me know what you thought of it all.