As Time Goes By
Chapter 19
Ruby Buckton and Geoffrey Campbell stood on a street corner kissing. They had been to the cinema to see the new Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall film, 'To Have and Have Not' and Geoffrey was trying out his new 'Bogey' technique!
"Oi, Oi!" Cried Tony Holden as he walked past giving Geoffrey a wink.
Ruby blushed and Geoffrey smirked.
"God! I'll never be able to look Mr. Holden in the face again!" Ruby said, breaking away from her boyfriend. "I hope he doesn't mention this to Charlie; she'll kill me!"
"No she won't!" Geoffrey sympathised. "She was young once!"
"She's not exactly old now, Geoff!" Ruby grinned. "Besides, I'd better be getting home. If she gets home before me, there'll be hell to pay!"
"Okay," Geoffrey said reluctantly.
He walked Ruby to her gate and he bent to kiss her lips once more. She allowed him, but pushed him away when she heard a noise from within the house.
"Well, thanks for tonight, Geoff. The film was great!" Ruby said, shyly.
"So were you!" Geoff said, looking adoringly at Ruby.
"Goodnight, then."
"Goodnight, Ruby." Geoffrey said.
As he got to the gate, Ruby called out,
"You don't have to say anything and you don't have to do anything. Oh, maybe just whistle. You know how to whistle, don't you Steve. You just put your two lips together and blow."
Geoffrey grinned, remembering the line which Bacall had given Bogart in the film.
Ruby blew him a kiss and Geoffrey caught it in his hand. He waved goodbye and walked off down the road, whistling.
***
"Well, someone's happy!" Janet Leah grinned as Ruby entered the door. "But you're a bit late, aren't you?"
Ruby grinned sheepishly.
"Is Charlie in yet?"
"No. I think she's popped round to see Irene about something. She'll be back soon."
'Blast!' Ruby thought to herself. 'She's bound to see Geoff and she'll know I've only just got in!'
Suddenly, there was a knock at the back door.
"Wonder who this is?" Janet said, looking at Ruby, enquiringly.
"Search me!" Ruby said, shrugging her shoulders.
Janet walked to the door and turned off the light due to the blackout regulations, and opened it.
"It's only me!" Joey whispered.
"Joey! What are you doing here? Come on in love."
"I'm on my way back from Brighton and the trains went up the shoot. I couldn't get a Dover train and as the time was getting on, I thought I'd jump the Whitstable one instead! Is Charlie around?" Joey asked, hopefully.
"She's out at the moment; over at Irene's. She shouldn't be too long though. Want a cuppa?"
"I'd love one, but I think I'll go and meet Charlie."
Ruby grinned at the conversation. As soon as Charlie saw Joey, all animosity towards her and Geoffrey Campbell would be lost; thus getting off Scott free!
***
Joey set off walking toward Irene Roberts' house. It was her first visit back to Whitstable since she'd left two weeks ago. She had settled in to her new role comfortably, but was in need of some home comforts.
As she neared Irene's house, she could see a shadowy figure walking towards her. Joey hesitated for a moment but continued to walk in the same direction. There was no moon and the night was quiet and black.
The shadowy figure also hesitated at the approach of a stranger in the dark. Stopping, they looked back towards the house they'd just left but decided to walk on. As the two figures neared, they both stopped in surprise.
"Joey?"
"Charlie?"
"What are you doing home?" Charlie said, excitedly.
"It's a long story. God! You put the frighteners up me, just now!"
"Good! About time I got my own back!" Charlie said, taking Joey by the hand. "Don't I get a kiss then?"
Joey chuckled and gave Charlie what she wanted.
"Oi! You two over there!" A voice came from the darkness.
The girls froze for a moment.
"Who's that?" Joey whispered.
"I dunno, but let's get out of here!"
Charlie grabbed Joey by the hand and they run off as quickly as they could.
"I only wanted to know what the time was!" The stranger called as the two shadowy figures ran away, hastily.
***
Charlie and Joey arrived back at the house, falling over each other and giggling.
Ruby stood in the kitchen, helping Janet to pull some heavy cotton bed sheets into shape.
"Well, good evening!" Ruby said; her eyebrow, raised. "And what have you two been up to, to make you look so flushed?"
Janet smirked and looked away.
"Never you mind and while we're on the subject, young lady, what were you and Geoffrey Campbell doing out so late? You should have been home over an hour ago!"
Janet laughed and looked at Ruby.
"Get out of that one, clever!" She whispered.
***
Joey and Charlie curled up together in bed.
"Gawd! Your feet are cold, Charlie! Anyone would think you'd had them in an ice bucket!"
Charlie giggled.
"Well, it's the least you can do to warm them up for me, seeing as you're bumming a nights lodging!"
"Come here, I'll soon warm you up!" Joey whispered, grabbing Charlie and pulling her close.
"Before you start fooling around, I want to talk to you seriously about something." Charlie said, looking stern.
Joey frowned but complied.
"Morag wants to meet with you about your case. She's asked if you will go and see her on your next day off. Will that be alright?"
The sparkle went out of Joey's eyes. She stared at Charlie for a few moments and then nodded her head.
"You'll be with me, won't you?" She asked quickly.
"Of course, I will. But you needn't worry; Morag won't eat you! You've more chance of me doing that than her!" Charlie said taking a nibble at Joey's neck.
But Joey didn't react to Charlie's little joke. She just lay, staring at the ceiling.
"Joey?"
Joey took a deep breath.
"I'll arrange for a day off." Joey said and turned onto her side, away from Charlie.
Charlie felt a little hurt but understood how Joey was feeling. She moved closer to Joey and wrapped her arms around her and held her tightly.
"Charlie. I'm frightened."
"You've nothing to be frightened of, my darling. I'm here. I'll always be here."
And with that, Charlie kissed Joey's shoulder and they settled down to sleep.
***
"Good afternoon Joey. Please sit down." Morag said as she showed Joey into the lounge.
Charlie waited in the kitchen with her father whilst Morag spoke privately with Joey.
"Joey, firstly, I'm going to get you to tell me about what happened the day you were attacked by Robert Cruze. Then, I will ask you some questions which I want you to answer as quickly and as honestly as you can. Is that alright?" Morag asked.
Joey nodded.
***
Charlie stirred her tea and looked at her father.
"Dad, what are the chances of Cruze being prosecuted, do you think?"
"Well, it's hard to say, Charlie. Courts are wiser to these issues than they were previously, but it won't be easy. There are still a lot of very old judges out there, stuck in their very old ways; just ask Morag! She complains about it all the time. But Morag will be honest with Joey and will guide her, the best she can."
Charlie nodded.
"I just wish... "
"You wish what, darling?"
"I just wish I could take some of the pain from her. It's strange, but going over her dreadful experiences again, with that monster, how she's gone into herself; just as she was when I first met her."
"It would be something that would never leave a girl completely, I should think." Her father said, compassionately. "At least she has you there for her."
Charlie looked at her father and smiled.
"Just wish there was more I could do."
Ross stroked her arm, comfortingly.
"You know, I could squeeze another cup out of that pot!"
"Yes please, Dad."
***
An hour later, the lounge door opened and Charlie hurried out into the hall way and met Joey looking pale and puffy eyed.
"Darling." Charlie said, holding her arms open to Joey who fell into them, gratefully.
"Charlie. I don't know if I can go through with this." Joey said, tearfully.
"It's alright, honey. If you don't want to, you don't have to." Charlie said caressing Joey's back.
Joey straightened a little and looked into Charlie's anxious face.
"Maybe I can think about it?"
"Of course." Charlie smiled and tenderly kissed Joey's lips.
Morag, at that moment, strolled out of the lounge and quickly averted her gaze, but cleared her throat.
The girl's lips broke apart and Joey buried her head in Charlie's shoulder; but Charlie held onto Joey tightly.
"I think we might have a fresh pot of tea." Morag suggested and edged her way past the girls.