The Very Thought of You
Chapter 50
Hugo and Charlie kissed passionately. Hugo guided Charlie backwards towards his bed and fumbled with the buttons down the front of her dress. He finished undoing the fifth button and slipped his rough hand inside her dress onto her breast. Charlie gasped and stepped backwards and fell onto the bed. Hugo took his opportunity and leapt on top of her, roughly dragging down the shoulders of her pretty dress and a bra straps with it.
"No! Hugo, stop!" Charlie said, struggling to get from under Hugo's weight. "Please! I don't want this." She cried, pushing him to one side.
"Charlie!" He said, anxiously. "What's wrong, I thought..."
"Well, you thought wrong, Hugo." Charlie said, jumping to her feet and re-arranging her attire. "I'm sorry, I just can't do this!"
"It's Joey, isn't it!" He said, with frustration in his voice.
Charlie hung her head and just nodded. Tears fell from her eyes.
"I'm so sorry!" She sobbed.
Hugo lay for some moments watching Charlie in her distressed state. At long last he heaved himself off the bed and walked over to the distraught girl.
"Hey, come on. It's not as bad as all that. These things happen." He said, gently.
"Oh, Hugo! I'm so messed up!" Charlie wailed as Hugo took her in his arms to comfort her.
"Now then, love. Don't take on so. Everything will be alright, you just see." Hugo said smiling.
Charlie softly sobbed for a few moments and gratefully blew her nose on the white handkerchief Hugo offered.
"I think I'll take myself off to my room now." Charlie said, shyly. "I'm grateful to you, Hugo." Kissing his cheek and leaving the room.
***
Joey awoke the following morning. She looked around her new bedroom and felt very lonely. She had never lived without someone familiar being about her, but she would have to start getting used to it soon. When she received her call-up from the Wrens, she would have no one to tuck her in and gently kiss her 'good night'.
She gradually heaved herself out of bed and sat on the edge. Her thoughts strayed to Charlie. She wondered if she had gone home the night before and how would she be feeling. Her heart felt like a lead balloon as she washed and made herself ready for breakfast.
***
"Good morning, Charlie! May I join you?" Hugo asked politely as he entered the dining room of the hotel.
Charlie smiled at Hugo.
"Yes, of course."
Hugo settled himself down and a waitress came along to take their order.
"How did you sleep?" Hugo asked.
"Well, not so good. I had a lot to think about. I'm sorry; I treated you badly last night."
"Oh, don't worry. Worse things happen at sea, Charlie. Speaking of which, I'm catching the nine thirty train to London, this morning. I'm hoping to get a connection to my unit from there." He said, mouthing "Scotland" silently to her. "Careless talk and all that!"
"I wish you well, Hugo." Charlie replied.
The couple stepped out of the hotel.
"Well, what are you going to do with your day?" Hugo asked Charlie, glancing towards the Cathedral.
"I'm going to buy a huge bunch of flowers, if there's any to be had, then, I'm going home!" Charlie said with a huge smile on her face.
"To a certain young lady?" Hugo whispered.
"To a certain young lady." Charlie confirmed with a blush.
"Good luck, Charlie." Hugo said, kissing Charlie gently on the lips.
"Good bye, Hugo. You're a good friend. God bless you." Charlie replied.
They held hands briefly and then walked in opposite directions.
***
Colleen Smart had been discharged from hospital in Canterbury that morning. She had been admitted on the night of the Whitstable bombing and had been confined to bed for a few days until they were quite sure the small head wound, which she had sustained in the blast, was of no danger to her. The kind Dr. Armstrong had encouraged Colleen to get out of bed and walk around. That was until she started to upset the other patients in the ward. Before she left, she paid a visit to her long suffering brother, Alf Stewart, who told her in no uncertain terms to "be off" and let him have some peace.
It was a lovely morning, so she decided to walk into the Cathedral to send up a prayer of thanks for the safe deliverance of Alf and herself.
She walked along and had just arrived in the Buttermarket when she noticed a familiar couple walking out of the Cathedral Gate Hotel together. She smiled thinking what a nice couple they made as she watched them embrace.
"I was right." She muttered to herself. "I was right!" And smiling smugly, wandered off into the grounds of Canterbury Cathedral.
Oh Ye of little faith, eh? As if...