The Very Thought of You
Hello everyone. Thank you all for reading and a special thank you to my regular reviewers. Much appreciated! Well, as you can see, this story is slowly winding to an end. We're not quite there yet, so stay tuned. 'We can take it!' S&L xx
Chapter 52
Joey thanked Mrs. Glover for her kindness and paid her for the night's bed and board. Charlie smiled at Joey as they left the house, both having spent an entire afternoon in each other's arms making love.
They walked along the beach path passing the Old Neptune pub and listening briefly to the piano tinkling away inside.
"This is where I first saw and fell in love with you." Charlie said turning to Joey.
"Fell in love with me?" Joey asked incredulously.
"Of course, I didn't know it then, except I knew you and I were going to be involved in each other's lives somehow." Charlie said smiling happily.
Joey grinned and thought again just how lucky she was to have Charlie in her life, even though so far, it had been something of a rocky ride. They continued to walk.
"Charlie, when we made love this afternoon, you almost seemed, oh, I don't know, desperate, I guess. I'm not complaining because you were wonderful!" Joey said, grinning and briefly letting her fingertips stoke Charlie's arm, "but I've never known you like that before!"
Charlie said nothing. She knew she had been 'desperate'. Desperate to show Joey just how much she loved and needed her; trying also, to eliminate the recollection of the previous evening.
"Charlie?"
"I suppose I was desperate. The day before I felt my world was ending. I had all but lost my reputation, job and you all in one go! I never want to go through that again, Jo."
"Charlie, you'll never have to worry about the latter." Joey smiled.
Charlie caught hold of Joey's hand in the fading light and pulled her onto a little secluded pathway which led from the coastal path to an adjacent street in town. She gathered Joey into her arms and placed her lips on Joey's and gently moved them around enjoying the feel of the other girl's warm return.
Joey gently broke away first.
"Charlie, let's go home. We're taking chances here." She whispered.
"Tonight, my darling, I don't give a damn!"
***
"Charlie!" Ruby screamed, jumping out of her chair and flinging her arms around her beloved sister, as the girls arrived home.
"Where on earth have you been?"
"I had to get a way for the night, Ruby. I was fine, so don't worry."
"S'more than we were, eh, Janet?" Ruby looked at Janet, as she walked into the room.
"There you are, Charlie. We were wondering about you!"
"Yes, I think lots of people have been!" Charlie said, grinning at Joey.
Joey smirked.
"I take it everything's alright now?" Janet asked.
"Yes, all charges have been dropped and I'm back on the beat tomorrow, bright and early!"
"Good. Now, what about a nice cup of tea?"
***
Two days later, Joey walked into the bakers in town to buy a loaf of bread. She handed over her ration book and Colleen Smart signed and tore out the coupon; handed the book back to Joey and accepted her cash for the purchase.
"I saw your friend Constable Buckton on Tuesday morning!" Said Colleen with a glint in her eye.
"Did you?" Joey asked placing the loaf in her string bag.
"Oh yes! She looked so happy!" Colleen recalled. "Standing there with that gallant Lieutenant Austin. My! What a good looking couple they make!" She said, sighing.
Joey's head shot up and she stared at Colleen in disbelief.
"With Hugo Austin? On Tuesday morning?" Joey croaked.
"Yes, that's right. He was wearing that very smart Naval Uniform of his." Colleen continued, not noticing Joey paling.
"Where was this?" Joey asked quietly.
"In Canterbury. I'd just left hospital and they were just stepping out of the Cathedral Gate Hotel together. I was about to go in and say a prayer, in the Cathedral, [not the Cathedral Gate Hotel, you understand,] for save deliverance of me and brother Alf, when I saw them."
"Did-did you speak to them?" Joey stuttered.
"No dear. I didn't want to intrude. I credit myself with being the most discrete person in Whitstable and possibly the whole of Kent." Colleen wittered.
Joey was stunned. She didn't want to believe the old woman's tale, but why would she make up something like this? Hugo Austin and Charlie? Charlie and Hugo Austin? Joey began to feel shaky. She put her purse into her pocket and left the shop.
"You've forgotten your change, young lady!" Colleen yelled as Joey walked away.
***
Joey dropped off the shopping at Janet's and took herself off for a walk. Her mind was exploding with this new bomb shell which Colleen had dropped a few minutes before. Charlie? Her Charlie? With Hugo Austin? She couldn't comprehend it! Why? Why? Why had Charlie lied to her? Why did she say she loved her then sleep with Hugo Austen? Why had she been in Canterbury? She'd said she'd stayed in a hotel outside of Whitstable. Why had she done it?
Joey clutched her mouth with her hand as hot tears cascaded down her face. She started to run. She needed to get far away and be alone. She ran until her body could take no more and threw herself down onto some grass and cried hot bitter tears.
***
Charlie arrived home from work that night, looking forward to going into town, to the pictures, with Joey and Ruby.
"Hi Ruby!" Charlie said cheerfully. "Joey home?"
"No. I haven't seen her since I got home from School. She's been in though because she's left the shopping on the table." Ruby said gesturing to the string bag. "Surprised she didn't put the shopping away. You know how neat and tidy she is with everything. And she's got some post over there which she hasn't opened yet, so I guess she's been out the better part of the day." Ruby mused.
"Well, I'm going to get changed." Charlie said, hurrying to her room. "She's probably been up at the allotment."
***
Joey sat upright, wiping her tear soaked face with her sleeve. She sniffed, trying to clear her moist nose. She took a deep breath and stood, feeling a little shaky. There was nothing else for it. She would move out of Janet's house for good. She'd ask Mrs. Glover if she could lodge with her for a few days until her call up came. With this resolution, Joey made for the town.
***
Charlie came out of her bedroom having dressed very carefully for her date with Joey. She wore a very pretty knee length dress, the skirt pleated, in pale green with a short bolero jacket. Her high heels were trimmed with little bows. She made sure her seamed stocking were straight and walked into the kitchen, expecting to find Joey ready and waiting. Instead, Ruby sat listening to the wireless.
"Didn't Joey come in?" Charlie asked; disappointed.
"No." Ruby replied. "When are we going out?"
"Well, now, but if Joey isn't home yet..."
"Shall I go out and look for her up at the allotment?" Ruby offered.
"No. Just go and get yourself ready." Charlie said, getting worried.
***
Ruby had only been gone a few moments when the kitchen door opened and Joey stepped inside.
"Jo, I was getting wor- Joey sweetheart! What on earth's wrong?" Charlie cried, seeing the puffy red-rimmed eyes. She hurried over to her girlfriend.
"Don't touch me!" Joey growled.
Charlie swallowed and stepped back noticing the dangerous look in Joey's eyes.
"Joey! What's wrong?" Charlie said, her heart thumping.
"Do I really need to spell it out?" Joey said her red eyes glaring back at Charlie's.
Charlie swallowed again.
"I don't know what you mean. Please tell me!"
Joey breathed rapidly. Every pulse in her body throbbed with grief.
"I'm not stupid Charlie! But I can only conclude that you must be! How long did you think you could keep up this pretence about you and Hugo Austin?" She hissed.
"Hugo?" Charlie gulped and flushed.
"Yes, your face says it all, Charlie! And you know what? The funny thing is, if it wasn't for that silly old busy body in the bakers, I'd never have been any the wiser for it!"
"Joey! I still don't understand. What about me and Hugo?"
"You were seen in broad day light, Charlie, coming out of a hotel in Canterbury on Tuesday morning, all over each other it would appear."
"Joey! You've got it all wrong! It wasn't like that, it was..."
"Tell me, Charlie, what was it like? Did he please you? Was he good? Can he do things for you that I can't?" Joey fired.
"NO!" Charlie almost shouted. "I didn't sleep with him!"
"And you expect me to believe that?" Joey screamed.
"Yes." Charlie said, quietly.
***
Ruby sat in her room hearing the raised voices of her sister and Joey. She knew this was not the time to walk into the kitchen but instead, sat biting her finger nails, worried this sudden explosion might be extremely serious.
***
"Joey! You've got to believe me! I would never do that to you. I love you too much. I couldn't and wouldn't let anyone else touch me!" Charlie cried; distraught.
"Then why were you with him and why did you lie to me?" Joey shouted.
"I didn't lie to you, I said I was in an hotel outside of town – I should have said it was in Canterbury, I know, but, Oh, Jo!"
"Why were you with him?" Joey questioned again.
"I met him as I got off the Canterbury bus. He was about to leave town, but changed his mind and we spent the rest of the day together." Charlie explained.
"How cosy. I hope he gave you afternoon tea and cakes."
"Yes."
Joey laughed dangerously.
"Obviously that wasn't the only thing he gave you!"
Charlie slumped on to a kitchen chair, now too weary to argue.
"Believe me or believe me not, Joey. I can't tell you anymore than I have already. You obviously don't believe me and so there's no point in saying anything else, is there?"
Joey remained silent. Too angry and verging on tears. She swallowed and quietly said,
"Excuse me." And headed for Charlie's bedroom closing the door behind her.
***
Ruby, hearing the argument abating, ventured out of her room and walked into the kitchen to find her sister quietly sobbing at the kitchen table. She gently put her arms around Charlie and hugged her.
***
Joey, once again, packed her things and made ready to leave. She took a quick look around the room and opened the bedroom door. Not wishing to encounter Charlie, she took her belongings and left the house through the front door.
Charlie and Ruby heard the door close and looked up.
"She's gone, Ruby. She's gone."