Chapter 4 – The Lower Deck in discussion
"Dad was looking fairly fed up." said Ginty. "But I don't know whether that's because he was fed up with dancing or because he kissed her."
"Who kissed who?" Lawrie asked.
"Weren't you listening?" said Peter, "This Roger Walker was kissing Rowan."
"Not exactly kissing. But he kissed her." Ginty said.
"Same difference." said Lawrie cheerfully.
"Only on the cheek though. Well, would you actually be kissing someone right in front of our parents and hers?"
"Depend on the girl." Peter grinned. "Lawrie would of course."
"Not sober I wouldn't." Lawrie considered that her indiscretions at the Merrick's last Twelfth Night party lent her a certain cachet.
"So what else then?" Peter had always relished parties and gossip as much as any of them, except perhaps Lawrie. "Who danced with Ann?"
"I don't know any names." Ginty said vaguely. "She seemed to be having a good enough time."
"What happens then?" Lawrie asked.
"What happens then what?"
"This RAF bloke sweeps Rowan off her feet and goes and marries her. What happens to Trennels?" Lawrie thought she had made herself perfectly clear the first time, but was prepared to humour the rest of the lower deck.
"Maybe she'd stay here and just carry on." Ginty suggested. "He might be posted abroad somewhere she couldn't go anyway."
"Ma went with Pa to Malta." Lawrie pointed out. "Before Kay."
"Before Giles, even, I think." said Ginty.
"You mean Giles and Kay got to live aboard – not fair." The protest was half-hearted.
"Honestly, Lawrie, they can't have been old enough to remember much." said Nicola.
"It isn't as if Giles hasn't seen a fair bit of Malta since." said Peter. "But if I've got to have another brother-in-law hanging around the place, I'd rather it was Roger Walker than Edwin Dodd; from what I remember of him he didn't throw his weight around and he wouldn't be here much. I can't see Pa wanting number 2 son-in-law hanging about the place when he's left the navy."
"Left the navy?" his sisters echoed in ragged chorus as if he had uttered some heresy.
It was Peter's turn to offer a patient explanation.
"Because, if he isn't promoted, which may not be all that likely, he'll be expected to retire at 55, whether or not he's got any ancestral acres to till. Which he has, so even less reason not to retire."
"He isn't 55 yet." Nicola said.
"No, but it's not all that many years off."
Nicola couldn't help doing a quick calculation. She and Lawrie would be finished at Kingscote by then. Not that it would make any difference for Lawrie, since she had the Prossor."
"I don't suppose Ro will mind waiting a bit." said Lawrie cheerfully.
"She might you know." said Nicola.
"Don't see why. What else would she do anyway? I thought she liked outdoor stuff. She never complains anyway." Lawrie said.
"Just because someone doesn't complain all the time about every little thing doesn't mean they don't mind." Nicola retorted with unaccustomed heat. "Why shouldn't Rowan be happy if she wants?"
And Nicola clattered down the stairs of the old Shippen to who-knew-where.
"Well," said Ginty, "I thought Nicola would be saying Father or Giles couldn't possibly leave the navy."
"Makes no sense for Giles to leave." Peter said.
"Rather Roger than Edwin." he added a minute or so later as Ginty still stood, irresolute in the middle of the space Peter considered his own.
"Yes." said Ginty.