Summary: Patsy and Delia's relationship is tested.
Disclaimer: Call The Midwife belongs to the BBC and others - I am simply borrowing their beautiful characters.
Author's note: As always, thank you so much for your kind comments. I managed to find a bit of time to get this next part out.
"So nurse Mount, do you have any free time after clinic to look at those research papers I mentioned?" Dr Parker looked up from her desk as Patsy came in with the next file.
Patsy raised her eyebrows in surprise before recalling the conversation she had had with the doctor last week. "Gosh, I'd forgotten all about that," she admitted freely.
"I'll try not to take offence," Parker rejoined dryly, a small grin on her face.
Patsy grinned back. "Sorry." She thought for a moment, trying to recall any prior commitments. "I'm not on call, so I don't see why not," she stated. "You should have brought them in though. We could have gone over it at Nonnatus."
It was Dr Parker's turn to look a bit sheepish. "Well, to be quite honest, I'd forgotten about the offer too until I bumped into you this morning, otherwise I would have." She hadn't forgotten at all, of course, and had already prepared a number of excuses to anticipated responses from the red-haired nurse.
"I'll try not to take offence," Patsy retorted, a smirk on her face.
"Touché, nurse Mount. Anyway, now that I have remembered, are you interested?"
"I'll have to get changed first," Patsy advised.
"That's okay. I can wait for you at Nonnatus and then drive us home. I'll drop you off tonight." She sat back for a moment, thinking. "Do you have curfew at the convent?" She asked, slightly tongue-in-cheek.
Patsy shook her head, "No, but neither do I plan on having a late night," she replied. She frowned slightly, recalling Delia's concerns about the doctor. Asking about curfews seemed a strange question when she was only going to look at some research. Perhaps Delia was on to something after all.
Joanna sensed that perhaps she had pushed just a bit too far and immediately curbed her remarks. "No problem, I can drop you back whenever you need to go."
Patsy nodded before handing over the file. "I'll go and get our next customer," she stated, turning to leave and mulling over the conversation. Was she reading something into the exchange purely because Delia had mentioned it? Patsy wasn't sure, but she trusted Delia so resolved to pay attention, and be careful as her girlfriend had requested.
The drive to Blackheath was quick, although the journey through the Blackwall tunnel was mildly terrifying. Driving under the Thames and dealing with sharp turns whilst being dazzled by oncoming traffic felt highly dangerous to Patsy, but Dr Parker seemed to revel in the conditions, grinning as she sped through. Patsy had never ventured into South London before and as they approached the doctor's residence she felt herself smiling as she took in the rolling hills of Greenwich Park before seeing the expanse of Blackheath itself.
Dr Parker lived in a Georgian house right on the edge of the heath and, even with her prior exposure to opulence and wealth, Patsy couldn't help but be impressed at the imposing building.
Joanna hopped out of the car and walked quickly to the front door. "Welcome to my humble abode," she smiled as she let herself in.
"Humble?" Patsy repeated in disbelief. "Hardly. What a glorious house."
Dr Parker took her coat off and hung it on the hatstand in the corner before holding a hand out for Patsy's. "Would you like a tour? It's not often I have anyone round."
"Lead the way," Patsy replied politely as Joanna set off round the house. Having sensed a slight hesitation from the red-haired nurse earlier in the day, she deliberately avoided showing Patsy her bedroom, simply stating that she liked her privacy; something Patsy clearly understood.
They ended the tour in the study where there were several periodicals already on the desk. The room was unexpectedly cluttered, but Joanna shrugged it off, stating that although it might seem disordered, she knew where everything was.
For a while, Dr Parker pointed out articles for Patsy to read and the two women discussed the merits of various new practices suggested. Some seemed impossible to achieve in the community and particularly in Poplar but they bounced ideas off each other on how to overcome some of the difficulties. Patsy thoroughly enjoyed herself, feeling tested and energised by the other woman's enthusiasm.
"I'm starving," Joanna suddenly announced. "I think my housekeeper may have left me dinner for tonight. Would you care to join me?"
Patsy looked up from her article, and then looked at her watch. The time had flown by. "I should really be getting back," she hedged.
"Oh, come on. With a bit of luck, she's done a shepherd's pie - it's to die for," Dr Parker persevered.
Patsy hesitated. Even if they left now, she would not be back in time for the evening meal at Nonnatus and would have to make do with whatever she could cobble together. And she had to admit, she was also hungry. She narrowed her eyes slightly. "How about I reserve judgement until I find out what it is?" She asked somewhat cheekily.
Joanna laughed as she got up. "Come on. I will need to heat it up, so if you want to eat at a sensible time, I'll have to do that now." She walked into the spacious kitchen and looked in the fridge for the food. "Success. It is shepherd's pie. Can I tempt you?" She withdrew a large dish from the fridge that Patsy had to admit looked good.
"I'm convinced," she admitted. "But I really will have to get back afterwards."
"Not a problem." Joanna busied herself near the oven for a few moments. "Take a seat. I always eat in here rather than in the dining room. It's more cosy."
Patsy sat at down and watched in mild amusement as the other woman got preparations underway.
"Glass of wine?" Parker called over her shoulder as she reached into a cupboard to retrieve two glasses. At Patsy's nod, she poured two healthy-sized glasses of red and handed one over. "Cheers."
Patsy clinked glasses dutifully and took a sip, noting with delighted surprise that the wine was of significant quality. "Oh, I say, that really is very good."
"Picked it up last year. A tad on the expensive side but I am a great believer that one gets what one pays for," Joanna explained, taking a sip as she sat down next to the taller woman.
"Oh, you shouldn't be wasting your expensive wine on me," Patsy demurred. "You should be saving it for a special occasion."
Joanna made sure not to fall into the trap of saying that it was a special occasion. "Are you appreciating it?" She asked sincerely.
"Absolutely, it's divine."
"Then I'm not wasting it. Good wine should be shared, so I'm glad I have a fellow connoisseur." She smiled brightly as she took another sip. "And I must agree, it is very good. Not quite sure it'll go with shepherd's pie however, so we may have to drink up before I serve."
Patsy smirked, relaxing in her chair. "I think this is quite good enough to go with anything," she retorted.
Dr Parker grinned. "So tell me, nurse Mount. What do you midwives do for fun? Is it hard to let your hair down staying at the nunnery?" Joanna was careful to talk in general terms only, not wanting to frighten the Titian-haired woman off, but she was eager to find out what else interested her.
Patsy laughed. "Actually, the nuns aren't too bad, and they really do treat us like family," she replied somewhat wistfully. "There isn't a huge amount of free time because of being on call so frequently. But we do get out to the pictures now and again. Oh and I help out with the Cubs." She smiled rather proudly at that. She had originally dreaded taking over as Akela but had developed a soft spot for the youngsters, realising that Cubs gave them a sense of belonging and purpose, as well as giving the chaps the opportunity to do and learn things they otherwise would have no exposure to.
"You run the Cubs?" Joanna snorted with laughter. "Oh I'd love to see you in your uniform."
"Hey!" Patsy protested feebly. It's not that bad." She paused a beat. "Although I could probably do without the beret if I'm honest." Both women laughed at that before Joanna got up to replenish their glasses.
As she returned to the table with her glass, Joanna continued with the subtle probing. "How did you manage to end up running Cubs?"
"A fellow midwife needed someone to step in when she took on a new role. I was a bit reluctant at first, but I must say I do find it incredibly rewarding." She smiled softly as she recalled a night camp she and Delia had arranged. It had been exhausting, but good fun.
"How very altruistic of you. I don't know how you find the time."
"Are you saying you have no time for fun?" Patsy retorted, wishing with a sudden awareness, that she had picked different words to phrase that. The wine must be starting to go to her head.
Joanna grinned wolfishly. "Well that very much depends on what's on offer." She waited a few seconds before allowing Patsy off the hook. She didn't want to overplay her hand, although it could easily be blamed on the wine at this point. "Dinner smells like it's ready. I do hope you're peckish."
"Ravenous, actually," Patsy corrected. She hoped that eating would do something to counter the effects of the alcohol she had imbibed. It was unusual for her to be affected like this, but perhaps unsurprising given she had only had something very light at lunchtime, she reminded herself.
The shepherd's pie lived up to Dr Parker's promise and Patsy was rather glad she agreed to stay. Despite Joanna's reservations, the wine happily accompanied the dish and the two women enjoyed another glass.
They ate in companionable silence for a while before Dr Parker recalled part of an earlier conversation. "So you go to the cinema a lot. Are you an aficionado?"
"Good lord no," Patsy disputed. "I usually end up going along to whatever Delia wants to watch." Internally, Patsy cursed herself. That was the second time she'd brought up going out with Delia in front of Dr Parker in a week. With a bit of luck she wouldn't notice.
"Delia? You seem to spend rather a lot of your time with her," Joanna commented blandly.
"She's my best friend," Patsy supplied with a shrug. "She's good company."
"I'm sure she feels the same way about you." At Patsy's guarded frown, Dr Parker expanded on her comment. "I'm finding you good company after spending just a couple of hours with you. Delia is a lucky woman to be able to monopolise your time."
Patsy struggled to pick her way through the comments. They could be interpreted any number of ways. She decided to try and remain neutral. "We always have a good time when we go out, so it makes sense to make the most of our shared time off together."
"I agree. One should spend time with those that interest and entertain." The brunette decided that now was definitely not the time to push any further. Patsy had gone into full defensive mode. She wouldn't be able to get any further information out of her tonight. She was satisfied with what she had though. It was clear that Patsy was highly intelligent and passionate. She just needed to stick to the good causes and perhaps start a charitable project with her, and she would have the perfect excuse to build a relationship.
Joanna drained her glass and stood up. "I think it's time I got you home, nurse Mount," she declared.
Patsy frowned. "Are you sure you'll be okay to drive?" She asked, indicating the now empty glass.
"You're not suggesting that I'm drunk on just a couple of glasses of wine?" Joanna sounded offended.
"Not at all. It was just that the drive through the tunnel struck me as a journey that required one to have their wits about them."
Joanna pulled a face. "I can assure you that I am perfectly able to drive right now. However, if it reassures you, I'll have a coffee first. Would you like one?"
Patsy nodded, grateful that the other woman had conceded, even if it did delay her trip home even more. She did want to arrive home in one piece.
To be continued