25

They had all squeezed into the truck's small cab on the way to the beach, Bruce on Una's knee, Rilla on Ken's, and Teddy doing the driving. For the journey home they were all too crusty with sand and sore with sunburn to endure a crush like that, and besides Teddy had promised Bruce a turn behind the wheel. So, the girls piled in the back of the truck, with Rilla insisting Ken remain by his lance corporal's side. She simply had to talk to Una about the lesson Teddy had given her. Was it swimming he was teaching – or love?

As impatient as she was to know, Rilla couldn't just ask outright, or Una would clam up tighter than Susan's purse when the tinkers came calling. This would take a more sideways approach, which she genuinely thought she was doing. To Una's ears however, it sounded more like a serenade – all Rilla needed to add was that silvery moon.

Wasn't Teddy handsome, oh and so much fun! Did Una see how good he was with Bruce, how he magicked a shovel out of nowhere and helped him dig the most tremendous moat whilst managing to fit in a history lesson. Wasn't it funny how he liked cherry ices, which was Una's favourite; wasn't it sweet that he ran off to buy her another when he saw theirs had melted away. He was a teacher, apparently, and now the war was over he was looking for work. Wouldn't it be quite the thing if he applied for Walter's old job at Lowbridge, and oh what a voice he had!

All the while Una nodded and "supposed so-ed" and was looking very coy. Until that last comment, or the second to last, when she gave Rilla such a look, Jerry's bereft expression came to mind.

"But he's leaving on Sunday, isn't he?" Una's voice was almost lost in the roar of the truck.

"Ken is, I do know that, but poor Teddy doesn't have anywhere to be. He's quite alone, you know, there's just a much older sister. Apparently, she lives in Knee Hill Lake all the way out in Alberta. Poor Teddy," she said again.

"Poor Ken," said Una.

"Oh, yes, but he'll come back. He must give his report first and then, well… I guess we'll get hitched! What are your thoughts on the Four Winds cottage, do you think it would do? It did for Father and Mother when they first married, though perhaps Ken would rather be closer to the village for work."

"Didn't he study the law?"

"Oh. Do you think he'd rather settle in Charlottetown? I guess it's not too far. I shouldn't be too lonely, not if Nan and Jerry were going to live there too."

"Oh Rilla, I hope it will all be sorted soon. I'm terribly worried for them both."

And thus, Una, like Leslie and countless women before, turned the conversation into a more suitable and pressing direction.

Inside the cab Teddy was having much more trouble navigating the conversation with Ken. In his defence he had Una's little brother in between them, so he had to keep it vague, not to say clean.

Ken hardly required the hours he spent in code-breaking class to make out Teddy's meaning. Bruce, however, was at a loss: why did the lance corporal care so much about whether his Captain's drawbridge was in working order when Ken didn't even help dig the moat?

They dropped Una and Bruce off first. He got to steer the truck all the way down Glen Street and was invited to go further but Una put her foot down. She needed an early night, she said, something to do with Sunday school – nobody was curious enough to inquire further. After that, Ken drove the truck back to Leo West's. He lived in Over Harbour, which was a good hour's walk from Ingleside, and even longer if Rilla cared to turn it into a romantic stroll.

That was fine with Teddy, he remembered the whisky girl lived round here. He left the West's place and moved on. It was Friday night, and he had that Friday night feeling buzzing all through him. So electric it almost shocked him, though it was not his hair that was standing up on end.

What a bone he had twitching in his trousers ever since that tumble in the waves. All right, it was before that. When he saw Rilla appear from the changing shed in her two sizes too small swimming costume that she must have got five years ago. The girl had clearly never heard of those Geneva Conventions, because the sight of her alone was torture. The feel of her plump little bum as she sat on his stomach nearly had him begging for mercy.

Teddy used to feel sorry about leaving his Captain because he knew he would feel lost without him. But Rilla had reminded him of what he had forgotten: to never ever tie yourself down. If not for Ken, he could have made the daft and short-sighted decision to plant his flag right here on the Island.

The Blythes were nice and all, and the Glen was sweet in its way, but there was – how did Mrs Blythe put it? – no scope for imagination. Teddy's imaginings had already shrunk because the only girl he could think of these days was Rilla. And she was Ken's and Teddy was loyal. Even if that meant he might have to end their friendship if only to save it, because he couldn't stand to be around Rilla anymore. The ache in his balls was one thing, but who knew the ache in your heart could be worse?

...

See you tomorrow, k.