69
Una took the carpet bag from Persis' hands and ushered her inside. She was about to point out where her room was, when Persis dashed up the stairs three at a time.
There was another cab idling on the other side of the street, by the snowy green. She could see a man in khaki half bent, searching around the backseat for something, and another man tugging one of several pieces of very smart luggage from the roof of the car.
Was Persis moving in - to her house? Ken Ford had never mentioned that? Una's gaze returned to the man digging about in the cab. He had found what he wanted, which was his officer's cap, and placing it on his dark, slicked back hair he turned around.
"Una! Brilliant!" Ken cried, beckoning her over to him.
Una dropped Persis' carpet bag on the doorstep and half floated, half staggered over the icy road.
"Ken? What are you-"
"Una Meredith, you look terrific. How do you like the old place, not too grim?" He nodded to the bare growing on the green. "Have you got a minute?"
"What about the luggage?"
"Blow that, the driver can do it. I must say," he looked her up and down, "you do look swell."
Swell did not even begin to cover Ken's own appearance. He was far from the man who had left four months ago: so thin and tired, both young and old. Ken was the picture of rude good health. Clear grey eyes, a filled out uniform, even the scar on his cheek seemed dashing. One end of his new moustache, perfectly styled and rather black, ran through the bottom of it and made it look like a sabre sword.
"Gosh Una, you really look smart - have you grown?"
He was standing underneath the oak, one hand against its vast gnarled trunk as he lit a much needed cigarette.
"Enough of your flattery," said Una. "Tell me, why are you and your sister here? You never mentioned you were coming?"
"Ah, no," he looked suitably sheepish. "That was a recent development. I hope you don't mind. There's a - well…" he scratched around the roots of the tree, kicking off the snow with his polished boot. "I realised I needed my Una…"
"You did?" she blinked.
He threw his cigarette to the ground and squeezed her shoulders tightly. Even through her thick felt coat, even through his fur lined gloves, she could feel the pressure of his fingers and wondered if he might shake her in a minute just to be sure she was real.
"Damn, it's good to see you again. Household science agrees with you, those eyes of yours have had a good spit and polish!"
"Ken, would you come to the point, you don't have to butter me up, we are friends, aren't we?"
Ken's shoulders dropped, as though the weight of all his sister's luggage had been resting upon them, and he leaned against the trunk of the tree.
"Sorry, force of habit. I'm here because, well… There's a problem and I was at a bit of a loss as to how to fix it." He blinked too, those long dark lashes pinning his eyes closed. He opened them slowly. "Then I thought of you-"
"Because I'm good in a pinch?"
"You really are the only one I could talk to - really really, I mean."
The easy look of before had gone, Una saw now it was all a veneer. He seemed genuinely worried, for himself or his sister, she wasn't sure. But she knew how to get it out of him. Ken Ford never had a problem coming clean with her.
"Let's go back to the house, it's freezing out here. What you need is a cup of tea - or did you want something stronger?"
"I have got something stronger!" Ken picked her up in his arms and whirled her round. "I've got you, haven't I?"
Clouds of warm breath flew from her throat and snowflakes flew from her boots.
"Yes!" she laughed. "I am. And you do."
...
Thanks for reading all the way to the end :o)
When I get home from work later today, I am going to sit down and read through every single one of your comments again and work out how I can make the next story even better. But I think I've made an interesting start. Love you, k!