by Joan Jonker
‘Don’t get your hopes up too high, Peter, ’cos we’ve only met three times and I think a hug and a kiss on the cheek is about right.’
‘In one way I’m glad you said that,’ Peter told her. ‘But it’s really like cutting off my nose to spite my face by telling you. I’m happy you haven’t had a lot of serious boyfriends because I’d like to think I was the first one you really had loving feelings for. Would I be wrong to go on hoping, Poppy?’
‘Everyone should have hopes, Peter. Life would be very dull if we didn’t have something to look forward to. But sometimes our dreams take a little longer to come true, and we have to be patient.’ Poppy sensed Peter’s disappointment, and added, ‘Can’t we just enjoy getting to know each other? I would like to do it that way.’
‘I’ll go along with whatever you want, Poppy, as long as you’re not planning a two-year courtship.’
‘Oh, I’m not thinking anything so far ahead. My one immediate aim is to get myself qualified to apply for a good job. I’d like to be able to buy myself new clothes when I need them without having to save up. The main reason, though, for wanting a better job is to get away from my present boss. He’s a womanizer who believes money can buy him anything he wants. The way he looks at me turns my blood cold, and he can never hand me a letter to type without his hand touching mine. He makes me cringe, and the day I am in a position to tell him what to do with his job will be the happiest day of my life.’
Peter moved his hand from Poppy’s elbow to allow him to put an arm round her waist. ‘Haven’t you reported him to anyone? He should be warned to watch his behaviour.’
‘There’s no one to report him to, for his father owns the firm. And it’s not only me he thinks he can treat like a slave – yer should hear the way he talks to his secretary. And Jean can’t afford to tell him what she thinks of him, for she looks after her elderly mother and needs her wages. She’s a spinster, you see, so she can’t afford to upset him.’
‘Oh, dear, your place of work seems far from a happy one.’ Peter pulled her close. ‘Marry me, and you’d never have to work again. I have a good job and earn a very good wage.’
Poppy chuckled. ‘I didn’t mean to overstate my case to such an extent that you would marry me to get me away from it all. I may not be rubbing my hands in glee every morning when I sit on the bus taking me to work, but it’s better than being a kept woman. Or has the word “mistress” gone out of fashion?’
Peter pulled her to a halt, turned her round and kissed her firmly on the lips. It was so unexpected, Poppy was taken by surprise and stood motionless for a few seconds. Then she asked, ‘What was that in aid of, may I ask?’
‘I thought it was the only way to stop you talking, and the only way my lips were going to come into contact with yours.’ He tilted his head. ‘Just out of curiosity, did you find the kiss unpleasant?’
Poppy was laughing inside, but she didn’t want him to know in case he thought he could make a habit of it. ‘Had you given a warning of your intention, then I would be in a position to answer that question. But I was taken by surprise, and in all honesty I don’t know how I felt. You wouldn’t want me to lie, would you?’
‘Of course not!’ Peter was trying hard not to move too quickly, for he could see she was a girl who didn’t fool around with a bloke’s feelings, and he admired her for that. But he couldn’t help himself when he gazed into her beautiful face. He just wanted to take her in his arms and hold her. ‘Do you agree that you should give it another chance? After all, if you were so surprised, it is possible you were feeling numb. So will you give me the benefit of the doubt, and when we get to your house, and we’re saying goodnight, will you try another sample of one of my kisses? Otherwise, I will never be able to sleep, and I’ll spend the rest of my life with an inferiority complex.’ He put his hands together and added a few sobs to his voice for good measure. ‘You wouldn’t want to be responsible for ruining my life, would you? It would be a heavy burden for one so young to carry.’
‘You are crazy,’ Poppy said, laughter in her eyes and voice. He was such a lovely man, it would be hard to fall out with him. ‘Okay, you win. I’d hate to see a grown man cry. One kiss, mind, and it doesn’t mean we’re courting in earnest. Three dates and a kiss don’t make for a courtship. I want to do something with my life before settling down.’
Later, outside Poppy’s house, Peter claimed his kiss and found it had been well worth waiting for. As for Poppy, while the kiss didn’t send her into raptures, it didn’t displease her. But she still didn’t feel that shiver run down her spine, and wondered why. Had her mother exaggerated her memories? Or was Peter not the man for her? She liked him, felt comfortable in his company, and knew he was a decent man who would never take advantage of her. So did the fault lie with her? Perhaps she wasn’t capable of loving someone in the same way as her mother had loved her dad? The thought didn’t bear thinking about. She could still remember the love shown by her parents to each other, and that was what she wanted. And she wouldn’t settle for less.
On the far side of the city, in the Wilkie-Brooks’ dining room, Charlotte was trying to coax her brother into going for a drive in the country. But so far, Andrew was standing firm. ‘I’m really not in the mood, Charlotte. Perhaps another night?’
‘We can go in my car, and I’ll drive,’ Charlotte said. ‘You could sit back and enjoy the scenery. You haven’t any engagements tonight, have you?’
Andrew shook his head. ‘I have no engagements, but I brought some work home from the office to go through.’
George looked across the dining room to where his son was sitting. ‘You shouldn’t need to bring work home with you, my boy. If the extra clients I have passed over have made your workload too heavy, then you should say so.’
‘Certainly not, Father! My office and my staff run like clockwork. I enjoy my work, we have no problems and there’s no stress. The only reason I brought some correspondence home with me was because I had no plans for tonight and thought it would pass the time.’
‘Then pass the time with me, my dear brother,’ Charlotte fluttered her long eyelashes, which brought a smile from Andrew. ‘We could go to that little inn we found, the one we both fell in love with.’
George showed interest. ‘I’ve often wanted to see the inside of one of the pubs we pass on the way to Southport, or out towards the Lake District.’ He chuckled. ‘Did you have a glass of beer there?’
Harriet gasped. ‘You didn’t take your sister into a pub, did you, Andrew? You, and indeed Charlotte, should have more sense than to enter such a place.’
Andrew was about to protest, but his sister got in before him. ‘Oh, Mother, it was a beautiful place, and I loved it! It was hundreds of years old, and was once a hostelry for coaches and horsemen. It was like a fairy tale, and I loved it. Wasn’t it quaint, Andrew?’
‘It was more than that. A log fire roaring up a stone chimney, beams overhead and a stone-flagged floor.’ Andrew smiled as his words brought up memories. ‘There were some farmers in there who’d come straight from work in the fields, and they were very countrified. But they were pleasant and friendly, as was the manager. It was like going back to a time when there were no cars on the roads, only horses.’
‘I’m of a mind to come with you,’ George told them. ‘I’m sure I’d find it most interesting.’
‘But you can’t go tonight, my dear,’ Harriet said. ‘Have you forgotten Michael and Jessica are coming to confirm the arrangements for the baby’s christening?’
‘Oh, I’m sorry, my love, it had completely slipped my mind.’ George turned to his son. ‘One night next week, then, shall we say? You have aroused my interest now, and I shall look forward to it. But that doesn’t mean you and Charlotte can’t go tonight. Take your sister for a run in the country and relax a little. And for heaven’s sake, leave all thoughts of work behind you. At twenty-five you should spend far more time enjoying yourself than you do. Life is for living, dear boy, so enjoy it while you
’re young.’
Charlotte stood behind her brother’s chair and put her arms round his neck. ‘You heard what Father said, Andrew, so do as you are told. Big brothers are supposed to look after their little sisters, and make sure they come to no harm.’ She ruffled his hair. ‘So you can’t let me go out on my own tonight in case I get kidnapped.’
Andrew caught hold of her hand. ‘You were a little horror when you were younger, always wanting your own way.’ He smiled up at her. ‘I remember you used to stamp your feet if Frances tried to feed you porridge for breakfast. And you haven’t changed a bit. But you don’t need to stamp your feet or cry tonight, because I know when I’m beaten. We’ll go for a run in the country, but we won’t go to the inn we went to last time, we’ll keep that for when Father is with us. We’ll find another place that takes our fancy. But there is one condition attached.’
‘Oh, and what is the catch?’ Charlotte’s eyes were dancing. ‘Do I have to pay a forfeit?’
‘No, my dear sister, no forfeit. But I am putting my foot down for once. I insist we go in my car, for you drive far too fast for my liking. Is that a deal?’
Charlotte pulled his head back so she could give him an upside down kiss. ‘It’s a deal, and I promise to behave.’
‘Right. I’ll give you a start to get ready. I’ll count to ten, then follow you,’ Andrew said. ‘Last to the car pays for the first drink.’
After his son and daughter had left the room, George reached for his wife’s hand. ‘Andrew is good for Charlotte. When she’s in his company she’s more grown up. She’ll learn more about life from him than she will from any of her friends, who spend their days doing absolutely nothing, apart from playing tennis, or having their hair and nails done. A complete waste of young lives.’
Harriet didn’t agree. ‘Charlotte doesn’t sit around all day doing nothing, George, and you are being very unfair to her. I’ve seen her making up her own bed with Frances, and carrying the dirty linen down to the laundry. She potters in the garden when the weather is fine, and she excels at embroidery and all types of needlework. She has very nimble fingers, and you must admit she is a joy to live with. Always pleasant, never loses her temper, a daughter to be proud of.’
‘I am extremely proud of both my children, my love. And also very proud of my wife, whom I love dearly. If I pass a remark about either of our children, it is only a comment and not a criticism. You see more of Charlotte than I do for obvious reasons, while I see more of our son. And I have to say he has surpassed all my expectations. And whom do I have to thank for these two beloved children? My dearly beloved wife, of course. I am truly a very lucky man.’
Andrew was driving down a country lane when he glanced at his sister and asked, ‘Would you mind if we stopped here for a short while? It is so peaceful, with not a soul in sight, and only those two horses in the field. And I would like to smoke a cigarette if you have no objection? I would, of course, open the windows to let the smoke out.’
‘I have no objection to cigarette smoke.’ Charlotte smiled at him. ‘As long as it’s not too thick to see through. That would surely spoil the tranquil scene of the horses grazing.’
‘Then I will leave the car and smoke my cigarette in the lane. The cool night air will add to the pleasure.’
When Andrew was standing by the fence, enjoying the fresh air and the smell of the countryside, Charlotte watched him from an open window. Her brother worked hard, but he had little social life, and it worried her. At his age he should have a girlfriend and enjoy going to the theatre or dinner dances. He needed romance in his life, not to be so involved with work.
Andrew threw his cigarette on the ground and extinguished it with his shoe. Then he climbed back into the car and turned on the ignition. ‘Where to now, little sister? Would you like to stop somewhere for a drink?’
Charlotte shook her head. ‘No, I’d rather like to sit here for a little while. As you said, it is very peaceful and it makes me feel really relaxed. So shall we just sit and talk, and enjoy watching the horses grazing and the birds singing?’
The engine was quickly silenced. ‘That would suit me very well, Charlotte, and I would have suggested it myself if I hadn’t thought you’d be bored stiff.’
‘If I get bored, then I will tell you, my dear brother. But it is very unlikely, for we see so little of each other, apart from mealtimes. It will be nice to chat for a while, and bring ourselves up to date with any news.’ Charlotte settled herself comfortably before saying. ‘Tell me how your secretary is getting on. Is she still looking after you well? I really liked her, and I’ve promised myself I will visit you again soon and have a chat with her. It’s Wendy, isn’t it?’
Andrew was surprised at his sister’s interest, and really pleased. ‘It would be hard to replace Mrs Stamford; I really would struggle without her. I don’t have to ask for anything: she knows precisely what I want, and it’s handed to me before I’ve even mentioned it.’ He was now completely relaxed, and chuckled. ‘I’ve told her she’s wasting her time as a secretary. She could earn more money as a mind reader.’
‘I’m glad she’s there to look after you,’ Charlotte said. ‘To make sure you are warm and mollycoddled. Give her my regards and tell her I’ll call and see her soon. And the two girls in the typing room were nice too! If my memory serves me right, they are Miss Williams and Miss Kennedy. I imagine they are a lot of fun.’
Andrew was even more surprised now. ‘Fancy you remembering their names! I imagined you would have forgotten them by now.’
Now Charlotte chose her words carefully. ‘I remember everything about that day, Andrew, because it was a day of change for me. Change from the dull routine of my life. I can picture your office in my mind, where your desk and chair are, and where Mrs Stamford’s office is. I can picture her face, and also the two typists. Then I was in Father’s office for the first time, and that was exciting.’ She put a hand on her brother’s arm. ‘And I also clearly recall the girl in the raincoat. I can see her face now, and she is very pretty. Beautiful, in fact.’ She tried to sound nonchalant when she asked, ‘Have you seen her since, by any chance?’
‘Only the once, which I told you about, when she wouldn’t even listen to me. I know she still passes our office every day, for I happened to be standing by the window on Friday and saw her.’
‘It was a pity she wouldn’t allow us to help her,’ Charlotte said. ‘But I can understand her reasons, and admire her for them. Taking money from us would have made her feel like a beggar, and she was obviously a girl with too much pride to be bought off. I still think it was a pity, though, for she is so lovely, and I bet she is a fun person.’
‘That is something we will never find out.’ Andrew turned the key in the ignition. ‘Perhaps we should head for home now. Michael and Jessica will be there explaining to our parents what their role will be at the christening. Remember they have been asked to be godparents, and Mother is delighted. She and Father are taking their role very seriously. Second parents to the baby. To be there for the child if help is ever needed.’
‘We’ve been invited to the church for the ceremony, and also for the luncheon afterwards,’ Charlotte reminded him. ‘And it is customary to buy a gift for the child. Something in silver, usually, with their name inscribed on it.’
‘I have been puzzling about that,’ Andrew said. ‘There’s very little you can buy for a boy. Do you have any thoughts on the matter?’
‘Yes, I have, my dear brother, and if you agree with my choice, then we can buy it between us. I was getting worried because it is difficult to buy for a baby boy. A girl is easy, as a bangle or necklace is an ideal gift. Anyway, I had this brilliant idea, and rang Jessica. When I told her what I had in mind, she was utterly delighted.’
Andrew slowed the car down to look at his sister’s face. ‘Well, come on, are you not going to tell me what this brilliant idea was? I can’t agree to anything if I don’t know what it is.’
‘I’m surprised you didn’
t think of it yourself.’ Charlotte’s eyes were bright with excitement. ‘I want you to tell me what you have in your bedroom that you most cherish? Something you’ve had since you were two years old, and would never let me play with.’
Andrew’s foot came down hard on the brake, and the car came to a standstill. ‘My rocking horse!’ His face was more animated than Charlotte had seen it in a long time, and she felt cheered. ‘Of course,’ Andrew said, his open palm hitting the steering wheel. ‘How clever of you, Charlotte. It is the perfect gift. I used to get such fun from mine when I was young, pretending I was a cowboy riding the prairie. I have so many memories of the pleasure it gave me, I would never part with it. It will stay in my bedroom until I have a son of my own.’
‘Oh, that’s lovely.’ Charlotte put her arms round his neck. ‘I’m so happy I thought of it as a gift we can give from both of us.’
‘Have you seen one that is suitable, Charlotte? Time is running out. The christening is on Sunday.’
Charlotte’s face was radiant. She was always happy when she pleased someone, but doubly happy when it was the brother she loved. ‘I’m way ahead of you, Andrew. I don’t dally when I know something needs doing. The rocking horse is being specially made, and the shop has promised faithfully it will be delivered to the Parker-Browns’ house on Friday.’ She tweaked his ear. ‘And I added a bit on the order. I’ve asked the shop to put a small sign on the side of the horse, almost out of sight, to say it was from Uncle Andrew and Aunt Charlotte, and the date. Now don’t you think I’ve been not only clever, but thoughtful as well?’
‘I think you have done a terrific job, and I am very proud of you. When you meet your knight on a white horse, fall in love and marry him, I will make sure your first son is given a rocking horse as a christening present.’
