‘You’s a daft ‘aporth, yer know that?’ George lays his hand over Jessie’s as they sit together on the sofa.

‘Shush! I’m watching this bit’ She shakes her hand from his and reaches for the remote control to turn up the volume on the television.

George waits patiently.

‘I says what you’s a daft ‘aporth’ he says again when she reduces the volume for the commercial break.

‘And why’s that?’ The remote control waves threateningly close as she turns.

‘The t’do wi’Evelyn’ George takes the prudent measure of lowering her wrist to the seat with his hand. ‘I ain’t never knowed yer be backards in comin forrards ‘bout that sort a thing afore. You’s allus talkin rude’

‘Rude?’ Jessie echoes

‘Sex ‘n stuff. I’s heard yer wi’the gals. You ain’t no ways bothered ‘bout what you says as a rule’

‘The clue is in the word ‘girls’’ Jessie says stiffly, trying to free her wrist and resorting to taking the remote control with her other hand.

‘Don’t you go puttin’ that thing up again’ George grumbles ‘I’s tryin t’talk t’yer’

‘Well, hurry up!’

‘What I’m tryin t’say is…I were wond’rin…why it is…’

‘Too late!’ Jessie turns up the volume again and settles herself more comfortably to watch the next part of the film.

George crosses his hands over his stomach and twiddles his thumbs.

‘Stop that!’ Jessie commands ‘I can see you out of the corner of my eye and it’s annoying. I can’t concentrate’

‘Rowena’s got one a them tellies what you c’n stop what’s goin on while you ave a chat an’ start again after’ George sniffs and clears his throat, pushing his fingers under the waistband of his trousers.

‘Well, I haven’t! And you can stop that too’

‘What?’

‘Rearranging yourself!’

‘I ain’t!’ George protests, removing his hands and tucking them under his armpits. ‘I were keepin’ em out the way so’s you din’t get mad wi’me fer fidgetin!’ After a few moments, he starts to chuckle ‘Cor blimey! If I could rearrange meself from there, I’d ave summat t’be proud of!’ he chortles, stopping suddenly when Jessie glares. ‘Tha’s just the thing what I were wantin t’talk about!’ He points a finger at her expression. ‘Why can’t we ave a laugh an’ a joke ‘bout that sort a stuff like yer do wi’other folk? Even if it were what I were doin, t’ain’t  zactly gonnna jump out ‘n bite yer!’

Jessie clamps her lips together and turns her stony gaze to the television.

‘You’d a been laughin til yer sides split iffin it were Nathan what said that, wouldn’t yer?’ he accuses ‘Gigglin an’ carryin on. It’s on’y me what yer gets all uppity with’

‘I’m watching the television’ Jessie reminds him sternly without looking round.

‘Aye, that’d be right’ George hauls himself from the sofa and lurches towards the set, jabbing the off button with his finger. ‘Now you ain’t!’ He stands in front of it and faces her. ‘You reckon a bit on a laugh an’ a joke’ll get me all fired up an’ yer wunt be safe in yer bed?’ his breath sounds laboured as his chest heaves angrily. ‘You think what I’d force meself on yer or summat if yer treats me same as t’others?’

Her eyes widen at his outburst and she flushes guiltily. ‘You’re talking nonsense’ she dismisses and jabs repeatedly at the remote in the hope of turning the television back on again.

‘I ain’t, yer know’ George says with conviction. ‘We was all right afore I come ere, an’ we was alright while I were laid up but now yer jump a flippin mile if I s’much as looks at yer! I can’t say nothing what yer don’t get that face on. Well, yer needn’t worry no more!’ He lumbers towards the door.

‘Where are you going?’ Jessie asks tremulously.

‘Ome!’

‘You can’t go home at this time of night!’

‘I can an’ I am’ George turns in the doorway. ‘I’ll get the gal t’pick me bits an’ pieces up t’morrer’

‘George!’

‘I thought what we got things sorted a’tween us’ he mutters irritably ‘I thought we was rubbin along nicely’ he heaves a sigh ‘but there yer go’ he says, walking into the hallway and retrieving his coat from the hook. He puts on his cap and winds his woollen scarf around his neck.

Jessie scrambles from the sofa ‘Don’t go like this’ She hovers uncertainly as George buttons his coat and tucks the ends of his scarf in.

‘There ain’t nothing what I’d like more’n t’stay ere wi’you but I ain’t ‘avin yer upset every time I say summat a bit…unt’ward’ he says crossly, pulling on gloves taken from his coat pocket. ‘I wouldn’t ever urt yer none, yer knows that…’ he continues sullenly ‘or yer should do, any road, I’ve told yer offen enough. I wouldn’t ever do summat what yer didn’t want me t’do in that department but I ain’t avin yer frit a me’

‘I-I’m not frightened’ Jessie puts a hand to her mouth, tears glistening in her eyes as George prepares to leave. ‘I like having you here’ she admits.

‘An’ I like BEIN here!’ George asserts ‘But it ain’t no good iffin yer think I’m up t’no good every time I s’much as brush against yer! I ain’t lookin t’get into yer bed, woman! I wants you, not what yer got under yer nightgown!’

‘George!’

‘Oh…well… said it now’ he says gruffly, shuffling to the door. ‘P’raps we c’n get back ter ow we was if I goes ‘ome’ He pauses with his hand on the lock. ‘Yer know summat?’ he lifts his chin to add a parting shot ‘I were beginnin t’think what yer might be persuaded t’gi’it a go arter we been gettin on s’well…an’ I don’t mean gi’ing it a go, I means gi’ing it a go…get wed if that were what yer wanted, so we could ave a few year ‘appy t’gether…cos we ave been appy ain’t we, Jess?’

Jessie nods slowly. ‘Yes’ she whispers.

‘I could a done all yer little jobs…an’ you could a made me a few a yer pies…We could a done yer garden t’gether cos I knows ‘ow yer like yer bit o’gardenin’ he warms to the theme ‘We’d er‘ad a few bob an all if I was t’sell me ‘ouse. I could a took yer on a nice ‘oliday, p’raps got me a new car so’s I could take yer out a bit more offen…automatic, so’s I dint ave no trouble wi’me legs. Oh well’ he sighs.

‘You seem to have given it a lot of thought’ she blinks.

‘Oh, ah, I ave an’ all’ he laughs wryly as he opens the door ‘Even got me colour chose fer me bedroom!’ he snorts ‘Tha’s what yer get fer avin too much time on yer ‘ands and can’t do nothing. Thinks too much, tha’s what yer do’

‘Separate rooms?’ Jessie swallows.

‘I dint reckon what yer’d want it no other way…’ George looks surprised at her interest. ‘Beats kippin in yer dinin room…though there ain’t nothin nicer than cuddlin up on a cold night…Cheerio, then’

‘You wouldn’t want for us to….sleep together?’ she asks quickly as the door opens wider, desperate to stop him from leaving.

George steps back into the hall. ‘I were imaginin a bit on a cuddle on the sofa p’raps… an’ a peck on the cheek on the landin’ he admits diffidently, lowering his eyes. ‘Might not be what I want ‘xactly but it’s what you wants what counts’

‘Then I’d like that very much’ Jessie says in a shaky voice. ‘For you to stay’ she adds in hurried explanation ‘here….all the time’

‘You’ll wed me?’ George exclaims, rocking back against the wall in surprise.

‘Is that a proposal?’ Jessie bites her lip to stop a nervous giggle from escaping.

‘I c’n do it a bit better’n that’ George assures eagerly, taking off his cap and twisting it in his hands.

Jessie stares down at his slippers, choking as the giggle bursts forth. ‘You do need looking after’

Rose Cottage, Albans Lane

Chapter Twenty-six