‘You dint mind…you know…swapping rooms an’ that?’ Charlene asks as Stephanie collects the rest of her belongings from around the room and packs them into her bag.
‘Nooo, it was fine. You feeling alright this morning?’
‘Yeah’ Charlene hunches her shoulders and grimaces a smile ‘I dint half feel stupid; being sick ‘n that but I int got no headache nor nothing now. Thanks ever so for coming in’
‘That’s okay’ Stephanie smiles, winding the lead around her hair drier and tucking it in with her clothes. ‘I’m sorry I upset you…you know…earlier on’
‘You already said. It don’t matter, honest. Jon’than explained it all an’ I weren’t mad at him really’
‘He’s a lovely bloke’
‘Yeah’ Charlene blushes ‘Ever so lovely’
‘You think you and him…you know…that you’ll end up together?’
‘We did’ she reddens further. ‘Not last night cos I weren’t very well but..’ she starts to mumble, concentrating on pushing toiletries into an already bulging sponge bag.
‘I meant all the time…permanently’ Stephanie stops her.
‘What…like… being married you mean?’ Charlene looks thoughtful ‘I don’t s’pose so, not really’
‘Why on earth not? He thinks the world of you’
‘Yeah…but blokes like him don’t marry girls like me’
‘That’s silly!’ Stephanie retorts in surprise ‘Why don’t they?’
‘I dunno…they just don’t’ Charlene shrugs. ‘I like him ever such a lot…else I wouldn’t’ve…you know…let him stop in here but it int like you and Nathan’ she sighs ’I ‘spect you’ll get married cos you’re a real girlfriend’
‘A real girlfriend?’ she queries with a bemused smirk.
‘You know…one what int just a…’ Charlene pauses to think then grins broadly ‘A mattress topper!’ she exclaims with satisfaction.
Stephanie laughs and pulls the zip closed on her bag and watches amused as Charlene carefully straightens the pillows and folds the bedclothes back to lie in a precise line across the bed.
‘Ingrid says…that’s the other lady what works in our office…she says what she int ever seen him like this over nobody not even that girl what he took t’see his Uncle Eric in Spain’ Charlene glances up from her task to scowl ‘She weren’t very nice to him and Ingrid reckons what he thought he’d found somebody what was. He were ever so upset about it, she says. I don’t think they was engaged nor nothing though’ she says, walking around the bed to smooth a rumple from the heavy quilted bedspread. ‘That was when he got beat up, she dumped him when he were in the hospital, never went t’see him nor nothing!’
‘That was a bit mean’
‘Yeah…Ingrid says what she didn’t think he were ever going t’trust nobody no more…but then you come and everything was alright again’ Charlene smiles happily. ‘He don’t half go soppy when he talks about you’ she teases.
‘He talks about me?’ Stephanie asks in a tight voice.
‘Yeah’
‘Oh’
‘Not anything rude nor nothing. He wouldn’t tell me an’ Ingrid anything like that!’ Charlene rolls her eyes. ‘Just nice things…Though he did say what…you know…’ she says carefully, lowering her voice ‘He dint want t’share a room with you…that’s why I were a bit surprised when he said it were alright for Jon’than t’come in here’ She wanders into the bathroom to check that nothing has been left behind. ’I dunno why he dint want t’share a room cos he does that sort a thing all the time’ her voice echoes ‘ but I think it’s cos he thinks you int one a them girls what don’t care who they sleep with’
‘Probably’ Stephanie agrees with a straight face. She groans when she spots another of her shoes under the dressing table and bends to retrieve it.
‘But you dint mind?’ Charlene looks at her warily.
‘It didn’t make any difference at all!’ she laughs ‘By the time I got back to the room, he was spark out on top of the bed and snoring his head off!’ She tucks the shoe into the side pocket of her bag.
‘He weren’t!’
‘Oh yes he was! Getting his shirt off was as far as he got. He must have been in a right state when he got back’
‘He were a bit tiddly before. What did you do?’
‘Threw the spare blanket over him and slept in the other bed. He’s staggering around this morning and moaning like hell. I’ve confiscated his car keys’ Stephanie says with a grin.
Charlene puts her hand to her mouth. ‘He int gonna let you drive his car!’
‘He hasn’t got a choice. There’s no way I’m letting him drive’
The door opens and Bruno comes in, smiling when he sees them laughing together.
‘Hello, Stephanie’ he greets her, hesitating only briefly before kissing her cheek.
‘Hiya’
‘All done?’ he asks, crossing to where Charlene is standing and putting his arms around her.
‘Yeah…I think so’ she lifts her face for his kiss.
‘I’ll get the bags down to the car after breakfast and then we’ll make a start shall we?’ He rubs his nose against hers, smiling affectionately. He turns with one arm still held around Charlene ‘Will we see you and Nathan in the dining room?’
‘I think all he can face is coffee this morning…’ Stephanie smirks ‘But we’ll be there, no worries. I’m hungry even if he isn’t’
Charlene gapes ‘You mean he int?’
Room 317
Chapter Twenty
Tawny House, Manor Road
The Annexe
‘I know you’ve got a lot going on right now but we really ought to do something about the response to our advertisement’ Helen puts the last of the washing from the basket into the machine and turns it on. She pushes her hair behind her ear as she turns to Kester.
‘Advertisement?’ he asks blankly.
‘To the ad in the paper…about Pennywell’
‘I’ll leave it to you’ he says, holding a piece of toast between his teeth as he shrugs on his jacket. ‘It’s your place’
‘Do we really want a family in there?’ Helen fetches her own coat from the hall and lays it on the kitchen table next to her handbag.
‘Up to you’ Kester shrugs ‘As long as they pay the rent’
‘Male….female?’
‘Helen…’ he glances at the clock on the microwave, licking his fingers of marmalade before lacing his boots. ‘I don’t really care and I haven’t got the time to discuss it now’
‘Fine’ Helen says, taking his dirty plate to the dishwasher. ‘So when will you have time to discuss it?’
‘Why do we need to discuss it?’
‘It was you who said I ought to rent it out!’
‘Then rent it! Got to go’
‘Fine’ Helen stands with her hands on the edge of the sink unit and stares out onto the garden.
‘I’ve got to meet Anthony at half past and I’m running late now. We’ll talk about it tonight, promise’ Kester says, clicking his car keys to his palm as he makes for the door.
‘I shall be late tonight’ she reminds him coolly.
‘Afterwards then, afterwards!’
