But it’s in the Village of
Turnoak-Under-Hawthorne where the participants of this particular tale live
their lives, and the tale began as Christmas fast approached.
Doctor
Charlotte Aldridge was new to Downshire having recently moved from Yorkshire.
She was a
pretty brunette in her early thirties, small, stick thin, with no discernible
bust line.
But
although she looked small and delicate, she was like a human dynamo and more
than carried her weight.
It was the
10th of December and although her schedule was very heavy in the morning, she
made sure she got to see a very important patient
Russell
Barker was her very first patient she treated after moving to Downshire six
months earlier and he was dying.
The large
rambling 12th century village of Turnoak-Under-Hawthorne was located about 5
miles from Purplemere.
She loved
the village but knew that she wouldn’t have too many more visits to Rose
Cottage
“Hello
Evelyn” she said when Mrs. Barker answered the door
“Hello
Doctor” she said “I wasn’t sure if we’d see you today or not”
“How is he
today?” she asked
“In good
spirits” Evelyn replied “He’s in the lounge”
“Hello
Russell” Charli said and then realized he was not alone
“Hi Doctor,
this if my son Paul” He said “Captain Barker”
“Pleased to
meet you Captain” she said
“Paul” he
said and shook her hand and as she briefly gripped his hand, she studied his
ruggedly handsome face
Charli
liked him, his handshake was firm, his handsome face
“Paul” she
said, “what are you a Captain of, Army, Navy or Airforce?”
“Air
Ambulance” he replied
“Really?”
she responded
“Now I’ll
leave you two alone” Paul said “Goodbye Doctor”
When she
had finished examining Russell, she was disappointed to find Captain Barker had
left, Charli was very taken with him.
So, she
said her farewell to Evelyn and got on her way because she still had her rounds
to complete.
A few days
later her schedule was lighter than usual as she had the afternoon off to get
ready for the Annual Christmas Party so after her last visit Charli went home
and changed before going out to have a manicure, pedicure and a facial which
took most of the afternoon.
The annual
Christmas Party at the Royal Downshire Memorial Hall was for health employees
of the town and its environs.
It was
always a grand affair; Dinner jackets and evening dresses were compulsory.
Charlotte
Aldridge was wearing a knee length blue dress that hugged her figure
beautifully and her shoulder length brunette hair was down, so it danced around
her nape as she walked.
Her
beautiful blue dress was cut in such a way that it appeared she had a bust line
when she had none at all, it also defined her narrow hips and boy like
buttocks.
Her
stunning legs were clad in black, and her shoes were blue to match her dress,
however standing at five foot tall in her stocking feet, even the four-inch
heels failed to make an impression on her diminutive stature.
As she was
new to the area, she didn’t know many people and the ones she did know she
didn’t know well, so Charli spent the best part of an hour mingling trying to
search for someone she knew well enough to converse with when she heard a voice
behind her.
“Hello” the
voice said, “its Doctor Aldridge isn’t it?”
She turned
around and despite the fact she had only met him the once, and briefly at that,
she recognized him instantly even in a dinner suit.
“Yes” she
replied “Hello Captain, its Charlotte or Charli tonight”
“Then call
me Paul” he said
“No
Captain’s uniform tonight, Paul?” she asked
“I’ve
always loved a man in uniform”
Charli then
inexplicably blushed, she never normally blushed when she was flirting, in her
head she chastised herself for behaving like a schoolgirl, she was 34 for God’s
sake, and thought she should start acting like it.
“Are you
here with someone?” she asked
“Yes and
no” he replied
Charli only
heard the word yes and was very disappointed
“I’m here
with the rest of my crew” he continued.
“Oh?” she
asked
“Yes, we’re
on duty tonight”
“Oh, I see”
Charli said, and she found out she was happy to find out he was essentially
“alone”
“I was
sorry to have missed you at the house the other day” she said
“Yes, me
too” he agreed “But I had to rush off as I had to get to the airfield”
“Oh” she
said, “and when do you have to “rush off” tonight?”
“About ten
thirty” Paul replied
“So soon?”
she said disappointed again “Shame”
A
comfortable silence settled around them and her mind drifted because Charli
really liked him.
“Would you
like to dance?” he asked
“Love to”
she replied, and Paul took her hand and led her to the dance floor, and they
danced through
“All of Me”
by John Legend
“Because
You Loved Me” by Celine Dion
“I’m Not in
Love” by10cc
“Come Away
with Me” by Norah Jones
James
Blunts “You’re Beautiful”
“My Heart
Will Go On” by Celine Dion
“When I
Fall in Love” by Nat King Cole
Barbara
Streisand’s “The Way We Were”
“I Will
Always Love You” by Whitney Houston
And
Fleetwood Macs “Albatross”
And they
only stopped then when Paul was tapped on the shoulder, he relinquished his
hold on Charli and turned around
“Come on
skip” a man said “it’s time”
“Ok Bob” he
said “I’ll be right there”
Bob nodded
and walked towards the door
“I’m afraid
I need to go” Paul said
“I
understand” she said
“It was
nice seeing you again” he said
“Perhaps I
could call you?”
“Yes”
Charli said “I’d like that”
And then he
was gone.
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