Dragons and Coal CindersChapter 6
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Alfred and I almost made it to my room undetected before the staff noticed we had given them the slip. Ivy moved out of my darkened room into our path with her head down, deep in thought. She ran into my grip and I guided her back into the room with Alfred stepping inside with us. He lit the gaslight and closed the door. Ivy's eyes were wide and round when she realized we were in our uniforms. I put my pointer finger to her lips and my other arm around her waist. She took the hint and her tension melted away, actually half-stepping closer to me.
"We went for a walk off the grounds," Alfred blurted out. "It wasn't like we could go out in our patient clothes."
Ivy smiled as I took my finger away, but not my arm around her waist. "Secrets come at a price."
"Ivy." I warned, tightening my hold on her, which made Alfred laugh. Seeing him flip from sullenness to a light mood pleased me.
"The doctor won't be pleased if he heard about your ... indiscretion," she teased.
"That's a certainty," I agreed.
"We have orders to prepare for an inspection," Alfred interjected seriously.
"You've not been released. Rootstein has every right..."
"Ivy, what do you want?" I interceded with a finger on her lips again. She pursed her lips and wet my finger with a swipe of her tongue, while winking at Alfred.
Alfred laughed again and leaned against the door, finding her forwardness a comical scene that further lifted his mood. He just crossed his arms, letting me deal with her, obviously pleased with Ivy's interest in me.
"If you're taking walks to get yourselves exercised before your superiors check on you, then I believe you should have a medical escort. We could have dinner at the Golden Lion. I get off after the patients are fed, you wouldn't have to wait that much longer for a bit of pub food," Ivy suggested.
"What will the doctor think if he heard you were with us?" I countered. She took my hand away from her mouth to speak, holding it in her own.
"I will be off work. He'd be mad at you lot, not me."
"Deal," I answered. There wasn't really a choice if I wanted to keep the peace, besides I needed friends.
"Now get out of those clothes before anyone else checks in on you," she ordered, slipping out of my grasp and waving Alfred away from the door. "I'll stop by before the end of my shift. You can get ready then, giving us working women time to leave the building. Alfred knows where the pub is located, I'm sure. It's only two blocks over, out the front gate."
"Yes, nurse," Alfred responded. Grinning like a satisfied cat, he gracefully allowed her to pass out of the room.
After she left, he closed the door again. "Oh, she is interested in you, mate."
"I like her too," I conceded.
"She wouldn't have said a word to anyone if you called her bluff."
"I know."
"You sure have loosened up around women, Jack. That knock on the head when we crashed has created a new you."
"You don't know the half of it," I responded. "Now get out of your uniform before the doctor pops in on his favorite patient. He is dying to get more out of me about that wyvern venom."
We both hung up our jackets in the closet and began working out of our boots and pants.
"The doctor does all the autopsies on people killed by a wyvern, that's why we are in this hospital," Alfred added. "He is Scotland's top researcher on the beasts."
"Really?"
He nodded. "That is what everyone tells me, Jack."
For the rest of the afternoon we walked the hospital grounds, as if nothing had happened downtown. I didn't push him on his grief and the angry outbursts that almost got our heads smashed in. This was an era where men kept their feelings buried, so I had to tread very carefully about such things. He continued to poke fun about Ivy's sudden interest in me, calling it love at first sight. I couldn't help think it was much more than that. With my strange arrival, I was open to more supernatural or magical possibilities. Ivy's forward behavior wasn't what I'd expect from a single woman of the Edwardian Era. Alfred marked it up to our elevated social popularity, commenting on how she would have gone for him instead, if it weren't for his wife. He claimed he was more witty and handsome than me. Our whole encounter with Ivy had broken Alfred out of his gloomy state and I was thankful for it.
Alfred gravitated to the men and women on the patio, as we walked a circle around the property, stopping on multiple occasions to chat with them. The wounded had Alfred introduce me and they peppered us both with questions about flying planes and the incident with the wyvern clutch. Different patients were rotated outside each hour and we seemed to have the same discussions with each group. After the first group was returned indoors, the same nurses would bring out new men. The nurses became more relaxed around Alfred and me and their questions were almost always directed at me rather than Alfred, which seemed to humor him even more than Ivy's response to our return from town. The twinkle in my friend's eyes said "I told you so. You're an eligible bachelor."
When we had our fill of being outside and killing time until dinner, we went inside the hospital. We just made it inside the glass doors when a glorious redhead in the cream colored dress ran down the short hallway to us, calling out Alfred's name. He didn't seem surprised to see the well-dressed woman who ran up and planted a kiss on Alfred's lips, more of a quick peck that showed restraint in a public encounter.
"Mavis." Alfred whispered, pulling her tightly to him. Her expression held absolute affection, even with her eyes closed and her head resting on his shoulder. I was sure what she was wearing was the height of fashion. The peacock feathers in her hat were iridescent blue plumage, giving the whole outfit a regal look.
Mavis was a tall, creamy skinned woman with a thin waist and long legs. She was well matched to her husband. Alfred let her go, she straightened her dress and corset, giving me a placid smile. I liked her fine tapered brow and deep-set, brown eyes.
"I am glad you're recovering well, Jack. I feel grateful that the two of you survived both the monsters and the crash."
"A little better maintenance on the plane and there wouldn't have been a crash," I quipped.
"Nonsense," Alfred quickly responded. "We wouldn't have made it without his six-sense about the trouble and his inspired maneuvers. Jack pushed our aeroplane beyond what we've been trained to do."
"I am thankful you're both standing upright and in possession of all your limbs," Mavis commented.
"Let's use the reception room," Alfred declared. "Mavis and I have visited there since its semi-private. Being an officer has its privileges."
Alfred's expression eased, and Mavis gave him a fond laugh. I turned to leave them, so they could have some alone time, but Mavis hooked my arm. "You're coming too, Jack."
Alfred's patented grin and smirk sealed all avenues of retreat. He wasn't going to let me escape whatever Mavis had in mind. Mavis wove us through the hospital to the other wing of the building, and she guided us into a reasonably sized room that had beautiful bookcases filled with bound texts, red leather chairs and white, wing-backed settees that could fit on the set of TV's Downton Abbey. These high-backed couches had elegant fabrics and handcrafted wooden legs. Alfred found a comfortable chair under a gas lamp by the front window. Mavis sat with me on the couch across from her husband.
I broke the silence. "You look like you belong in a fashion magazine. You're quite stunning today."
"Hear, hear," her husband echoed.
Mavis blushed at the lavish compliment. "That was kind, Lieutenant. You do know I'm married?"
"What? No, that wasn't how I wanted that to sound." I stood.
Alfred laughed at my distress.
"You didn't mean to compliment me?" Mavis asked with a serious face.
Alfred walked over and put his arm around me. "She's egging you on. She never got under your skin before."
Mavis smirked, pleased with herself. I had no reference point about our past relationship, which put me at a disadvantage. I sat down and just shrugged my shoulders. They let my reaction go without another word about it.
Mavis gossiped about her visit to Ripon to see her sister who had recently had a baby. Alfred explained Mavis had visited the hospital the first day of our stay, but then had word of her niece's birth. Mavis took a train from Scotland to West Yorkshire for a short visit, before returning to her wounded aviator. The niece was the first grand-baby to her parents. Alfred and Mavis had the resources to fund the outing, so the travel wasn't a financial burden for them. Alfred informed his wife of Ivy's interest in me and how the nurses seemed flustered by me. Mavis promised to get the inside word from the nurse, but Alfred laughed and mentioned we were going to dinner with Ivy at a pub favored by the hospital staff. Mavis quickly invited herself along for the meal. Alfred confessed some of the details of our walk to the waterfront pub, but left out his ill behavior and angry disposition. He was my only friend, so I didn't feel it was my place to give up his secrets for fear of alienating him.
Alfred had Mavis wait outside the kitchen door while we trudged off to change into our uniforms. Once dressed, we escaped through an out-of-the-way servant's exit. Husband and wife linked arms and led me to the pub. The place was full of people I recognized from the hospital. With his wife on his arm, Alfred didn't seem to care about being seen. I suspected Alfred's former concern about being seen out was a ruse to get us to the harbor. Not that it mattered now. I was interested in something other than hospital food and having Ivy in my company. An old man in a trench coat had his foot up on a chair, just inside of the front door. He stopped talking to a barman who was cleaning up a mess, placed his stout laced boot on the floor.
"Sorry, gentlemen. I was just apologizing for making a mess," he said with a toothy smile, looking sincere.
A woman behind him grabbed his ear and pulled him back. The man didn't complain, shrugging and letting the old woman clear a path for us. The woman's blue bonnet was cylindrical, ornamented with white braid and a fancy feather; she looked like a rather wealthy lady. She wore a skirt that forced her to walk with studied deliberation, with allowance being made for leg movement. It reminded me of what a geisha might wear in Japan, rather hobbling. The overweight barman just laughed at the couple, while walking away, taking a broom and dust bin with him.
Inside the door was a blue and white flag, the St. Andrew's Cross. Numerous gas lamps, made from brass and colored glass, lined the common room, casting flickering light into every corner of the common room. Hardwood booths, upholstered in dark leather, lined both sides of the establishment. The low-ceilinged pub bustled with activity and a subdued noise from the patrons. An attractive aroma of meat pie, caught my nose's notice as we slowly pushed deeper into the room. We stepped past a few older gentlemen playing backgammon at a side table. A pair of sailors beckoned to a barmaid, which seemed to upset the man the rolling the dice. Mavis looked back at me and gave me an enigmatic smile, giving me no hint of what she was thinking. She grabbed my hand and made sure I didn't fall behind as Alfred cut a path for us.
The middle-aged men at the bar didn't take any notice of our party when we walked behind them. Their fashion wasn't anything like the pub on the docks. These men wore dark, traditional three-piece suits--pants, vests, and jackets--their white shirts had straight high-collars. I felt like I was on a movie set, the atmosphere had a falseness about it that didn't fit with my past experiences in Iowa. Besides the older lady we saw when we entered the establishment, most of the other women in the common room wore dresses that were full of curves, filled out by corsets that gave them "S" shapes. Collectively, the crowd made me feel out of place. If it weren't for Alfred and Mavis, I would have turned around and found the door. A few orderlies noticed us and elbowed their mates from the hospital. I just sketched a casual salute at them.
Alfred stopped ahead of us as a barmaid came out a door in front of him, and then he looked around, getting his bearing. Younger men and women filled most of the tables near us, all of them eating and drinking. I saw Ivy at a booth in the back corner of the room and pointed her out to Alfred. We altered our direction, having to work our way around patrons that had their backs to us. I quickly made my own path around Alfred. In short order, I blazed the trail to my dinner partner. Ivy watched our progress with a smile. If having Mavis with us bothered Ivy, she didn't show it. "Having four members in our party makes things less awkward," I thought.
Ivy slid out of her seat and stood up to her full height, giving me a kiss on the cheek. She was still in her nurse's uniform, but I saw her cape hanging on a hook on the frame of the oak booth. Mr. Hall and a couple of other orderlies were in their white uniforms, a few booths away. He hadn't noticed us, but Alfred and I could see the side of his face. Alfred looked at me and shrugged.
Taking Ivy's hand, I introduced her to Mavis, who greeted her with a sisterly hug. Both women slid into the booth on the same side. Alfred and I copied them, taking the other side. A young barmaid who showed a fair amount of skin around her neck and shoulders darted over with a happy look. She wiped her hands on her apron before addressing us, and brightening her smile when she looked at Ivy.
"Ivy, is this all of your party?"
"Yes, Luv," Ivy responded. "This is Mavis." Ivy pointed with her whole hand.
"The gentlemen?" The barmaid inquired cheekily. She was certainly teasing her friend.
"Alfred's mine," Mavis said taking his hand and winking at me.
Alfred lifted his chin with pride.
I extended my hand to the barmaid and said, "I have the honor of Ivy's company tonight. Does she come here often?"
The barmaid let go of my hand and looked at Ivy. "Normally I'd not tell, but you seem rather dashing in that uniform."
"Shirley!" Ivy interrupted, going red in the face.
"Ivy's my roommate, she hasn't ever brought a bloke here," Shirley continued, her stare daring Ivy to counter her claim.
"Well, Lt. Green is a gentleman. I doubt we could find many single men as clever," Mavis responded in a conspiratorial tone.
Mavis patted Alfred's hand, "I've my own bright gentleman."
Alfred quickly covered his puppy-dog eye look with an order. "Shirley, I am ever so parched. Could I have a dark ale?"
The barmaid smiled at us. "Of course. Drinks ladies?"
"A shandy," Ivy blurted, happy to get off the subject of gentleman friends.
"A ginger ale, please," Mavis added.
"A dark for me too," I announced. "How about an appetizer too? Do you have chicken-wings?"
As soon as I asked I knew that wasn't the right thing to ask. Chicken wing servings hadn't been created in Buffalo, New York, yet.
Shirley gave me a blank stare, as did everyone else.
"Just kidding," I quipped.
Ivy gave me a little laugh, which Shirley took up. Alfred and Mavis had blank looks, still processing my odd request.
"Oh what a tease he is," Shirley said. "Chicken wings. That is a funny one. I like him, Ivy. You know there aren't many men our age left around here..."
"Shirley, you'll not be getting in front of me this time," Ivy announced, in mock horror and a giggle.
"Oh, she likes you," Shirley bantered, turning on her heels, giving a sway of her hips as she made her way towards the bar.
Mavis and Ivy quickly dropped into typical female pleasantries; I just listened as Alfred stirred them to other things. We were all thirsty, so we drank and enjoyed each other's company. The conversation settled in with Alfred and Mavis exchanging comments about their small cottage in Dundee, the family's business connections and the town. Once my friend had been posted to Scotland, they purchased the property from a recently widowed woman. While the home was some distance from the Montrose aerodrome, Alfred's father had a few trusted friends in Dundee that traded in wool with his company. Their welcoming arms and guidance in navigating the locals was all Alfred needed to hear in committing to the cottage. In turn, Mavis had become the informal agent in Dundee for Alfred's family business. She was responsible for passing on news about prices, supply and demand for jute, wool and lamb related commodities to Alfred's father. In addition to the robust textile trade and the notable number of Irish immigrant workers, I learned the town's port was rather important. Hundreds of ships visited Dundee over a year's time.
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