Freda Lightfoot - Peace In My Heart

‘I know that you like dancing and wondered if you’d care to accompany me to the Tower Ballroom. That would be fun,’ he said, giving her a grin.

Oh, my goodness, did she wish to dance with this lad? She certainly had no intention of falling for him, still living in hope of becoming engaged to Teddy. Wouldn’t it be dangerous to allow Bernie to become too fond of her? But what could she say? Hadn’t they been sort of good friends these last few years? And he’d been most supportive by helping her search for her mother in Manchester, as well as sympathetic when they’d failed to find her? But she felt the urge to refuse this request as politely as possible, telling herself she should do her utmost to prevent him from attempting to court her, still fixing her hope on Teddy. Bearing in mind who he was, she must remain cautiously polite towards him. ‘Maybe we’ll give that a try on some occasion. I’ll let you know when I feel ready to have a dance,’ she said, tossing up her chin with a flicker of a smile.

To her surprise, a day or two later, she also received the offer of a date from Wing Commander Ramsbotham. Being such an attractive and lively young man, how could she refuse him? He was far more exciting and good-looking than Bernie. That night when they settled in bed, Joanne told Megan how she’d accepted his offer and declined Bernie’s.

‘Why are you being so stupid?’ her sister demanded, sounding most scathing.

‘Why would I not accept? Wing Commander Ramsbotham is a very attractive man,’ Joanne stoutly declared.

‘Rubbish, he’s a pain in the ass. Bernie is so much kinder and more polite.’

Joanne rolled her eyes. ‘He does appear to be quite smitten with me. He keeps offering to clean my shoes, check the tyres on my bike and if I stretch up a little to the high kitchen cupboard he’ll ask what it is I want and can he reach it for me. He’s very funny! And, of course, he followed me down to the beach the other day to supposedly help me find shells when really he wanted to ask me out. Not at all what I wished him to do.’

‘Oh, for goodness sake, why not encourage Bernie to be your next flame instead of that randy RAF chap? Being our aunt’s nephew you mustn’t be rude to him. And you were far too flighty when those GIs showed interest in you, obsessed with love ,’ she mockingly stated.

‘Don’t talk nonsense.’ Joanne felt slightly irritated by her sister’s teasing attitude. She was such a highly intelligent girl and often dismissive of her despite her being her much older sister. She could, however, be making a relevant point not to be rude to Bernie, and a little against the decision she made. She was a bright lass.

‘I’ll give it some thought,’ she said. She turned over in bed and shut her eyes tight so they wouldn’t spill out tears yet again.

Had she been flighty? Being naive, headstrong and foolish to let herself fall madly in love with Teddy, eagerly waiting for the day he’d write and ask her to marry him. Many young girls had felt equally obsessed with those GIs during this dreadful war. It was true that like all his mates Teddy had clearly enjoyed having a fan club of girls gathered around him. All those guys felt in need of adoration, having been caught up in the fighting, bombing and enduring great danger. Like many other girls she too had stupidly allowed him to seduce her, all because she believed that he loved her. Maybe he didn’t care for her at all. Had he thought of her as flighty, not just shy and prudish, greatly appealed by the adoring emotion he’d seen in her eyes and duly taken advantage of her? Was it just as well that he’d left, or was she in serious trouble and very much in need of a man to protect her?

The Tower Ballroom was beautifully lit with red and yellow lighting. When the Wurlitzer organ came sliding up, the man seated before it happily playing, the carefully sprung dance floor was soon packed with people in order to encourage everyone to keep dancing. Some were seated above in the balconies so they could simply watch. ‘Shall we dance now or take a glass of bubbly first?’ Wing Commander Ramsbotham asked as he led her to a table.

‘Oh, no wine for me, thank you, just a cup of tea and a cake.’ Joanne had tactfully agreed to accompany him to an afternoon tea dance not an evening one, taking her sister’s advice that this would be far more appropriate and safe.

‘Call me Clive, dear girl. That’s my name,’ he chuckled. Ignoring what she said, he ordered a bottle of wine. Then, taking her hand, he led her out onto the dance floor.

There was something about the way he held her close, pressing his thighs against her legs and his cheek against hers that set off a small alarm within her. Had Megan been right to warn her against accepting this date? He kept a firm hold of her for several more dances till eventually she politely suggested they return to their table and requested a cup of tea.

Taking a long drink from the glass of bubbly wine he’d poured for himself, he then poured a glass for Joanne. ‘Cheers! Chin, chin.’

She lifted her glass to click his, as was demanded of her, but nervously set it down again without taking a single sip and gratefully thanked the young waitress who delivered her a teapot and a selection of cakes in a stand.

He laughed, the sound of his humour not at all pleasant, filled with a blast of cynicism. ‘Come on, take a drink. Don’t deny yourself such a delicious treat.’

‘I prefer this afternoon tea, thank you, very much the kind of treat that suits me perfectly.’

Glancing about him with a faint air of derision, he said, ‘Why don’t we slip away to somewhere more private and enjoy a little fun together? Wouldn’t that be more entertaining than this ballroom?’

Wasn’t privacy what she’d often dreamed of in the past with Teddy? Now, this man demanding the opportunity to be alone with her was not something she considered at all appropriate. ‘I’m not certain about that.’

‘Why not, dear girl?’

From the expression in his blue eyes it was clear to Joanne what he was implying. He obviously fancied her and assumed she was fascinated by him too. The thought flickered in her head that if she agreed to let him do to her whatever he wished, could she then lay the blame for this child she carried upon him and gain herself a marriage that could save her reputation and spare her a desolate future? Would that be a good thing? He was an attractive man if quite a bit older than her and probably quite well off. He was, however, rather weird, remembering how he’d pinched her sister’s bottom. Wasn’t that why Megan strongly disapproved of him? Taking a deep breath, she mildly remarked, ‘I assumed we were just coming to the Tower Ballroom to enjoy a dance and afternoon tea, not whatever you’re suggesting.’

‘Why would you not be happy to join me in a different hotel to the Jubilee House? I’m fully aware you were highly captivated with those GIs. I assume that’s because you love having a man around to enchant you. And you are most captivating, a very pretty girl in that short, tightly fitting blue dress. Very sexy.’

Something in his tone jolted her as Joanne felt herself flush with a mix of embarrassment and annoyance. The implication seemed to be that he considered she was open to titillating attention from all men, in particular those in the Army or Air Force. No doubt he too loved having a fan club of girls, being filled with a strong sense of his own importance and was possibly something of a pervert.

‘Would you believe those Americans greatly interfered in our lives, robbing me of my latest conquest whom I’d been dating for quite a while. I remember one date I had with her when a GI turned up and gave her a kiss, blast him. That pretty girl dumped me in favour of that blasted chap, as so many have done.’