Inheritance

Chapter Thirty-eight. An Unexpected Phone Call.

Chapter Thirty-eight

An Unexpected Phone Call 

The familiar theme of Family Favourites , the noontime BBC radio show that her mother listened to every Sunday without fail,roused Rachel from her slumber.

Too soon to get up.

Rachel snuggled back under her pink eiderdown. 

"Rachel, phone." 

Damn and blast. Why now? Who could it be? Rachel flung back the eiderdown. She couldn't go downstairs dressed in skimpy underwear. Where was her dressing gown? As she made her way over to the wardrobe, she glanced in the mirror of her dressing table. Definitely worse for wear. Thank goodness for the urchin cut. She opened the wardrobe door. The dress that had cost her more than a week's wages lay, in a crumpled heap at the bottom. She bent down to pick it up and placed it on a hanger. Her head started to spin. 

"Rachel, it's John." 

He doesn't have a phone!  

Boy, it was chilly. Wrapped in her bulky dressing gown she gingerly made her way to the top of the stairs. Her calves were aching from all the dancing. Through the banister rail, she could see her mother chatting away. What could she and John possibly have to talk about? 

"Here you are, sweetheart," she said handing the receiver to Rachel. 

"Hello," said Rachel, surprising herself with huskiness. There was no response, only a hum. She turned and cast an accusing look at her mother.

"Was this a ruse to get me up?" 

Her mother laughed.

"No, I assure you my dear, it was John. He must be calling from a phone box, and ran out of time." 

Rachel replaced the receiver. She could see her two sisters watching from the lounge. Why did the phone have to be in a place where everyone in the house could hear what was going on? It was time for one in her bedroom. The phone rang. 

"Hello," she said.

There was a pause, then a click.

The phone went dead again. 

"I bet he pushed the wrong button," suggested her mother. "It's hard to believe that a university student can't figure out how to use a public telephone." 

Another ring, this time a connection, Rachel shooed her mother away. 

"Hi Rachel, I hope I didn't wake you." 

"No." 

"How are you feeling?" 

"Fine," she lied. 

"I wish that I could say the same. Look we're heading back to Sheffield right now and I didn't want to leave without thanking you for last night, and to apologize." 

"Apologize for what?" 

"Not lasting the course." 

"I thought you did pretty well." 

"That's not what I meant. I wanted to ask you something, and I never got to see you again after the speeches."  

Rachel could sense the nervousness in his voice. 

"What did you want to ask?" she replied, her heart palpitating in anticipation. 

"I... Bloody hell my time's nearly up. I didn't want to rush this. What are you doing on the third Friday in December?" 

Rachel couldn't help laughing. "Nothing as far as I know." 

"How about I pick you up at seven?" 

"Are you asking for a date, John Gregson?" 

"I suppose I am." 

"You're on" 

"Fantastic. I'll see you then." 

She could sense the excitement in his voice. The phone went dead.