BREAKING POINT

“I can go and stay with my friend, Audrey” Penny said eagerly as her plan took shape. “She’s always asking me to come. Then you can come over to see me whenever you have time off. You’d get weekends, wouldn’t you? We don’t have to be so far away from each other that way”

She saw my his face that her idea appealed to him.

“It could be done” he said. “Might be quite nice down there too. I just hope they won’t take the weekends away from me too. Will Audrey be okay with you staying with her for a while?”

“Will she be okay with it!” Penny cried, relief, bursting inside her while she flung herself into Jeremy’s arm. “Oh I know she will. I will call her now and ask her. Oh it will be wonderful… Just like a holiday. Oh I’m so happy that I don’t have to be here alone for three weeks”

“Jeremy planted a kiss on the side of her neck.” Well, at least I get to see if I can during the weekends, it’s better than not seeing you at all throughout the three weeks. You’d better go down to Audrey tomorrow, darling. I will go next day ”

” I will call her now. I’m sure she will be okay with it”

A minute later she was on the phone with Audrey and giving her the news. Audrey was pleased and happy that Penny was coming over.

“My brother will be home too, Penny” Audrey said. “It will be quite a party”

“Are you sure you will have room for me as well?” Penny asked anxiously, not wanting to intrude.

“Of course.. Joey can have the spare room and I’m sure he would be happy to have you around too”

“Lovely” Penny said. “You are a dear, Audrey. I would have told you about this sooner, only Jeremy didn’t know himself until this afternoon”

“When should I expect you?” Audrey asked.

“Tomorrow evening. Jeremy will be flying down the next day”

“See you tomorrow then, Penny” Audrey said. “Till then…”

Penny hung up and turned to Jeremy.

“It’s all arranged, honey. Audrey said you can come see me whenever you can. And Joey will be home so you will have make company too”

“Who is Joey?” Jeremy asked, lighting a cigarette and full of plans for Cornwall.

“Audrey’s brother. I haven’t met him, but he sounds so nice. He’s has been abroad working as a doctor for a while now. He’s going to partner to a doctor in Portreath who has quite a large practice and if Joey does well he will take it over completely in time.”

“Lucky chap. He’s coming home and already has the job he wants waiting for him” Jeremy said. “Wish I had something like that”

“You will find something, darling. With your brains and your amazing looks, you’re bound to go far” Penny said.

“Glad to know you have some faith in me” Jeremy said with a half smile. “My dad thinks I’m a bit of a waster”

“Nonsense” Penny disagreed. “Your father is tremendously proud of you. Besides, he would not have offered you that money then if he thought you were no good”

“I think he hopes you will reform me” Jeremy said. Putting an arm round her. “And he may be right. I’ve certainly never been as faithful to any girl for so long before”

Penny squeezed his hand.

“Do you still love me as much as ever?” she asked softly.

“That question does not need an answer. If I hadn’t loved you, I wouldn’t care whether I was going to Cornwell or not”

“You are sure… You are sure it isn’t just… Physical attraction?”

Jeremy gave her a crooked smile.

“It’s funny how you all women ask the same question” he said. “Anyone would think that they did not want a man to be physically attracted to them. Yet that is part of it. If I weren’t attracted to your lovely body, darling. I certainly wouldn’t be in love with you, would I?”

“But there must be more to it than that. It isn’t only that, is it, Jeremy?”

“Don’t be silly” he replied irritably. “if that was all I wanted. I could find it else where”

Penny did not pursue her questioning further. She put the subject out of her mind, content to know that he had been upset at the thought of leaving her for three weeks. She really must learn not to be so jealous of every hour spent away from him. He had singular power over her. Poor Howard… She had loved him but not with this obsessive passion. The last time Jeremy had been sent away, he hadn’t seemed to mind nearly as much, and this time she was going with him.

“Let’s go out for dinner” she suggested. “I’m afraid I haven’t prepared anything and it would save a lot of time and trouble if we went to the Italian restaurant”

“Good idea. Come on, then. Get your coat on and we’ll go. Are we taking Benny?”

“Of course we’ll take him” Penny said. He’d howl himself hoarse if I went out without him ”

After dinner they returned to the flat, where Penny packed a bag ready for Jeremy, and put her own things into a suitcase.

Jeremy sat on the bed smoking his cigarette and watching her.”You are surprisingly practical for an artist” he remarked. “Quite domesticated you”

“Think I will make a good wife?” Penny asked, sitting back on her heels and looking up at him.

“Mmmmmm…. Bit temperamental though” he teased her.

‘Should I tell him now?’ Penny asked herself. ‘Should I tell him why I’ve been so temperamental lately?’

She toyed with the idea as she folded her clothes. But she decided against it. Jeremy was being so nice… So good tempered and companionable. He was pleased too about their ‘holiday’ in Cornwell. It would be a pity to worry him just at the moment when there was so much to worry about. She would wait until they were in Cornwell.. Wait until the weekend when she would take him for a walk on the cliff tops. She could tell him then… While they walked. It would be easier with the wind blowing and the sound of the waves to help her. It would seem more right there than in this flat where a baby seemed hopelessly out of place.