BREAKING POINT

“Penny is going to have a baby” Audrey blurted out suddenly. “Jeremy’s baby… Of course”

Joey swung around. He looked suddenly furious.

“Then he’d better marry her quickly” he said.

“Penny hoped that a home life would teach Jeremy not to be so afraid of being tied down” Audrey said flatly. “I’m afraid she hasn’t succeeded. Obviously the man isn’t even ready to settle”

Joey gripped his sister’s arm. She felt his fingers biting into her flesh.

“You mean he won’t marry her?” he asked incredulously.

Audrey released her arm from his grip. “I don’t know Joey” she said. Penny hasn’t told him yet. She was going to tell him tonight. I hope that’s what she’s telling him right now because if she doesn’t I will ”

Joey sat down heavily in the nearest chair and thought about Penny. He hadn’t known the woman for long, and yet he felt so strongly about her. He wanted her to be happy, even if it wasn’t with him, and he wanted to protect her from any kind of hurt.

“If Jeremy doesn’t marry her, then I will” he said at last.

Audrey stared at her brother, amazed at the statement he just made.

“You are in love with Penny, aren’t you Joey?” she asked quietly.

Joey nodded his head, unable to trust his voice. “I don’t understand why, or how… It just happened” he said finally.

Audrey asked, trying to remain loyal to her friend even while every instinct in her fought to protect her own flesh and blood.Belonging © NôvelDram/a.Org.

“She is in love with Jeremy. Or thinks she is. In any event, her feelings for him are very deep and sincere. And this child… Is Jeremy’s. Would you really marry a girl who doesn’t love you and accept another man’s child… A constant reminder of another man.

Without hesitation, Joey said “Yes. If it would help Penny. And if she’d have me” he met Audrey’s gaze with steady eyes. “Other men have done it. It wouldn’t be such a big deal. I have heard of men who went away for a long while and found their wives had been unfaithful to them…. Had a child by another man. They accepted it”

“They were already married” Audrey said quietly. “They had vowed to stick by their wives for better or for worse… and that’s for people who take marriage vows that serious in that situation. But you have to remember Joey, you owe Penny nothing”

“I know that. I know I owe her nothing” Joey replied. “Yet I owe her everything because I love her”

Audrey’s eyes filled with tears. She kissed him on the cheek. “You are a fool brother Joseph” she said lightly. “But I love you for it”

For the remainder of the the morning, Joey worked furiously in the garden… Digging a new rose bed for Audrey. Two hours before dinner time, he was waiting anxiously in the sitting room for the sound of Penny’s footsteps on the path. After Jeremy had gone, she’d come in to tell them that she was going out for a walk and she hadn’t returned. It was raining and Audrey and Joey were getting worried.

An hour passed during which Joey and Audrey sat in silence. Then Joey jumped to his feet and said, “You don’t think Penny would… Do anything crazy, right?”

“No I don’t” Audrey said with more conviction than she felt. “I expect she is sheltering from the rain somewhere, or else hadn’t realized the time”

Joey’s face was taut.

“I’m going to find her” he said. “I can’t stand this any longer”

“All right, Joey. But dinner is ready”

“I don’t want anything to eat” Joey replied.

“Okay”

Joey shot her a grateful look and turned towards the door. At that moment they heard a soft whine and a scratch which could only be Penny’s dog.

Joey moved quickly to the door. The spaniel rushed in, barking. Joey took a step backwards as Penny walked into the room. Her hair hung in strands down her shoulders, dripping wet. Her coat was drenched from the heavy downpour which had overtaken her down by the lighthouse. She had tried to shelter there against the wall, but after half an hour during which she grew steadily colder, she had decided to make for home as quickly as possible. The walk back seemed longer than ever before and each step more and more of an effort. The cold was intense she was shivering now and clenching her teeth to stop them from chattering.

Audrey ran forward and pulled the coat from Penny’s shoulders.

“Take your shoes off” she ordered. “Then go upstairs for a hot bath”

Too tired and cold to argue, Penny obeyed. Audrey called after her :

“I’ll make some coffee. Good thing we have a doctor in the house. I think we are going to need one shortly.”

Upstairs Audrey stripped off Penny’s clothes and wrapped her in a thick dressing gown of Joey’s, while she ran the bath. When she returned, Penny was sitting on the edge of the bed, unable to stand.

“I’m so cold” she said over and over again. “I’m so cold”

Five minutes later, she was tucked up in bed. Joey came up with a stethoscope and thermometer, and took her temperature, then her pulse rate.

“You should stay here” he said at last. “And don’t throw off those clothes. I want you to keep warm”

“All right, doctor” Penny said with the ghost of a smile… A smile that hurt him. It was so utterly miserable.

“Try and sleep. I will come up again in a little while and see how you are getting on”

He left the room, beckoning to Audrey to follow him.

Downstairs in the sitting room, he said.

“She will have a go of pneumonia if we aren’t careful”

“Do I have to call Jeremy and tell him to come?” Audrey asked. “Would it bad for her to see him? I know their talk didn’t really go well”

Joey thought this over a moment before replying.

“Under the circumstances, perhaps it would be better to put him off” he said pointedly. “Obviously things didn’t go too well between them, and if he comes over and the same thing happens, Penny would worried and her temperature will go up. It’s over a hundred already”

“Penny told me he will be traveling tomorrow” Audrey remarked thoughtfully.

“Can’t help that” Joey said in a matter of fact tone. “Penny’s health if far more important than Jeremy’s feelings”