Work Text:
It had been a week since she had said goodbye to George who had finished his training and been posted to a unit elsewhere. She had already written him two letters, two loving letters but had got none in return and was rather miffed about it.
Maybe George had forgotten all about her. After all, girls liked him, he was good-looking and funny and he danced beautifully, swept girls off their feet. Like that Japanese woman the other night... She frowned and finished her tea and put the cup in the sink, if she didn't go now she would miss her bus.
No, he couldn't have found anyone else, she was sure. He would write soon, she only had to be patient.
The bus was running late as it was nearly every day now. It was also fairly full and she looked around for a seat. She saw there was one at the back, next to Nancy and quickly made her way there, although Nancy looked too miserable for company.
For a moment she felt sorry for her – at least George was alive, she would find a way of holding on to him but Nancy's hopes were crushed.
But then she remembered the newspaper calling her the captain's fiancée although there still wasn't a sign of a ring on her finger, and more often than not it had almost looked like as if he couldn't get away from her fast enough. And that last night, hadn't he fooled around with that stranger who had suddenly disappeared as if the ground had swallowed him. She couldn't help smirking.
'So, you were engaged then? Since when?' she asked.
'Yes... no... I suppose we would have eventually if he hadn't...' Nancy turned away from her, clearly trying to hide her tears.
'So you weren't engaged. I thought as much. After all, all the times he couldn't get away from you fast enough. Like the dance, I looked for you after the raid but you had gone already. Surely you would have wanted to stay on his last... or if you went, he would have gone with you.'
Nancy sat up straight in her seat. 'Actually, Jack wanted to stay with his men, to support them, on their last night and all.'
'Oh, was that what he said? I thought maybe he wanted some time alone with that handsome captain. And, by the way, it looks like his back only kept him from dancing with you.'
'I don't understand.'
'I think you do. Your Jack took staying with his men to the extreme and in the full view of everyone, he danced with that captain.'
'My Jack, he wouldn't, he was probably just drunk, it was a bet...'
'Maybe... all the lads were all fairly drunk that night but they didn't go about like him. And it didn't look like a bet, if he had been with a girl they would have been told to get a room.'
'I don't believe you. It's all in your imagination,' Nancy said coldly, 'and excuse me, this is my stop.'
It wasn't, she knew, and she felt a twinge of guilt when she saw Nancy through the window, crying in the rain and looking helpless. Soon she was dreaming about the letter she was going to get from George any day now.