Chapter Text
Delia hurried down the corridor and then skipped up the stairs of Nonnatus House as quickly as she could without tripping up. She burst into Patsy's room without knocking and hurried over to her bed, bouncing as she sat down at the foot. "What's going on, Pats?" She asked breathlessly.
Patsy tried but could not keep the grin off her face, even as she took one last drag from her cigarette before grinding it into the ashtray. "Good afternoon Deels," she greeted cordially, raising her eyebrows at the woman's obvious excitement. "What on earth are you talking about?"
Delia frowned, and bounced on the bed with ill-concealed impatience. "You know what I mean. Sister Douglas told me that you'd spoken to her and requested that I have tomorrow and Thursday off. And she agreed." The diminutive brunette looked at Patsy expectantly. "Come on. Tell me," she prompted after about two seconds of waiting.
Patsy couldn't help but laugh at Delia's enthusiasm. "But that would spoil the surprise," she pointed out simply.
"Patience Mount, don't tease. You know what I'm like." Delia pouted dramatically and adjusted position again, looking ready to pounce on the taller woman.
Patsy shifted quickly and sat up, holding her hands in front of her to guard against any sudden attack. "Alright, alright. I'll tell you, but you realise that this is spoiling the surprise."
Delia shook her head. "Surprise for what?"
Patsy looked at Delia incredulously. "What happened this time last year?" She prompted.
Delia paused for a second and the penny dropped. "I moved in!" She exclaimed. Her eyes widened as all the implications suddenly fell into place. "You've planned something for our revised anniversary, haven't you?"
Patsy laughed. "Revised anniversary? That doesn't sound very romantic," she protested.
Delia ignored the jibe. "Are we going for tea again? Are we staying at The Ritz?"
Patsy looked at Delia steadily. "You have a choice, Busby. I can either tell you all about it now, therefore taking away any of the surprise elements, or you can wait and see and enjoy the day as it is revealed to you."
Delia sat back and gave the options serious consideration. She wasn't sure she could wait until tomorrow to find out what was going on, but Patsy had clearly put a lot of effort into whatever it was that had been planned. If Patsy wanted it to be a surprise, then she really ought to go along with it. "I have two questions and then I'll stop," she said finally.
Patsy nodded. "Alright," she agreed.
"What do I need to bring?"
Patsy grinned easily, having already planned that element. "I hope you'll forgive me for being presumptuous but I've hung out clothes for you to wear tomorrow."
Delia smiled. "Well that should give me a clue as to what we're up to," she replied confidently.
Patsy's grin widened. "Don't be too sure about that," she countered.
"Alright. Now, the answer to this next question will let me know if I truly want to know what the surprise is," Delia continued. "Will my parents be there this time to spoil our date?"
Patsy snorted as she bit down on laughter. "If they show up where I've planned for us to go, I will never plan an anniversary again, it will all be down to you," she vowed.
Delia sighed in dramatic relief. "Thank goodness for that. I need to have a date that we can properly call our anniversary."
Patsy nodded knowingly. "I agree. I just hope the reality matches your excited imagination," she continued, trying to play down the surprise. There was no guarantee Delia would like the plans she had made.
Delia shook her head immediately. "The very fact that you've taken the time to plan something at all means that it's already all I could have hoped for," she told her firmly.
Patsy smiled gratefully before glancing at the clock. "There's an hour before dinner. Do you have any urgent plans?"
Delia narrowed her eyes as she rose up onto her knees and shuffled her way up the bed. "Oh yes," she replied assuredly before leaning down and kissing Patsy soundly.
~~~~
"I'm feeling a little over-dressed for a Wednesday," Delia commented as they got on the bus.
Patsy smiled. "I think it's nice to dress up," she riposted easily.
"That's because you could make a potato sack look elegant," Delia returned. She chuckled. "I can't remember the last time I went out with a hat on."
Although it was June and sunny, there was a cool wind keeping the temperatures down and both women had decided to wear a light coat over their summer dresses. Delia wore a white dress with blue polka-dots, while Patsy's dress was somewhat sleeker, with a rich green and gold pattern. "It is a little formal for the bus," Patsy agreed as she lit up a cigarette. "But I don't think we'll be quite so out of place on the train and most certainly not out of place at our destination."
"Which is?" Delia probed.
"I think you'll guess once we're on the train, so I'm not going to ruin the surprise quite yet," Patsy replied.
She was right. The second the departure board flipped noisily and revealed that the train they were about to board was for Epsom, Delia knew where they were headed. "Are we going to the Derby?"
Patsy nodded, holding her arms out expansively to gesture her dress. "Hence the need for formality," she confirmed.
Delia was practically skipping as they hurried along the platform. "I've never been to the races before. This is fantastic," she said rapidly. "Oh no, I haven't got much money on me. I'm not sure I'll be able to afford to put a bet on."
Patsy twisted the handle of the carriage door open and gestured for Delia to enter. "I've told you Delia, I've planned for everything. I have even included a little extra money in my purse for us to push the boat out and have an extravagant bet."
Delia frowned as she took her seat. "I can't just take your money," she demurred.
"Consider it a simple anniversary gift then, for you to do whatever you want with."
Delia pulled a face. "Alright. Let me have a walk around and think about it and then maybe, I'll borrow a little so I can have a wager."
Patsy smiled broadly. "That's the spirit. Now, sit back and relax. We've got a long day of walking ahead."
Delia instead sat forward and gazed out of the window, allowing her eyes to flicker as she tried to focus on the landscape passing by. The journey didn't take too long, and they alighted with most of the other passengers who quickly swarmed up the road. Derby day was obviously going to be well attended, and Patsy and Delia joined the throng, although they were more than content to stroll along the road rather than make haste.
"Why the hurry?" Delia asked, knowing that the main race didn't start until 3pm.
"These glorious race-goers are likely to be in the public grandstand or out on the course so they need to hurry to claim their spot," Patsy explained.
"It gets that busy?" Delia asked, surprised.
Patsy nodded quickly. "They'll be 200,000 people here today." She stopped when she realised that Delia had halted suddenly. "What's up?"
"That's a lot of people," Delia stated slowly.
"Yes, but the course and grounds are big, and we will be able to watch the race from an enclosure that is a little less crowded," Patsy replied.
"Don't tell me you've got us access to the Royal enclosure?" Delia said jokingly.
"Sadly I couldn't manage that I'm afraid. But you won't be disappointed."
Delia nudged into Patsy as they walked along. "I wouldn't be disappointed even if we were in the crowds. This is a marvellous surprise," she said.
"So it was worth the wait from last night then?" Patsy teased gently.
Delia continued to walk shoulder-to-shoulder with Patsy. It was easy to do so without drawing any attention as the streets were now quite crowded. "Fortunately, my attention was diverted for a lot of the evening so I could just about contain myself."
Patsy let out out a burst of laughter. "Busby, you are incorrigible," she declared.
Delia shrugged as she nodded. "I know," she agreed impudently.
The two women queued up to gain entrance and purchase programs for the day before taking a leisurely stroll around the course. They spent a few coins at the various fairground attractions that had been set up. Delia tried her hardest to convince Patsy to go on the Ferris Wheel with her, but Patsy flatly refused. "Oh, come on Pats. Don't tell me you're scared." With her charm offensive an utter failure, Delia switched to goading.
Patsy looked Delia straight in the eye. "What if I am?" She responded honestly.
Delia couldn't fault Patsy's candour. And her bravery. Much as she wanted to ride the wheel with her, with the hope that it might stop for a while at the top, Delia realised that she didn't want to do that if Patsy was terrified by the experience. She smiled softly and stepped closer. "Then I'll stop asking you. Come on, let's go and do something else."
Patsy smiled back unguardedly. "Thank you," she stated simply before glancing at her watch. "Do you fancy a spot of lunch?"
Delia nodded. "That would be lovely." She frowned as she glanced around. "Are there food stalls?" She asked.
"I've already made arrangements," Patsy replied. "Come on." In a surprisingly open gesture of affection, Patsy threaded her arm through Delia's and started walking back to the finish line. Along one side of the track were several stands of differing sizes. With a simple glance at the tickets Patsy provided, they were allowed entrance to the Club Stand, right next to the Royal Enclosure.
Delia looked around in wide-eyed amazement at the other occupants of the obviously exclusive stand but tried not to stare or look too out of place.
Patsy sensed her nervousness and guided her to a quiet corner. "Deels, is this too much for you?" She asked.
Delia smiled gratefully at her love. "I'm feeling a little bit like an intruder if I'm honest," the brunette admitted. "Just don't leave me by myself anywhere."
Patsy nodded firmly. "Of course not. If you'd rather go out into the public arena, we can do that too. It's just that one of my father's friends is a member and that's how I got tickets. There's a restaurant just inside. I thought we could have a spot of lunch here before the racing really commences."
"We're not going to have to eat things I have no idea how to pronounce are we?" Delia asked warily.
Patsy shook her head, giving a lop-sided grin. "I can guarantee that you'll know exactly what you're having. And please remember, you have every right to be here."
Delia nodded uncertainly. "Alright. Just don't let me make a fool of myself."
"Never," Patsy promised, stepping to one side and then guiding the younger woman towards the entrance of the restaurant.
Once inside, Delia felt herself relax. Although it was clearly still an area reserved for the wealthy, there didn't seem to be any airs and graces, and the two women were welcomed cordially by the staff. They were immediately offered champagne before being guided to a table right next to a window, affording them the perfect view of the racecourse.
"Pats, this is amazing," Delia enthused as she stared out of the window. She then flipped open her race card. "When does it all start?"
Patsy glanced at the open page. "The first race is at 1.15. Let's eat and then take a wander to the Tote. You can put a bet on there."
Delia narrowed her eyes. "You seem to know a lot about gambling Patience Mount. Is there some deep, dark secret you're keeping from me?"
Patsy grinned. "Not really. More a misspent youth at boarding school. One of the girls' father's owned a Bookmakers. She used to run her own book and we'd listen to the racing on the wireless." She sounded quite conspiratorial.
Delia smiled delightedly. "Did you study all the form?" She asked.
Patsy's eyebrows raised. "How do you know all the terminology?"
"Dad spends every Saturday staring at the back pages looking at all the runners." She shrugged. "I've never understood why. Sometimes he wins, sometimes he loses. I'm not sure it makes a blind bit of difference if you look at all that or not."
Patsy drew in a sharp intake of breath. "Of course it matters. One has to look at their racing history. It's the only way of establishing which horse is worth the risk."
"Well then, my dad must not have a good knack at studying form then. I've never seen him win much more than a few bob."
Patsy raised one eyebrow. "That's probably a front to hide his ill-gotten gains from Enid."
Delia opened her mouth to respond, and then paused for a second as the words sunk in. She pursed her lips as she thought. "You might be right," she conceded, and they both laughed. She gestured to the race card. "So what am I supposed to look at?"
Patsy explained the confusing rows and columns of figures and acronyms, breaking down each element of form thoroughly. Delia looked on with amusement at her enthusiasm. She would never have pegged Patsy to have such a keen interest in racing.
They were interrupted by their waiter bringing lunch.
"Fish and chips?" Delia was astonished as the plates were placed in front of them.
"I thought you might want something a little more comforting while we're here," Patsy answered with a smile, knowing that Delia had been worried about looking out of place. "And it's posh fish and chips, by the way."
Delia frowned. "Why? Because we're washing it down with champagne?"
"No. Because we're eating from a plate." Patsy laughed slightly and lifted her glass. Habit made her look around the room quickly, and she lowered her voice, but the sentiment was absolutely clear. "Happy anniversary," she toasted.
Delia smiled back delightedly and clinked her glass. "Happy anniversary," she repeated.
The racing card had started by the time they finished so they strolled down to the Tote booths by the side of the course. The area was packed full of people and bustling with excitement. Delia stared at the bookmakers gesturing odds with a bewildering display of arm movements. "What on earth are they doing?"
"Trying to attract the race-goers with the best odds for each race," Patsy supplied. "I find it easier to look at the board and then ask. The betting slip will have all the information on it anyway, so when you place a bet, make sure you don't lose it."
Delia looked slightly uncomfortable. "I'm not sure I've got the funds to fritter away on gambling," she said regretfully.
"Well it's a good job you gave me a lot of time to plan this. I've been putting a little money aside so that you can have a frivolous bet, guilt-free," Patsy replied, locating her purse. She handed Delia two pound notes.
Delia's eyes widened. "That's a fortune, Pats. I can't take that."
"Yes you can. If I'd told you last year that I was planning this, I know you would have saved money for it. Consider it me doing that on your behalf." She paused as Delia looked at her doubtfully. "Please Deels. You can't come to the Derby and not place a bet."
Delia nodded. "Alright," she conceded reluctantly. "But if I win, we share."
Patsy smiled in agreement. "Well, now you've had a lesson in form, there's no reason why you shouldn't."
"Fool." Delia squinted towards the boards, and the throngs of people swarming around the bookmakers before looking at her programme. "There are two races until the Derby. I think I'll do a trial run on the next race and see how we go." She looked up at Patsy. "Have you already picked your horse?"
Patsy nodded. "Yes. What about you?"
Delia wrinkled her nose. "I think I'll pick number 11."
Patsy frowned as she looked at her own race card. "Monica's Sister? You've gone on the name only, haven't you?"
Delia shrugged. "One lesson on form is not going to make me an expert. I'm going on instinct."
Patsy sighed. "I don't hold out much hope of success with that method."
Delia's eyes flashed in challenge. "Alright. Let's see how we both do. Let's both bet the same money on each of the races and see who wins the most money."
"And what do I win?" Patsy asked cheekily.
Delia stepped in slightly closer, lowering her voice as she put her lips near Patsy's ear. "Anything you want," she told her, delighted to see a flush spread across Patsy's neck.
Patsy stepped back and looked at Delia with raised eyebrows. "That's worth a gamble," she said cockily before turning and heading toward the Tote. Delia laughed and quickly followed so that she could watch Patsy place a bet before doing her own.
Two races later and Patsy was already up on Delia by £2. Delia was beginning to think that perhaps there was something to studying the form after all as she looked at the runners for the main race. She looked at the odds for the Derby and tried to do some mental arithmetic to work out which horses might give her enough return to beat Patsy should it win. Unfortunately, Patsy wasn't telling her which horse she had backed for the race, so it was an almost impossible task.
"£1 10 shillings on Psidium please," she asked the bookmaker.
"Are you sure, love? That's 66/1." The stout man was happy to take most people's money, but the woman before him had a cheerful face and he felt a pang of guilt at such an easy task.
"I know. That's why I've picked him," Delia responded honestly. Well, that and the fact that the jockey was wearing polka dots. She took it as a good omen as she sifted through the horses with long odds.
The bookmaker gave Delia the betting slip and wished her luck and she turned to see Patsy watching, an amused look on her face. "What?"
Patsy lifted one eyebrow. "Oh nothing," she said airily. "Just planning my winnings."
Delia felt her heart quicken and flushed. "You haven't won yet," she managed, although she was quite certain there would be no losers no matter what happened.
Patsy grinned wolfishly. "Come on. Let's head into the Stand and watch the race from there."
Despite the Club Stand being very crowded, Delia and Patsy managed to find a place where they could view the course without too much obstruction. With a crackly speaker broadcasting the commentary, the race began and the tension, and noise grew.
"What was the number of your horse?" Patsy asked in a loud voice, trying to concentrate on the commentary as well as squinting at the pack of horses.
Delia couldn't help but smile resignedly. "23. Psidium. It's the one in blue with red polka dots," she described.
Patsy stared for a while. "I can't see him."
"Try looking at the back of the field," Delia advised, having already identified where her horse was. "Where's yours?"
"Sorry old thing. I don't hold out much hope for yours. Mine's right in the middle of the pack. He could feature," Patsy commented hopefully.
The noise in the stand crescendoed as the horses continued to thunder around the course. Despite her horse being at the rear of the field, Delia couldn't help but get caught up in the excitement, and started cheering with the crowd.
"Oh my god, Deels, your horse is making a charge," Patsy shouted seeing the horse start to make progress on the outside. Delia craned her neck and looked on in amazement as the horse caught up with the main pack.
"Come on number 23," Patsy yelled suddenly, her own horse forgotten as the horse continued to outpace the others. Delia looked at the taller woman in surprise and then back to the course, and they both started shouting, their cries adding to the crowd's cacophony.
Inside, Delia was waiting for her horse to fade as they galloped down the home straight. There was no way such a rank outsider was going to be able to overtake horses with genuine form but Psidium showed no sign of slowing and she continued to cheer him on. As the horses approached the finish line, her horse was clearly in the lead and she jumped up and down along with Patsy as he was announced as the winner.
"Oh my god. Oh my god. We won!" Delia felt almost paralysed by surprise, even as a plethora of punters around them tore up their betting slips in disgust.
Patsy hugged her in excitement. "We both did," she replied breathlessly. "Mine came second and I put an each way bet on."
"How lovely. Now we can have a slap up dinner in town," Delia declared, not wanting her day to end.
"Oh, I have the whole evening planned already, but you will be pleased to know that it does involve heading back into town."
"Really?" Delia could barely contain her excitement as they skipped down the stand and towards the Tote.
"Yes, really. Now come on. Let's collect our winnings," Patsy replied, a broad smile on her face.
Delia handed over her betting slip to the bookmaker with a shaky hand. She had remembered the odds as she approached and had calculated her winnings already. To her, it was a small fortune.
"You are a lucky lady, Miss," the man told her as he counted her money out. "I've not had many payouts, thankfully." He paused and smiled at her before he handed over the wad of notes. He could see that the girl was a little dazed by the win. "Do yourself a favour and treat yourself to something really special. Don't just save it," he advised sagely. He then took Patsy's slip and paid her winnings too.
"Delia, are you alright?" Patsy asked as she led her to the side of the stand and out of the way of the crowd.
"Patsy, I've won £99."
"I know. How lovely."
Delia shook her head. "It's a fortune. I've never had so much money in my life." Her eyes widened suddenly as she remembered what she'd said earlier. "Oh, goodness. You need half of this."
She began to count out some notes before her hands were stilled by Patsy laying her own over the top of them. "Don't worry about that now. Let's sort everything out later. Can you hide it away safely in your purse for the moment?" Patsy was quite sure that they were safe carrying that amount of money around the Club Stand but she did not want to give the less savoury race goers in the Public area a source of temptation.
Delia nodded but roughly split the pile of money in two anyway. "Here. You take some too. Just in case," she stated, understanding Patsy's concern. After the adrenaline rush of the win, and the shock of just how much money she had won, Delia was suddenly feeling a little out of sorts.
Patsy smiled sympathetically as she took the money and squirrelled it into her purse. "Let's have a break from the races and get some afternoon tea. Then, if you don't mind, we'll head into town for the next part of the day."
Delia smiled and allowed herself to be led back towards the restaurant. "Isn't it funny how a lot of our outings involve tea," she commented with amusement.
"Nectar of the gods," Patsy declared firmly. She gave a lop-sided grin. "Britain runs on tea. The NHS certainly runs on tea. It's no wonder we do too." They walked in companionable silence for a few moments before Patsy couldn't resist asking what was on her mind. "Aren't you going to ask me about the rest of our day?"
Delia shook her head. "I don't want to spoil the surprise." She smiled devilishly. "Besides, as I won the wager we had today, I'm rather hoping there will be an opportunity to collect my real winnings."
Patsy blushed. "Well, that would be telling," she riposted easily. "You'll have to wait and see."
~~~
Yes - there will be a part two!