Chapter 13: Gwen

Chapter 13: Gwen

Captain Vernon Demerest whistled in surprise when he saw what was inside Gwen’s kitchen cupboard. He had been looking for some teacups, and instead he had found a cupboard full of bottles. All of them had airline names on them. There were about 300, he calculated.

‘I’ve got some more in the bedroom.’ Gwen’s voice said brightly from behind him. ‘They’re for a party. I think this will be enough, don’t you?’

She had come into the kitchen quietly, and he turned around to look at her. Every time he saw her he thought again how lucky he was, although he was used to success with women. Her uniform made her look very young, and her black hair and dark eyes shone under the kitchen light. She smiled at him.

‘You can kiss me,’ she said. ‘I haven’t put on my make-up yet.’

He put his arms around her and kissed her. After a few moments, she pushed him away.

‘I want to talk to you,’ she said firmly.

She turned to close the cupboard door.

‘Wait a minute, Gwen!’ Vernon cried. ‘What about all those bottles?’

‘Well, the passengers didn’t drink them, so they will be useful for my party. I’ve been collecting bottles off flights for a long time for a special occasion.’

Seeing his face, she continued: ‘Don’t look so disapproving. All the girls do it. It isn’t stealing, you know.’

Vernon had heard before that a clever air hostess could live cheaply off the food that the passengers didn’t want. Some of their apartments were full of things like airline cups and glasses, too. But he had never seen so much airline property in a girl’s apartment before. He had to laugh.

‘You’ll come to the party, won’t you?’ Gwen asked.

‘If I’m invited.’

‘Of course you are.’

They sat down in the kitchen and she poured the tea - into airline cups. She did it beautifully, as she did everything.

Vernon was still thinking about all those bottles, when her voice interrupted his thoughts.

‘What I have to tell you, Vernon, is that I’m going to have a baby’

For a moment he could not believe his ears.

‘You’re what?’

‘I’m going to have a baby,’ she repeated calmly.

‘Are you sure?’

She laughed and drank a little tea. He felt that she was laughing at him. He also felt that she had never looked so beautiful before.

‘Of course I’m sure. I wouldn’t tell you otherwise. More tea?’

‘No!’

There was a silence before he said: ‘I don’t know how to ask you this, but …’

‘You must ask,’ Gwen said, looking at him with her big, honest eyes. ‘You want to know if I’m sure that it’s your child, don’t you?’

‘Yes, I’m sorry, Gwen.’

‘Don’t be sorry,’ she said. ‘I want to tell you.’ She was speaking quickly now, and did not sound so calm. She looked down.

‘There hasn’t been anybody else. There couldn’t be. You see - I love you. I’ve loved you for quite a long time now.’

Vernon took her hands gently in his. ‘Listen to me. We have plans to make.’

Now that the first shock was over, he was thinking about what they would have to do.

‘You don’t have to do anything,’ Gwen said. ‘I intend to look after myself. I had to tell you because the baby is yours and you have the right to know about it.’

‘Of course you must allow me to help you,’ he said.

She could either give the baby away or have an abortion. An abortion would be the best solution to the problem. He would pay, of course. After all, he wasn’t irresponsible. But how annoying! He needed all his money at the moment for some work he was having done on the house.

He asked: ‘You’re still coming to Naples with me?’

‘Of course. I’ve been looking forward to it. Don’t you believe I love you? Do you love me?’

He kissed her. ‘Yes, I love you.’ It was true, he thought - at the moment.

As they drove off to the airport in his Mercedes, he told her: ‘You really mustn’t worry, Gwen. This happens to lots of girls. I suppose you know all about the Three Point Plan?’

‘I’ve heard of it, of course.’

The Three Point Plan was the name given to the airlines’ way of helping an air hostess in her situation. The airline paid for the girl to take a “holiday”. The baby would be given away soon after its birth, and she would never see it again. She had to tell the airline the father’s name, and he was asked to help pay her medical bills. Later, she could return to her job.

Vernon told Gwen all the details of the plan.

‘How do you know so much about this?’ she asked.

‘Oh, everybody knows about these things.’

‘Not all the details,’ she said. ‘Vernon, this has happened to you before, hasn’t it?’

He paused, and then admitted: ‘Yes, it has.’

‘How many times?’ she asked. Her voice was bitter.

‘Only once.’

‘What happened to the baby?’

‘It was given away.’

‘Was it a boy or a girl?’

‘I think it was a girl.’

‘You think it was a girl? Don’t you know?’

‘It was a girl.’

He didn’t want to talk about his daughter. He had never seen her.

‘Thank you for telling me the truth,’ Gwen said.

He took her hand. ‘We’ll have a great time in Naples, I promise you.’

He almost wished that he could divorce Sarah and marry Gwen - but that would be stupid. He had seen too many other men of his age make fools of themselves over young women. It usually ended badly. He had failed so far to talk to Gwen about the possibility of an abortion. He must do that later. As they drove into the airport he realized that now he had to think about the flight to Rome, and nothing else.