Norma Rogers Ch. 02

This story follows the life of London Ambulance driver, Norma Walker, and Sergeant James Rogers of the Royal Engineers, through the Second World War and its aftermath. Norma and James meet the King and Queen, have their bravery recognized and meet each other's parents. Then transfers and training force them to part, so they are able to be together only occasionally. As usual no part of this story is based on any person living or dead, although it is based on actual conditions and events. It is totally fictitious and no part may be used commercially or otherwise, without the consent of the author. Much praise is due to my editor Yellowperil for the time he takes out of his busy schedule to keep me straight.

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Tuesday dawned sunny and clear. Since the investiture was scheduled to be at the Palace at 11, I was up early to meet my parents at the railway station at 9:30. I was dressed in my best uniform, and my stomach was full of butterflies at the thought of meeting the King and Queen. Surprisingly, when Maisie served me a good breakfast, I felt ravenous. In spite of all that, my main thought was that I would be spending the day with Jim. His parents had arrived to see the ceremony, and would stay for a luncheon with us. As they had never been to London before, we intended to show them the city, or as much of it as we could. Wartime London was not the best place in the world to spend one's time.

My parents and I had actually been provided with one of the ambulance station cars and a driver, so we wouldn't be late getting to the Palace. Once the ceremony and lunch were over, we would be left to our own devices, but until then we were part of the ceremony. We arrived at the Palace at around ten and were escorted to the room where the ceremony was to be. I looked around and saw Jim and his family standing with a group along one wall . He was dressed in the full dress blues of the Royal Engineers. Such a handsome man. His parents were a striking couple. His father was a tall, burly, ruddy complexioned man with light brown hair, dressed in a business suit. His mother was about five foot six and was slim with blonde hair and a beautiful oval face. Her cheeks were naturally reddish toned, and she certainly didn't need to use rouge at all. Jim spoke to them and they smiled as Jim waved us over.

As we got to them, Jim said "Mam, Da, I'd like you to meet Norma Walker, the girl I have been telling you about. I know you'll get to really like her as I do; well, you had better, because we have future plans. Norma this is my father John Rogers, and my mother Mhairi ." I shook hands with John, but Mhairi stepped close, put her arms up around me and hugged me.

"I've heard so much about you from James," she said. "He has talked more of you than anyone or anything else since we got here. It's nice to meet the lass who has stolen my son's heart. It's not before time."

I could do no more than stammer my thanks. Her directness surprised me so early in our first meeting. I introduced Mum and Dad to Jim and his parents and we stood around chatting for a while until the court officials called us all together and told us what was to happen. Our parents and other family members were to take their seats at the side of the room, and we who were receiving awards were to line up across the room, so the King and his aide could walk along the line making the awards, followed by the Queen. After the awards ceremony we were to attend a luncheon in the next room along the hallway. They indicated the doors we were to use so we wouldn't have to go out into the hallway. After the luncheon, we were to wait until the King and Queen had left, then we would be escorted to the palace gates and would be free to do as we wished.

We then lined up and our parents took their seats. Jim and I were about in the centre of the line, and he took my hand and squeezed it, which helped me handle the excitement. Just imagine! Me, little Norma Walker, a middle class girl from the suburbs, I'm about to meet the King and Queen of Britain and The Empire! Just then the double doors into the hallway were opened by footmen and King George came in dressed in a Naval Officers uniform, followed by two aides in naval uniform; one carried a tray and the other sheets of paper. Following them, dressed in a long pale blue dress, was Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth. Being indoors, of course, she was not wearing one of her famous hats, and her brown shoulder length hair was a perfect setting for the gleaming tiara set on her head.

The King proceeded to slowly walk along the row of honorees. As he stopped at each person, the officer with the lists read off the citation and the other officer handed the King the decoration or insignia for that recipient to pin on their uniform or coat. He stopped in front of me, turned to look at me and the officer read out the citation. The King smiled and said, with some difficulty, "Well done! With citizens like you we will eventually win this war." Then he pinned the OBE insignia on my lapel. He turned to Jim and after the officer had read the citation he spoke, again with difficulty. "I have been told that you are Irish and, like many of your countrymen, you have chosen to fight the Germans with us. Welcome as a friend, and hopefully after all this is over our two countries will be able to make up somewhat for what has passed between us in the past." He then pinned the insignia on Jim and went on to the next person in line.

Queen Elizabeth stopped in front of me. "Miss Walker, you went far beyond the call of duty in what you did. The King and I are proud of you and all who are like you. I hope that you will have a few minutes to spare for a private word with me when the luncheon is over." Then she left, following the King.

The luncheon passed very quickly. I think that the war had affected even the Palace. It was certainly an austerity lunch, not much different than we would have had at the ambulance station. The only difference was the beautiful china that it was served on. Mum and Dad sat one either side of Jim, and John and Mhairi sat with me between them so we could get to know each other. During the lunch one of the footmen bent over and whispered to me that the Queen would like me to remain for a few minutes when everybody left. I whispered to Jim that I would catch up with him and to wait for me outside with our parents. He raised his eyebrows and grinned at me. "Now what advice would herself be seeking, maybe she wants to become a driver just like you. You are an interesting woman, Norma Walker. Now you really have me wondering if the likes of me will be good enough for you." He said this with such a grin that it was impossible to take any offence.

"Well, just maybe she does, or maybe she has some advice for me on dealing with obstinate Irishmen. I need it, I think; why else would I stand by and let you go tomorrow and not know when I'll be able to see you again? It makes me want to just drag you in front of the registrar and make sure that you're mine. Instead, I'll be standing on the station platform with tears in my eyes waving goodbye."

A pained look crossed his face almost like a cloud passing across the face of the sun. "I know, and there will be a few tears in my eyes too. I won't be too far away though, not for a little while anyway Chatham isn't that far from London."

Just then one of the aides came in, and the King and Queen rose and followed the aide from the room as we stood in respect. Then the people started to file out. One of the footmen came to me and asked me to follow him; I excused myself to Jim and our parents and did so. He took me to a small sitting room just down the hall and ushered me in. As I walked in, Queen Elizabeth stood and smiled at me and held out her hand to shake mine. I felt that I was dreaming, Me, Norma Walters, ambulance driver meeting with the Queen! I'll need to pinch myself to see if I am dreaming!

She spoke softly, "Thank you for coming to see me. Once I read your citation I had to speak with you. You are an incredibly brave and trustworthy young woman. To do the job you do and then act like you did that night shows tremendous character. My daughter Elizabeth is doing the same job as you, and I would like to think that if she were faced with what you had to deal with, she would do the same." She smiled again, "Dare I say that watching you and James Rogers, I detect a mutual attraction that could become very serious?"

"Ma'am you are right, there is a big attraction; I would marry him tomorrow if I had the chance, but he is too gentlemanly. He wants us to wait until the war is over so that, as he puts it, he doesn't force me into being tied down and maybe losing him, especially if we had a child. For myself, if he regards it as being tied down; I would willingly tie the knots myself. I really can't bear the thought of Jim being killed and me not having anything left of him in my life."

"Norma, all that I can say is that sometimes we women have to make decisions regarding our men that they may not necessarily agree with at the time. Being noble is a wonderful ideal, but it isn't necessarily the best thing when all has been decided. However, that is up to you to decide - nobody else can make that decision for you. I was lucky. The only decision I had to make was how to convince my husband, who felt himself a simple naval officer, that he could serve his country as King. He is doing it extremely well, but I can't help but feel that his duties will eventually cut his life short. However, that isn't the reason I asked you to see me. I was looking into the main room earlier when you met James's parents and I couldn't help recognizing his mother as Mhairi McDonald, who attended the same school as I did up in Scotland. She was a good friend even if a little blunt about the Irish and Scottish being ruled by England. I wanted her in my wedding party, but my husband's mother was against her and that was the end of that."

"I want my friend back, even if only by mail, and you would do me a tremendous favour if you would take this note to her. It contains a name and the address of a very good friend, and she could send letters to me using that name and through that address without eliciting any comment. Especially in these days of suspicion, it would not look good for the Queen to have a correspondence with a known Scottish political activist married to an Irishman, even though our friendship meant much more. Please give Mhairi the note, and if she wants to reply, she can do it. Please don't say anything to anybody though, let it remain a secret between us. Also, if I can be of any help to you in the future, please contact me through the same address."

I assured her that I would pass on the note, and thanked her for her kind words. She reached out and rang a small bell. A footman came to the room and escorted me to the door of the Palace where Jim and our parents were waiting for me. I walked out to them, at which point Jim laughingly asked me, "Well, do you have Her Majesty the Queen all straightened out now?"

I hit him on the arm, "It's for women only, not for the men's ears at all. Maybe I'll tell you sometime when we are old and grey." Mum and Dad were all set to head for home in case of any raids so we said goodbye to them, but not before Mhairi had arranged to meet Mum in several weeks' time when she was coming over again for the wedding of one of her nieces in Edinburgh. She would come down to London and meet up with us again after the wedding. Mum wouldn't hear of her staying anywhere but at our house in Bromley.

Jim interjected, "And what happens if I can't get up to London and miss out on what is going on?"

Mhairi smiled at him, "Son, if it means you and Norma getting married and our families joining, as I hope it will, most of the planning will be between Angela and me, and some of it with Norma. All you will have to do is show up at the church in a good suit, scrubbed up as clean as I used to have you when you were a little boy. Now, much as we would like your company to show us what can be seen while your father and I see what is left to be seen, why don't you just take Norma somewhere nice for the afternoon and meet us at the Savoy at 6 for supper? That is where we are going to be staying." The Queen's note was just about burning a hole in my pocket, but I thought I had better wait to give it to Mhairi until I could get together with her alone.

Mum and Dad then left, so Jim and I went back to my billet for the afternoon. Maisie was going to be out all afternoon helping Sid in his butcher shop, as his helper had been called up into the Army. We went into the parlour, lit the gas fire and put the kettle on for tea. The Queen had put an idea into my head with her comment that couples' joint decisions are often the best, but sometimes it is up to the woman as to just what happens. I couldn't bear to think of Jim going off to war and perhaps being killed without having some part of him to keep him close to me. I thought of this while I was standing there, and making a conscious motion, I removed the uniform tie I was wearing and undid the top three buttons of my shirt. I put the teapot and cups on a tray and carried it through to Jim.

He had removed his jacket and tie, opened his collar, and was seated on the sofa in front of the gas fire. I poured the tea and passed him a cup, feeling as warm as toast, while we sat in this scene of domesticity. We chatted as we drank, arranging the time to meet the next morning at Charing Cross Station to say farewell. Jim sighed and said, "Norma, I'm going to miss you so much. Hopefully while I am at Chatham I'll be able to get to London for some weekends, and if you can come there and see me it would be wonderful. We won't see each other as much, but we will still be fairly close. Will you write when you can to let me know how you are?"

"Jim, you have my address, and I have no plans to be going anywhere, so you start off by writing to me and giving me your address. If you can let me know ahead of time when you can make it up to town, I'll arrange to be off duty if I can. If I can't, we will just have to find some way to arrange time together I'll gladly come to Chatham if you can arrange a place for me to stay. Does that let you know how serious I am about you?"

He leant forward, his lips closing on mine, and then his arms went around me, pulling me into his chest, his mouth pushing into my neck as he kissed my cheek and neck. I felt even warmer as I put my arms around his neck, exposing my breasts to his hands as his fingers completed the job of opening the buttons of my shirt, his hand sliding onto my breast on top of my bra. Resting where my nipple was pushing against the cloth, his fingers went around the nipple and he started tweaking it, making it stand up even more than it was. Then his other hand started lifting my shirt out of the waistband of my skirt. Once it was out, his hand slid up to my bra and began to unhook it. Once it was undone, he began to work my shirt down off my shoulders.

I had no problem making up my mind and I seemed to be tingling all over. No matter what, I wanted Jim and I wanted him right now! I had never felt this way about any man that I had ever known. I stood up, took my shirt off and took Jim's hand pulling him up towards me. "Come with me, I only have a single bed, but it is better than this couch. Nancy won't be home for a couple of hours, so we have some time." I took him upstairs to my room and sat him on my bed. I stood back and removed my bra exposing my hardened nipples, then slid my uniform skirt down over my waist and let it fall to the floor. My slip followed, sliding down over my knickers as I stepped out of it. Jim's hands went around my waist, pulling me to him. I pushed his shoulders back and he twisted so that he was lying along the bed. He pulled me down with him and there was just room in that narrow bed for both of us. I slid my hand between us, opening his shirt and sliding it off his arms, the same with his singlet. He opened his belt and pants and slid them down his legs so that the only things between us were our underpants. Jim laughed at my issue knickers; we called them passion killers, and passion killers they certainly could be. They were navy blue with long legs, and had elastic in the waist and the end of each leg to give maximum protection. At least Jim's underwear was only like a pair of shorts.

Jim leant back a little so that there was space between our upper bodies, his hands found my breasts, pulling a little at the nipples, then he slid down and took one nipple between his lips. He started sucking on it and I felt a warm feeling travelling through me, down through my stomach and into my lower body. My hand slid down his body between the elastic of his pants and his stomach, slipping his underwear further down his body until my hand came into contact with his wiry pubic hairs and his penis. In the meantime his hands had slid down my back and in between kissing my lips and nipples he was slowly sliding my underwear over my buttocks. Then his hand was on my thigh, sliding up toward my womanhood, and starting to part the lips. His fingers slid inside me getting wet and slippery. As he hit my clitoris my hips jumped and I pushed my lower body up and toward his fingers, swallowing them more as they went in and out, first one feeling the way, then two curling up to the top of my vagina, then three sliding in and out spreading my juices.

"Norma, are you sure this is what you want?" Jim asked in a quiet but excited tone. "I thought that we might possibly get around to this, so I saw the MO and got some protection. I was raised in the church and using it would be against the teachings of the church, but as the MO said, he had discussed with the Padre and decided it also rates as a health protection; in fact that is why it is issued."

I put my finger over his mouth, "Shush, this is absolutely what I want. I've never been with anyone else and I trust you, from what I have read, this is the wrong time of the month for me to conceive, so feel free to either use it or not. I just want to feel you inside of me. I've waited for you all my life and now is the time for it to happen." To tell the truth, I had listened very carefully to the Queen's words and had decided deep down that I did not want Jim to go to heaven knows where, not knowing whether he would ever come back from this brutal war, without having some part of him left behind. If I were to conceive, it would be God's will, and I was sure that all our parents would support my decision.

Jim moved between my legs and I could feel the tip of his stiff manhood against my lower lips as he slid the head of his penis up and down between them until I was wet. Then he pressed forward gently and I felt him slide into me. I felt a short, sharp pain as he did so, then a warm comforting feeling as he slid further in to me. My breasts were pushed into his chest and he was supporting his weight with his elbows so that he could still stroke and pinch my nipples, adding to the wonderful, warm, full feeling spreading through me. He started moving faster and the feeling increased until I was shouting his name at the top of my voice. "Jim, faster, you're making me yours." I began to push up at him as he was sliding into me, and I wanted to take him deeper, but to try to take any more would hurt. "Jim, not quite so deep, I'm hurting. Can you slow down a little?"

"Of course I can." He slowed down and withdrew a little, and I still felt full but without the pressure against me. He moved slowly in and out of me until I pulled him into me as I crested, shouting "Jim push, push. Then he started thrusting in and out as if his life depended on it. Suddenly I could feel his erection pulsing inside me as he shouted "Norma, I love you" and his orgasm took over from mine. Then I felt him slowly softening and sliding from me, leaving his semen inside me. If I conceived, that was fine, but if not then I would know it was not meant to be for a time, so I lay contentedly there beside him as we dozed a little.