The Connaught Hotel and “Kenwood”
London and Weybridge, Surrey
February 11, 1965
John*
A million thoughts were running through John’s mind as he walked to the car with Cyn, who was not too far behind him. They were both clearly still attracted to eachother and he wanted her now. He needed to push Julie out his mind in the same way that he did when he strayed on tours. Surely Julie was well aware that John was no saint. Far from it. He could easily take Cyn back to his home, sleep with her and send her on her way like it never happened at all. Hell, he could probably even have her right now on the way back to Surrey. It wouldn’t be the first time Les had to deal with that sort of situation.
“John, wait. Hold on a minute. I’m not very sure this is a good idea…I think I should take my suitcase and check in to my room.”
How could he be so foolish? This wasn’t just any girl who would jump into bed with him. This was the woman he was practically married to, the woman he was supposed to marry. She knew him better than he did. It wasn’t going to be that easy. Too many feelings. Too much history.
He opened the car door and turned back to face her. “It’s fine Cyn. I won’t touch ya, I promise. Now in you get.”
She gave him a knowing glance and sighed, slipping past him and into the car.
“Alright Les? Leaving a bit earlier than expected.” He said to his chauffeur after climbing in behind Cyn and shutting the door.
“Yes, sir. Absolutely.”
John glanced over to Cyn, who sat quietly with her hands folded in her lap, staring out her window as Les began to pull out. She couldn’t have been further away from him.
“You don’t have to get all posh like Cyn.”
She looked at him but said nothing.
He sighed. “Look, I’m sorry about what happened in there. I was just…thinking of the past is all. I got caught up.”
“What if someone saw?”
“No one saw. The only people in there besides us, George and Brian were all of their relatives. They were too busy fussing about over Mo.”
“I’m sorry too…”She looked down at her lap before back to him. “John I..”
“What luv?”
“Nothing.” She shook her head and looked out the window once more. “I was just thinking of the past too.”
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Before John was able to open the door to his enormous Tudor-style mansion, it was whipped open from the other side by his faithful housekeeper, Dorothy Jarlett. “Blimey! It’s cold out there. Come in and I’ll put the kettle on. Come on then.” She began to help him in before looking to Cyn and then back to John.
“Dot, this is Cynthia, an old friend from Liverpool. Cyn, Dot.”
“Cynthia Powell?”
Cynthia nodded and smiled politely.
“Oh! Come in luv. I’ve heard so much about you. Let me get that case up to a room for you.”
“Thanks Dot. That’s really kind of you. Ta.” Cyn said graciously.
He gave his housekeeper a disappointed look before heading to the sitting room with Cyn. Dot had only been with him just over six months since he moved to Weybridge and already acted more like a mother than a housekeeper. An older woman in her late 50s, she had no children of her own and nothing seemed to please her more than to fuss over John. She didn’t seem to care much for Julie, who never really took the time to get to know her. Dot had found the one picture John still had of Cynthia. It was on the beach in Hamburg. Stu and Astrid there as well - when everything was good, and so much simpler. Ever since then she had been fascinated with the “that lovely girl from the photo where you looked so happy.”
He watched Cyn sit down on the couch opposite him and look around the sitting room.
“I know what you’re going to say. I just haven’t had the time to be bothered with decorating the place. I thought Julie would be able to help me but she’s got less time than I do. I’ll probably wind up hiring someone to do it.”
“No, no it’s really very nice…massive, but nice.”
“Bit of a step up from Liverpool, yeah?” He looked up to Dot who brought in the tea for them. “That’s lovely - thanks Dot. You best be getting home now. I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Of course, well, have a nice evening you two. It was a pleasure meeting you Cynthia.”
“Thank you and nice to meet you as well.”
Cynthia looked back to him after Dot left the room. “Yes, I would certainly say it’s a move in the right direction. You just need…to make it more of a home you know?”
“Yeah. Well, someday.” He sipped his tea.
“Does Julie spend much time here with you?”
“Off and on. It depends on her schedule, and mine. Between her filming, my touring and now the Beatles’ second film coming up, it’s been a bit difficult.”
She nodded. “I’m sure you’ll figure it all out.”
“What about you then? Are you happy in your flat? How are you getting on in London?”
“I would say so, yes, and I mean obviously…much of that is because of you and I never got to properly to thank you for that. The letter…and the money…you didn’t have -“
“Forget all that Cyn.” He stood up. “The main thing is we both got out of that dump. Anyway I’m knackered. Your room is up the stairs, last one on the left across from mine.”
She nodded. “Yes, right. Thank you.”
“Goodnight.”
“Goodnight John.”
John went upstairs to his bedroom and collapsed onto his bed. “Fuckin ‘ell!” He muttered into his pillow.
The girl he had once expected to be his wife, the mother of his future children was sitting downstairs. The girl who the world expected him to love and build a life with, was filming in Madrid. Surely too much time had past to fix things with Cyn. They had both changed. She found her independence. Who’s to say she still needed him, or even wanted him. She could have come with him that day, but she threw him away - just like everyone else in his life who he had really loved. She didn’t fight for him, she let him go and he was happy now. A beautiful girlfriend, successful career, plenty of money. He told himself he had it all.
The one problem though, the thing that he still couldn’t figure out, was why Cynthia Powell was always the last person on his mind before he fell asleep at night.
