The G.I. Bride

by Eileen Ramsay

  April wanted the floor to open up and swallow her right there, but she couldn’t let accusations like that, made in front of so many of her colleagues, go unchallenged.

  Keeping her voice low, she hissed, ‘For goodness sake, keep your voice down. Do you want everyone to know your business?

  ‘No, I just want everyone to know what a lying, two-faced bitch you are. They all think you’re little Miss Perfect. “Oh, isn’t April brave, she saved a little boy.” ’ Bess put on a high-pitched sing-song voice. ‘Well, any one of us would have done the same; there’s nothing special about you.’

  ‘But I haven’t done anything wrong. Crawford told me he’d never walked out with you.’

  ‘What? You think taking a girl to dinner isn’t walking out?’

  ‘Calm down, Bess. It was weeks ago, and it was only once. Anyway, all I did was help the major in an emergency.’

  ‘Oh, are you sure that’s all?’ Bess sneered. ‘From where I was standing you looked very cosy. In fact, I’d say you looked very . . . intimate. And isn’t it strange how you ended up together that night. He’d probably been coming to see me that day, yet you thrust yourself forward and somehow managed to fall into his arms. How terribly convenient.’

  April felt sick. Was that really how people thought of her? Suddenly she doubted everything. Maybe Bess was telling the truth and he had been coming to see her. Then she shook her head. Of course he hadn’t been. Just before the raid, he’d been waiting outside for her, hadn’t he? But whatever the truth, she was embarrassed by the scene and desperate to calm Bess down.

  ‘Look, I’m really sorry that you feel that way, but I promise that’s not how it was at all. If you really were walking out with him, then I wouldn’t go near him with a barge pole, but when we saw you on the stairs, he didn’t seem to remember who you were.’ She saw Bess’s face had gone red with fury. Oh dear, she really wasn’t handling this well at all. ‘Here, Bess, have some flowers. The bouquet is far too big, and I doubt Mrs Teague has enough vases.’ April knew she’d been tactless the minute the words came out of her mouth, and she closed her eyes briefly. Oh, lord, now she’d made things a million times worse.

  ‘I don’t want your flowers,’ snapped Bess. ‘I know your game, April. You want him for yourself, don’t you? I’ve been telling you about him for ages, and it’s not right that you’d try to steal the man I love. I’ve met girls like you before. Everyone thinks butter wouldn’t melt, but underneath you’re nasty and jealous and hate seeing other people happy. Well, you won’t get away with it this time. You’re going to regret you ever set eyes on my man, that I promise you.’ And with that, Bess stomped away.

  April heard a few titters and looked around. Everyone seemed to have heard, and though some were laughing, others clearly believed what Bess said and sent her filthy looks. Face flaming, April rushed away.

  Chapter 16

  As April left the hospital that evening, carrying her huge bouquet of flowers, she heard a voice call, ‘Hey, April, wait for me. I want to talk to you.’

  April stopped reluctantly; she really didn’t want to talk to anyone. She just wanted to go home and pretend the day had never happened. If it hadn’t been for Bess, she would have been on cloud nine right now and looking forward to her dinner with Crawford. As it was, she felt sick at heart, and embarrassed that people seemed to think so badly of her.

  Eunice quickly caught up and, grabbing hold of her arm, she pulled her towards the gate. ‘I heard about what happened with Bess today. Good heavens, did the major give you those?’ Eunice bent over to sniff the flowers. ‘Mmm. No wonder Bess is in such a snit! She’s always jealous of other people’s good fortune. Jean saw the whole thing. She said before Bess arrived you and the major had been sitting together talking as if no one else in the world existed. What on earth is going on? You’re not going to let Bess put you off, are you?’

  ‘No, of course not. I’m just mortified. Do you think there’s any truth in what she was saying? Do you think Crawford is lying to me? He just doesn’t seem the type. Not that I really know him that well, but . . . well, when you’ve been in such a life-or-death situation with someone, maybe you get fooled into thinking you know that person better than you do.’

  Eunice snorted. ‘I couldn’t say, only having met him briefly. But you know how insecure Bess is. And she’s so jealous of you. Anyway, I’m really not in a position to talk about love.’

  April felt terrible. Caught up as she had been in her own personal drama, she’d forgotten all about Eunice and A.J. She needed to tread carefully, though.

  ‘Isn’t Norm due back on leave soon? Are you looking forward to it?’

  Eunice was silent; she’d stopped walking and stood by the hedge bordering the hospital grounds, plucking the leaves and tearing them into shreds. Finally, she said, ‘Yes. We’re expecting him in a few weeks. My mum and his mum have organised a party and everything.’

  ‘Well, that sounds nice.’

  Eunice looked up with a tortured expression. ‘Once, I would have been beside myself, but recently . . . I’ve been questioning my feelings. I mean, I’ve known Norm all my life. Everyone’s always wanted us to be together . . .’

  ‘But you don’t?’

  Eunice shook her head miserably. ‘April, if I tell you something, do you promise never to breathe a word to anyone?’

  ‘Of course I promise. You know you can trust me.’

  ‘And do you promise not to think badly of me?’

  April decided to put her out of her misery. ‘Is it A.J.?’

  ‘How on earth did you know?’

  ‘I saw you kissing one day. And I guessed that he’d been at the hospital the day of the bombing to see you. I’ve also seen how he looks at you.’ She put her arm around Eunice’s shoulder. ‘Do you want to tell me what happened?’

  Eunice began hesitantly. ‘It was after we’d seen them at the Bluebell. I was on a late the next day so stayed with mum and we went to church in the morning. I was secretly hoping he’d be there. And he was. Oh, April, you should hear him sing. I’ve never heard anything like it. And his face just transforms . . . Anyway, after the service the vicar was talking to the men and inviting them to tea, and A.J. said hello to me when we passed, so of course me and Mum had to go as well, the vicar insisted.’

  April nodded encouragingly. She knew all about tea with the vicar. Briefly, Theo came into her mind, but she pushed the thought of him away.

  ‘Afterwards, I had to come back to the hospital and A.J. offered to take me. I thought he meant with his friends, but it turned out they’d brought two vehicles, so they all piled in one, leaving A.J. and me alone. He told me later he’d arranged it. I should have been angry, but I wasn’t; I was excited.’

  ‘Does A.J. know about Norm?’

  Eunice started to cry. ‘No! I haven’t told him. I just didn’t know how, and I didn’t want him to stop seeing me. Oh, I’ve made such a huge mess of it. But I like him so much. I’ve never felt like this before and now . . .’ She looked embarrassed, but then clearly decided to finish her tale. ‘Well, let’s just say, there’s no way I can marry Norm.’

  ‘Well, of course you can’t. You don’t love him enough and it wouldn’t be fair on any of you if you went ahead with it.’

  ‘No, you don’t understand what I’m saying.’ She cleared her throat. ‘A.J. and me . . . we . . . well, kissing him is like nothing I’ve ever experienced before, and we were on the moors one day, and the sun was shining and it was so beautiful, and so was he . . .’ She flushed a deep red.

  April looked at her in bewilderment. Then she suddenly realised. ‘Oh! Oh, Eunice. What will you do?’

  ‘It was wonderful, April. It was the most beautiful experience of my life.’ Then she collapsed on April’s shoulder, sobbing. ‘Oh, what will I do? I think I love him. I really, really love him! But Norm is expecting to marry me, the neighbours are all muttering about coloured people, and A.J. says that if we stay
together he’ll never be allowed to take me home because in America, a coloured man and a white woman aren’t allowed to marry. I want to marry him, I honestly do! But if we marry then he’ll never be able to go back home,’ she wailed.

  ‘Has he asked you?’

  Eunice sniffed and lifted her head from April’s shoulder. ‘Yes. After . . . you know . . . he said we should marry and that he loved me. He didn’t care about anything else, all he cared about was me. Isn’t that the most wonderful thing you’ve ever heard?’ She hiccupped.

  April wrapped her friend in a comforting hug. ‘Oh, it is, Eunice, it really is! You love him, he loves you. Yes, you have obstacles, but in a while everything will become clear. But you must tell Norm when he comes home, otherwise it’s just not fair.’

  ‘My mother will kill me!’

  ‘Of course she won’t. She loves you.’

  ‘My dad will definitely kill me!’

  April laughed. ‘Now you’re just being stupid. Your parents love you and doesn’t that mean they’ll support you?’ But even as she said these words, she knew it wasn’t true. She didn’t know Mrs Granger well, but from what she had seen she was a woman who liked things just so; she wouldn’t be happy with Eunice for upsetting everyone else’s carefully ordered plans. And how would she feel about A.J. being coloured? It shouldn’t matter, but she feared it might.

  ‘Do you really think so?’ Eunice’s face was full of hope.

  ‘Of course I do. Now, dry your eyes and get back to your room before anyone sees you like this. And, Eunice, it’s amazing, don’t you think? You’re in love! And he’s a wonderful man. How lucky you are.’

  Eunice beamed, her entire face lighting up. ‘You’re right. I’m the luckiest girl alive to have a man like that fall for me. And together we will overcome everything. Thank you, April, you’ve given me hope. Now, I must go. And don’t you mind Bess. You go out with that gorgeous man. A.J. says they’re friends, which is odd. The white soldiers don’t mix with the coloured ones at all. They’re not even allowed in the pub at the same time. I find it all quite ludicrous. But that just shows what fabulous men they are, don’t you think? Your major and my A.J. And maybe, once everything is sorted, you, me, A.J. and the major can have a double date – that’s what it’s called in America, apparently. I know because Homer said me and A.J. should double date with him and Nancy.’ She giggled at the thought. ‘Anyway, I’ve got to fly.’ She gave April a quick kiss on the cheek then dashed off towards the nurses’ home.

  April walked on, deep in thought. She was genuinely pleased for Eunice, but she was worried, too. She’d been positive for her friend, but she wasn’t convinced that everything would work out for them. She sighed. It seemed love was never simple. Just look at her and Theo. Once, she would have given anything to receive the sort of letters he’d been writing. Now, they just made her feel sick with guilt.

  Chapter 17

  When she got home, Mrs Teague was at her usual place in the kitchen.

  ‘Dinner’s ready, April,’ she called. ‘I’ve made rabbit stew. Come in, sit yourself down and tell me all about your day.’

  April came in, carrying the flowers. ‘Do you have any vases, Mrs Teague?’

  Mrs Teague turned from the stove and her eyes widened. ‘Good heavens! Who on earth . . . ? Oh, the major.’ She smiled broadly. ‘Didn’t I tell you he’d be in touch? You need to have more faith, my girl. I don’t think I’ve got enough vases, but I’m sure I can find a few jugs and jars to put them in.’

  Soon, they’d managed to find enough receptacles to hold all the flowers, and the house looked like a flower shop. Mrs Teague clasped her hands in delight.

  ‘Oh, I can’t remember seeing so many beautiful flowers in the house. Apart from the time my Isaac bought up a whole flower shop on my birthday once. He could be a romantic old devil when he wanted to be.’ She sighed sadly. ‘Hark at me, going on about my old love, when you have a brand new one to tell me all about. Sit down, I’ll dish up the food, then I want to hear everything.’

  ‘It’s been quite a day. And not just because the major brought me these flowers.’

  Once they were tucking into the stew, April told her everything from Crawford’s invitation, the argument with Bess and her conversation with Eunice. It was funny how she’d come to view Mrs Teague as a confidante; she never felt she had to hide anything from her.

  ‘Well, my dear, you really have had an eventful day. As if every day isn’t eventful enough. But, you know, life is like that; every part has both sadness and happiness in it.’ She sighed. ‘Like poor Eunice. On the one hand, she’s had word that her fiancé is safe, on the other, she’s fallen in love with someone else. Oh dear, Mrs Granger won’t like it. All you can do is help her and support her in the days to come. It’ll be a rocky road for that young couple, if I’m not mistaken. Not least because of his colour, but also, he’ll be seen as the culprit in all this – stealing a local’s girl. Well, we shall see how it unfolds, I’m sure. But let’s talk about your young man. Dinner on Thursday. How marvellous. But what will you wear? And where will you go?’

  ‘Luckily I don’t have many clothes, so that decision will be easy. The red cotton skirt and my white blouse are the smartest clothes I have. And I think Crawford has a place in mind.’

  ‘A cotton skirt?’ Mrs Teague sounded outraged. ‘For dinner with an American officer? I don’t think so, my girl. It’s time you got yourself a pretty frock.’

  ‘But I’ve got no time to buy anything before Thursday, I’m on duty every day.’

  ‘Luckily for you, your old landlady has a few ideas. Now, it just so happens that I went into town today with Mrs Beetie, and you know I’ve been saying for a while that you need to get yourself a new frock. Well, and don’t be cross, April, but you work so hard, and after all the horror of the air raid and your bravery, I wanted to get you something. So, I put five shillings down on a party frock. I’m sure if I go and buy it tomorrow and you don’t like it I can take it back, but it’s perfect for you.’

  ‘Mrs Teague, no!’ April was so touched that she’d done this for her, but she couldn’t accept such an expensive gift.

  ‘Oh hush. You wait till you see it; you won’t be able to resist. It’s pale green, buttons neck to waist in the back with a narrow belt, has little sleeves, and, believe it or not, a full skirt, mid-calf.’

  ‘I do like green,’ said April.

  ‘Here’s the best bit, my lovely. Don’t know how the designer got away with it but there’s a lemon appliqué flower just below the neckline and another one, slightly larger, at the hem. It was made for you, April.’

  ‘Yes, I suppose that would be lovely. Did you check the size?’

  ‘Not exactly but it looked as wide as your uniform and a little longer. Anyway, tomorrow’s Wednesday, let me get it for you and you can try it on. You want to look your best for your major, don’t you?’

  April laughed. ‘You are dreadful, Mrs Teague. But thank you, I would like to see it. But did you see anything else that might be suitable?’

  ‘Well, for thirty shillings there was a long-sleeved, grey shirtwaist dress with large, shiny black buttons fastening it from collar to hem.’

  ‘Oh, that sounds perfect.’

  Mrs Teague snorted. ‘Lovely for an office or a school teacher.’

  ‘I think shirtwaist dresses are elegant. You have two yourself.’

  ‘And I’m an elderly woman who’s not going to a posh dinner with a dreamboat of a young man.’

  April laughed. ‘Dreamboat? Mrs Teague, where did you pick up a word like that?’

  ‘No idea, but he is lovely in lots of ways, isn’t he? And the swirly dress is only a few shillings more and I’m almost sure she’ll take something off if you can pay all at once.’

  ‘Oh, all right. You’ve persuaded me, but rather than you buying it and having to take it back if I don’t like it, why don’t I meet you at the shop during my break tomorrow? We get a couple of hours, though I hard
ly ever take it all, so I can get to town and back in time. What do you say? Then I can pay for it myself.’

  ‘Good idea, but as to who’s buying, we’ll see. Now, let’s have a cup of tea in the sitting room and listen to the wireless for a bit before we go to bed.’

  The two women sat companionably in the front room, listening to the news on the wireless. They were becoming familiar with the names Rommel, El Alamein and Monty, and the words ‘Let us go forward together’, which featured on a poster of the prime minister surrounded by tanks and fighter planes. April had just started to say that she thought there should be ships somewhere on the poster when they heard the words, ‘Coloured American servicemen’.

  They listened in horror as the newsreader told of a fight that had taken place in a pub somewhere in the north of England, when some of the local drinkers had objected to white girls dancing with coloured American servicemen, several of whom had been attacked on the walk back to their base.

  ‘Oh, turn it off, April. How can people behave like that? We’ve had men of colour from all parts of the Commonwealth fighting with our men, being injured and dying with them. Dogs and cats don’t worry about the colour of another animal. Are we less intelligent than animals? As if it’s not bad enough that the whole world is fighting each other, but now we’re fighting our friends too? Oh, poor Eunice and A.J. I hope people are kinder to them.’

  The very same thought had occurred to April, and she felt sick with fear for her friends. Please God, if they did get married, she hoped people would be more accepting of them.

  She went over and hugged Mrs Teague. ‘Why don’t you go off to bed, and I’ll bring up some cocoa.’

  ‘Thank you, I think I will. You don’t think this would happen to Eunice and A.J., do you? Look how well everyone’s been getting on at the hospital these last weeks. We know how to behave in Truro, don’t we?’