The G.I. Bride

by Eileen Ramsay

  The barman shouted over to them. ‘Oy! What are you doing in here? There’s no trouble, so get out!’

  He wasn’t the only one disgruntled at the disturbance. Many of the locals had a healthy disregard for the American military police, and they considered them the main culprits behind some of the disturbances between the coloured and white soldiers.

  A large, burly man wearing filthy overalls rose from his table and stood beside the bar, blocking the men from going any further into the saloon.

  ‘You got a problem, officer?’ he sneered.

  ‘Step aside, sir, please. This has nothing to do with you.’

  ‘Is that so? You’re in my pub, in my town, in my country!’ The man was yelling into his face now. ‘I think it’s you who needs to step aside.’

  ‘Sir, I will ask you only once more, move out of the way or I will arrest you for obstructing the US Army in its duties.’

  The man folded his meaty arms over his considerable midriff. ‘Who are you looking for?’

  Crawford moved towards the policeman. ‘Sergeant, you may leave. There’s no problem here.’

  The man saluted. ‘Sir, I have it on good authority that a Sergeant A.J. Timpson has been involved in a disturbance with a local man, and I’m here to arrest him.’

  The big man stepped towards the policeman. ‘I think you better listen to the officer. We all know A.J. and there’s no way he’d be involved in anything like that. And if you don’t leave now, me and my mates will help you. You don’t arrest our friends in our pub. You understand?’

  April was watching the scene wide-eyed, unsure whether to stay or go. Who could have told such a dreadful lie? She looked towards Crawford, who was still standing in front of the policemen.

  ‘Sergeant, I am telling you to leave the premises. That is an order!’

  ‘I’m sorry, sir. My duty is to arrest the soldier. If the charge proves to be false, we will release him.’

  ‘A likely story. We’ve seen how you lot behave with the coloured soldiers. Listen, mate, you better leave now before things get ugly,’ the burly man said.

  April noticed the policeman’s eyes flicker towards the door. She looked across and saw a tall man in Royal Navy uniform loitering there, watching proceedings.

  It was Norm.

  Chapter 25

  Suddenly there was a shout behind her, and April turned to see the man in overalls punch the policeman squarely on the chin. He went down like a sack of potatoes, but was soon replaced by his colleague. As the pub erupted, she somehow managed to slip past the fighting men and hurried to the back of the room. The barman was standing at A.J.’s table, gesticulating towards the back. Homer and A.J. rose and left in the direction he was pointing. She hurried after them.

  ‘A.J., Homer, wait!’ she called. The men turned to look at her, but their expressions were not friendly. A.J.’s eyes looked red, but Homer simply looked furious.

  ‘Leave us alone, will you? And tell your friend to leave us alone too.’ He caught A.J.’s arm and hustled him down the street, away from the sounds of fighting emanating from the pub.

  April leaned against the wall and sighed. How could an evening that had promised so much fun have turned so bad? She longed to go back in to find Crawford, but given the shouting she knew she was safer waiting where she was. She hoped he didn’t get involved in the fight.

  It wasn’t long before Crawford burst out of the door. He was breathing heavily, and his uniform was askew, but he appeared unharmed.

  ‘April! Thank God! Where did they go?’

  ‘They went in that direction. They’re not really going to arrest A.J., are they?’

  ‘Not if I can help it. Who the hell would do that?’

  ‘It was Norm. I saw him by the door.’

  ‘Jesus H. Christ! As if that woman hasn’t done enough harm! You better tell your friend to stay away from A.J. from now on, do you understand?’

  April was furious. Why was he behaving as if this was her fault? ‘I’m not one of your men that you can order about, Crawford, and none of this is my fault, so why don’t you go and tell her yourself. I’m going home. You can do whatever you want.’ She stomped off, hoping that Crawford would follow and apologise, but he didn’t. Choked with tears and anger, she turned around and saw him walking in the direction of the hall, where his jeep was parked.

  *

  Once she got home, April paced around the house, trying to calm down. She looked at her watch. Eight o’clock. It felt like a lifetime since they’d set off for the cinema, was it possible that this was the last time she’d see Crawford? He’d said he was falling in love with her, but from the way he’d blamed her for what had happened, it didn’t feel like it. She wondered whether she should go to the nurses’ home to see Eunice, but decided against it. Bess was with her, and she imagined that Eunice wouldn’t be up to talking. Finally, at around ten thirty, Red returned with Mrs Teague, who was chattering excitedly about the film, and offering Red a cup of tea. Red declined, although he sent April a curious look. April shook her head and shrugged, indicating she had nothing to say.

  Once he’d gone, Mrs Teague turned to April. ‘You look dreadful, my dear. I’m going to make us some tea and then I want you to tell me everything. And I mean everything, mind you.’

  When she returned, the two settled in the sitting room and April, who was desperate to confide in someone, told her all that had happened. She even told her about Eunice’s pregnancy, knowing it would go no further, and that Mrs Teague was in the best position to help, should Eunice need it.

  When she’d finished the tale, Mrs Teague sat back with a gasp. ‘Good heavens, what a muddle. Poor young A.J., he doesn’t deserve this at all. But what on earth will Eunice do? Dear, dear, dear. Love can be so complicated, and I know Eunice didn’t set out to cause so much trouble, but she has to face what’s happened and do everything she can to win that young man back. Her baby deserves a father. And poor Norm. What a horrible thing to happen while you’re off fighting and risking your life.’ She shook her head sadly.

  ‘I’m worried Mrs Granger will throw her out of the house once her pregnancy becomes obvious, and she won’t be allowed to stay at the nurses’ home after that . . .’ April paused and looked at her landlady expectantly.

  Mrs Teague looked back with a knowing expression on her face. ‘I see. You want to ask me if she can stay here if she has nowhere else to go?’

  ‘Can she?’

  Her landlady sighed. ‘It’s a terrible situation, and I can’t condone what she’s done. You know that, don’t you, April? She’s behaved very badly to everyone. But it seems you know me well enough to understand that I can’t see any child suffer. And her child will suffer if she can’t sort this situation out. Poor little thing, none of this is the baby’s fault.’ She wiped her eyes, then sighed heavily. ‘Very well, she may stay if she needs to, on the condition that she does her best to make amends to the people she’s hurt. There’s nothing she can do to make things better for Norm, but she can do her best to convince A.J. she loves him.’

  April went over and hugged her. ‘Thank you, thank you, you wonderful woman. I knew you wouldn’t let me down.’

  ‘And you, young lady, need to make sure that your major understands that you love him, and that it’s not you he should be cross with.’

  ‘I already more or less told him. And he said he loved me too, but maybe we spoke too soon if something like this can make him so angry with me. Maybe it’s not meant to be.’ Her heart broke a little at the thought. ‘We’ve not known each other long, after all, so it’s not surprising.’

  ‘Nonsense. What does it matter how long you’ve known him? Three weeks after I met Isaac, I married him and we sailed to India. We were happy until the day he died. Thirty-two happy years. You’ve known Crawford longer than I knew Isaac before I married him. There’s a war on, April. Soldiers die in wars. Stop wasting time.’

  The words hit April like blows from a hammer. Of course she loved h
im, and she needed him to understand that before he went away.

  Just then there was a knock at the door. April looked at the clock: it was nearly midnight. Who on earth could be calling at this time? She got up and peered around the black-out curtains. Crawford’s jeep sat outside the house.

  ‘It’s Crawford!’ she gasped.

  ‘There, you see. I thought he’d come. Now go and make up with him, while I go to bed. I’m exhausted from all this excitement.’ She disappeared upstairs without even waiting to see April’s dashing suitor.

  April hurried to the door and let in a grim-faced Crawford. She pulled him inside and led him to the sitting room, where they sat down on the sofa.

  ‘What’s happened? Is A.J. all right? He hasn’t been arrested, has he?’

  ‘No. I managed to catch up with Norm and, well, I persuaded him to drop the charges.’

  ‘You didn’t fight him, did you?’

  ‘Of course not. Let’s just say I can be very persuasive when I need to be. Don’t forget I’m a lawyer. But listen . . .’ Crawford rubbed his hands over his face wearily. ‘It was unfair of me to shout at you, honey. And I respect that you didn’t want to betray Eunice’s confidence. But A.J.’s one of my oldest friends and I hate seeing him like this.’

  April took his hand and put her head on his shoulder. ‘And I’m sorry this happened and that you had to be involved.’

  ‘Sweetheart, I can face anything, as long as I know we’re OK. Are we? Do you forgive me?’

  ‘Of course I do.’ She kissed him then, a long, intense kiss that flooded her with warmth. Crawford returned it, then pulled back.

  ‘There’s just one thing I ask, and that’s complete honesty. I need to know if there’s anything bothering you, or if there are any little secrets like Eunice’s hanging around in your past. I’d rather hear these things from you so we can talk about them, than from anyone else. I couldn’t bear to be in the situation that A.J. finds himself in.’

  ‘I promise you, there’s no one. There never really has been. And what about you?’

  ‘From the moment I saw you in your uniform with that cute little hat perched on your golden hair, there’s been no room in my mind for anyone but you. Don’t get me wrong, I have had girlfriends, one of them even writes to me. But she’s married now, so it’s purely friendship.’

  ‘The only man who writes to me is Theo, and you know about him already.’

  ‘So you’re all mine.’ He nuzzled her neck.

  ‘Oh yes, I’m all yours, Crawford. For as long as you want me.’

  His green eyes softened. ‘Well, that’s good to hear, April, because I plan on keeping you around for a very long time. I was thinking . . .’ He paused and wrinkled his brow in thought. ‘Would forever be long enough for you?’

  April laughed. ‘I’m not sure it is, Major Dunbar. But let’s start with that and see how we go.’

  ‘That sounds like a deal to me, Nurse Harvey. Now, I think we need a kiss to seal it.’

  He lowered his head and kissed her deeply. They lay back on the sofa, and April felt one of his hands on her breast. No one had ever touched her there before and it felt wonderful. Her own hand wandered inside Crawford’s jacket, and she slipped her fingers between the buttons of his shirt, stroking his bare chest. She could feel hair there, as well as smooth skin. Fascinated, she moved to undo the buttons, but Crawford’s hand came up to stop her.

  ‘I’d like nothing more than to keep going, but I’ve got an early start tomorrow, so I better go.’

  April groaned. ‘When will you be back?’

  ‘We’ll be gone a few weeks, so mid-November, I think. Don’t forget, I’m expecting you to come with me to the Thanksgiving dinner.’

  ‘I wouldn’t miss it for the world. I’ll write to you.’

  ‘And I’ll write to you, though I’m afraid it won’t be every day this time.’ He got up reluctantly and walked to the door. April followed him. They stood there for a long time, looking at one other. Finally, April stood up on tiptoe and kissed his cheek.

  ‘I’ll be counting the days.’

  ‘As will I, my sweet girl. I love you, Nurse Harvey.’

  ‘And I love you, Major Dunbar.’

  Chapter 26

  Over the next few days, gossip about Eunice, A.J. and Norm inevitably spread like wildfire around the hospital. Eunice had taken a leave of absence, and though April was desperate to see her friend to make sure she was all right, she was glad Eunice didn’t have to hear some of the horrible things that were being said about her.

  One morning, as she was sitting alone, having a cup of tea in the cafeteria, she heard voices talking in a hushed tone behind her.

  ‘Apparently she’s pregnant,’ she heard the voice say. There was a collective gasp from the other girls at the table. ‘Molly says she’s heard her being sick in the mornings and only put two and two together when she heard about what happened with Norm. Wonder whose it is.’

  April froze. Surely no one knew about that yet, did they? She glanced around. It was Jean Gray; she should have known. Jean loved to gossip and could never keep her nose out of anybody’s business.

  One of the other girls at the table joined in. ‘Could be anyone’s the way she seems to have been carrying on, but my money’s on the darky.’

  ‘Agreed,’ said Jean. ‘So let’s wait and see what colour it is, eh, girls? Then we’ll be able to narrow the field down. Ooh, she’s a dark horse, that one. I never would have thought it of her. Nancy, maybe. Even Bess. But not Eunice. Just shows, you never can tell, doesn’t it?’

  Suddenly, the table went quiet. ‘Do you want to repeat any of that, Jean?’

  April looked around again and saw Nancy, her face purple with fury, towering over the other nurse. Jean paled but refused to be cowed.

  ‘Not really, Nance. And you know I’m only speaking the truth. Let’s face it, if anyone in this hospital was going to be pregnant by a darky it was going to be you.’

  ‘His name is Homer, Jean. And I hope that one day I will be pregnant with his baby. And, for your information, though God knows you should be aware of this as you’re meant to be a nurse, the baby will be lighter than the father, darker than the mother – a perfect mixture of both parents. Don’t let me hear you saying one more word against Eunice, A.J. or any of the other coloured soldiers, or so help me, I won’t be responsible for my actions.’

  Jean scoffed. ‘If you can’t take it, then you know where the door is.’

  Suddenly, Jean squealed in shock. Bess had crept up behind her and, grabbing her by the arm, lifted her out of the chair. ‘You better get going, Jean. Can’t have your sort clogging up our dining room with your filth. Go on, get out before I knock you out!’ Bess looked around at the other nurses, who avoided her gaze. ‘And that goes for the rest of you. If I hear one more word against my friends, then you’ll regret it, do you hear me?’

  ‘Who do you think you are, Bess? You can’t talk to us like that!’

  ‘I just have, haven’t I? And I thought I told you to get out. Go on! Before I report you to matron.’

  ‘I haven’t done anything wrong!’

  ‘Haven’t you? You’ve sat here spreading lies and insulting our allies. Oh look, there’s matron now. I might just go and have a word with her.’

  Jean pulled her arm from Bess’s grasp. ‘It’s all right, I’m going. But if you think the gossip will just go away ’cos you say so, you’re going to be very disappointed.’ Jean flounced off, followed closely by the other three nurses.

  April came over. ‘Are you two OK? I heard everything. Why can’t they leave people alone?’

  ‘She’s not really pregnant, is she?’ Nancy whispered.

  ‘Course she isn’t. I’d know if she was.’ Bess looked over at April. ‘Then again, I didn’t know about A.J., but you did. So, do you know anything about this?’

  April shook her head, desperately trying to hold eye contact. When Eunice’s pregnancy was confirmed, she didn’t want
it to come from her. ‘Well done for putting Jean in her place. It’s good Eunice has you to stick up for her.’

  Bess snorted. ‘She’s going to need more than us to live this one down. Folk aren’t going to forgive her for dumping a local for a G.I. any time soon, especially not her mother. Poor Eunice. It’s going to be a rocky road for her. Anyway, what about you, Nance? Have you seen Homer?’

  The two chatted on, and April reflected on what Bess had said. It really was going to be hard, especially once everyone was aware of her pregnancy. If only she’d found the courage to tell the truth earlier, so much of this could have been avoided. But then, hadn’t she shied away from telling Crawford the truth about Theo, and it wasn’t half as serious as Eunice’s secret? She should tell him the full story next time she saw him. She didn’t want any misunderstandings to come between them.

  *

  The weeks passed slowly for April, and she spent most of her time either at the hospital or studying for her final exams, which she was due to take just before Crawford got back. Although it was tiring, she found having to work so hard took her mind off how much she was missing him, and she fell into bed every night and was asleep before her head hit the pillow.

  There was one bright spot, however. Since the night Norm had returned, Bess’s attitude towards her had softened and the two had talked several times about the situation with Eunice. Apparently, Bess had gone over there, only to be turned away by Mrs Granger who, at least in part, blamed her for leading Eunice astray. When April mentioned her intention of going anyway, Bess told her not to as Eunice had asked that everyone stay away. Norm had apparently left the day after the fight in the pub, and now she needed time to come to terms with what had happened. Not just with Norm, but also with A.J. and her father. April felt as though she was abandoning her friend, but she respected her wishes and stayed away, contenting herself with sending a letter, offering to help in any way she could. She didn’t receive a reply.