The G.I. Bride

by Eileen Ramsay

  ‘I thought you were a gentleman. But now I see it’s all an act to get what you want.’

  He smiled slyly. ‘It’s worked, hasn’t it?’ Then his tone became more serious. ‘I haven’t seen A.J. You know we’re kept very separate. But I can’t deny I’m worried. Last time I saw him, he was a broken man.’

  ‘Do you think you could take me to see Eunice one day? In your jeep, if you’re allowed?’

  ‘You wanna go now?’

  ‘Now? But how? You don’t have your car.’

  ‘Sure I do. I always have one if I want one. It’s parked at Mrs Teague’s. I figured I’d be leaving from hers.’

  ‘Oh, yes, please. I’m so worried about the whole situation and I feel like I’m partly responsible.’

  They reached Mrs Teague’s door, and April popped in quickly to let her know she’d be late. Then she was out again in a flash.

  ‘Let’s go!’

  While they drove, they talked about what was in store for A.J. and Eunice.

  ‘You know, I’m afraid that even if A.J. can forgive Eunice, she won’t marry him. She’s worried that she’ll ruin his life and he’ll always resent her.’

  ‘She’s right that there are many obstacles in their path. It shows how much Eunice must love him. But she doesn’t actually know how the Timpsons will feel. They’re good people, who just want the best for A.J. He’s the living heart of his family, though, and it’s not a decision that he can take lightly. He’s already got a place at university.’

  ‘I don’t understand, if coloured people can go to the same universities as white people, why can’t they marry?’

  ‘No, honey, I’m afraid there are universities that have been set up for coloured people. It’s a crazy system and fills me with shame. You know he could leave the US Army when this tour is over . . .’ He was quiet for a moment and April filled in the missing words in her head. If we survive. ‘And maybe he could go to an English college, and get a degree here. Don’t think England has crazy rules like we do in the US, so he would be accepted at any university here, I imagine. That would work in his favour. But Eunice is right, he will be stuck here. It’s an impossible situation.’

  ‘And not helped by Mrs Granger, who’s refusing to accept that Eunice will have a coloured baby. Honestly, Nancy’s mother seems completely fine with the idea that she and Homer might settle down, and she can’t be the only one. Think about how those people in the pub helped that night. Seems people here don’t care as much about colour as people in America. Maybe we can persuade her to accept him.’

  ‘Maybe. I sure have loved seeing the difference in acceptance here. Though clearly some people don’t feel the same way, even here.’

  They drove the rest of the way in silence. Crawford had to concentrate hard on the dark roads as there were no streetlamps and he wasn’t allowed to use his headlights due to the blackout, so it was treacherous, especially down the narrow country lanes. April’s heart warmed at the trouble he was taking to help, and if it was possible, it made her love him even more.

  *

  When they reached Eunice’s house, April walked up to the door nervously. She dreaded the reception she might get from Mrs Granger, and prayed fervently that she’d calmed down since she’d last seen her. Taking a deep breath, she knocked on the door. Mrs Granger answered, and April was pleased to see she looked a little calmer than she had the last time she’d been there. April hoped she was coming to terms with all the blows life had dealt her recently.

  ‘April! Come in. Do you want to see Eunice? She’s resting right now, but I’m sure she’d be happy to see you.’

  ‘How are you, Mrs Granger?’

  She pursed her lips. ‘Bearing up, I suppose. My boy, George, is coming home on leave, so that’s helped me. But still no news of Mr Granger.’

  April patted her on the arm. ‘I really hope you hear something soon.’

  ‘Yes, but what on earth will he think when he gets back? All this scandal and Eunice pregnant and out of a job—’ She stopped abruptly, before continuing. ‘But I’ve been taking great comfort in the Bible. In particular Job. If he could bear his troubles, I can bear mine. God only gives us what he thinks we can deal with.’ Suddenly she noticed Crawford looming behind April. ‘Good heavens, who do we have here?’

  Crawford moved into the hallway and Mrs Granger smiled genuinely for the first time. ‘Why, it’s the handsome major. Welcome to my home.’

  ‘Thank you, ma’am. April has been concerned about your daughter, so I brought her to check up on her.’

  Mrs Granger turned and called up the stairs. ‘Eunice! More visitors for you.’

  ‘More visitors? Has she been getting many?’

  ‘That Nancy’s been by. Apparently she’s walking out with a friend of A.J.’s, so at least Eunice isn’t alone in that. And A.J.’s visited a few times now. Seems he and Eunice are reaching an understanding, so what can I do?’ She sighed dramatically. ‘I don’t like it, but if the alternative is losing my daughter, then I must accept it. I can’t lose her as well as my husband. And what if something happened to George? I’d have no one.’

  As a reason for accepting A.J., it left a little to be desired in terms of warmth, but it was certainly a lot more promising than her attitude the last time April had come.

  Just then Eunice came down the stairs. She looked a great deal better, and April noticed her stomach was starting to bulge. ‘

  April! Oh, I’m happy to see you. And major! What a wonderful surprise. Come in.’

  Once they’d settled in the sitting room, Mrs Granger went to make tea.

  ‘How are you? I hear A.J.’s been to visit?’

  ‘Yes, he’s been a few times.’

  ‘And?’

  Eunice held out her left hand; on it was a gold ring with a small sapphire.

  ‘Oh, Eunice, I’m so glad!’

  Eunice looked sad for a moment. ‘Well, it’s the only solution. He hasn’t forgiven me for what I did yet. But he’s trying. For the baby’s sake.’

  ‘He’ll come round, just give him time. When are you getting married?’

  ‘Around Christmas time, I think. When A.J. can get a moment off.’

  ‘But where will you live?’

  ‘I’ll stay here and he will live at the base, as normal. Nothing much will change, you know. And once the war’s over, who knows what will happen?’

  Crawford interjected then. ‘Congratulations, Eunice. I hope you know how lucky you are to have snared a guy like A.J. Not many like him around.’

  Mrs Granger came in at that moment. ‘You know him well, major?’

  ‘Known him since childhood, ma’am, and I promise you, your daughter will want for nothing.’

  She didn’t look convinced. ‘Hmm. We’ll just have to wait and see, won’t we? Right, who’s for tea?’

  After they’d had their drinks, April suggested she and Eunice go upstairs so she could examine her. Once in the bedroom, she felt around Eunice’s stomach.

  ‘It all seems fine, Eunice. But tell me, how are you really?’

  Tears came to her eyes then. ‘It’s been horrible. Things are calming down, but Mother still doesn’t really accept him. And I’m just not sure it’s the right thing to do. He doesn’t seem to love me any more. Not the way he used to. Remember the letter he wrote to me? Well, it’s like being with a different man.’

  April hugged her friend tightly. ‘Like I said, give him time. It might take a while for him to get over what happened, but once the baby’s here, maybe his feelings will soften.’

  ‘I tried very hard to refuse his proposal, but he said I owed him. And I do. How can I deprive him of his child?’

  ‘He’s right, Eunice. You do owe him. You’ve got a lot of making up to do, but it’ll be all right in the end. You’ll see.’

  When they got back to the sitting room, Crawford had worked his magic and Mrs Granger was simpering at him. April rolled her eyes at Eunice, who grinned with delight. It was the first genuin
e smile she’d seen from her all evening and it filled April with hope that Eunice was strong enough to face what was coming.

  Crawford stood when he saw them in the doorway. ‘You ready to go, April? I need to get back and you have another early start.’

  ‘So delightful to have you here, major. Please do pop in any time you like.’

  Crawford tipped his hat. ‘Thank you, ma’am. And please, call me Crawford.’

  Mrs Granger fluttered her eyelashes. ‘Thank you for coming, Crawford. And shall I pass your good wishes to A.J. when he comes?’

  ‘Please do, ma’am. Tell him not to be a stranger.’

  ‘Fancy A.J. being friends with an officer. Makes me see him in a whole different light.’

  ‘He’s a very fine man. You should be proud to call him your son.’

  April could see that the magic hadn’t gone quite that far, as Mrs Granger suddenly became brisk. ‘Yes, well. Good night, you two. Hopefully we’ll see you soon.’

  Eunice walked them to the door and gave April a hug. Then she turned to Crawford. ‘Thank you! I think you’ve had more influence on helping her accept this marriage than the thought of having an illegitimate grandchild.’

  ‘I hope so. I meant every word. You’re a lucky girl.’

  Eunice looked down. ‘I know. I just hope that one day he can love me again.’

  Chapter 36

  As the day of the Thanksgiving dinner approached, April found she was in a flurry of excitement, as were some of the other nurses who had also been invited. After being brought so low, she couldn’t believe how happy she was now. Crawford tried to meet her after work almost every day, and they spent hours sitting in Mrs Teague’s sitting room, kissing and talking. Mrs Teague always tactfully withdrew with a knowing smile when he arrived, which April appreciated.

  The day before the dinner, April decided to go into town during her break to see if she could find some lipstick for tomorrow night. She doubted she would, but it was worth a look all the same. She’d be wearing the beautiful green dress that she’d worn for her first dinner with Crawford all those weeks ago, and though she wished she could buy something new, the dress held such happy memories that she thought it was probably exactly the right thing to wear. However, a nice lipstick might make all the difference.

  As she walked into town, she noticed a large number of American trucks driving past. Over the past few weeks, there had been a new influx of G.I.s coming into Truro, speeding through the town, chatting up the girls and generally causing mayhem amongst the local population. Today there seemed to be even more of them, and she wondered where on earth they were all going to stay.

  As she drew near Victoria Square, she saw a crowd of people. A lot of them were laughing, others looked alarmed. Curious, she drew closer and saw, to her utter astonishment, what looked to be a truck with a boat attached to the back. Clearly, the driver had taken a wrong turn and the narrow streets of Truro were not built for such an enormous vehicle.

  She walked over and joined the crowd. ‘What on earth happened?’ she asked a man standing beside her.

  ‘Stupid bugger got stuck. Can’t go forward, can’t go back.’ He rolled his eyes. ‘And these are the people who are going to help us win the war. God help us! And what do they need with the boat, anyway? Plenty of boats in Cornwall already.’ He tutted in disapproval.

  Suddenly the crowd gasped in astonishment and April watched as a massive mechanical arm appeared over the rooftops. It was lowered towards the amphibious craft as the G.I.s shouted and gesticulated and finally managed to attach the huge claw to the boat.

  ‘That thing’s never gonna lift it!’ a voice said, and the crowd gasped as the arm slowly rose, bringing the craft with it and swinging it over the rooftops. A child screamed in terror, and somebody shouted, ‘Take cover, everyone! Who needs the Nazis when we’ve got the Americans!’

  April was transfixed. She’d never seen such an enormous crane in her life. Nor a boat like this one: long and flat and grey. What on earth were they going to do with it?

  Soon the craft was safely secured to another lorry in the next street and the red-faced driver got back in his cab, amidst a volley of laughter and commentary from the crowd.

  ‘Better than the pictures, any day,’ a woman said. ‘I don’t know, though. These Americans are causing nothing but trouble. Killed all the fish up in Hendra as well. Shampoo.’ She shook her head.

  ‘Shampoo?’

  ‘Wash their hair so much all the bubbles killed the fish. I heard some poor bugger got lost in the bubbles on the way back from the pub. Twenty foot high, they were, so they say. Fire brigade had to come out and hose them away.’

  April giggled. ‘No! I can’t believe that.’

  ‘Ask anyone, love. They’ll tell you.’

  April walked away, smiling to herself. She’d have to ask Crawford when she saw him. She simply couldn’t believe a man could get lost in bubbles from the Americans’ shampoo. Then again, before today, she’d never have believed that a huge boat could be swung over the rooftops either.

  April was full of what she’d seen when she got back, and to her gratification, there were gasps of amazement. It seemed the shampoo incident was true too, and it kept the patients and nurses amused for the rest of the day.

  *

  Crawford was not outside the hospital when she left, much to her disappointment, so she walked home alone. She had still not been able to find the bike, and she worried constantly about how she was going to replace it.

  Mrs Teague was stirring soup in the kitchen when she got in. ‘Touch of frost in the air, my lovely, so I thought a good warming broth would be just the thing. Now, before I forget, there’s something for you on the mantelpiece – hand-delivered, it was.’

  Curious, April went into the sitting room and picked up the packet. She brought it back to the table, where Mrs Teague was already sitting down and eating her soup. She watched as April carefully opened the parcel, trying to save as much of the wrapping paper as possible. Inside was a small, rectangular cardboard box. She lifted off the lid and gasped.

  ‘Oh, how very lovely. Look.’

  Inside the box was a very fine gold chain and suspended from it was a heart-shaped locket. The word ‘April’, in lovely flowing letters, was etched on the front.

  ‘Open it, open it,’ breathed Mrs Teague, who was almost as happy as April.

  Inside there was a small folded piece of paper.

  I hope you like this little gift. I wanted to do much better but this was all I could find. It’s for pictures of your favourite people. If I had a locket, I know who I’d put there. I’ll pick you up at 6.30 tomorrow. Be ready.

  I love you, April Harvey.

  Crawford

  ‘Oh, it’s so lovely.’ April fastened the necklace around her neck excitedly. ‘What should I put in here?’

  ‘Well, if you don’t know, I’m not going to tell you. Honestly, the way you two have been these past few days, I’m hearing wedding bells. Oh, it’s so romantic.’ Mrs Teague clasped her hands.

  ‘Maybe I’ll put a photograph of you inside my locket.’

  ‘Don’t be silly, love. There’s only one person to put in there.’

  April smiled. Yes, there was only one person she wanted in her locket. The man who made her heart beat faster and made her feel like the luckiest girl alive.

  They washed the dishes together, like mother and daughter, April thought. It was wonderful to enjoy such a simple task. If she went to America with Crawford, she would miss Mrs Teague.

  And if my mother had lived, she thought, I would have had to say goodbye to her too.

  She touched the necklace around her neck. But she could write to Mrs Teague and maybe she could come and visit. As long as she and Crawford were together, that was all that mattered.

  *

  On the day of the Thanksgiving dinner, April had a rare day off. After working for ten days solidly because of the staff shortages, she allowed herself the luxury of lying
in bed late, feeling the anticipation fizz in her stomach. She simply couldn’t wait for the evening. She didn’t care much about the dinner, really. All she wanted was to be with Crawford, to see his smile, hear his voice. But though she was happier than she had ever thought possible, it was tinged with sadness. Theo was still on her mind and she realised she hadn’t heard anything from the Osbornes or him since she’d got back; though she had written as often as she could, there’d been no reply. She remembered the dream she’d had about him, when he was crying and looking for her, and her stomach clenched with anxiety. Was that a sign? Surely the Osbornes would have telegraphed her if something had happened to him?

  She decided that she would try to telephone the reverend. But not today. If she heard bad news today, it would ruin the evening.

  *

  By six fifteen, April was all spruced up in her green dress and Mrs Teague’s gold shoes. Her beautiful locket hung perfectly over the collar, and her hair was rolled to perfection. After all the excitement with the boat in the street, she’d forgotten to look for lipstick, but Mrs Teague had given her some of hers. She was as ready as she’d ever be. She fiddled nervously with the locket as she and Mrs Teague stared out of the window, watching for Crawford. She’d be meeting his colleagues and the colonel this evening and she desperately wanted to make a good impression. She paced away, sat down on the sofa, then stood up once more.

  ‘Well, my lovely, there’s a handsome prince at the gate and a carriage on the road. No, you sit until he rings the bell. He’s on his way up the path and, my goodness, there’s gold braid on his shoulders and medals on his chest. He’s in some brownish uniform. Oh, he does look splendid!’

  A moment later the bell rang and Mrs Teague hurried to open the door. April followed her out.

  ‘Mrs Teague, a corsage for you.’ Crawford handed her a small, clear box containing a purple flower.

  ‘Good gracious, major, is that a real orchid?’

  ‘I hope so, ma’am. And this one is for the belle of the ball.’ He turned to April. ‘It’s a gardenia, honey. They symbolise purity and love. My mom grows them at home and I thought it was just perfect for you.’