“Over there, over there,
Send the word, send the word, over there.
That the Yanks are coming, the Yanks are coming,
The drums rum-tumming everywhere.
So prepare, say a prayer,
Send the word, send the word to beware,
We’ll be over, we’re coming over,
And we won’t come back till it’s over over there!”
Emily also avidly read every book she could find on the war, both fiction and nonfiction. Among her favorite novels was H. G. Wells’s bestselling Mr. Britling Sees It Through, which contrasted the nobility of the British to the barbarism of the Germans. The main character, an American, by observing the courageous Mr. Britling, chose to put aside his neutrality and enlist in the Canadian army. Emily loved Wells’s book in particular and pestered everyone she knew to read it. Indeed, the bestseller was probably instrumental in changing the minds of many American isolationists. She also loved reading patriotic poetry, including In Flander’s Fields by John McCrae, and the bestselling poem by Alan Seeger that began “I have a rendezvous with death . . .” It both entranced and frightened her, as did any poem about death on the battlefield.
****
Emily was gathering her schoolbooks together on a Friday in late October when Buck Leatherwood suddenly approached her. He was the bruising fullback for the Richmond High School football team, a roughly handsome young man with blond hair and blue eyes. His parents were well off, so he drove an Oldsmobile. He was one of the few high-school students who actually had a license and his own car.
“Hi, Emily,” he said as he drew alongside her.
“Hello, Buck.”
“Did you read about Mata Hari?”
“Mata who?”
“Mata Hari—you know, that Dutch dancer who was arrested by the French for spying. She was accused and put on trial for being a German secret agent. She gave them important military secrets on the construction of Allied tanks. The newspapers were full of stories on how she got those secrets, too.”
“Oh, her,” Emily said, picking up her last book and walking quickly away. “I don’t really care.” She had heard about the woman, but she wasn’t interested in discussing the situation with Buck, since the whole ordeal had been an unsavory and scandalous story.
Buck grinned broadly and ran down the hall after her. Catching up, he continued anyway. “Well, she won’t be stealing any more secrets. The French filled her full of lead this morning. A firing squad put an end to her.”
Emily, who had a vivid imagination, felt suddenly queasy, the vision of a gruesome execution filling her mind. Not wanting to let on that she was shaken by the news of the woman’s death, she said simply, “Well, I suppose she deserved it.”
“You betcha!” Buck said. Then in almost the same breath, he asked, “Hey, how about you and me go out and do the town tonight, Emily?”
Most of the girls at Richmond High would have given their pinky fingers to have been Buck’s girl. Emily, however, had never felt attracted to him, and now she replied offhandedly, “Oh, I don’t think so, Buck. Thanks anyway.”
Buck was not accustomed to being refused, and he immediately turned on the charm, such as it was. The more he talked, the more curious Emily became. She had heard so much about Buck that she started to wonder what it would be like to date him—not as a regular thing, but just once. Against her better judgment she finally agreed. “Oh, all right, Buck. Tonight, then.”
“Hey, that’s what I want to hear. Put on your best dress. You and me’ll knock ’em dead. We’ll take in a movie, then maybe go dancing at the Green Door.”
“I’m not going to the Green Door. You can bet on that.”
The Green Door was a dance hall in a neighboring town with a shady reputation. Emily had never been there, but she knew her parents would never allow her to step foot in a place like that. “The movie’s all right, Buck, and maybe a soda, but that’s it.”
“Okay, doll. I’ll be by about seven.”
As soon as Emily got home, she found Wes in the front yard waiting for her.
“What do you say we go to the movies tonight, sis? It’s William S. Hart’s latest—The Square-Deal Man.”
“Sorry, Wes. Got other plans.”
Her little brother stared at her. “What other plans?”
“I’m going out with Buck Leatherwood.”
“Buck Leatherwood! You can’t do that!”
“Oh, yes I can,” Emily said defensively.
“You know what he’s like. Everybody knows.”
“Oh, that’s just gossip. I can take care of myself.”
The argument continued into the supper hour, for Wes begged their parents to do something as soon as they had sat down to eat and asked the blessing.
“Do something about what?” Aaron said as he helped himself to a pork chop.
“About Emily. She’s going out with Buck Leatherwood.”
Emily had been dating for over a year, but at this announcement both her parents put their forks down and stared at her. Gail said at once, “I don’t think that’s a good idea, Emily.”
“Oh, Mother, it’ll be all right. Don’t worry.”
“He’s no good,” Wes insisted. “I think you ought to say no.”
“Will you be quiet, Wes? I can take care of myself.”
“No, you can’t. You need a keeper,” Wes said heatedly. “I told Jared I’d look out for you. If he were here, he wouldn’t let you go out with Buck.”
Emily knew her younger brother’s words had some truth to them, but she was too far committed now to back out. Her stubborn streak arose as she defended herself against her parents and her brother. Finally she said forcefully, “Look, we’re just going to a movie, and then we’ll have a soda. That’s all.”
“Well, I’m against it,” Aaron said. “But you’re growing up, Emily, and we have to trust you to make your own judgments.” He looked over at his wife, and something passed between them. “But as soon as that soda is over, right back home. Okay?”
“All right, Daddy. I’ll probably be ready by that time anyway.”
****
Emily was not terribly excited about her date. As a matter of fact, she was more interested in the new outfit she was going to wear. She dressed carefully, first putting on the navy wool skirt over her cotton chemise. Metallic trimming was in vogue, and the belt and patch pocket had silk-and-silver thread embroidered into an elaborate design. She slipped on the waist she had chosen, a delicate pink garment of embroidered silk over a foundation of silk chiffon. As she tried it on, she muttered, “It’s pretty, but it wasn’t worth six dollars. I never paid so much for a garment in my whole life.” She grabbed her coat, for it was cold outside, and left her room. Even as she did so, she heard a horn blow and went to the front door. Wes was standing there looking out.
“Look at him,” Wes said. “Blowing his horn. He’s nothing but a low-down thug!”
“Oh, be quiet, Wes!” Actually Emily was furious that Buck would simply blow the horn, expecting her to come running out. She had half a mind not to go, but gritting her teeth, she said, “I’ll be in early.”
“I’ll go out with you,” Wes volunteered. “I want to tell that big lug a thing or two.”
“Wes, you stay out of it!”
“I will not!” Wes marched out to the car, circled to the driver’s side, and said, “Hey, you! As soon as the movie’s over and one soda later, you bring my sister home. You hear me?”
Leatherwood was astonished by the sudden attack, but it amused him. He reached out the open window and struck Wes’s shoulder sharply, causing the boy to rock back on his heels. “Don’t worry, kid. I got a sister myself. I know how to treat a lady.”
Wes watched sullenly as Emily got in and the Oldsmobile roared off. “Big ape,” he grunted. “He’d better get her back here early. That’s all I’ve got to say.”
Emily settled back in the car, but almost at once she became apprehensive. “The Rialto’s that way, Buck.
Where are you going?”
“Ah, we can see a dumb western anytime,” Buck said, grinning at her. “We’re going out to the Green Door.”
“I told you I would never go to that place.”
Leatherwood simply laughed. He reached over and pulled her close and said, “You aren’t used to having a good time, are you? These milk-and-water kids you been goin’ with don’t know how to have fun.”
Emily protested, angrily demanding that he stop the car and let her out, but Buck just laughed. They left the outskirts of Richmond and drove for twenty minutes before pulling up in front of the Green Door, a one-story white frame building, the parking lot filled with cars and trucks. “Come on,” Buck said as he got out of the car. “I’ll show you some real fun.”
“I’m not getting out of this car.”
Buck simply reached in, picked her up in his arms, and set her on the ground. “Now, you don’t want me to leave you out here alone, do you?”
“I want you to take me back home.”
“Tell you what. I’ll make a bargain,” Buck said. “We’ll go in. We’ll dance a couple of times. Then we’ll do anything you say. But I bet you’ll want to stay.”
Emily argued but saw that there was no way out. She walked stiffly toward the door, and as soon as she stepped inside, she knew that she had made a terrible mistake.
The inside of the dance hall was dark and smoky, and a jazz band blasted music at such a high pitch that it hurt her ears. The dance floor was crowded with people doing all kinds of unseemly dancing that Emily had heard of but had never seen.
“Come on,” Buck said. “We’ll get a table.” He practically pulled her across the room, where they sat down with a woman he introduced as Marilyn, then promptly ordered two drinks.
“I’m not drinking anything, thank you,” Emily said primly.
Buck laughed boisterously, ignoring Emily’s comment and waving to others in the crowd that he seemed to know. When the drinks arrived he said, “Come on. One drink never hurt anybody.” When Emily refused he frowned but said, “Okay. That’ll be two for me.” He downed first his drink, then hers, and stood up—wobbling a bit as the liquor quickly rushed to his head. Pulling Emily from her seat, he dragged her toward the dance floor. “Come on, toots. Let’s dance.”
Emily had never been treated so roughly, and she struggled free from his grasp. “I’m going home, Buck Leatherwood—one way or another.”
Buck argued and grabbed her arm again, but she pulled away and started walking out, calling over her shoulder, “If you try to stop me I’ll scream, and there’s bound to be somebody in here who’ll help me.”
Cursing under his breath, Buck followed her outside. Emily got in the car, her back straight as a board, while he tried to crank the engine on the front of the car. After several unsuccessful attempts, it finally started. He slammed himself into the driver’s seat and cursed again. “I’m giving you one more chance.”
“Take me home.”
Buck drove away from the Green Door at full speed, terrifying Emily as the car veered from one side of the road to the other, but she would do anything to get home. Five minutes later, however, he pulled off the main road back to Richmond onto a side road. He stopped the car, and Emily gasped in fear. “What are you doing?” she demanded.
“I’m gonna get something out of this date,” Buck snarled. He grabbed her and pulled her over to him with his right arm, and with his left hand, he held her face so she couldn’t move and tried to kiss her.
Emily was sick with fright, but in a rush of adrenaline she somehow had the strength to get her right hand free, double up her fist, and strike him right in the face. The blow caught him at that delicate spot just under the nose where the nerves are thick.
“Ow!” Buck cursed and grabbed his nose.
His stunned reaction was all Emily needed to make her escape. Opening the door, she tumbled out, momentarily losing her footing on the muddy ground, then running from the car as fast as she could.
Buck got out, screaming, “Get back in this car!”
“I won’t! Not with you!”
“Get in or I’ll leave you out here!”
“Go ahead!” She was already putting a fair distance between herself and her attacker.
Buck made no move to run after her. He just stared at her disappearing form as she headed back toward Richmond on foot, and he shouted, “All right, walk then! See if I care!” He got back in the car, spun the vehicle around, and roared away, throwing red mud all over the front of Emily’s outfit.
She breathed a sigh of relief that he had let her go so easily, but then, as the pale lights of the Oldsmobile grew fainter and disappeared, she began to worry. Any car that came along this road would likely be going to the Green Door, and she could wind up with someone even worse than Buck Leatherwood. Guilt covered her like a suffocating blanket. “I never should have gone out with him. I knew all the time it wasn’t right. Why did I do it?” she berated herself.
Her shoes were not designed for walking on muddy gravel roads, and soon her feet were covered in goo, looking like two blobs of red gumbo. She struggled along, stopping from time to time to rake the mud off with her fingers, when finally she heard a car approaching. Despite her fears, she knew she couldn’t really walk all the way home, so she waited until the headlights hit her. Shielding her eyes from the glare, she started to wave. The car pulled to a halt, but she suddenly froze with panic. It was a dark night, and she was alone, and there was no telling who was in this car!
“Why, Emily, what are you doing out here?”
“Who is it?” Emily said.
“It’s me, Noel Batterson.”
Emily let out a cry of relief. Noel Batterson was a friend of her parents. He operated a cleaning establishment in Richmond, and she at once began to explain, “Oh, Mr. Batterson, I’m so glad to see you.” She stumbled over toward the car, and Batterson got out, staring at her with astonishment. “What are you doing way out here in the middle of nowhere?”
Emily swallowed hard. “I went out with a boy from school. We were supposed to go to the movies in Richmond, but he drove me to the Green Door instead. I begged him to take me back, but he wouldn’t stop.”
“I hope you didn’t go in that place.”
“He made me go in, but then as soon as I got inside, I made him take me out. But on the way home he . . .” She couldn’t finish, as she felt herself choking up with tears.
“Who was it?” Mr. Batterson demanded. “I’ll take care of him!”
“No, please don’t . . . it doesn’t matter,” Emily said quickly. “Would you take me home, Mr. Batterson?”
“Sure. Get in the car, Emily.”
Emily trudged over and climbed into the passenger seat. She sat there miserably while Batterson turned the car around and started back for Richmond. He did not ask questions, and for that Emily was most grateful. She didn’t feel like explaining this evening to anyone. When they pulled up in front of her house, he asked, “Do you want me to go in with you?”
“No, thank you, Mr. Batterson, but I’m going to tell my parents how you practically saved my life. I’m sure my dad will be calling you.”
“Well, I’m glad it didn’t turn out worse, Emily. Young women can’t be too careful, you know.”
“I was a fool tonight,” Emily said. “But I won’t be again.”
“Good girl.” Batterson reached over and patted her shoulder.
Emily whispered, “Thank you again,” and got out of the car. She climbed up the steps hesitantly. It was only eight o’clock, and she knew her parents would not be in bed. She was tempted to simply wait until later to go in, but that would not do, for she knew neither one of them would go to bed until she got home. Taking a deep breath, she gingerly opened the front door and took off her mud-caked shoes in the entryway. Hearing voices, she walked toward them into the kitchen, where both parents, who were sitting at the table, turned to stare at her.
“Why, Emily!” her mother said
. “What in the world—!”
Emily stood very still. “I made a mistake,” she said.
“Are you all right?” Aaron asked, great concern in his voice as he rose and came over to her. He was joined by Gail, and they stood on either side of her waiting for her reply.
“Oh, I’m all right, except I’ve been an idiot.” She went on to explain how Leatherwood had forced her to go with him to the Green Door. She did not omit any of the details about how he tried to attack her. She saw her father’s face harden and knew what was on his mind. “I’m so sorry, Dad. It was my fault for going with him. You and Mother were right, and Wes, too. I’ll have to tell him when he gets home from the movie.”
“You were very fortunate that Mr. Batterson came along,” Gail said.
“I know it. I told him you’d call him and thank him.”
“I’ll do more than that. I’ll have lunch with him tomorrow,” Aaron said. “You sure you’re all right?”
Emily laughed nervously. “I’m all right physically, but I never thought I could ever feel so dumb.”
Aaron and Gail exchanged glances. “Well, we’re all dumb at times, but maybe you’ve learned a lesson tonight that you’ll never forget.”
“I have,” Emily said, shaking her head. “I’ll never do a thing like that again.”
“Go clean up, dear,” Gail said. “Then come back, and we’ll talk some more. No sermon,” she said quickly.
“Thanks, Mom. Thanks, Dad.” Emily turned and walked away, leaving her parents standing there looking after her.
“It could have been much worse,” Aaron said. “I think I’d better have a talk with Leatherwood.”
“Be careful, dear. Don’t do anything rash.”
“Oh, I won’t—I’ll just let him know in no uncertain terms that if I ever catch him near my daughter again, he’ll wish he’d never met her!”
****
Three days after Emily’s disastrous date with Buck Leatherwood, a letter came from France. As usual Aaron waited until the rest of the family had gathered so they could all read it together. He was accustomed, as they all were by this time, to the writing of James Parker. He opened it and started to read:
The Amazon Quest (House of Winslow Book #25) Page 7
