The Wartime Sisters

by Lynda Cohen Loigman

  “Well, our parents certainly did.” In the wake of her frenzy, Ruth grew suddenly calm. Her eyes turned murky and gray, like the sky before a storm. “Mama showed me the opal ring the week before my wedding. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw it—that beautiful jewel mixed in with all of her schlock. She was always going on about you marrying a millionaire—I guess I don’t have to tell you; you know what she used to say. She was saving that ring for you, of course. She said you would be the only one who would have an occasion to wear it. Then she gave me her funeral earrings—those gold-plated clip-ons she always wore to the cemetery. I didn’t find out until later they weren’t even real gold. What did it matter? They were hideous either way.”

  “I’m sure she didn’t mean to hurt you.”

  “She didn’t mean to, but she did. I was never going to be worthy of wearing that ring. I was never going to be glamorous or impressive enough. Mama always thought I was too serious. She thought Arthur was too … too serious and too fat. When he first told her about the job in Springfield, you should have seen the face she made. Springfield was nowhere to her—dull, just like me. But once you graduated from high school, she got it into her head that you should move there with us. It was the best way she could think of to separate you from Lenny.”

  Millie shook her head. “She never said anything about that to me.”

  “Of course she didn’t. She knew you’d never agree to it, but she was going to figure out a way. She wouldn’t let it go. She didn’t care that I had a husband I wanted to start a new life with. She didn’t care that it might be nice for me to have a fresh start for once. I spent that whole summer thinking up reasons why you should stay in Brooklyn. And then they died. The morning after, when things were clearer, I knew you’d have to come with us. I couldn’t leave you alone in New York. And when you moved into our apartment, I thought, Well, this is what it’s going to be like. I’ll be taking care of Millie now for the rest of my life. I convinced myself it would work out. I didn’t have a choice.

  “After the funeral, when you came out of your bedroom during the shivah, it was like the Red Sea parting. All those people in Mama and Papa’s apartment ran to your side to kiss you and comfort you. They brought you drinks and plates of food and told you how sorry they were for you. I was invisible again. Again! Like always! I went to Mama and Papa’s room to rest, but then I overheard Arthur’s cousin talking about us. About how I was a fool to let you move in with me and Arthur, about how he would be … tempted. They said it was inevitable. It was just a matter of time. And I knew it wouldn’t be long before I became invisible to Arthur too.” A staggering wail escaped from Ruth’s lips. Sobs poured from her chest, racking her body until she could no longer speak. “He was the only one who ever chose me. I couldn’t lose him too.”

  Millie had never seen her sister so completely unmoored. She didn’t know how to respond. Eventually, Ruth composed herself and rose from her chair. She paced the length of the kitchen, speaking as she walked. “I took the ring from Mama’s jewelry box, and I gave it to Lenny. I told him that our father would have wanted him to have it. I said he should propose again—a real proposal this time, romantic and elegant, the way Mama would have wanted.”

  Millie’s head began to pound. All the small mysteries were beginning to make sense. “You lied to him,” Millie murmured. “And you lied to me. Papa never said that he approved of Lenny, did he? You wanted me to get married so I would stay in Brooklyn.”

  “Yes.”

  “When he proposed at the restaurant, it happened the way Mama used to tell me it would. You planned it that way, didn’t you? You told Lenny what to wear, how to kneel down, what to say?”

  “I gave him some advice.”

  Millie felt her jaw tighten, her body stiffen with rage. “I had been thinking of breaking it off with him before then, did you know that? All that summer, I had been thinking of ending it.” Millie thought back to the night of the proposal—the restaurant where Ruth must have made the reservation; the champagne Ruth must have reminded Lenny to order. Revulsion welled up in her throat. “You tricked me with the ring. You tricked me with the proposal. You tricked me into marrying him so you could be free!”

  From upstairs came a thud and then Michael’s drowsy wail. Her shouting must have woken him—he was always a light sleeper. Millie searched Ruth’s frozen face for a hint of remorse, but all she saw was a stranger, a face she barely knew, so she ran from the kitchen and up the stairs to Michael’s room. He had kicked off his covers, but she tucked them back around him and shushed him softly in the dark until both their heartbeats steadied. She was about to curl up beside him when she heard voices coming from the foyer.

  Millie tiptoed down the hallway, to the top of the staircase. Below, two men in uniform were speaking with her sister. The first was a guard she recognized from the main gate, but the second, whom she didn’t know, wore an officer’s uniform. As she walked down the steps, the officer stared.

  “Millie Fein?” he asked. “I’m Captain Richard O’Brian, head of Armory Intelligence. I’d like you to come with me, please, to answer some questions.”

  Ruth spoke, her voice high pitched and shaky. “I don’t understand why this can’t wait until tomorrow. It’s almost midnight, for goodness’ sake! If you really need to talk to her, why can’t you do it here? Just go in the living room—it’s right through that doorway.”

  But the intelligence officer would not be swayed. “As I said before, ma’am, this is an urgent matter regarding armory security. I need to question Mrs. Fein in private, and it may take some time.”

  Millie held up her hand to end the debate. “It’s fine, Ruth. I’ll go with them.”

  The truth was, Millie had no more strength left to protest. The revelations of the evening—Lenny’s appearance and Ruth’s lies—had taken their toll on her, mentally and physically. Her thinking was muddied, and her mind was a blur. She had been struggling and screaming for too long; she could not start again now, not with these men. Besides, leaving with them meant a respite, however brief, from thinking any more about the events of her past.

  “I have one question,” she said as she pulled on her coat. “Does this mean you’re arresting me?”

  “No, ma’am,” Captain O’Brian said. “We just want to ask you some questions.”

  At the mention of arrest, Ruth grew even more agitated. She placed herself intentionally between her sister and the door. “Millie, you don’t have to go with them. They can’t drag you away like this!”

  “Calm down,” Millie said. “You have nothing to worry about. You don’t need to take care of me anymore.”

  Lillian

  The phone in Patrick’s office began to ring just as they walked through the front door. “Patrick, grab that, please, before it wakes the whole house.” Lillian was used to her husband’s evening phone calls, but they had left the dance at midnight and it was well past that now. She slipped out of her shoes and waited to find out who had called.

  From the hallway, it didn’t sound like standard armory business. Her husband’s voice was gentler than usual—soothing, in fact. Whoever he was speaking with must have been upset. When the conversation ended, she heard him dial another number. A moment later, he returned to the foyer looking confused. “That was Ruth Blum. You’re not going to believe this, but Dick O’Brian just took Millie Fein into custody for questioning.”

  “Now? Why on earth would he do that? He’s the head of intelligence—what could he possibly want with Millie?” Suddenly, she snapped her fingers and let out an angry groan. “Damn that Grace Peabody,” she muttered under her breath.

  “What are you talking about? What does Grace have to do with this?”

  “Listen to me, sweetheart. You’ve got to get Dick on the phone. I’m willing to bet that Grace is involved in this somehow. For months, she’s been spreading rumors about that fire being a sabotage. I’m sure she called Dick and accused Millie of something.”

  “Why w
ould she do that? What could Grace possibly have against Millie?”

  “Jealousy, for starters. Grace doesn’t like attractive women, especially when they’re a good ten years younger than she is. With a husband like Fred, it’s not hard to see how she got that way. But it’s certainly no excuse for the way she behaves.”

  Patrick shook his head. “The results of the investigation were crystal clear—the fire was an accident, pure and simple.”

  “Grace doesn’t think so. Can you call Dick’s office?”

  “I just tried a minute ago, but he isn’t answering his phone.”

  Lillian threw her evening shoes into the hall closet and pulled on an old pair of boots. There was no time to change her dress, but at least her feet would be comfortable.

  “Put your coat back on, Patrick. We’d better get over there.”

  * * *

  A February moon hung low in the sky, casting an eerie glow on all of Armory Square. The hallways of the administration building were dark and deserted, but when they reached the second floor, a slim line of light shone from under one of the doors. Patrick rapped his knuckles twice and then entered without an invitation.

  The room was poorly lit, drafty, and cold. Millie hadn’t removed her coat, and neither had the grim-looking gentleman sitting across from her. Captain O’Brian was older than Patrick, but no more than fifty. He took notes on a pad with a silver fountain pen, which he set down when he stood to shake Patrick’s hand. “Colonel Walsh, Mrs. Walsh. What brings you over here so late?”

  “We were wondering the same thing about you,” Patrick said. “Couldn’t your questions for Mrs. Fein wait until the morning?”

  “Normally, yes. But I received a series of phone calls this evening, and I thought it best to speak with Mrs. Fein immediately.”

  “Let me guess,” Lillian said. “Were the calls from Grace Peabody, by any chance?” From the look on Captain O’Brian’s face, Lillian was certain she was right. “I’ll take that as a yes.” She reached her hand out to Millie, pulled her to her feet, and put one arm around the shivering girl. “Captain O’Brian, let me assure you that whatever Mrs. Peabody suggested, Mrs. Fein had nothing to do with the fire last summer. She is an armory resident and a loyal worker in our shops. She is the sister-in-law of one of our finest scientists. She also happens to be my personal friend and a friend to our entire family.”

  “I appreciate that, Mrs. Walsh, but you must understand that we need to take any allegations of sabotage seriously, no matter how far-fetched.”

  “Listen here,” Patrick interjected. “Since when did you start bringing young women in for questioning in the middle of the night? This interrogation is officially over. Whatever questions you have left, you can ask tomorrow during daylight hours in my office. Are we clear on that, Captain?”

  “Yes, Colonel Walsh, sir. Of course.”

  * * *

  The next day, after dinner, Lillian pulled Patrick aside. “I told Millie that she and Michael can stay here with us for a while.”

  Patrick raised his eyebrows, but he didn’t object. “Did she and Ruth have some sort of falling-out?”

  “It’s complicated, but yes. I take it that things have been uncomfortable between them for some time, but after what happened yesterday, Millie doesn’t feel like she can stay. She was planning on moving in with Arietta—you remember, the singer from our party? But if she stays there, she and Michael will be sleeping on the couch. Arietta rents a few bedrooms, but they’re all filled for now. I told Millie it was ridiculous for her to live like that when we have so many empty bedrooms here.”

  “I’m not saying no; it’s your decision to make. But don’t you think it looks odd to have her living with us? It sets a strange precedent, Lillian—one I’m not excited about repeating.”

  “I know, Patrick, but this is a special set of circumstances. I had a long talk with Millie today. I promised that I’d keep her situation confidential for now, so I’m not going to tell you all the details of what she’s endured. For such a young woman, she’s been through a great deal. She … she reminds me of my mother, Patrick. That’s really all I want to say.”

  A look of concern passed over his face. “That bad?” he asked softly.

  “Different, but I’d like to help her if I can. It will only be for a few months. One of Arietta’s boarders is moving out then.”

  Patrick kissed Lillian on the forehead and wrapped his arms around her. She felt lucky to have him, lucky to be married to a man who could stand with her in silence, a man who didn’t demand explanations for every choice she made.

  Ruth

  Ruth heard a loud thump followed by a series of softer ones, as if someone or something had fallen down the stairs. “Is everyone all right?”

  “I’m fine,” Millie answered, but Ruth could hear the irritation in her sister’s voice. When Ruth reached the foyer, she understood why. Millie had been carrying her suitcase down the steps when the top latch had come undone and everything inside it had spilled out.

  “The handle was already broken,” Millie murmured. “It was only a matter of time before the latch fell apart too.” She rested the now-empty suitcase at the bottom of the steps and began to pick up the scattered clothes.

  “I don’t understand,” Ruth said. “Why are you packing?”

  Millie busied herself folding the clothes, trying to avoid her sister’s gaze. “Mrs. Walsh invited me and Michael to stay with her for a while. She has an extra bedroom for us. We’ll move tomorrow.”

  Ruth swayed slightly before reaching for the bannister. “You have a room here.”

  “It would be better if we stayed somewhere else for a while. This living arrangement has become uncomfortable for all of us.” Millie spoke calmly, without a trace of emotion. The words sounded rehearsed, as if she were reading a part.

  But Ruth refused to play along. “What are you talking about? A shopworker can’t just move into the commanding officer’s house.”

  “I was going to move to Arietta’s, but she has too many boarders and no spare beds. Lillian has plenty of empty rooms. She insisted.”

  “You’re my sister. You’re supposed to live here, with your family. What do you think people will say if you move? It will be humiliating.”

  “Really?” Millie snapped. “For me or for you?”

  “That isn’t fair! I didn’t ask you to leave!”

  “Maybe not yet, but history has a way of repeating itself.” Before Ruth could answer, Millie gathered the rest of her clothes and ran up the steps, back to her bedroom. The only thing left was the broken suitcase. Scratches on the sides had worn off almost all the color, the corners had caved in, and the latch had disintegrated. That it had survived the trip from Brooklyn in only one piece was, Ruth decided, nothing short of a miracle.

  Ruth went to bed early, but sleep would not come. All she could think of was the worn-out suitcase—something once so essential, now rendered obsolete. She pushed off her covers and tiptoed into the hallway. A few minutes later, she found what she was looking for pushed against the back wall of the upstairs linen closet. The suitcase was five years old, but it looked practically new. She pulled it out from its resting place, blew off the dust, and carried it down the hall to Millie’s bedroom door. She knocked several times, but Millie didn’t answer, so Ruth left the suitcase on the floor outside her sister’s room.

  For the rest of the night, Ruth stared at the ceiling. She finally gave up sometime after twelve and retreated to the kitchen for a hot cup of tea. When the morning light woke her, she was still at the table, her head down on the wooden top with a dishrag as her pillow.

  She stretched out her shoulders, achy from the awkward position, and hitched up her robe so she wouldn’t trip on the steps. Upstairs, the hallway was quiet. When Ruth peeked inside Millie’s open bedroom door, she saw that all traces of her sister and her nephew were gone. All that was left was a note on the bed and her sister’s opal ring propped up against the pillow.

&nb
sp; I don’t want this anymore, but I think you should keep it. Thank you for the suitcase.

  Your sister,

  Millie

  This time, Ruth was the one left behind.

  Millie

  Springfield, Massachusetts (April 1943)

  Inside the commanding officer’s house, Millie breathed more easily. It wasn’t only the kindness she was shown or the absence of Ruth’s icy stares in the mornings, but something Arietta had said when Millie told her about Lillian’s offer: There’s no safer house in Armory Square.

  The truth was that Millie had been afraid ever since Lenny had reappeared. The scar on his face hadn’t been the only change she had noticed. There was a hunger inside him now, a desperation that she heard in his laughter and saw behind his eyes. Ruth’s threat may have shaken him, but Millie knew that his hesitation in contacting her again would only be temporary. Unless Lenny found the money that he needed elsewhere, time would embolden him, and he would return.

  For the first few years of their marriage, no matter how many days he stayed away or how drunk he was when he reappeared, Millie honestly believed that one day Lenny would change. Think of all that he went through without a father or mother. He never had the kind of love my parents gave me. He’ll come around—I know he will. All he needs is time.

  Only after he struck her was she able to see her mistake. How naive she had been to let it go on this long; how blind she had been to all of the signs. The only thing worse than the shame of her mistake was the feeling she’d had in the moment just after his hand struck her cheek. It was a feeling she had never dreamed that Lenny could awaken in her—a fear so consuming she felt as if she couldn’t breathe.

  The night he had hit her, she had barricaded the door with the flimsy table from their kitchenette and stayed awake keeping watch. She knew Lenny could have shoved the table aside, but placing it in front of the door gave her a small bit of comfort. As the months passed and Lenny showed no signs of returning, Millie’s fear began to fade, like freckles in the winter when the sun was out of sight. But when he appeared in the middle of Federal Street, snickering at her clumsiness and making his demands, fear gripped her again and wouldn’t let go. For now, she may have earned a slight reprieve, but she had a terrible feeling that Lenny would be back.