Brides of War

by June Tate

  ‘Hello, this is Valerie Johnson,’ she said.

  ‘Valerie, it’s Gracie Rider, I don’t know if you remember me, but we met at Tidworth Camp, then came over together on the SS Argentina.’

  ‘Gracie! Of course I remember you, how are you?’

  ‘Fine, I saw your picture in Vogue and thought I’d give you a call. Obviously everything is fine with you. Congratulations!’

  Valerie didn’t contradict her. The two of them chatted for a long time, neither confessing their true situation. They exchanged addresses and promised to talk again soon.

  Hearing another English voice had cheered Valerie and she was pleased that all seemed well with her friend and thought how great it would be if they could meet up in the future. But her frame of mind was spoilt when the telephone rang once more.

  ‘Hello, Valerie Johnson.’

  ‘Oh Valerie!’ her mother-in-law’s imperious voice echoed in her ear.

  ‘Gloria! This is a surprise, what can I do for you?’ She frowned wondering the reason behind the call.

  ‘I saw your picture in Vogue,’ she began … Valerie smiled to herself … ‘I’m going shopping and wondered if we could meet for lunch?’

  ‘Sorry, Gloria, but I’m tied up all day.’

  ‘What about tomorrow? I have a meeting in the morning, we could meet after that.’

  ‘I am sorry, Gloria, but I’m not at all sure of my movements over the next while so I’m not able to say when I’ll be free.’

  ‘Oh I see! Very well.’ She replaced the receiver without saying goodbye.

  ‘Rude woman!’ Valerie slammed the receiver back in its cradle and went into the bedroom to change and pack. She then prepared a chicken salad and put it in the fridge, grabbed her sketchbook and left the apartment. She needed to keep calm waiting for Ross to return and the only way she could do so was to work. She walked until she found a restaurant with outside tables, ordered a coffee and started to sketch.

  She drew the shops with their colourful blinds, the goods on display outside. The different people from different cultures. The street musician. The small child, dancing to his music. She loved every minute of it, breathing in the life that was being lived around her.

  Later she moved on, went into a drugstore, sat in the snack bar and ate a sandwich, sketching the people sitting at other tables until she was tired – then she walked home.

  As the time for Ross’s arrival drew nearer, her whole body tensed, knowing that their meeting was not going to be enjoyable. Three suitcases were already downstairs behind the reception desk for her to take when she left. She made herself another cup of coffee and waited to hear Ross’s key in the door. And eventually, the moment arrived. She sat in a chair and waited.

  Ross entered the apartment, threw his keys onto the table in the hall and walked into the living room. When he saw Valerie, he stopped.

  ‘So you decided to come home at last!’ The anger in his tone was not wasted on her. ‘Perhaps you’d like to tell me where you spent last night?’

  Taking a deep breath she replied, ‘I stayed with Max Brennen.’

  He gave her a look of disdain. ‘Why doesn’t that surprise me?’ He crossed to a small table and poured himself a drink from the selection of bottles of liquor.

  ‘I couldn’t stay a moment longer after I saw you touting for business at my exhibition. How could you do such a thing?’

  ‘Well darling, I’m sorry if that upset your sensibilities, but you still haven’t grasped the American way of life. We business men never let an opportunity pass by, that’s why we are successful.’

  ‘It’s not the way I want to live!’ she exclaimed, horrified at his arrogance.

  He laughed loudly. ‘Really? I didn’t notice you being uncomfortable as your paintings were being sold at exorbitant prices!’

  ‘That was different,’ she protested. ‘People bought those because they liked them; no one was coerced into doing so. There was no hard sell. No American way of life. It’s called art appreciation. All you can ever see is the dollar signs. Money seems to be your God! Don’t misunderstand me, Ross, I admire your tenacity in business and fully agreed with you starting up on your own,’ she hesitated, ‘but now I realise that money is more important to you than anything else!’

  ‘That’s simply not true!’

  ‘Yes I’m afraid it is, you just can’t see it!’ she rose to her feet. ‘Not once have you been pleased for me as your wife to have proven herself. Not once have you shown that you might be proud of me for what I’ve achieved. All you saw was an opportunity to find new clients and fill your coffers! Well, I can’t go on like this. I’m sorry Ross, but I’m leaving. I don’t have a choice, you have changed beyond belief from the man I first met and married. We want different things out of life.’

  His surprise was evident. ‘Are you crazy?’

  ‘No! It isn’t how I saw our lives. I expected to be happy with you, building a home, a business, then a family. I really loved you, wanted to spend the rest of my life with you.’ Her voice was choked with emotion. ‘I just can’t live with your ruthless ambition.’

  He was furious. ‘I suppose Max Brennen is behind all this. I was afraid he’d take over your life. But don’t be fooled for a moment, he sees you as a way to make money!’

  ‘Like you, you mean? You couldn’t be more wrong. That’s the difference between you two. Money isn’t his priority. He has the soul of an artist and luckily for me, he saw something in my work that interested him. Money didn’t enter his head!’

  ‘You slept with him didn’t you?’

  ‘Yes I did. We didn’t mean it to happen, but …’

  He stood up and glaring at her said, ‘Then go to your bloody artist! I’ll file for divorce and name him as correspondent and take him for every cent he has!’

  ‘You must do what you think is right.’ She opened the door, took the elevator to the ground floor, collected her cases from reception and calling a cab, she walked out of her marriage.

  Ross picked up his glass and threw it against the wall, smashing it into pieces. He then picked up an ice pick from the table and ripped the canvas of the painting by Max Brennen that he’d bought for his wife.

  As Valerie’s cab drew up outside the studio, Max came running down the steps.

  ‘Are you all right?’ he asked, his voice full of concern.

  Climbing out of the cab, she waited for the driver to remove her cases from the trunk.

  ‘I’m fine,’ she assured him, ‘but I could do with a stiff drink!’

  Once inside the studio, they put down her cases and Max drew Valerie into his arms, holding her tightly. ‘Any regrets?’

  ‘No,’ she replied, ‘but it wasn’t nice as you can imagine. Ross was furious and he had the right to be really.’

  Max released her and poured them both a glass of whisky. ‘Here, drink this.’

  Valerie told him what had transpired. ‘I’m worried about you, Max. Ross will try and ruin you. He said he’d take you for every cent. I didn’t mean to bring you any trouble.’

  ‘Darling, there’s trouble and there’s trouble. This kind I can handle as long as you’re happy.’

  ‘I am a bit fraught, but I am happy. I can’t be myself as Ross’s wife. His needs are all financial. He’d never understand my world and the two would clash and eventually destroy us anyway … as you predicted.’

  They sat on the settee. ‘Why don’t we take off for a few days?’ he suggested, ‘take our paints with us. Get away from here and all that it holds. A break would do us both good and will give us time to plan a future.’

  To Valerie it was a wonderful idea although it sounded like running away, yet it really appealed to her. ‘Where do you suggest?’

  He thought for a moment. ‘We need a different kind of landscape, something to excite us, something new.’

  ‘How about Colorado?’

  ‘Where did that come from?’ he asked with surprise.

  ‘I had a call today fro
m the girl I made friends with before coming here. We travelled together and she rang me out of the blue. She lives just outside Denver.’

  ‘Well that certainly is different. Colorado is arid, with cacti that stretch to the sky once you leave the city behind. It nestles in the Rockies which are beautiful in themselves.’ He paused, ‘I guess you’d like to visit with your friend too?’

  ‘Oh Max, that’d be wonderful. When I heard her voice it made me a little homesick if I’m honest, not that I want to go back permanently, but it made me feel very nostalgic.’

  ‘Then that’s what we’ll do. We’ll fly out there and hire a camper and tour. Stop where we like, when we like. What do you say?’

  ‘I think it’s an inspired idea.’

  Whilst Max and Valerie were making their plans, Ross had gone out to dinner. He saw the chicken salad in the fridge then closed the door. He needed to get out of the apartment, away from the marital home. Away from the feminine touches that Valerie had made to the furnishings, which reminded him his wife was with another man.

  He sat at a table in a corner where he ordered a drink and a meal, although he’d no appetite. He couldn’t yet believe that his marriage was over! Valerie had encouraged him to open up his own firm, had been a great support, so how come she couldn’t understand his looking for business among her wealthy clients? It was a heaven-sent opportunity. Why couldn’t she see that and help him instead of blowing her top? Well she’d made her choice.

  Max Brennen of all people! What the hell did she see in the guy? OK, he could paint and he had a certain charm, but he’d never amount to anything, well not by his standards.

  All these thoughts went through his mind as he drank his wine and pushed his food around his plate. But even when he paid the bill and left the restaurant, he still couldn’t understand.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Whilst Valerie Johnson was starting a new way of life, Gracie Rider was trying to cope with hers. The atmosphere at home was increasingly tense. Jeff was moody and drinking heavily when he came home at night and she couldn’t understand why. Eventually she decided it was time to find out. When he arrived home that evening, before he took his first can of beer from the fridge, she faced him.

  ‘I want to know what’s wrong!’ she demanded. ‘For the past week, you’ve hardly spoken to me, all you’ve done is drink until you go to bed and I want to know what the hell’s going on.’

  He glared at her. ‘Well how strange you should use that choice of words because that’s exactly what I’ve been wondering.’

  He wasn’t making any sense. ‘I’ve no idea what you mean.’

  ‘What’s going on between Rick and you is what I mean!’

  She looked puzzled. ‘Nothing’s going on, I don’t know what you are driving at.’

  He opened his can of beer and looked at her with eyes flashing in anger.

  ‘Don’t take me for a fool, Gracie. I saw Rick meet you from work the other day, walk you to the bus and kiss you!’ He sat down in the chair and waited for her reply.

  There was relief on Gracie’s face. ‘Oh, for goodness’ sake is that all? He came into the shop to see if I was doing all right. Yes, he walked me to the bus, but that was a brotherly kiss on the cheek, nothing more. How could you even think such a thing?’

  She then realised her husband must have been watching them, which chilled her bones. Jeff was becoming obsessive to have done such a thing. She turned away to the oven and took out two plates of food and placed them on the table.

  ‘Come and sit down.’

  He ignored her. ‘You don’t expect me to believe that Rick was just checking up on you, do you?’

  Gracie was scared of the belligerent tone in his voice and thought she’d try and cajole him out of his mood. She walked over to his chair and knelt down beside him.

  ‘Jeff why on earth would I be interested in your brother when I have you?’

  This took him by surprise. ‘I can’t imagine!’

  She took hold of his hand. ‘I know we’ve had our ups and downs lately but I do love you, you should know that. If we really want it, we can still have a happy marriage. Look, why don’t we eat our meal and maybe go for a drive somewhere? It would be lovely to spend an evening out of the house, maybe walk around, stop for a coffee or a drink, spend time together, just the two of us. What do you say?’

  His shoulders relaxed, his anger abated and he looked at her. ‘Do you really mean what you said about still loving me?’

  She smiled with relief. ‘Of course I do, how could you doubt it?’

  He hesitated but only for a moment, then getting to his feet he said, ‘Right, then we’ll do what you said, eat and go for a drive.’ He helped her to her feet and sat at the table.

  She watched him eating and wondered what happened to the man she’d fallen in love with? There was not a shred of him in the person sitting opposite her and she knew that now, she was just playing a game. She had to keep things on an even keel until she had enough money for a passage home, then she would be away from this claustrophobic relationship. Apart from his gambling and drinking, Jeff’s jealousy of his brother was the final straw. Gracie was now concerned that in his drunken anger, Jeff might become physical and she was frightened of him.

  It was a warm evening and they drove out of the town into the countryside. Gracie could never get over the power that the Rocky Mountains seemed to exude. There was a splendour about them but at the same time they made you very aware of the power of nature. The mountain range always overwhelmed her but at the same time held a deep fascination for her.

  They stopped the car beside a small river, sat on an upturned log and lit a cigarette. It was peaceful among the pine trees.

  ‘This is such a huge but beautiful country,’ she said. ‘So very different in every way to England. It has a wildness, a raw feel to it. I expect renegade Indians to come whooping round the bend, looking for scalps!’

  Jeff started laughing. ‘That’s Hollywood movies these days, however many years ago it was different. Life was tough for the early settlers. They came out looking for gold, living in tents, trying to make a living without any amenities. They had the terrain and the Indians to cope with.’

  ‘It’s not so easy now when you consider the war, Jeff. Look how that changed so many lives.’

  They sat talking for some time then Jeff suggested they look for a place where they could get a drink or a cup of coffee, so they moved on.

  When eventually they returned to the apartment, Gracie thought how sad it was that tonight, for a while, she’d been with the old Jeff – the one who had been such a pleasure. But she knew now that such days wouldn’t last.

  The trip out that evening seemed to have settled Jeff’s suspicions and his manner was different towards Gracie. There had been no poker for a couple of weeks as two of the men were away and another taken poorly, therefore no money was lost and harmony reigned within the household, so much so, that Gracie wondered if it was all going to work out after all. Then, she had a call from Valerie telling her that she would be in the area and wanted to see her – she was delirious with happiness.

  Valerie and Max had flown to Denver, hired a camper van and driven into the mountains where they spent many happy days, painting, trying to immortalise the beautiful scenery on canvas. The roads here were quiet, so unlike New York, and there was a calm about the place, a wilderness where wild life abounded, unfettered by human habitation.

  Away from the bustle of the city, they both found inspiration for their work, often without conversation. Yet there was a closeness between them that made chatting irrelevant as they lost themselves in their own worlds. At night they would park beneath the trees, light a fire and cook over the flames, then they would talk and later make love. It was a time without worry and they savoured every moment, knowing that when they did return, there would be situations to be faced that neither of them were looking forward to.

  Valerie had contacted Gracie and arranged to meet her
in Barton where she now lived. Both the women were looking forward to the meeting; both grasping what to them would be a touch of home. There was a camping site on the edge of town that Gracie had advised them of, so they could park the camper van and she and Jeff would drive out and meet them.

  The day arrived and Gracie had been given a day off work by Milly, who was delighted for her, and Jeff had taken a day’s vacation so he too could be free. They drove out in the morning so they could have a whole day together.

  Gracie could hardly contain her excitement as they neared the site and as they drove in, she spotted the camper van and Valerie standing beside it with a man.

  ‘There, there she is!’ she told her husband.

  ‘Fine, honey, I can see,’ he replied smiling at her enthusiasm. ‘Calm down or you’ll explode!’ He pulled the car in beside the visitors.

  Gracie got out of the car and the two women rushed into each other’s arms.

  ‘Oh Gracie, I never thought we’d see each other ever again!’ Valerie exclaimed. ‘Look at you, you look so well!’

  ‘You too!’ said Gracie and turned to introduce her husband. ‘Jeff, this is my friend Valerie.’

  He shook her hand. ‘Howdy, good to meet you. Gracie has been like a scalded cat ever since she got your call.’

  Laughing Valerie said, ‘I know, I’ve been just the same. This is Max, my friend, agent and my mentor.’

  Max stepped forward.