The G.I. Bride

by Eileen Ramsay

  Bess snorted. ‘Honestly, April, what’s the matter with you? Sounds like a very nice gesture to me. Were they handsome?’

  ‘But a complete stranger paying for me and that woman on the till said I was “in with a chance”. I was mortified!’

  ‘A cup of tea, April,’ said Eunice. ‘They’re in a foreign country; they’re unsure of themselves and probably they’re lonely. The only one I’ve seen so far looks as if he hasn’t started shaving yet.’

  ‘Well, the ones we met will be fine if Mrs Teague has anything to do with it. She’s invited them all round for tea when they have a moment. One of them is a cowboy. Mrs Teague thought she’d died and gone to heaven. She’s seen every cowboy film ever made, apparently, and reeled off names by the dozen on our way home . . .’ April giggled as she remembered Mrs Teague’s almost childlike delight the day before.

  Bess interrupted her. ‘Mrs Teague, a cowgirl? I’d buy a ticket to see that. And the cowboy? What’s he like?’

  ‘Very well-mannered and kind.’

  ‘What does he look like? Come on, April, the important stuff.’

  ‘I suppose he’s good-looking in a cowboyish sort of way. Tall – he had to bend himself in half to get down far enough to shake hands with Mrs Teague – broad shoulders, slim, red hair. Not deep red like yours, Eunice, but quite bright. His nose looks as if it’s been broken, but cowboys are always being thrown off their horses, aren’t they?’

  ‘Hmm, I wouldn’t mind someone like that throwing a lasso over me.’ Bess winked. ‘Anyway, that’s nothing. The other evening, I was cycling back to my nan’s from work and a US Army truck stopped beside me and they absolutely insisted on driving me back. Ooh, and they were handsome. Well, apart from the one who offered to drive me home. Buck teeth.’ She grimaced. ‘They mentioned that they would be having a dance soon, and insisted I had to come so they could all dance with me.’ She smirked at them. ‘So it looks like I can take my pick. Lucky me, eh?’

  ‘Are you out of your mind? Several G.I.s? How many is several?’

  Bess gave the question some thought. ‘Four, maybe five, and they were perfect gentlemen.’

  ‘And what were they doing out at night? Drinking, probably.’

  ‘A girl doesn’t like to ask, Eunice. Anyway, they’d been at some beach exercising; at least they said they were on an exercise, if that’s the same thing.’

  ‘No, it’s not,’ said April. ‘Theo used to talk about exercise and it meant they were practising something, like creeping up on the enemy without being discovered.’

  Eunice did not give in easily. ‘I’m sorry, Bess, but you were very silly to get into a vehicle with a bunch of soldiers. Don’t you know what could have happened?’

  Bess looked at her as if she could not believe her ears. ‘ ’Course I know. Believe it or not, I’m a qualified nurse. Anyway, they’re coming into town on Sunday afternoon and I’m going to meet them. They haven’t been to a British pub yet.’

  ‘And you didn’t tell them they won’t get into one on a Sunday?’

  ‘Oh Lord. I completely forgot. One of them, Spike something or other, read me a list of instructions every serviceman was given. All about manners, really. Don’t insult the English, they’re your hosts and it would be impolite, especially don’t insult the king or queen, and besides’ – she adopted what she thought was an American accent – ‘it’s real stupid to insult one of your oldest allies – things like that, but nothing about licensing laws.’

  ‘Should you be meeting a group of men on your own in the pub?’ Eunice was still very disapproving, much to Bess’s annoyance.

  ‘I won’t be on my own. Nancy is coming with me.’

  ‘But what about your boyfriend? The dashing officer who looks like Jimmy Stewart?’ April couldn’t help asking.

  Bess looked evasive. ‘Doesn’t mean I can’t have a drink with other people, does it? And I’ve already invited him for a drink. Cycled up to Pencalenick House the other day.’

  ‘So, did you talk to him?’ asked Eunice.

  ‘The guards at the gate told me to leave a message and they’d get it to him. Honestly, you’d have thought I was a German soldier, the way they looked at me! Still, once he’s seen the message, I expect he’ll turn up here.’

  April and Eunice looked at each other, but wisely said nothing. It never did any good to tease Bess, she always took it the wrong way.

  Just then they heard an alert for an Emergency Room physician, put down their cups of unfinished tea and hurried back to their stations. April, who was assigned to post-op that week, hoped that whoever the patient was, they could be saved.

  When she got to the ward, the sister greeted her. ‘Good, glad to have you back, Nurse Harvey. Seems a young American serviceman has overturned his truck and is very seriously injured, poor thing. Doesn’t look old enough to be driving, let alone serving as a soldier.’ She shook her head sadly. ‘You’ve had a lot of trauma training, so I want you to look after him when he gets out of theatre.’

  ‘Yes, of course, sister.’ April wasn’t looking forward to the task, and she hoped the soldier wasn’t one of the ones she’d met the day before.

  Sadly, though, a short time later, the sister came to tell her that the boy had died on the operating table. April tried hard to keep the tears from falling. She was a nurse, and death was ever-present in a hospital, especially during wartime, but even so, she found it hard to keep her emotions in check when tragedy occurred.

  *

  When April got home that night, she found that the news had spread through the town already. Mrs Beetie was sitting in the kitchen with an inevitably tearful Mrs Teague.

  ‘Oh, April, it wasn’t Red, was it?’

  ‘No, Mrs Teague, it wasn’t anyone we met. But it’s still so sad.’

  ‘Come on, Doris, how many times have I told you not to take on so. You have to stop feeling like you have to care for every young person in the town. And now we have all these young soldiers here, I can see you’re only going to get worse.’

  Mrs Teague sighed. ‘I know, but they are so young, Celia. I can’t help feeling responsible for them somehow.’

  ‘There, now, let me get you another cup of tea and then I must get off. Mr B hasn’t had his tea yet, unless he’s shifted himself to get his own.’ She rolled her eyes, knowing full well that he wouldn’t have even thought of it.

  The town was quiet that weekend. Not one American soldier appeared.

  Chapter 8

  One day towards the end of June, when April came down for her afternoon break, she noticed a crowd of people gathered around the noticeboard in the cafeteria, all chattering excitedly.

  ‘What’s all the fuss about?’ she asked Jean Gray, a nurse she didn’t know that well.

  ‘Look!’ She pointed to a large piece of paper pinned to the board. ‘The Americans are having a dance and we’re all invited! Apparently, they’re going to construct a dance floor in the woods outside Bodmin and lay on transport for all of us. Oh, how fabulous! I haven’t been to a dance for ages.’

  ‘Goodness! In the woods? Well, that sounds fun.’

  ‘Telling me. I just hope I can go.’

  There was so much noise that two of the sisters came over to disperse the crowd and chivvy them all back to work.

  ‘The world is at war and they’re putting in a dance floor.’ Sister Turnbull gave a disdainful sniff.

  ‘I think it’s a splendid idea,’ said Sister Smith, the nicest of all the sisters at the hospital. ‘Life is so uncertain for everyone at the moment, and those young soldiers are so far from home that if their colonel thinks a little time spent dancing is good for morale . . . Well, let me tell you, if they can find someone old enough to dance with me, we’ll all go.’

  ‘Well, I suppose we should go, then.’ Bess had appeared at April’s shoulder. ‘We should do everything to make them feel welcome, just as Sister Smith says.’

  ‘You’ll only be going if I say you’re not on duty, Nurse Wa
lker.’ Sister Turnbull wasn’t fooled by Bess’s mock reluctance. ‘And that goes for all of you. Don’t make any plans until the duty rosters have been drawn up. Now come along. Just because the Americans have nothing better to do than hold dances doesn’t mean you can stop work.’ And with another sniff, she turned and walked briskly away.

  *

  For a few days after the invitation was posted, tea breaks were filled with happy chatter about what to wear.

  ‘It’s sometimes hard to believe there’s a war on,’ said Eunice, ‘with all this talk of dances. Anyone who can get into my taffeta skirt is welcome to borrow it.’

  ‘But won’t you be going?’ April asked.

  ‘No, I’m happy to work. I’m not sure how my Norm would feel about me jitterbugging with every American soldier in Cornwall.’

  Bess laughed. ‘Honestly, Eunice, you’re not married yet, and it’s only a dance.’

  ‘Even so, I’d hate to do anything to upset him while he’s fighting for us all. No, my taffeta is up for grabs, girls. First come first served.’

  Nancy perked up at that. ‘Can I borrow it, Eunice?’

  ‘Course you can. I’ll bring it in tomorrow.’

  April considered Nancy’s statuesque form, and Eunice’s slim, almost boyish figure, but didn’t say anything. Nancy loved her clothes to be tight, but she hoped she wouldn’t rip it.

  Bess looked over at April. ‘What about your Theo?’ April wished Bess didn’t know about Theo, but she’d been sitting with her and Eunice when they were talking about him one day.

  ‘He’s not my Theo. We are friends and he would tell me to go to the dance and have fun, and I will if I can find something to wear. Otherwise, it’s a skirt and blouse – marginally better than wearing my uniform.’

  ‘Doesn’t matter what you wear, April,’ said Nancy. ‘You always look gorgeous, doesn’t she, Bess? Wish I could say the same. Takes me hours to look my best.’

  Bess swept April with a long, hard look. ‘I suppose she does, if you like the innocent, girlish look,’ she said witheringly.

  April blushed, feeling suddenly very frumpy even though they were all in uniform.

  ‘Anyway,’ Bess continued, ‘in the spirit of Eunice’s generosity, I have a spare pair of nylons if anyone wants to borrow them.’

  ‘Have you?’ Nancy looked entranced. ‘You never said. Where did you get them from?’

  Bess tapped the side of her nose. ‘I might have mentioned a handsome officer I met once or twice, girls, do you remember?’

  ‘What? The one you keep saying will turn up here, but somehow he never does?’ Eunice said sceptically.

  ‘You’re not here all the time, Eunice Granger. But what say we all meet up to go and look for something new to wear? Anyone else off on Saturday?’

  ‘Oh, yes, let’s all meet up!’ Nancy was almost bouncing with excitement. Can we get tea at the Bluebell as well?’

  Bess rolled her eyes. ‘If you insist.’

  ‘I’ll be there, even though I don’t need to buy anything for the dance. I’ll be going to St Agnes that afternoon to stay with Mum for the night, as she’s been feeling blue about not hearing from Dad and George, but I can come in the morning. What about you, April?’

  ‘Oh yes, it’ll be fun. Though I probably can’t buy anything.’

  ‘Good, that’s arranged. See you then, everybody!’ Bess called as she left.

  *

  The day of the shopping expedition dawned bright and warm, and before she left, April went out into the garden where Mrs Teague was weeding the vegetable patch.

  ‘We’re going to have a bumper crop of lettuce if this gorgeous weather continues,’ she said. ‘I can’t remember when we last had such a long stretch of good weather.’

  ‘I know. The hospital has been roasting. Makes the patients very grumpy. Anyway, I’m just off to meet the girls, Mrs Teague, to see if we can get anything for the dance. Do you want anything from town?’

  ‘Wonderful. So glad you girls are getting some time to relax together. You work too hard, if you ask me.’ She looked at April, who was wearing one of only two summer dresses she possessed. ‘And you should get yourself a new frock, April Harvey. That one looks like it’s about to fall apart. You can’t wear that to the dance.’

  April looked down at herself. Mrs Teague had a point. The cotton shirt dress was faded and what had once been a pretty blue, flowered material now looked very worn. She thought of the dresses she used to own. All gone now.

  ‘You’re right,’ she said ruefully. ‘But I’m not sure it’s worth spending the money on a new dress just yet. I can make do with what I’ve got.’

  ‘You’ll be wanting to look pretty in case some handsome G.I. comes and whisks you off your feet. Maybe that lovely Red will be at the dance.’ Mrs Teague gave her a sly grin.

  ‘Honestly! Don’t you go letting your thoughts stray in that direction! That’s the last thing I need. I’ll leave all that to Nancy and Bess.’

  ‘Oh, April, I completely forgot, talking of young men. You were in so late last night and I was so tired I didn’t tell you about your letter. It’s on the mantelpiece. I think it’s from your soldier friend, Theo.’

  April’s heart leapt. ‘Gosh, at last! I’ll go and get it. Bye for now!’

  April rushed to get the letter, stuffed it in her pocket, then darted out the front door. She’d gone just a few steps when she heard Mrs Teague calling her from the doorstep.

  ‘Do bring your friends home for tea, April. I’d be so happy to see them.’

  April smiled to herself. If Mrs Teague could invite the whole of Truro to tea she would. She wondered if Red would ever turn up. She hoped so. In just that one brief meeting, Mrs Teague had taken him to her heart and was still talking about him. If she ever saw him again, she would make sure to shepherd him back to Daniel Road if it was the last thing she did.

  The girls had arranged to meet at the cathedral, and April and Eunice arrived there simultaneously, but Nancy and Bess were nowhere to be seen.

  ‘Hmph. They’ve probably met some unbelievably handsome Americans and we won’t see them at all,’ Eunice said scathingly.

  ‘No, here they are, look.’

  She watched as Bess and Nancy, looking incredibly glamorous and a little overdressed, strutted towards them. Bess was wearing a beautiful white, slim-skirted dress that was cinched in at the waist with a slim black patent belt. On her feet were a pair of high, wedged sandals. Her dark curly hair was in a Victory roll at the sides, with the curls flowing down her back.

  Nancy was looking equally glamorous, in a pair of beige slacks that showed all her curves. She wore a blouse tucked in tightly, with the buttons undone just a little too low. She also wore wedge sandals similar to Bess’s. Her hair, which she’d now dyed black, was clipped at the sides and hung to her shoulders. Both girls had painted their lips the same vivid scarlet.

  ‘Good grief!’ Eunice was staring at the pair. ‘Have I missed something? Are they going to the dance now?’

  They looked beautiful, thought April glumly, suddenly feeling plain and unsophisticated in her hand-me-down dress. She’d thought Eunice looked nice in her green shirtwaister, but these two were really turning heads – although she could see some very disapproving looks being thrown their way as well.

  ‘Hello, girls.’ Bess came to a stop in front of them and did a little twirl. ‘What do you think? Reckon we’ll catch anyone’s eye today?’

  ‘Hmm. Well, you’ve certainly caught the eye of that man over there.’ Eunice gestured across the road.

  Bess looked over eagerly, only to see an old man, wearing a flat cap, who’d been cleaning a shop window. He now stood, cloth in hand, water dripping down on to his shoes, and a cigarette practically falling out of his open mouth.

  She tossed her head at him and looked away. ‘Well, I hope this isn’t how you’re going to be for the whole day, Eunice. I just want a bit of fun.’

  ‘Me too.’ Nancy was standing with her hand
on her hip, posing for anyone who cared to look.

  ‘Anyone would think you were going to a night at the Savoy, not just trailing around the market in Truro and having a cup of tea. Admit it, the minute you see a handsome man you’re going to be off, aren’t you?’

  ‘Course not. We’re here to spend time with our pals, and that’s what we’re going to do. But you never know who you might meet. Tell you what, let’s pop into the Bluebell now for a quick cuppa before we go to the market. What do you say? I’ll treat you all. I might even throw in a bun if you’re lucky.’ Bess winked and sashayed away, the others trailing in her wake.

  *

  The Bluebell was full, as usual, but luckily one table became free just as they walked in so they rushed over to sit at it. April saw that Nancy and Bess were flicking their eyes around the room, hoping, no doubt, to see some G.I.s, but there were only the usual locals here this morning. Once seated at the table, the waitress, who had been so disapproving of April when Red had paid her bill, came over, looking unimpressed at the sight of the girls.

  ‘Don’t know who you’re expecting to meet, but just so you know, there’s not been any Yanks in for a while, so no point getting all dressed up, eh, girls?’

  ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about, Kath. Me and the girls just want a bit of tea before we look round the shops. If that’s not too much trouble.’ Nancy smiled at her winningly.

  Kath flounced away and Nancy leaned over the table and whispered conspiratorially, ‘She never did like me. Used to be two years above me at school and bossed us all around something rotten. But she really hated me, and I never knew why.’ Nancy looked a little mournful at that, and April patted her hand.

  ‘She was just jealous ’cos everyone likes you, Nance, that’s all.’

  Nancy brightened. ‘Do you think so?’

  ‘Never mind all that,’ Bess said impatiently. ‘What’s the news? Anything from Norm yet, Eunice?’

  ‘Oh, yes.’ Eunice’s answer was surprisingly muted. ‘I got a letter yesterday. He’s safe, he’s well, and he misses me.’