‘Red, dear, I don’t understand. Sometimes the town is full of all you young men, but at others, there’s not a sight of one of you. It’s as if you’ve never been here. Where on earth do you go?’
‘Highly classified information, Mrs T.’ Red tapped his nose. ‘Let’s just say that we are not always the relaxed and happy band you see, and we are working hard to help you Brits win this war. So try not to worry. I reckon everything’s going to turn out just fine if the US Army have anything to do with it.’
‘Bless you, dear. Of course you are. I forget sometimes that you have work to do. You’re all so brave coming over here to fight with us. Aren’t they, April?’
April smiled. ‘Yes, of course they are. We’re very grateful to you all.’
They sat for some time longer, chatting easily, almost like a real family having lunch together, April thought with a smile. But eventually, Red got up to leave.
‘Well, Mrs T, I can’t thank you enough. And next time, I will bring my lasso and some supplies. But now, I’ve got to get back. This has been a real pleasure, ma’am.’
‘Nonsense, Red. It was our pleasure, wasn’t it, April? Just as it was a pleasure to have you with us, too, Eunice.’
Mrs Teague rose from the table and went to retrieve Red’s cap. She handed it to him and stretched up on tiptoe to kiss his cheek. Red tipped his hat gallantly and left.
‘Oh, what a lovely man, don’t you think, April? Just the sort of man any mother would be happy to meet if their daughter brought him home.’
April sighed in resignation. ‘Yes, I’m sure, Mrs Teague, but please don’t be thinking in that direction for me. I am not looking for a boyfriend. Certainly not one who will leave and go back to his home thousands of miles away.’
‘Oh, of course, dear. Well, all I can say is any girl would be lucky to walk out with a gentleman like Red, don’t you think, Eunice? Though I know you’ve got your Norm.’
Eunice gave April a mischievous look, then said, ‘I couldn’t agree more, Mrs Teague. And do you think that our April is perhaps protesting too much? I think Red is perfect for her.’
Mrs Teague beamed at the two of them, while April gave Eunice an ‘I’ll kill you’ look. ‘I think you need to go, don’t you, Eunice?’
Eunice laughed. ‘I do, so I’ll say goodbye. Thank you so much for the lunch. I wish you worked in the hospital kitchens. We’d all be a lot happier.’
Mrs Teague flapped her hand at her. ‘Get on with you. You do say the silliest things, Eunice.’
‘Yes, doesn’t she,’ said April pointedly.
Eunice left laughing, and April was glad she’d been able to cheer her up. All in all, considering how badly the day had started, it had ended beautifully. Suddenly, the reason for the bad start came back to her. The letter! She must reply to Theo before she became too busy.
But what to say? The year since she’d seen him had brought so much change for her, she wasn’t sure she still felt the same for him. She sat at her desk for a little while, sucking the end of her pen. Then finally, she wrote:
Dear Theo,
It was lovely to hear from you and sorry life is so boring wherever you are. But that’s better than the alternative, isn’t it? I’d rather think of you bored and safe than the other way around.
Life here is very busy, and I really do love Cornwall. I think I feel more comfortable here than I ever did in London. Which is strange, considering I grew up there. And, of course, I had you, my dear friend, as a companion. But then, I suppose, war changes everything.
I’m going to a dance at one of the American bases that have sprung up around here in a couple of weeks. They’ve invited all the hospital staff. I hope it’ll be fun. The last dance I went to was with you . . .
Anyway, Theo, it’s late and I must get to bed. Stay safe always. I’ll be thinking of you.
Love, April
She considered the letter for a moment, wondering whether it was mean to mention the dance when she’d first found out about Charlotte. She sighed and put the letter in an envelope. Was it really only a year ago when they’d shared that tender kiss? Now, after being in Cornwall for eight months, she realised how much she’d changed. She was no longer the besotted girl she’d been that night of the dance, nor the sad, grief-stricken girl of just a year ago. She may still grieve for her father, but she’d found a home and a makeshift family of her own, and she’d discovered just how strong she could be.
Chapter 10
April managed to avoid Bess for most of the week. But her luck ran out one afternoon when the ward was unusually quiet, so Sister Turnbull sent April to make some nappies and sanitary towels. It was boring work, but if there were several nurses, it was a good opportunity to have a chat. On this occasion, though, April was surprised to see both Bess and Nancy. As qualified nurses, they usually didn’t get assigned such a tedious and unskilled task.
‘Oh, what are you two doing here?’ she asked.
Bess gave her a cool stare, but didn’t answer. Nancy was more garrulous. ‘I’m in trouble with matron for being late for duty on Saturday. It was only a couple of hours! As for Bess, apparently she didn’t turn up again. Won’t tell me why, though.’
‘Oh dear. What happened?’
Nancy smiled slyly. ‘Well, between you and me, I was having such a good time with Homer that I forgot the time. He is absolutely dreamy, don’t you think? So big and powerful. I’m going to see him again next time we can both get away. I can’t wait.’
‘What about you and A.J., Bess? Will you be seeing him again?’ April looked at Bess expectantly.
Bess sniffed. ‘That’s none of your business. What about you? I saw you walk off arm in arm with that red-headed G.I. Anything you want to tell us?’
Even though there was nothing to feel guilty about, April blushed. ‘That’s the cowboy me and Mrs Teague met at the Bluebell. She’s been talking about him so much that when I saw him in the street, I asked him to come back for lunch.’
Bess raised her eyebrows. ‘Really? Not five minutes after reading a letter from your sweetheart, you’re off with another man. You’re no better than the rest of us.’
‘Theo is not my sweetheart. Anyway, I only asked him back for Mrs Teague’s sake. It’s hardly as bad as what you did.’
Bess looked enraged. ‘What do you mean?’
April sighed. ‘All I mean is that you seem to put seeing men and having a good time over your work.’
‘Oh really? That’s a bit rich, coming from someone who just picked up some man off the street and took him home.’
‘I told you, Red isn’t just some stranger. In fact, maybe you should meet him. He’s ever so nice, and I bet you two would really get on.’
‘I don’t need your cast-offs, April. I’m doing just fine, and I don’t like what you’re implying. All I’m doing is being friendly, and you seem to think I’m some sort of slut. Yet, when you’re friendly, it’s fine. I’m a bit sick of your holier-than-thou attitude to everything, to be honest.’
April was beginning to feel exasperated, and she put down the roll of cotton she was cutting out. ‘Oh, for goodness sake, Bess, what is your problem with me? And when have I been holier than thou?’
Nancy, ever the peace-maker, weighed in. ‘Bess, I think you are being a bit unfair. April did know him already. And, April, we are both dedicated nurses. Missing one duty isn’t exactly the crime of the century.’
Luckily, before things could get any more heated, Sister Mulholland came into the room. ‘Nurse Walker. I need you immediately. One of your patients is asking for you.’
Bess threw down the cotton and got up noisily from the table. ‘Coming, sister.’ She turned to April and whispered, ‘You think you’re so much better than the rest of us, April, don’t you? Well, did you hear that? A patient is asking for me. I’m better than you think I am, and I’d thank you not to talk to me again until you change your attitude.’ With that she flounced out.
April turned to Nancy with a b
ewildered look. ‘I never thought I was better than her. Why does she hate me so much, Nancy?’
Nancy sighed. ‘Between you and me, things weren’t quite so fun for Bess that day, and you know how sensitive she can be. Anyway, that night, I don’t know what happened to her, because me and Homer went our own way, and A.J. left, so I have no idea what she did. She’d been asking and asking A.J. to take her to the camp so she could find that Crawford fellow, but he wouldn’t. I think she might have gone up there by herself again to see if she could find him. I think she’s gone a bit crazy over that fellow, to be honest. And it’s not . . .’ Nancy paused, then shook her head. ‘Anyway, don’t worry about it. She’ll get over it, when she’s had a chance to calm down.’
April wasn’t quite so sure. It felt like things between her and Bess had reached the point of no return and she dreaded the night of the dance. If Bess had her way she would make things very awkward for her.
*
Despite these fears, though, to April’s relief, when the convoy of army trucks arrived to pick up the nurses, the excitement of the occasion seemed to have mellowed Bess, and in the truck on the way over she’d nudged April.
‘Listen, I’m sorry about the other day. Nancy and Eunice say I’m too rough on you, and I think they’re right. What do you say we put our differences behind us and start again? I know I can be a bit moody sometimes, but just ignore me when I am. Everyone else does.’
April looked at her uncertainly. ‘You really were horrible, Bess. I don’t know why you seem to dislike me so much.’
‘Oh, I don’t, April, I like you very much. I can just be a bit of a cow sometimes.’ She held her hand out. ‘What do you say? Friends again?’ She smiled at her and April, though she didn’t entirely trust her, was happy to call a truce, if only for tonight.
She returned her smile and shook her hand. ‘Of course, friends. Always.’
‘Good. But let’s get one thing straight, and this goes for all you girls. If my officer is there, he’s mine, all right? Hands off.’
‘Oh, shut up, Bess,’ one of the others said. ‘I swear this man doesn’t even exist.’
‘Well, he doesn’t to you, Jean Gray, understand?’
‘All right, all right. He’s all yours, I promise.’ She rolled her eyes. ‘Anyway, I reckon there’ll be enough men to go round so there’s no need to worry; we won’t steal your mythical man.’
When they arrived, April was astonished at how many people there were. The soldiers had done a very thorough job of rounding up any unattached woman who lived in or near Truro or Bodmin. And, as rumour had had it, the dance floor was in a tent. It was the biggest tent April had ever seen and, despite the fact it was khaki, it glittered with coloured lights that had been strung around the entrance and across the ceiling. Inside, tables had been set up around a dance floor and at the back of the tent a large trestle table had been set with bottles of drink, while to the side, musicians were playing the songs she’d been hearing on the radio.
April gasped as she walked in. ‘Oh, it’s beautiful. Like a magical cave in the forest.’
Very soon the nurses found themselves sitting at a large round table with several G.I.s.
One of them offered April a bottle of something he called Coca Cola. She looked at it suspiciously.
‘It’s perfectly harmless, ma’am, and surprisingly refreshing. But if you’d care for something a little stronger I can top it up with a little rum.’ He held up a hip flask that he’d dug out of his pocket.
‘Rum?’
‘Does wonders for cola.’
April laughed. ‘I better not. Don’t want to fall over.’
He shrugged and added a generous slug to his own drink before turning to Jean, who was sitting on the other side of him.
April turned to Bess. ‘So, is he here?’
Bess had been anxiously scanning the people in the tent. ‘I haven’t seen him yet. He’s probably too high-ranking to come to this sort of thing.’
‘What about Homer, Nancy? Is he here?’
‘Oh, I wish he was, but he’s not allowed. This is for white soldiers only – can you believe that? Apparently, the coloured soldiers will have a dance another time. Seems unfair to me. Still, plenty of nice boys here, don’t you think?’ She winked, and April couldn’t help laughing. She really was incorrigible.
‘Well, Red is here somewhere. So if you see a tall red-head, point him in my direction, won’t you?’
‘Ooh, April. I thought you weren’t interested.’ Bess gave her a sly look.
‘I’m not. But he’s lovely so I’d like to introduce you all.’
The talking stopped for a moment as the band started to play. One after another well-known hit tunes were played, both American and British. ‘Falling In Love With Love’ was followed by ‘Roll Out The Barrel’, which was followed by ‘Three Little Fishes’, and then by a later hit, ‘Chatanooga Choo Choo’. And so the music went on and the girls never left the dance floor, because as each song finished, another soldier would appear, introduce himself and away they would go again. It was wild and it was exuberant but it was also exhausting. Finally, April and Bess returned to their table accompanied by some of their new partners, each carrying a chair – a clear hint, decided April, that they intended to stay.
A fanfare from the band announced the arrival of a large table laden with food, the appetising aromas making everyone in the tent hungry.
To the girls, who had been living with food rationing, the selection was quite amazing. There were strange sausages, which were called hot dogs, and hamburgers, which had never been near ham but were made with real beef. There were unrecognisable side dishes with mouth-watering smells that turned out to be delicious varieties of salads. And on each table was a packet of chewing gum, some American cigarettes and a bottle of Coca Cola. Looking at the food, April felt guilty, but one of the soldiers relieved her mind.
‘It’s all shipped in from Stateside, part of our war effort.’
Just then, a voice whispered in her ear, ‘Boo!’
She turned in surprise and then exclaimed in delight, ‘Red! I’ve been looking out for you but couldn’t see you.’
‘Well, now that’s because, just as I predicted, I couldn’t get close for the men surrounding you.’
‘Come and eat with us, won’t you? You can meet my friends Bess, Nancy and Jean.’
‘I’ll see you there.’
When Red joined them at the table, he brought some friends with him. The conversation flowed easily, and Bess seemed charmed by Red. April smiled to herself; maybe now she would forget her obsession with that invisible officer.
Finally, after more dancing, it was time to leave. But when April looked around there was no sign of Bess and she wasn’t on the dance floor.
‘Maybe she went to powder her nose,’ suggested Jean. ‘If we wait here, she’ll be back.’
Twenty minutes later, Bess had still not returned.
Red stood up. ‘Maybe she took a wrong turn. It’s a big camp. Why don’t we go look.’
April, who was now getting worried, stood up and followed Red. They’d just checked the toilets when they heard a woman’s strained voice.
‘No, I said no,’ she said, and then a man’s much deeper tone: ‘You know you said yes, honey.’
‘That was Bess’s voice,’ began April, but Red was already gone.
Like a bullet from a gun, he raced across the compound, jumped a fence and disappeared. April raced after him. She heard shouts and blows and Bess’s voice. She was in tears. April struggled with the fence but managed to get over it, and a moment later Bess was sobbing in her arms.
‘It’s all right, Bess, you’re safe.’ April was unsure what to ask but she was Bess’s friend and a nurse. ‘Did he hurt you . . . in any way?’
‘Yes . . . no,’ sobbed Bess. ‘Oh April, I feel so stupid. He seemed ever so nice. He asked me if I’d ever played night baseball and of course I hadn’t, but I knew Americans played baseball
so I went with him. We kissed a few times and it was nice, but then . . . it wasn’t fun any more and he wouldn’t let go.’ She continued sobbing. ‘I’m so stupid.’
‘Hey, Bess, of course you’re not. You’re not the one who did anything wrong.’
‘He seemed to think I was asking for it.’ Bess sniffed and wiped her nose on her sleeve.
‘He’s a nasty idiot. And he’s the one who’s asking for it!’ she said fiercely.
‘Really? You don’t think this is my fault?’
‘Of course it isn’t.’
‘No one else is going to think that,’ she wailed.
Suddenly, Red was back. ‘Do you want to charge him, Miss Bess?’
Bess started to cry again but between her sobs they could hear a vehement: ‘No. I need to go home.’
‘I’ll walk you both back to the dance hall and no, Bess, you don’t need to go in. I’ll sign out a jeep and drive you home. Will you come with me, April?’
*
Less than fifteen minutes later they were driving out of the camp gates. The journey was very quiet. No one spoke but occasionally there would be a slight sob from Bess. Once in the town Red asked for directions and, since Bess was too upset, April directed him to the nurses’ home.
By the time they reached it, Bess was calm and able to thank both April and Red for their help. ‘I don’t want any trouble over my stupidity and I don’t want people talking about me; if my nan got to hear she would be so distressed.’
‘There’ll be no talk, Bess, and your baseball player won’t get out of line again. Trust me.’
Bess looked at Red as if he was a knight come to rescue her. Which in a way he was. No doubt Bess would be telling everyone how ‘gorgeous’ he was in the morning. At least this time, the man deserved the title. Red really was a very special man.
Chapter 11
August 1942
Over the next few weeks, people could talk of nothing else but the dance. Bess kept quiet and when April tried to talk to her she brushed her off. Clearly, she wanted to forget the entire incident, so April didn’t push it. In any case, she was kept too busy to worry about much except work, eat, sleep and study.
The G.I. Bride Page 10