Battle Hymns (23 page)

Their usual dates consisted of seeing new films or
the occasional dinner and dancing. All were in front of the
watchful eyes of the public. In Natalie’s words, their dates lacked
the best part of dating: time alone together. Charlotte wanted some
privacy with Will, and this weekend, she’d planned their date with
exactly that in mind.

The last few days of summer were upon them, and the
weather was remarkably warm and sunny for late September. On Sunday
afternoon, she borrowed her mother’s convertible, folded down the
roof, and drove to Georgetown to pick up Will. She parked the
Cadillac in front of a brick row house on O Street and honked the
horn in two quick blasts.

The front door opened, and Will stepped out. She
waved as he strode to the car. He opened the door and sat in the
passenger seat.

“Good afternoon, darling,” he said as he closed the
gap between them. Their lips met briefly.

Charlotte smiled. “I missed you.”

“I missed you, too.”

She drove east. “Did you bring your swimsuit?”

Will held up the small bag he brought with him. “It’s
in here. Are you going to tell me why I need it?”

“We’re going on a little trip. I’ve saved up some gas
coupons, and my mother agreed to lend me her car. It’s important to
take advantage of the weather before it gets cold.”

Will pulled a pair of sunglasses from his shirt
pocket and put them on. He relaxed into the seat while the breeze
ruffled his dark hair. “I’ll let you surprise me then.”

They passed through downtown D.C. and crossed into
Maryland. Once they were out of the metro area, Charlotte headed
south toward the Chesapeake Bay. She hadn’t been to the beach there
in over two years. She and Nick had made the trip the summer before
the war, and according to one of his letters, it was there he
decided he wanted to marry her. She was uneasy about revisiting it
with Will, but she couldn’t memorialize every place she’d been with
Nick. Otherwise she wouldn’t be able to visit half of the
restaurants, dance halls, and attractions in Washington, D.C. There
were new memories to be made.

Almost two hours after leaving Georgetown, they
passed the welcome sign into the town of Chesapeake Beach,
population 1,866.

Charlotte drove slowly down the main street that ran
parallel to the shore, past numerous shops, diners, and the
boardwalk. She and Will weren’t the only ones enjoying the last of
the warm weather. She braked as groups of youths and families in
their swimwear crossed the street to the beach. They eventually
made it past the crowded, pedestrian area and continued south.

Will jutted his thumb backward. “I think you passed
it.”

She shook her head. “The boardwalk is fun, but that’s
not where we’re going.”

When they approached the outskirts of town, she
veered off the main road. The car jostled them as they traversed
the unpaved road. She maneuvered the car through the overgrown
brush and foliage. Finally, the road dead-ended onto a secluded
beach. The bay water was bright blue, only a shade or two deeper
than the sky above. The water gently lapped at the sand, and the
eastern shore of the Chesapeake Bay was a dark sliver on the
horizon.

Charlotte turned off the car. She removed her
sunglasses, kicked off her shoes, and pulled the scarf from her
hair. When she stepped out, she dug her toes into the warm sand.
Stretching her arms above her head, she closed her eyes and tipped
her chin up toward the sun.

The passenger door slammed shut. Will stood next to
the car, his hands stuffed in his trouser pockets. A bemused smile
played upon his lips. “I take it we’re going swimming?”

She giggled. “Why else would I ask you to bring your
swimsuit?” She walked around to the back of the car and opened the
trunk. She pulled out two towels and her yellow swimsuit and set
them upon the hood. “Will you be my lookout?”

Will’s brow lifted. “Your lookout for what?”

Her cheeks grew rosy. “Well, there’s nowhere to
change. I need you to make sure no one drives down here while I’m
undressed . . . if that’s all right with you.”

“Sure. We wouldn’t want anyone else to see.” He took
several steps up the road and stopped with his back to Charlotte.
“The coast is clear so far.”

Keeping her eyes on Will, she changed into her
two-piece swimsuit. “All done.”

Even though sunglasses hid his eyes, she felt them on
her body when he turned around. He approached her and kissed her
lightly, one hand grazing the bare skin of her torso. “Will you
return the favor?”

Charlotte sighed. She yearned to be nearer to him,
not further away. “I guess it’s only fair.” She turned and moseyed
a few paces up the road. She waited with her hands on her waist,
staring at the coastal foliage. “All I see are trees and
bushes.”

“Good. No peeking.”

The corner of her lips twitched at his teasing. “Did
you peek when I was changing?”

Will chuckled. “Absolutely not. I’m a gentleman.”

“I know.”

“Would you rather I weren’t?”

“No.” Charlotte bowed her head and focused on the
sand between her toes. She was glad she didn’t have to look into
his eyes. It was easier to speak her mind. “But you don’t have to
be so proper all the time, especially when it’s just the two of
us.” She drew her lip between her teeth. “You know, I’m not as
innocent as you might think.”

She waited for a response. Aside from the sounds of
the water and the chirping birds, all was silent. She tapped her
foot as she waited for confirmation that he’d changed into his
swimsuit. Not wanting to rush him, she counted to twenty.

“Can I turn around now?”

Will’s arms came around her waist from behind. His
lips found her nape. “Not yet,” he whispered.

Her heart thudded. His bare chest pressed against her
back, sending a quiver through her limbs, as his hands explored
parts of her body he hadn’t yet touched: her swimsuit-covered navel
and hip bones, her exposed ribs and upper thighs. Living up to his
gentlemanly reputation, he avoided the areas she longed for him to
touch the most.

His caresses disappeared as he backed away. “Then you
didn’t mind me doing that?”

Charlotte faced him. He’d discarded his sunglasses
and regarded her with an intensity that made her acutely aware of
her admission of experience. There was also vulnerability, as if he
feared he’d crossed a boundary and now awaited her rejection.

She flashed a reassuring smile. “I didn’t mind. In
fact, I might’ve enjoyed it.”

His face relaxed.

She lowered her gaze to fully appreciate Will in his
swimsuit. She paused at his torso. Beneath the scant hair, a jagged
scar ran from his chest to his navel, the skin pink and puckered.
She traced its path with her forefinger and frowned. Having been
his nurses’ aide, she had seen the wounds from Will’s crash when
they were freshly stitched and bandaged. Even so, she hadn’t
expected them to leave such prominent scars so many months
later.

He scowled. “They look unsightly, don’t they? They’re
fading, little by little.”

Charlotte shook her head. “They make you look brave.”
She grabbed his hand so he wouldn’t ruminate on his injuries. “Come
on, let’s go swimming.”

The bay was colder than she remembered. By the time
the water reached her waist, she shrieked and shivered. While she
raised her arms to keep as much of her upper body as dry as
possible, Will dove beneath the surface immediately, his form a
shadow in the murky water. He reappeared in front of her, drops of
water rolling down his skin.

He pushed his wet hair out of his eyes. “It feels
nice.”

She crossed her arms and rubbed her shoulders. “Are
you kidding? It’s freezing!”

He laughed and fell to his knees so only his head
poked up above the surface. “You’ll get used to it quickly. If you
don’t do it yourself, I’ll have to drag you under.”

“You wouldn’t.”

He grabbed her ankle, and she jumped in surprise.

“Fine! I’ll do it myself.” She stared at the water,
steeling herself for the chill. “On the count of three.”

Will counted on her behalf. “One . . .
two . . . three.”

Charlotte pinched her nose, buckled her knees, and
plunged into the bay. When she surfaced, she inhaled a deep breath
and wiped her eyes. “You were right. The water feels pretty
good.”

“I told you so.” Will reached for her waist and
pulled her nearer to him. “Come here.”

She wrapped her legs around his hips and held onto
his shoulders. She studied his face: the cleft in his chin, the
tiny scar above his right eyebrow, the dark eyelashes framing his
green eyes.

“I’m so glad I met you,” she said. “I feel guilty for
being grateful, though, since you had to be terribly injured in
order for us to meet.”

“Don’t feel guilty, darling.” Will swept a piece of
her hair from her forehead. “I’d do it all over again if I knew I’d
get you at the end of it.”

She arched her eyebrow. “Even a fractured leg?”

He nodded. “Even a fractured leg.”

Her smile widened. “You must love me a lot,
then.”

“I do.” Will cupped the nape of her neck and drew her
even closer. His lips parted, and Charlotte met them eagerly,
unleashing her constrained desire from their earlier encounter. As
his tongue coaxed her lips open, his hand traveled down her spine
and to her rear. He lifted her further up into his lap.

She ceased her squirming when she felt him between
her thighs. She opened her eyes and sought his. Her fingertips
grazed his jawline. “Do you want to make love to me?”

He regarded her intently. “Of course.”

“Good. Because I want you to,” she whispered.

Will released her. “Not here.”

Charlotte smiled faintly. “I know.”

Despite the progress they’d made in their physical
relationship, she could no longer contain her frustration. She held
her breath and sunk beneath the surface, letting the bay envelope
her body and restore her sensibilities. She remained submerged, her
eyes squeezed shut, until her lungs demanded air.

When she resurfaced, Will was standing. She joined
him on her feet, pulled her hair to the side, and twisted out the
excess water. “I’m cold. Let’s sunbathe.”

They waded out of the bay, set their towels on the
sand, and lay next to one another. He took her hand in his and
rested it on his abdomen. She closed her eyes and let the sunshine
warm her skin. She tried to ignore her yearning for him, though it
proved impossible when he lay so close to her in such a secluded
area.

The faint, staccato whirl of a motor interrupted her
thoughts. She opened her eyes and shielded the sunlight with her
hand. A red plane flew a couple hundred yards above them, heading
north along the coastline.

She nudged Will’s arm. “Darling, what kind of plane
is that?”

He scrutinized the aircraft. “Looks like an old
Davis. You see how there’s only one set of wings above the
fuselage? It’s called a parasol wing. They were popular in the
twenties.”

“What kind of plane is yours?”

“A Stearman. It’s newer but slower. Double wings
produce more drag.”

The aircraft disappeared from sight, and they were
left in silence. She glanced at Will. “Have you figured out what
you’ll do with your plane?”

“Not yet.” He cleared his throat. “Where’d you find
this place?”

Charlotte frowned at the abrupt subject change. Two
months had passed since they visited Connecticut, and Will hadn’t
made any arrangements to have his plane transferred. She feared if
he didn’t do it soon, he’d continue to put it off indefinitely.
Nevertheless, she answered his question without further
comment.

“My dad grew up in this area.” She motioned down the
beach. “My grandparents had a little cottage around the bend. They
lost it during the depression, but we’ve been vacationing here ever
since. It’s only a couple hours outside the city, and my dad’s
never been able to take much time off work.”

“And have you taken all your other beaux here?”

She flipped onto her stomach, propping herself up
with her elbows. Her fingers combed through his hair. “There
haven’t been many.”

“Hmm . . . Me, Nick, and who
else?”

“Just one boy in high school . . . no
one for you to worry about. It was short-lived.”

“Did you bring Nick here?”

Charlotte withdrew her fingers. “Yes, once.” She
rolled over and collapsed onto her back, staring at the blue sky.
Her brow furrowed. “Please don’t make me feel ashamed about that.
It was a long time ago, and I shouldn’t have to apologize.”

Will sat up and kissed her shoulder. “I’m sorry. It
was an innocent question.”

“Good.” She ran her fingers through his hair again.
“Because I love you.”

He positioned himself above her. “I love you, too.”
His lips trailed up to the crook of her neck. Her eyes closed as
his caresses brought her nearer to her breaking point.

She gently pushed him away. “Do you have plans next
weekend?”

Will lay next to her and dragged his fingertips along
her arm instead. He shrugged. “The same as every other
weekend . . . working Saturday and seeing you
Sunday. What would you like to do?”

“Could you adjust your schedule and leave work early
on Saturday evening?”

“Probably. Why?”

“We could go out to dinner.” Her cheeks heated.
“Then . . . I don’t know . . .
perhaps we could get a hotel room and stay the night.”

Will’s expression remained unreadable. “Sure, if
that’s what you want.”

She sighed. “Darling, I want you to want it,
also.”

This time, Will didn’t conceal his grin. He leaned in
and kissed her lightly. “Believe me, I do.” He tucked a lock of
hair behind her ear. “I’ll make the necessary arrangements.”

Thirty