THE WAR BRIDE CLUB (6 page)

      “How long do we have?”

      Ralph pulled her against him. She inhaled the smell of him, the feel of his body beneath her hands.
She was in love
. So desperately in love.
How would she survive without him?

      “I fly out at 2200 hours.”

      It was just before noon now. That gave them less than twelve hours.
 

      He was coming back, Alice told herself. He wasn’t on the front line. He’d be fine. This wasn’t the end. He hadn’t made it to Captain without being good at whatever it was he had to do.
 

      “Alice, you know I don’t want to be unromantic, but…”

      Her heart thumped.
 

      “We need to get married today.”

      Alice squeezed her eyes shut. A war time marriage was never going to give her the wedding she’d dreamed of as a girl, but if it meant their union would be recognized, that she could legally become his wife, then she wasn’t going to say no.
 

      “I have a priest organized.”

      He liked taking charge. That’s what made him so well respected.
Of course he had a priest.
 

      “Alice?”

      She nodded. It was all she could do. Of course she’d marry him, if it was their only chance what other choice did she have?

      Ralph pulled her back down to the seat. She complied. There was nothing he could ask of her right now, with him on the cusp of leaving, that she wouldn’t do.
 

      “I have something for you,” he said.
 

      Ralph reached into his breast pocket. Alice held her breath.
 

      “Here.”

      He opened his palm to reveal a gold heart on a fine chain. Alice bit her lip again.
 

      “You like it?”

      “I love it.”

      Ralph touched her shoulder and she turned, just slightly, as he fixed the necklace. The light touch of it against her skin was cool, calming.
 

      “It looks beautiful on you.”

      She smiled. Tears filled her eyes, but she didn’t give in to them. Tomorrow she could let them out, but today was about being together and being happy.
 

      “The day I saw you in that hospital, Alice, well, you did something to me. You mesmerized me.”

      She fingered the heart. She wished she could tell him how much it meant to her, but she couldn’t get the words out.
 

      “Ralph, I…” her voice faltered.
 

      “Come on, kitten. Let’s get you home to tell your parents.”

      Alice imprinted the weight of his hand in hers in her memory. Squeezed tight to make sure he was real.
 

      He was the man she’d dreamed of. She just hoped by the time she finally made it to America that he would be right behind her. Or already there.
Anything so long as he wasn’t only known by a white cross pushed into the earth somewhere in Europe.
 

CHAPTER FOUR

A whistle blew and alerted them it was time to rise. Madeline stretched and rubbed at her eyes. She felt like a soldier forced to stick to a constant schedule, but she wasn’t complaining. No lolling about and wishing for home, or time to worry too much about what would happen when they arrived in America. It was only day five and they had another ten to go.
 

      What she did have time to worry about was how to be a good American housewife. There was the odd list of instructions floating around, but she’d heard their new families had reams of notes prepared for them. Maybe it was a silly rumor. But the magazine Good Housekeeping
had
dedicated entire issues to foreign brides. It was like all the yanks were expecting untrained native women to arrive in their country.
 

      Surely being a good wife in America was the same as in their home country? If you could cook, sew and run a household, what more was there to know?

      “Come on Mads, I don’t want to miss breakfast.”

      Madeline grinned at Betty, who stood with one hand wrapped around her stomach and the other rubbing at her back. Her friend was definitely eating for two.
 

      “You go ahead, I just need a few moments.”

      The other girls might think her silly, considering there were only other women on the ship, but she didn’t want to go down without making at least a small fuss over her appearance. Looking well groomed had always been important to her. Something her mother had insisted upon since she was a little girl.

      Her mother had been the most well-kept women on their street. She never left the house without a sweep of lipstick, a carefully swept hair-do and pressed clothes. They have didn’t have a lot of money, but her mother sure liked to appear as if they did.
To succeed in life you have to believe in yourself, Madeline. And to succeed you have to look the part.
They were words she knew she’d never forget, no matter the time that passed away from her family.
 

      “You ready, Madeline?” 
      Alice called out as she passed and Madeline nodded.
 

      She placed the last pin into her hair, checked her skirt for creases and followed her friend.
 

      “Alice,” she called, catching her up.

      Alice stopped to wait for her.

      “We will stay in touch, when we get to America, won’t we?” Madeline asked her.
 

      Alice grabbed hold of her arm and squeezed it tight. “There’s no chance I’m giving up you lot when we get off this blinkin’ boat.”

      “Promise?”

      “Promise!”

      Betty sighed and let her head rest on Alice’s shoulder before they walked off arm in arm.
 

      “I’m glad we found each other.” Her voice was so soft she wondered if she’d even spoken out loud.
 

      “Me too, Mads, me too.”

The dining hall was crammed full of women. Wafts of perfume and fatty foods cooking added to Madeline’s nausea as the ship rocked back and forth, but the crew were strict about the girls eating.
Their plates had to be empty.
 

      Madeline giggled as she thought of the most recent letter Alice had entertained them with. She’d been writing letters to her family almost every day – letters she was going to send in one big bundle to her family as soon as they arrived in America.
 

      
We have four meals a day, us girls.
Madeline could still hear her reciting it, having them all in stitches of laughter after dark.
Two down, one up! We eat a hearty meal, then we’re generous enough to give it to the ocean for dessert.

      The food had been a shock to the system - eggs, meat, cheese – all the wonderful, delicious things they’d missed while every type of food in London was rationed. Madeline knew she’d never stomach a powdered egg again. But the swaying of the boat and the rich food wasn’t so easy to digest either. She hadn’t been too bad, but some of the girls had taken to wearing big belts around their skirts just to hold them up around their disappearing waists. Keeping food down was the main topic of conversation, besides gabbing about their husbands.
 

      The din of so many women eating had been unbearable at first, but now she found it comforting. She loved that they were all trying their hardest despite the conditions.
 

      “The first issue of Sailing Wives is out today,” said Alice, piling scrambled eggs on top of a piece of hard toast. “Think there might be some good tips for us wives in there?” She waggled her eyebrows and made them all laugh.
 

      “The official publication for the sailing brides of American men,” said June, mimicking the clipped voice of the onboard official.
 

      “In America, your husband will expect you to sing the national anthem every morning before you leave the marital bed,” announced Betty, her voice shrill and fake.
 

      They roared with laughter. Madeline had tears streaming down her face.
 

      “He will expect you to forgo tea for coffee, and paint pictures of the American flag to be pinned around the house,” Betty continued.
 

      They all giggled as they picked at their food.
 

      “I think we should brave a stroll up on the deck in our swimsuits,” whispered Alice, voice lowered as an official passed.
 

      “Huh! I don’t think they let elephants out in swimsuits,” said Betty, her hands disappearing to rest on her stomach.

      She was keeping it mostly concealed – a huge shawl wrapped around her body had kept away any unwanted attention. There were plenty of women with children on-board, the odd pregnant one, but no one was as far along as Betty.

      “What do you say, June?”

      Madeline shook her head along with June. “Not a chance! Imagine getting sent back home just for a spot of sunbathing.”

      “They wouldn’t really send us home, would they? Not just for forgoing modesty?” asked Alice.
 

      Madeline got up, her plate still half full. “How about a game of cards instead? I’ll go back and get them and maybe we can show our ankles to the sun and not get in trouble.”

      “What are we playing for?”

      Madeline rolled her eyes at Alice. If there was one thing for sure, it was that Alice would keep them entertained until this darn ship docked.
 

      “Oooh, I know!”
 

      Betty’s excited voice made them all look up.

      “I know what you’re going to say,” said Alice, reclining back, her legs crossed at the ankles as she posed. “Silk stockings from the shop.”

      Betty burst into laughter, before showing off her own ankles. “No silk stockings are going to do these legs any good at the moment.”

      June tut-tutted before placing her cards out in a fan and dropping them, face up, on the table.

      “I win ladies. Tell me what the prize is.”

      “Chocolate,” said Betty, her voice animated. “Chocolate from the shop.”

      Madeline had plenty of money left, but she’d been careful with it ever since they’d left home. No amounts of sweets, gum, stockings or anything else that had been forbidden during the war were going to tempt her to spend. What if she needed it for transport? For food? What if no one was there to meet her and she had to survive on her own until she found her new family? She’d been told of the ship’s departure only days before it sailed, and hadn’t had time to confirm details with her new family. She didn’t even know if her husband was safely back home yet!

      The what ifs were making it hard to sleep at night. She had never had to fend for herself, and yet here she was with only herself to rely on.
 

      “Madeline?” asked Alice.
 

      She looked up.
 

      “Not tempted by the illicit treats?”

      She smiled. “No, Alice. Not tempted at all.”

      Alice wasn’t going to let her get away with it – Madeline could tell by the smirk on her face.
 

      “Oh go on, let’s play for chocolate!” Betty was practically salivating.

      Alice spoke again. “Losers have to tell a secret.”

      “Guess you girls need to spill, since I won and all.”

      Now it was June sitting back, one hand shielding her face from the sun.
 

      “I don’t know…” Madeline wasn’t convinced.
 

      “I’ll go first,” offered Betty.
 

      They all placed their cards on the table.
 

      “It’s naughty though.”

      Alice squealed with excitement at Betty’s words.
 

      “Calm down or you’ll get us sent back below,” Madeline hissed.
 

      “We’re having a boy,” she said, her eyes dancing.
 

      “Not such a great secret,” said Alice, unimpressed. “Not by the size of that belly.”

      “Oh yes it is,” giggled Betty. “Want to know how I know?”

      That kept Alice quiet.
 

      “The night I fell pregnant was on our honeymoon. They say you make a boy by, you know, being on top.” She paused, cheeks flushed crimson. “All I know is that I was on top of my husband most of the evening, so there was no chance for a little girl to be made!”

      Madeline blushed, June laughed and Alice stomped her feet with glee like a child after her first bite of a sweet. Betty looked embarrassed, but her eyes were shining.