Love at war, p.1
Love at War, page 1
Table of Contents
LOVE AT WAR
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
LOVE AT WAR
VIOLA RUSSELL
SOUL MATE PUBLISHING
New York
LOVE AT WAR
Copyright©2016
VIOLA RUSSELL
Cover Design by Melody A. Pond
This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, business establishments, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.
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Published in the United States of America by
Soul Mate Publishing
P.O. Box 24
Macedon, New York, 14502
ISBN: 978-1-68291-236-2
www.SoulMatePublishing.com
The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.
I dedicate this novel to my mother,
Myrtle Zimmermann Weaver,
who taught me about the history
that defined the generation.
Chapter 1
“Do you think there will be war?” Nuala Comeaux tied a red striped scarf around her blonde hair and shot an anxious glance in her sister’s direction. The May morning was already oppressively hot. She patted perspiration from her neck with a linen handkerchief and looked around for people she knew. Summer afternoons at Pontchartrain Beach at the New Orleans Lakefront were a high point of the season for young people.
“Papa says there will be. He knows all these things.” Rose, her sister, waved to a group of friends from the neighborhood. The two Palmisano girls were munching on hot dogs, holding on to their boyfriends’ arms. They giggled, waved, and went on to board a ride across the walkway. “God, I wish I had a boyfriend. How’d Rosemary Palmisano get Charlie Markey to like her?” Rose’s lip protruded in a pout.
“Well, how can you meet anybody? You work in a hair salon.” Nuala frowned and handed her sister a second handkerchief. The two girls were so close that they read each other’s thoughts and knew each other’s needs before either of them spoke. “Besides Rose, you didn’t answer me. If you’re out there working, you should know more about these things.”
Rose grimaced. “I work around a bunch of old ladies who only repeat what their husbands say.” Rose was quiet for a moment, her forehead wrinkled in a frown. “Mama says that’s what you’re supposed to do anyway—listen to your husband. Besides, what else can President Roosevelt do?” Rose turned from her sister to gaze at the throng of people passing them.
Nuala’s blue eyes narrowed. She uttered a curse under her breath so Rose couldn’t hear. Rose, her senior by eighteen months, had always made final pronouncements like the pope and then dismissed her. “The president said he’d never send the sons of American mothers to war.” Nuala shuddered at the possibility of either of her brothers fighting in a war. Her father had been in World War I and had returned with horror stories of trench warfare and poison gas. Besides, all her brothers thought of was baseball, football, dancing, and swing music. They loved Glen Miller. They were no warriors. How would they fare against skilled German soldiers who’d been fighting for several years?
Nuala moved away from Rose even as Rose edged closer to her, waiting to board the infamous “Zephyr” at Pontchartrain Beach. The girls shared the same long Roman nose and prominent cheekbones of their German mother, but the resemblance ended there. Nuala’s face was a trifle longer than her sister’s. She’d inherited her mother’s fair skin and her Cajun father’s impressive height. Rose, on the other hand, had inherited her mother’s small frame and her father’s dark coloring.
“Do you think Will and George would have to go? Oh, do you think they’d deport us because Mama’s German? What if we have to go to Baden Baden, Germany?” Nuala lifted her nails to her mouth.
“Don’t bite your nails and don’t be ridiculous!” Nuala submitted as Rose gently slapped her hand. Nuala loved Rose even as she found her irritating. “You’re letting your imagination run away with you, for God’s sakes. Anyway, Will is pretty safe. I mean, he’s already working at the Higgins Plant. Building those boats is war work, and if we get into this war, the boats will be for our boys, too.” Rose took a sip from her Coke. “Being German could be to our advantage. Maybe we could be interpreters. Besides, the war’s closing in on us from all sides. It’s not like we can hide. At least, that’s what Papa says.”
“Okay, Will’s safe. What about George?” Nuala knew that her sister considered Nuala naive, but she sometimes rolled her eyes at Rose’s easy acceptance of every pronouncement by any male authority figure. Mama would say that Nuala wasn’t very ladylike, but she really didn’t care. Besides, the constant anxiety made her nervous. All anyone talked about was war. “You already have a real job. You’re a beautician, but I still have to finish school.”
Their eyes locked. Rose’s tone grew softer, and Nuala automatically sighed, relieved. Rose always could say things to make her feel better. “Don’t worry. Everything will be okay. Besides, no one would dare take the Comeaux boys. Mama would follow them to the front.” Rose broke off and indicated an approaching group of young men. When they were children, Rose had often diverted Nuala’s attention in an effort to soothe bad dreams. The young men were one such diversion. Nuala’s heart beat steadier. Rose always could reassure her, but today, fear nagged deep within her soul.
Nuala ignored the approaching group. “Maybe we do have to stand up against bullies.”
Rose rounded on her. Her dark eyes blazed. “It’s not our war, you idiot. Besides, remember what you said. Our brothers would have to go.”
“I’d go, too.” Nuala stuck out her chin.
Rose laughed. “They don’t take girls.”
“Women have always—”
“Sure, nurses, you little goose. You can’t stand blood.” Rose grinned broadly.
Nuala fought the urge to smack her sister. She turned and blinked away angry tears. She didn’t turn back when Rose tapped her on the shoulder. Rose always dismissed her because Nuala was quiet and shy. Rose was much more gregarious and fiery. Their father called her his spitfire. He called Nuala his angel. She wondered if he knew just how much she resented that characterization.
Rose waved exuberantly at the approaching figures. “Hey, is that Keith Roussel? I thought he’d left town to study for the priesthood.”
“Where?” Nuala spun around and felt her face grow red. Keith was a friend of her brother George. She’d always found him handsome, but he’d always been distant with her. Nuala suspected he saw her only as a friend’s younger sister. The one date they’d shared had been so chaste she’d wondered if he thought she was a nun.
Rose tugged at her arm. “Don’t gawk.”
“You pointed them out to me.” Nuala stared at her sister with wide eyes.
“A lady knows how to be subtle. You don’t have to stare like one of those kinds of girls. Didn’t you go to the Joy Theatre with him once? You don’t want to look too eager, and you’re blushing.” Rose squeezed her arm. “Besides, it’s almost our turn.”
“What kind of girl do you mean? We went to the Joy to see a movie with William Holden, but it wasn’t some hot date.” She blushed again when she remembered the peck on the cheek Keith had given her. That alone had brought the blood to her face. For days, she’d fantasied about her children’s names, but he hadn’t called again. “I’m not sure I want to go on the ride anyway. You go if you want to.” A surge of anger raced through Nuala. She suddenly whirled on Rose. “Besides, I’m not sure I’m so into being lady. Those other girls have more fun.”
Rose opened her mouth then snapped it shut. The people behind stared at them. Finally, she hissed. “Keep your voice down.”
Nuala stared at the approaching young men. She could see Keith’s tall figure in the distance. The blood raced through her veins. She shivered as alternating waves of ice and fire rolled through her body. She smiled broadly as Keith came into view.
A group of young men advanced in their direction. The balding man regulating the roller coaster ride was collecting tickets from people boarding. He settled a young couple
“Let’s go. We’ll miss our turn.” Rose tugged at Nuala’s arm.
Nuala shook off her sister’s arm and stared straight ahead, gazing at Keith Roussel. She thrust her trembling hands behind her back and was hardly aware of the other young men with him. Keith was in civilian clothes, but the young men accompanying him were in uniform. Many apparently hailed from the Naval Aviation Base located near the beach.
“Hi, Keith.” Nuala grinned as Keith turned to cast a breathtaking smile in her direction. Nuala drank in the darkness of his eyes. They were kind but sensual.
Rose turned to the man puffing on a cigar. She rolled her eyes and nodded in Nuala’s direction. “You’d better not wait on us, mister.” Staring at the young men surrounding her sister, Rose cast a warning glance in Nuala’s direction. Nuala chose to ignore Rose. It bothered her when Rose acted as her protector.
“Hi, Rose.” Keith greeted Rose without removing his gaze from Nuala. “What brings you girls out on such a hot day in June?”
“Fun at the beach, of course,” Rose said, moving in front of Nuala so that Keith couldn’t come closer. Nuala briefly scowled at her sister, but then cast a welcoming smile in Keith’s direction. She didn’t want him thinking she was some scowling old woman. She stepped on Rose’s foot. Rose bit her lip and gazed at her through murderously narrowed eyes. Nuala continued smiling at Keith but pressed harder on Rose’s instep. Rose would find some excuse to leave if she found them dangerous. Nuala adored her sister but she sometimes found her overly cautious, even prudish. Rose freed her foot and slyly kicked sand into Nuala’s sandals. Nuala was oblivious as she stared at Keith Roussel. His dark hair glistened in the hot sun. His eyes never left hers. Nuala had no idea priests could be so muscular. “What brings you boys here?”
“You remember Sal, don’t you, Rose? The Pepitones own the grocery on Canal and Broad.” Keith indicated the young man beside him wearing an Army uniform. He stood out from the other Navy-clad young men.
“Of course I do!” Rose beamed at Sal. Nuala had stolen glimpses at the tattered notebook Rose used for a diary and discovered Rose’s secret crush on Sal. When he’d enlisted, Rose had risen early and gazed out her window to watch him depart.
Sal Pepitone showed so many teeth he could have been in a Pepsodent ad. Grinning like a jack-o-lantern, he ran a hand through his close-cropped hair. “Rose, you look gorgeous. Would you like to get a hot dog with me? I’ll tell you about my assignment. I’m gonna fly planes.” Sal’s grin grew even broader. The other young men mumbled excuses and drifted away. Some took their places in line for the Zephyr.
Nuala smiled at Keith. He’d known how to distract her sister and his pals so she would be alone with him. Keith smiled at her as they walked. “You’ve come a long way. You’re not just George’s little sister anymore.”
Nuala lifted her chin with pride. She remembered that too-chaste, almost embarrassing date. “I’m not a little girl any more. I’ll graduate from McDonagh next year. Rose has already graduated. I’d like to quit, though. I’m old enough to work, and Mama and Papa need the money. Rose is already a beautician. With the way I bake, I bet Freitag’s Bakery would hire me.”
“Don’t be dumb. You don’t want to work so soon.” Keith took her arm and led her in the direction of the “Cockeyed Circus.”
“Wait. I can’t go in there, Keith. That thing blows your dress over your head!” Nuala gazed at him and then looked away, a pleasurable confusion enveloping her. She marveled at how nicely he filled out his khaki slacks. His short-sleeved shirt was white and immaculate. Her hand fit nicely into the crook of her arm.
“You’re wearing shorts.” He smiled wide and placed a hand on her arm.
“What about Rose?” Nuala looked at the dark shorts that came to her knees and wondered if he found her immodest. Though not vain, she knew that men looked at her legs when she crossed a street.
“She seems pretty absorbed with Sal, Nuala. Besides, I don’t really care about the attractions. I just wanted to talk to you. Would you like a Coke?”
“Sure. Why not?” She was smiling as wide as he. His skin was brown in the sun. Nuala closed her eyes as he turned to order the soft drinks. Her insides were suddenly liquid. He was as handsome as any movie star. She swallowed, wondering if her lustful thoughts would send her to hell. “I thought you went away to study for the priesthood. Are you still in the seminary?”
“No, I never really had my heart in it. I mean, my mother would have been really happy about it. She’s so devout, you know, but I really went for the education. I just knew the rules weren’t for me. Not long term. Besides, I’m pretty superstitious about lying to the church, and it would all have been a lie for the education.” He pulled out his wallet and paid the young woman behind the booth for two Cokes.
“Then what will you do?” She cast large blue eyes in his direction as she drew on her straw. Nuala and Keith meandered among the rides and laughing families enjoying a blazingly hot but carefree summer afternoon. “I don’t know what I’ll do after school, not really. It’s not like I have tons of options. I’m a girl.”
Keith turned to her. “Yeah, and that’s not right.” He slipped a cautious arm around her shoulders. “I know what I said isn’t very conventional.”
“That’s okay.” Nuala gazed at him evenly. “I don’t always like the way everybody thinks.” She looked at her feet. “Not that I can say much. Mama and Rose think I’m a big mouth. They’re always warning me to keep things to myself.” She stopped and stamped her foot. “But why should I?”
She saw Keith smile and wondered if he was mocking her. So many people did that. Nuala the little dreamer, her father said. Nuala my rebel, her mother said. Nuala the fairy tale queen, her brothers joked. Nuala the tomboy, Rose chimed. Nuala knew her family’s love, but she also sensed that their affection was condescending. They loved Hund, the Chow mix they’d raised from a pup, the same way they loved her. Lovable but insignificant, a pretty creature without a lot of brains. She was suddenly angry at Keith too, and moved from the shelter of his arm. The words volleyed from her lips like cannon fire. “Why are you smiling? I’m not dumb, you know. I always made good grades in English. German helped me with that. I always knew grammar, and I’m good at arithmetic.”
“Settle down.” Keith grasped her by the shoulders. “I’m glad I know somebody like you. Look, I think girls should be respected and loved, but I also know they can be damned smart. Hell, I met some really smart nuns while I was studying. Some of them are great teachers and nurses, even. They have to run around bowing to the priests, but some of them are smarter than the men.”
Nuala grinned shyly. “Wow, you must think I’m a really nasty person. I didn’t mean to bite your head off.” She looked at her sandals. “I also didn’t mind your arm around me.”
Keith slid an arm around her waist and waxed eloquent as they made their way around the beach. “Leaving the seminary limits me too, I guess. I went to Holy Cross, and it’s a good school. Don’t know what I’ll do next, but I did get to see more of the country because of the priesthood. I see a lot that’s wrong in this world too. Some people aren’t treated right, that’s for sure. It’s usually poor people. People of different races or women. We say we’re a society where everyone’s equal, but that’s not really the case.”
“Papa says that’s the way things have always been. Some things you can’t change.” Nuala stared at him in wonder. Most of the people she knew had never interfered with the status quo. They accepted their condition and the lot of those around them without question. Even when their work was backbreaking, her family and their friends had just carried on, shifting their burdens from shoulder to shoulder.
“Most people say that, but things will change. Look at Hitler. We see more and more what happens when people bully other people and no one does anything. That old bast—” He broke off, his face crimson. “I’m sorry.”
