Edith gripped the door handle with a deep breath. Gathering her composure, she opened the door to her office. Samantha paused in the center of the room, her arms brimming with folders. She smiled.
"How was your lunch?" She asked, her mossy green eyes dancing with latent energy.
Edith blinked, remembering a similar moment that had occurred one year earlier.
That day in Aldbourne, she was on her way to lunch when she saw Colonel Bentley kiss another woman as he got out of a car. A passing orderly from her father's staff had paused beside her.
Ah that must be Colonel Bentley's fiancé.
His statement had ripped a hole in her a mile wide. She had locked herself in her office for the afternoon. She hadn't cried. Perhaps she should have, it might have made it easier for her to move on.
It had been only a year since she had met Alex.
She had been picking out books in the library behind her office. He was standing at the other end of the aisle, his hat in his hands. His black eyes like polished coal had studied her in silent admiration. They had jarred her even then.
"Good." Edith straightened her jacket with a quick jerk.
Walking over to her desk, she paused. It was too hot to be so buttoned up. She whipped off her light, summer jacket and loosened her tie before sitting down. Being uptight hadn't served her well anyway.
"You should come with me to lunch sometime." Samantha mentioned, tucking files into a metal cabinet. "I meet up with some of the other secretaries from HQ. They have some interesting tales to tell."
Edith gave an acknowledging hum in her throat as she picked up her letter opener.
"Did you know that there are some men who have married mistresses in town? Married girls!"
Edith glanced over with a sigh. Samantha's eyes were wide with gleeful naivety. As she studied her, she realized she didn't know Samantha's age. She set the opener down.
"How old are you, Samantha?"
"I turned 20 back in December."
Edith pursed her lips. She would be 27 in a few weeks' time. She couldn't remember what it was like to be 20 and shocked at the idea of a married woman having an affair. She wondered if it was the war or just life that had left her so jaded.
Her eyes traveled to the well-worn New Testament on her desk. Since her discussion with her father, she had taken to reading from it every day. The closer she came to the Lord, the farther she felt from that tainted world. The wounds from the war were healing. Edith was certain it was only through God’s providence she had made it that far. Now after her morning meeting, she wondered where He would take her next.
Samantha shooed away a shimmer of dust as she shut the drawer with a clang. "There are some men who keep their women around by bribing them with chocolate and cigarettes. Even k-rations. If only we were all so easily pleased."
"You know most of them do it for their families. They are going hungry, it’s the only way they can provide for themselves.” Edith answered coolly with a shake of her head, unfolding the letter from her mother.
Samantha stopped in the middle of the room, her face twisting in thought, “Really?”
Edith glanced up,“Really.”
“I’m- I’m sorry that’s why it’s happening. That’s terrible.”
Setting down the letter, Edith eyed her with concern. “I thought you might say that if you knew what was going on. You have to watch your gossip, Samantha. It can sometimes become a problem.”
Samantha snorted with a nod, "I'm Southern. It comes with the territory. But I’ll be more aware of it in the future now, I promise."
Edith turned back to the note and skimmed it. Mary Elizabeth's pregnancy so far was healthy and uneventful. She had suffered through a terrible bout of morning sickness but was on the other side of things. Edith's mind drifted towards her own chances of marriage and children. Pregnancy seemed so far away for her. She wondered if she'd ever get the chance.
Folding the letter and stuffing it back into the torn envelope, she peered across the way at Samantha. The young woman was reviewing something she had typed up, her chin resting on the heel of her hand.
"I might have a bit of gossip for you to share at lunch, if you are interested. And this tidbit is true so you don’t have to worry about sticking your foot in your mouth." Edith sat back in her seat, folding her hands on her middle.
Samantha's red lips curled upwards, "Do tell."
"I just came back from Colonel Dixon's office." Edith's gaze cut over to the open window, the breeze shifting the curtains, "It seems he is able to get me home."
Samantha sat up straight, "For leave? That's wonderful! When are you going?"
"Sometime around my birthday at the end of the month. When I return to the States, I will finish up my service to the Army at home. I should be out by September."
Samantha blinked as she comprehended what she was hearing, "So this isn't just a quick trip home."
Edith shook her head, her jaw jutting out as she studied the girl's expression. Samantha exhaled a slow breath and slumped back into her chair.
"You'll be gone for good."
Other than the sound of car engines and the occasional shout in the street below, the room was quiet. As she watched her, Edith realized that Samantha's eyes were tearing up. Edith started out of her seat in concern.
"Dang it." Samantha gave a soggy chuckle, digging into her pocket for her handkerchief. "I'm sorry, I don't know why- I'm actually very happy for you."
"I'm so sorry. If I had known it would upset you-"
"No, no!" Samantha waved her handkerchief and jumped from her seat. "No, I am so happy that you get to go home to see your family."
Racing over to her, Samantha threw her arms unbidden around Edith's neck. Caught off guard, Edith patted her on the back.
"Honest." Samantha choked, "I guess- I mean, I always knew we would go our separate ways once the war was over. But I didn't expect it so soon. I don't want this to come across as silly or disrespectful, because I know you are my superior. But as a girl with only brothers back home, I started to look to you as an older sister... of sorts."
Edith studied Samantha's blotchy, damp face as she composed herself. She wished she had seen the friend in her sooner. Without another word, Edith returned the embrace.
"Samantha, this isn't goodbye. You understand?" Edith pulled away, holding her by her upper arms.
Samantha exhaled though her nose. Her face screwed up in a flash. "Oh hang it, I have those final reports on the arms dumps to get to the Captain McKay before I leave for lunch. Now my make-up is all a ruin and my eyes are probably swelled up-"
"Don't you worry," Edith patted her on the shoulder, "I'll bring them to him."
"You sure?" Samantha sighed.
Edith gave her an encouraging smile. "You get yourself some lunch and enjoy spreading that rumor. I will drop them by the Captain’s office. I want to see him anyway."
#
The dank weight of the day hung on Alex McKay. Towards noon, Colonel Dixon called him in for an impromptu meeting. The rumors had been swimming around for weeks and he was sure this was the kicker.
He sat in the stifling office, the sound of a typewriter dinging outside the door. Second thoughts plagued like mosquitoes. Alex had been leaning for some time towards a career in the Army. His time there had served him well and his efforts were paying off.
A picture on the Colonel’s desk distracted him. Four women sat on veranda steps, curls of ivy trailing up the columns beside them. Alex assumed the older woman was Mrs. Dixon. She grinned like she had a secret, her eyes sparkling with humor. Two other girls were both brunette like their mother, laughing at a joke told in the moment. Only the blonde beside her mother seemed out of place. The side of her dour mouth tugged up, but her gaze was direct and serious.
No wonder Edith had followed her father into military service. She was so much like him. He wondered if she knew what she was doing by getting out. He smirked. Then again, he wondered if he knew what he was doing.
“Well, I’m sure you’ve been hearing things, Alex.” Colonel Dixon barked as he sank into the chair across from him.
Alex sat up in his seat and cleared his throat, “Yes sir.”
“Well I have too. Let me just say, some of it is true and some isn’t. First off, the promotion.” The Colonel sipped his water and dabbed his forehead with a handkerchief. “This heat is atrocious.”
Alex gave an impatient smile, “It is hot, sir.”
The Colonel smirked, “Sorry, you want to know your fate. Not talk the weather. The promotion, you are up for Major. Congratulations, you have earned it.”
“Thank you, sir,” Alex blustered, a rush of blood filling his face. He couldn’t believe he had made it so far.
“Secondly, the transfer to the 13th. That was just a rumor. They don’t need you over there, son.”
Letting go a sigh of relief, Alex nodded, “That’s fine-“
“But you are needed elsewhere.”
“Sir?”
“Paris. They need a trainer or advisor of sorts in a jump school over there. You would be leaving us and taking over your position as Major by the end of the month.”
Paris wasn’t so bad. At least it wasn’t the Pacific. Not yet anyway. With the way the war was going, there was no doubt he’d be jumping into Tokyo by that time next year.
“Paris would be grand-“
“Let me finish.” The Colonel leaned forward on his desk with a sigh. “If you decide to take the job, I suggest you seriously consider a career in the military. It wouldn’t be a requirement but that’s what the brass is counting on with you. Either that or you have the points needed to go home now.”
Most of the men in his Company had seen combat but few had the tally marks to send them home for good. Alex had an idea of where he stood but hadn’t wanted to know. Mostly because he didn’t know what to do. His eyes trailed towards the picture on the Colonel’s desk again. Edith quiet and serious on the steps, she seemed so different from the woman he had kissed just a day earlier.
Colonel Dixon noticed him looking and picked up the picture. He gave a quiet smile and held it towards Alex, “The Dixon girls, all four of them. You have a family?”
“No- I mean, yes. My mother and younger sister.” Alex wet his lips and looked down at his hands.
Dixon sighed, “I suggest doing what is best for you now. While you are still young and you don’t have anybody waiting for you at home.”
The trick was that Alex didn’t know if he had anybody waiting for him. All he had was a stolen kiss.
“I’ll give you some time to think about it.”
Alex nodded, “Thank you sir.”
#
"Come in."
Edith pushed open the door to Alex's quarters. His orderly at HQ had informed her that Alex had returned to his room for lunch. She found his quarters in the grand corridors of the former hotel. As she paused in the sitting room, Edith wondered if it would have been wiser to wait till after his lunch hour.
Her gaze drifted over to the open bedroom door. She wasn't surprised to see the bed covers pulled tight across the mattress. He'd draped a bath towel across the mahogany frame. A pair of boots lay beside the bureau where he'd tossed them, the laces loose. Edith's gaze cut away with the nagging feeling she had spied on his private life.
"Yes?"
She shuddered to attention. The curtains over the open French doors shifted with movement. Alex moved into her line of sight where he sat on the balcony by a short wicker table. She forced her heart rate to slow as she meandered towards him. Alex stood as she emerged onto the balcony.
"Gracious." She breathed, her focus drawn to the grand panorama of the lake and mountains beyond. "Not too shabby of a view you have here, McKay."
"I found it somewhat lacking." Alex responded matter-of-factly.
As Edith glanced over to catch a wry grin on his tan face. She scoffed. "Sarcasm from Alex McKay? Wonders never cease I suppose."
Alex glanced down at the table, his smile fading. Edith tried not to think of his breath stirring her hair as they had danced by the Lake. Shuffling her feet, she held out the file.
"These are the last of the reports on the German arms dumps that you requested." Edith explained as he took it from her.
Alex opened the folder and Edith stepped towards the balcony railing. Laying her hands on the warm metal, she closed her eyes. The pearly, aquamarine rollers below broke against the rock side of the building. She had decided to tell him right away about her decision to leave the Army. With the sun on her face in the pleasant quietness of his presence, she was reluctant to break the news.
Edith glanced over her shoulder to find that he wasn't reading but watching her. Realizing he had been staring, Alex shifted his gaze to the folder. He closed it and patted the cover.
"Everything appears to be in order." He quipped, "I knew you'd get that mess straightened out on paper."
"Glad I could be of service."
He set the folder down on the table and rested a hand on the back of the chair. Before the awkward break in the conversation could continue, Edith gave him a half smile.
"I had a meeting with Colonel Dixon this morning." She stated in a firm voice.
Alex raised a heavy eyebrow in interest, "That's ironic."
"Why?"
"I did as well. Your father had some matters to discuss with me."
"What kind of matters?"
"About the future. My future to be exact." Alex scanned the horizon, "About my staying in the Army and making a career of it."
Edith chuckled at the news, "The Army would be lucky to have you. And that is ironic. I was discussing my future with the Colonel as well."
"So what are your plans?"
"Well." Edith exhaled, her eyes drifting over him.
His shirt collar was loose and tie missing, a hint of hair on the cusp of his breastbone. Edith tried to remember a time she had seen him more relaxed. Witnessing him in such a state did nothing to ease the tension in her stomach. He cocked his head to the side, studying her as he waited for an answer.
"I spoke to him about my returning to the States." She continued as confidently as possible. "He thinks it will be possible for me to take leave at the end of this month."
"Well, that's wonderful news."
"Yes, my sister is expecting her first child. I am excited to see her especially. I will be finishing out my service over there where my parents are stationed in DC. Then I should be out by the fall."
Alex blinked, "Out? You are leaving your career with the military?"
"I made the decision over the weekend. I have been with the Army since birth. It's all I've ever known and it's safe. I think it would be best if I tried something new for a change. Maybe more schooling or a different career. I've always enjoyed art history so I might teach." Edith pressed her lips together to stop her rambling.
Alex gripped the back of the chair, his gaze falling to his boots. His expression was clandestine as ever. Edith desperately wished he was as readable as the ever reliable Michael Porter.
"What do you think? Do you think it's stupid of me?" She ventured.
Alex snorted, "I'm not sure how to answer that."
"Why?"
"Because I don't want to get slapped again." He smirked.
Edith's face flamed up. She pressed the flat of her hand to her nose with a groan.
"But really, I think that's- that's wonderful to hear." Alex sniffed, his gaze shooting out across the lake, "I think it'll be very good for you. I have no doubt you'll be a success. You're a remarkable person, Edith."
"Thank you."
"It's been a pleasure to work with you."
The urgency of the moment wrapped around her like a strong wind. She wondered how many more chances they would have to be alone together before she left. The thought thudded into her gut.
"And it's been a privilege to work with you, Captain."
McKay gave a humble bow of his head. Peering back up, he studied her as though taking inventory of her features to remember later.
Edith stepped back, "Good day then."
"Good day, Edith."
She moved to the door. Resting a hand on the frame, her eyes flickered shut. Not giving herself a chance to back down, she whipped towards him.
Alex's calm eyes widened in surprise as she met him toe to toe. She grasped him by the nape of the neck and pressed their lips together. With a sharp inhale his nose, Alex deepened the kiss. His long arms crashed around waist. She barely had time to register what was happening as he pushed her up against the door frame.
The moment came to an unwelcome halt with a firm knock at the door. Breaking away from her, Alex peered over his shoulder. Edith brushed the hair from her forehead.
She shook her head with a scoff, "If it's not drunks with guns - Are we ever not going to be interrupted?"
"I certainly hope so." Alex grumbled with a deep heave of his chest.
Edith slipped out from his grasp as another knock sounded in the sitting room. She glanced back at Alex. He had his hand braced against the door frame, the other perched on his hip. He glanced towards her with a quirk of his mouth. He pulled out a handkerchief and wiped the remnants of her lipstick from his mouth. Smoothing out his collar, he marched to the wicker chair.
"Come in." He called out, his tone cool and controlled.
Edith studied him in slack jawed awe. The man was as casual as if they had been discussing the fine weather. Edith straightened her jacket, her breathing evening itself out. She hoped she didn't look as flushed as she felt.
"So here you are, I was looking-" Porter stopped at the door, noticing her standing by the railing. "I'm sorry, I hope I wasn't interrupting."
Edith hid her cringe and give a weak smile instead. It didn’t do any good. By the look on his face, Port surmised the situation upon first glance. Of course, it wasn’t Alex’s fault at all. The man sat like a marble statue in a gallery, pretending to glance through papers. Between the way she gripped the railing and her smeared lipstick, Edith knew she looked guilty. A knowing grin crept across Porter's smug face.
"I should be getting back to my office." She choked, keeping her eyes to her feet as she made a swift exit, "Good day, gentlemen.”
Closing the door behind her, she heard Porter's low bark of a laugh.
"Alexander McKay." Port proclaimed, "You been carrying a torch for the Colonel's daughter this whole time?"
ns 15.158.61.53da2
