“Of course,” Mr. Gibson said. “So, Fiona, what made you decide to become a Clubmobile girl?”
What should I say? How much should I reveal at a time like this? I hesitated for a few seconds but decided to trust my gut.
“I’m here because my fiancé is missing in action,” I said, and Harvey Gibson’s jaw dropped open, almost imperceptibly.
“He’s been missing since last fall,” I continued, trying to keep my voice steady, my emotions in check. “His plane went down somewhere in Germany. And now I’m here because I wanted to do something.”
“Wow, this is good stuff, keep talking.” Gary, letting his camera dangle on the strap around his neck, pulled out a notepad and pencil. “What was the name of your fiancé?”
“His name is Danny Barker,” I said. “He’s a second lieutenant in the US Army Air Force, 338th Bombardment Squadron.”
“Miss Denning, um, Fiona, I am so sorry about your fiancé,” Harvey Gibson said, putting a hand on my shoulder. “And I admire you for being here.”
“Thanks, Mr. Gibson,” I said. “My friends Viv and Dottie are here too. We’ve all wanted to do something to help with the war effort. And we’re happy this offered us a way.”
“So am I. I’m sure you’ll make your fiancé proud,” he said, his eyes full of kindness, not pity.
“Where are these friends? Let’s get a picture,” said Gary.
“Right here,” Viv said, raising her hand, and this time it was Gary Dent’s jaw that dropped open as he started clicking away. Dottie joined us, putting her coffee down and taking off her glasses.
“Well, look at you three,” Gary Dent said, whistling. “One with Mr. Gibson and then a few with just the three of you.”
After a few clicks, Mr. Gibson stepped aside, and it was just us. People started looking over with interest. I saw Miss Chambers watching. She was standing with a few other Red Cross officials, and she did not look pleased.
“I feel like a movie star,” said Dottie, giggling nervously.
“Turn your body to the side and your face to the camera, girls; jut your chin out just slightly like this,” Viv said. “Trust me, it’s the most flattering.”
After he was done, we said thank you, and he ran over to Blanche and asked her to pose with a tray of doughnuts. She hammed it up, holding a tray in each hand and winking at him.
“Well, that was fun,” Viv said. “Wonder if we’ll make the final cut for the magazine.”
“Enjoy the photo shoot, ladies?” Miss Chambers walked over to us as we refreshed our coffee.
“It went okay, I think,” I said. “Good publicity, right?”
“Yes,” she said. “A quick word with you, Fiona?”
Dottie and Viv gave me looks of solidarity as they walked away.
“I didn’t know about your fiancé,” she said in a quiet voice. “I’m truly sorry.”
“Thank you, Miss Chambers,” I said.
“Have you heard any news of him since you got here?”
“No, nothing.” I felt that familiar ache in the pit of my stomach. “I thought I would have heard something by now.”
“Well, I hope you do soon,” she said. “I understand more than ever your wanting to go to the Continent. And I admire your tenacity in becoming a Clubmobile girl. But frankly, I’ve observed you and your friends this week in training, and—”
“Miss Chambers, please wait. I think I know what you’re about to say,” I said, holding up my hand. “Just hear me out. Our training did not go as well as I had hoped, trust me. But we will prove to be one of the best Clubmobile crews you’ve got. I promise you. I will work harder than anyone, and I’m really organized. And Viv? The guys are going to love her. Dottie can play any musical instrument you put in front of her. And they’re hard workers too. We won’t let you down.”
“It’s not about letting me down. It’s about being ready,” she said, frowning. “Being on the Continent in the midst of battle is very different than being here. You’ve got to be unflappable and have that Red Cross smile ready, even under the toughest circumstances. Are you sure you’re up for that part? Emotionally, I mean?”
“Definitely,” I said. It was like putting on a mask; I had to conceal my lingering uncertainty, my nerves and doubt. And my grief. This woman was the gatekeeper to the Continent. “You’re asking because of Danny, am I emotionally ready? I am.” Am I?
“You won’t be reminded of your fiancé at every turn?” she asked, examining my face, trying to see through the mask.
I remembered that first day on the Queen Elizabeth when I’d seen Danny on the boat. It hadn’t happened since, but that didn’t mean it wouldn’t ever again. I shook my head.
“I must admit, I’m surprised you made it through the interview process without this coming out. You’re still grieving . . . understandably so,” she said. I just looked at her. There was no use protesting. “Are you sure you can you handle soldiers who are traumatized and homesick? You don’t know what it’s like . . .”
“You’re right, I don’t know what it’s like. But I can do this. I need to do this.” My impassioned plea was as much to convince her as it was to convince myself. Because I did have fears of failing at this job, of not being ready, but she didn’t need to know that.
“But I have other concerns,” Miss Chambers said. “I have no doubt all the soldiers are going to love the looks of the three of you, but there’s so much more to it. I happen to know you all barely passed your driving tests. And Viviana? I know you said she’s hardworking, but I didn’t exactly see that side of her during training.
“Dottie seems smart and capable, but she doesn’t fit the extroverted Clubmobile personality profile. I’m shocked she was accepted, to be honest. She has to try to be more outgoing, and she needs to finally share these supposed musical talents that so far I’ve yet to see.”
“We’ll work on all of these things and then some,” I said. “We can do this, Miss Chambers. We’ll prove to you that we’ll be ready for France.” I felt my cheeks burning.
“Well, you talk a good game, but if the Continent is where you want to go, you’ll have to show me,” she said. “Or I’m afraid you’ll spend the war on this side of the channel.”
Chapter Nine
That evening was our final night in London Town, and the blacked-out city was once again alive and hopping with young people partying like it was New Year’s Eve. On the dim streets were groups of soldiers from every Allied country, though once again it appeared the majority of them were Americans. And there were groups of civilian British girls seeking to escape the sad monotony of wartime.
In total, our crew of fifty-two Red Cross Clubmobile girls would be shipping out to our assignments all over the United Kingdom the next morning, but we planned to enjoy our last night in the city we had grown to love during our short stay.
“Girls, try to keep up. We’re almost there,” Viv yelled to me, Frankie, and Martha. She was up ahead with Dottie. About a dozen of us were walking the dark streets to the Paramount Dance Hall on Tottenham Court Road, where Joe Brandon’s band was playing.
“I’ve heard you’re quite the dancer, Martha,” I said. “How’d you learn to dance so well?”
“My church group, believe it or not,” Martha said. “We were looking for a way to raise money, so we started to organize these dances on the first Saturday of the month. It took some convincing to get decent bands to come play in Orange City. But then as word got out, young people from all over started coming—some from an hour or more away, just looking for something to do. So that meant we were able to attract even bigger bands. And then we started jitterbug contests. That’s when I really learned to dance well.”
“Maybe you can give me a few tips tonight. I’m barely good enough to get by,” I said.
“Sure,” Martha said. “I’m hoping Adele Astaire might be here. We could all learn from her.”
“She was amazing,” I said with a nod.
“You know who was also amazing?” Blanche asked, coming up behind us. “That fella she was dancing with that night. He was drop-dead gorgeous. Do you remember him?”
“I do; we had talked to him at the bar,” I said, remembering the dashing British soldier named Harry Westwood who had caught Viv’s eye for a second. “Hey, did any of you get any mail today?”
“Yes, I got a letter from my mother and one from my neighbor,” Martha said.
“I got one from my parents too,” Frankie added.
“Viv got one from her sister, Aria, who’s due to give birth to her third baby any day, and Dottie even got a V-mail from her brother Marco—he’s a navy firefighter stationed in the Pacific,” I said. “But I got nothing in this batch. No news.”