Chapter Twenty-one Ava

TWENTY-ONE : AVA

CAMP FORREST, TENNESSEE

MARCH 1942

Gertrude and Ivy Lee were in the kitchen when I arrived home.

The delicious aroma of chicken soup and corn bread filled the air, making my mouth water. While rumors of impending rationing continued to dominate the news, just this week we enjoyed Gertrude's meatloaf, pot roast, and even a vanilla cake. As far as I knew, Gertrude hadn't complained even once about preparing meals for our boarder the way she used to complain about cooking for me.

Ivy Lee hadn't gone to work that morning. Whether she had the day off or had taken it off, I didn't know, but I now saw the reason for it. She'd obviously gone into town to the beauty shop. Her hair was teased and combed high, and her nails sported a fresh coat of red polish. A new dress hugged her curves, and she looked ready for a night on the town. Although I still hadn't warmed to our new housemate the way Gertrude had, I did attempt to be more friendly when we were together.

"You look nice," I said, pushing a smile to my lips. "Is there a special occasion?"

Ivy Lee and Gertrude exchanged grins before she looked at me again. "I should say so. Yours truly has a date with a colonel ."

I might have guessed. The young woman constantly talked about the men she pursued and those who pursued her. On a military installation as big as Camp Forrest, there were certainly plenty of eligible bachelors to keep a girl like Ivy Lee busy every weekend.

"That's nice."

Ivy Lee cackled. "Nice? Honey, I'm not talkin' about some wet-behind-the-ears private. Colonel Paxton is a man . He's been in the Army for ages and oversees the entire trainin' facility." She winked. "If I play my cards right, I might be quittin' my job and gettin' married soon."

From the stove where she stirred the soup in a large pot, Gertrude said, "I hope he won't want to wait until the war ends. No telling when that might be."

A sly smile curved Ivy Lee's ruby lips. "Oh, he won't want to wait too long. I know how to give a man just enough to keep him interested without givin' him the keys to the house, if you know what I mean."

Poor Colonel Paxton. Did he know what he was getting himself into?

I wondered how Ivy Lee met the officer but didn't ask. I still didn't know what her job was on base, but it apparently put her in a position to meet plenty of men. She'd had a dozen dates since she moved to the farm.

The woman's gaze fell on me then, giving me a critical once over. "What about your colonel? I hear he's available. Maybe we could double-date sometime."

I frowned. "I work for Colonel Foster. He isn't interested in me romantically."

"I bet we could change that with a little makeup and a trip to the dress shop in town." She tilted her head and examined me. "You do tend to look a bit frumpy. I'd be happy to help you find an outfit that suits you better. Then you'll have to fight off all the men wantin' to take you to the USO."

I offered a stiff smile. "It will be some time before I'm ready to date again."

The not-so-subtle reminder of my widowhood hung in the air.

"Oh, of course," she said, looking contrite. "I'm sorry. I... forgot." She cast an apologetic glance to Gertrude, but the older woman stared into the pot.

We sat down to dinner, although Ivy Lee declared she couldn't eat much since she had a date later. The conversation moved from eligible men to the war.

"The newspaper says we're sending fifty thousand of our boys over to Europe every month now." Gertrude shook her head as she buttered a piece of corn bread. "It ain't right. Our young men shouldn't have to fight that German madman."

Ivy Lee nodded in agreement. "And to think, over two hundred German Nazis are right here in Tullahoma, livin' on base. It's positively terrifyin', I tell you. They'd no doubt kill us all if given the chance."

My shoulders tensed. While I couldn't speak for every one of the internees, I knew Gunther's story. "I don't believe all the German men being held at Camp Forrest are Nazis."

"How do you know?" Gertrude's eyes narrowed. "Anyone who hails from Germany is certain to be loyal to Hitler."

I thought of Gunther and what he'd told me about his mother wanting him to come to America to become a doctor. "From what I understand, many of the men being detained came to America to work or go to school. They aren't soldiers. Some of them don't want to return to Germany."

"That's exactly where they need to go," Ivy Lee said. "It isn't safe to have those men in our country. Some of the soldiers I know think they're spies, pretending to be innocent victims yet all the while gathering information about us and sending it back to Germany. I'll ask Colonel Paxton about them when we go to dinner tonight." A dreamy expression replaced her scowl. "He's takin' me to a late supper at the Minor's Restaurant at the Hotel King. He promised we'd have caviar and champagne."

Thankfully, Ivy Lee continued to gush about the colonel, veering far from the topic of the German internees. I'd already said too much. I certainly didn't want to accidentally divulge anything that would make Gertrude suspicious about my growing friendship with Gunther.

When we finished the meal, I washed dishes while Ivy Lee freshened her makeup and left the house. Gertrude retired to her room upstairs, leaving me alone with my thoughts. Flicking off the kitchen light, I went to the parlor and turned on the radio. Jimmy Dorsey's voice filled the small room as I settled on the sofa, my legs tucked beneath me. He sang of glowing sunsets in summer skies, and the gleam of love in his sweetheart's lovely eyes.

I sighed.

Songs like that always brought regret to the surface, although it was never far away.

I glanced at the photograph of Richard on the mantel as the song continued. "I wish I'd loved you the way you loved me," I whispered.

Bittersweet memories of dancing to Big Band music with Richard at the USO brought tears to my eyes. "We did have fun together though, didn't we? If things were different and you were here, I'd try every day to be the wife you deserved. We would've been happy."

But even as I said the words, part of me wondered if they were true. How could I be the wife I'd promised to be without truly loving my husband? I'd cared for Richard, yet genuine love hadn't taken root in my heart. Not even during the handful of days when I was his wife in every way. I'd held on to hope that love would grow once we were together in Hawaii and started our life as a married couple, but that chance was stolen from us by the cruel hand of war.

The song ended.

It wasn't good to dwell on the past. I couldn't go back and change the choices I'd made. I needed to look forward. Make plans as best I could. I'd already managed to save some money since I began working. I hated to admit it, but the rental income Ivy Lee brought with her had helped with the bills. It also helped me see that Gertrude didn't need me to stay. She'd never thought of me as her daughter-in-law. Seeing her enjoy Ivy Lee's company allowed me to consider leaving the farm without guilt. Richard had always planned to sell it and move away, so it didn't make sense for me to remain much longer.

Another ballad began to play. For reasons I couldn't understand, Gunther's image appeared in my mind's eye.

It would be my honor to dance with you one day, Mrs. Delaney.

Warm tingles raced up my arms, remembering his soft words. They'd felt like a caress, and I'd wanted to fall into his embrace right then and there.

I shook my head and forced my eyes open.

"You're being ridiculous," I chided myself. I switched off the radio and left the light on for Ivy Lee before going to my bedroom.

Yet as soon as I crawled beneath the covers, and the world was quiet and dark, Gunther invaded my mind once again.

With a huff, I rolled onto my side and stared out the window to the night sky.

"Gunther Schneider is a German enemy alien," I said to the stars, knowing they would keep my secret. "I shouldn't be thinking of him at all."

Yes, he was handsome.

Yes, he'd been a gentleman every time we'd been together.

Yet none of those things mattered most. The fact is, I had no firsthand knowledge of why Gunther had been arrested and remained under the government's supervision. Ivy Lee and Gertrude believed the detainees were all Nazis simply because they came from Germany. While I couldn't bring myself to believe Gunther had anything to do with the Nazi party, I also had to admit I couldn't be certain. Was he even now gathering intelligence about Camp Forrest and everything going on at the military installation and somehow relaying it back to Germany?

I rolled over again and stared at the dark ceiling.

Was I a fool to spend time with him? Was it a mistake to help him with his English? He'd expressed a desire to speak the language so well, no one would know he was German. Why? Did he hope to hide his identity and go unnoticed in society should he be released?

Suspicion swirled through my head, but my heart refused to join in. I wouldn't—couldn't—believe Gunther was a spy or had any nefarious reasons for spending time with me. Tutoring him in English was my idea. And the truth is, I enjoyed his company.

My spirit settled as my eyes drifted closed.

I would continue to befriend Gunther. But I would also keep my wits about me and not let silly romantic notions about the German man prevent me from seeing something amiss. Should he do or say anything that led me to suspect he wasn't the man I believed him to be, I would report it to Colonel Foster.

Immediately.