Page 32 of A Zephyr Rising
Ginger clasped her hands in front of her.“I’m disappointed in you, Father.First your tepid support of the Martins, now this.But perhaps I gave you too much credit for being fair.”
Inhaling sharply through his nose, her father straightened, his shoulders falling back.“I’ve seen war before, Virginia.In South Africa, during the Boer War.I saw the camps holding the Afrikaners when we interned them—women and children—in a terrible state.War is horrific.You are inexperienced.You’ve never wanted for hunger or lived in discomfort—and I’m proud of it.Accuse me of selfishness if you must, but I have always striven to give my family the best this world offers, and I’m not ashamed of it.”
“But then how can you simply wash your hands of the Martins?Right there—having seen internments before—should be evidence enough that it can be wrong, Father.Not all the Germans living in England are spies.This is the stuff of those Oppenheim novels from your library—not real life.”
“It is reality!”Her father’s voice thundered and he visibly ground his teeth before continuing.“There are spies among us.Also, fear is an incredibly powerful motivator.The fear of the public, the fear of one’s enemy, the fear of loss—all of it in time of war has the potential to act as a powder keg ignited with the vagaries of human emotion.”
“And therefore, there is to be no justice?Fear must win?I don’t—” she gathered her thoughts, her head spinning with a jumble of emotions “—I won’t accept that.I will not simply stand by and watch justice be held hostage to the court of public opinion.No more so than I will back away from becoming a nurse.”
Her father’s eyes sliced at her with fury.“Then you will promise to marry.Or you will find doors closed in front of you faster than you can even speak your name.We leave for Penmore tomorrow.”
Ginger’s cheeks flamed as he strode from the room.Her knees wobbled, the elegant room wavy through her eyes.She’d expected him to be angry, but to threaten to disown her and cut her off?Surely her mother would never allow it.
Then again, what choice did her mother have?The world didn’t look kindly on women—her mother didn’t control her father any more than she controlled the family’s finances.
Tears pricked her eyes.What was she going to do?
ChapterEleven
Charlie Martin’s face was peaceful as he slept.Ginger stood at the foot of his bed, hesitant to wake him.She didn’t want to leave town without telling him goodbye.The thought of not being here to help him made her furious with her father all over again.With Mrs.Martin forbidden to travel, who would look after him?
Madeline might help.Her aunt had a good heart.Ginger would have to discuss it with her when she returned.She’d slipped out of the house before dawn, unwilling to have her father pull her away before she’d visited Charlie one last time.
He startled just then, his arms shifting before his eyes fluttered open, heavy with sleep.His eyes crossed the space, his expression unchanging and, for a moment, Ginger thought he’d drift back to sleep.But his eyes landed on her.He closed them again.“Is my mum here?”he mumbled in a low voice.
Ginger came closer.“No, Charlie.Remember what I told you yesterday afternoon?Your mother can’t come to London.”
He didn’t open his eyes, but he nodded.“I need my legs to work.To help her.”
Her heart broke for him.The responsibility on his shoulders must feel so heavy, and he was just a child.If only her family weren’t leaving for Egypt—Ginger could have begged her father to take on one of the older girls as a kitchen maid.But as it was, they were closing the house which meant no additions to their large staff.
She set a hand on his shoulder.“Charlie, I must leave today.For Penmore.I can’t promise when I’ll be back, but I’ll give your mother news of you.Is there anything you want me to tell her?”
Charlie opened his eyes.The blueness of his irises was striking, his eyes shiny.“Tell her I’ll do what the doctor says so I can come home soon and help her.And I miss her.”
Ginger nodded, a lump rising in her throat.“I will tell her.”
“Oh—and my little sister Millie...”
“Yes?”
“She’s afraid of the dark.Might be more afraid now.Tell her to think about the magical garden.It helps.”
His devotion to his family was so touching and resilient.Ginger wanted to carry him off, back home, where he could convalesce near them and be given the peace of mind that all would be well.But James had said it would be at least a few more weeks before he could leave the hospital.
As she left him, she noticed James at the doorway to the ward.He hung back, but appeared to have been watching her.She approached him and gave him a tight smile.A sharp breath brought with it the scent of alcohol and antiseptic and she wrinkled her nose.“I’ve just come to take my leave.I’m to travel back to Somerset today.”
“I take it your father didn’t give you his blessing to join the nursing service?”
She looked away from him, not wanting him to see the tears threatening her vision.She’d cried well into the night.“No, he’s afraid I’ll waste my life as an old maid.He wants to see me settled, at least with an engagement, before I make the commitment to train.It gives him some level of security to think that when the war ends, I’ll marry rather than stay a nurse.”
“He loves you.No father wants to see his beautiful daughter grow old without the comfort of a husband.”James seemed to realize a moment too late he’d called her beautiful and he looked at the ward, his face reddening further as he rubbed the back of his neck.“Can I walk you outside?”
Ginger nodded.He thought she was beautiful.He really was an amiable man.Too bad she didn’t have any interest in him.He would have made a much nicer prospect than Stephen Fisher.“That would be lovely.”
They started out of the ward and James fell into step beside her, despite his longer stride.“When will you sign up for the Medical Corps?”Ginger asked him.
“Actually,” James cleared his throat, “I signed up yesterday.I must get fitted for a uniform this week.”
