[A/N. I know this has taken me a long time to update but I've been pretty
busy with Uni and things. As I said last time I'd skip a few years more
often now because I want things to move a bit faster. In this case it's
been three years and Eliza is now 48, Ben is 19, Margaret is 17 and Edward
would be somewhere in his early to mid 50's.]
Philadelphia, June 1953.
Eliza sighed as she looked at the picture on the front of the paper. The headline announced that the "Traitors [were] put to death." The trial and subsequent appeals of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg against their death sentence for espionage had captivated American's ever since the first trial back in 1951. It was alleged that the Rosenberg's were part of an elaborate spy ring during the second world war on the side of the Soviet Union. Eliza had always thought it highly unlikely that the verdicts would ever be reversed. With the Cold War now going on American's were highly suspicious and highly patriotic and most thought that the Rosenberg's deserved no less than the death penalty. Eliza sighed as she turned the page to be confronted with yet another picture of the couple- this time from long before they were arrested and charged, in fact from just after their marriage. Eliza studied the grainy picture carefully. It was hard to believe these two smiling people had been involved in the spy ring.
"Mama- are you reading about the Rosenberg's again?" Ben asked, as he came into the sitting room. He had completed his first year at Harvard with top marks, although he still couldn't decide whether he wanted to study business or law, so he was taking subjects in both. He reminded Eliza so much of a younger Edward.
Eliza smiled up at her tall, handsome son with a guilty look. "I can't help it Ben- it's just too terrible."
"I presume you're saying that their death is too terrible not what they did." Ben said, sitting down in a chair opposite his mother and regarding her thoughtfully. "Mama I know you're too kind hearted for words, but honestly these people don't deserve to live. If their plans had of worked who knows what this country would be like today?"
"But can we be completely sure they did it?" Eliza asked.
Ben shrugged. "I wonder if we can ever be completely sure unless someone confesses. Mama I read the trial transcripts and they were incredibly damming. The Rosenberg's did it Mama." He sighed. "Anyway, you best put that paper away before Dad comes home and catches you reading it- you know he said you shouldn't since the verdict upset you so much in the first place."
Eliza sighed and returned the paper to the table where it would wait for Edward to come home and read it. "Have you seen Margaret yet today?" She asked, changing the subject.
Ben laughed. "She hasn't surfaced yet. But then she didn't get home until very late last night- from what she said to me before she left they were going dancing, and you know how she likes to dance." He said.
Eliza made a face. "Not one of those new Rock and Roll clubs I hope." She said. "Ever since she's been home from school all I've heard coming from her room are terrible sounds."
Ben shook his head. "Mama you've got to get with the times." And then he started singing "That's Amore" until Eliza covered her ears laughing and begging him to stop.
"You might be a good student, but as a singer you leave a lot to be desired." She told him. But she had to smile at him. She hardly believed her son was as grown up as he was. And then there was Margaret. She'd grown into a stunningly beautiful girl. "I wish she'd get up. She's only got another week here before she leaves for England and I'd like to spend some time with her."
"You're going to really miss her aren't you Mama?" Ben asked.
"Very, very much. It was hard to let her go but she's always wanted to study at the University in Liverpool and if we had said no, well the chances are she would have gone anyway. Haven't you noticed since we told her last year she could go she's been a lot happier and a lot easier to live with?" Eliza replied. In truth the decision had been agonising for both her and Edward who couldn't stop thinking of her as their little girl, not the grown up she was becoming. But at least Ben wasn't planning on leaving the country. He might be far away for most of the year at Harvard, but he was still in America. "I just still think of her as the little girl she used to be. Sometimes I think its still back in the thirties and forties and you're both still kids running around. It's hard to believe she'll be eighteen soon and you'll be twenty!"
Ben was looking thoughtful. "Mama- what were you doing when you were eighteen?" He asked.
"When I was eighteen? My god Ben, I can hardly remember back that far." Eliza said with a smile.
"Nonsense Mama- you've got a better memory that anyone I know." Ben said. "Mind if I smoke?"
"No go ahead darling." Eliza replied, and Ben took out his cigarettes. He'd taken up smoking during the year at Harvard and at first Eliza had been appalled, but Edward had laughed and said young men smoked now and it was the in thing to do. Eliza had sighed and wished that he could at least smoke a pipe rather than the smelly cigarettes and Edward had just kissed her on the forehead and walked off grinning. "Now let's see: when I was eighteen..I spent my eighteenth birthday in New Hampshire where I was working at the time. I'd been working there since I was sixteen."
Ben exhaled a cloud of smoke and grinned at her. "Well it sounds like you were pretty independent at that age then Mama."
"What's your point Ben?" Eliza asked hiding a smile.
"Just that if you were doing things like that at eighteen I don't see the big deal in letting Margaret go over to England to study at the same age." Ben replied.
Eliza nodded. "I know you're right of course, it's just a little hard to let go sometimes."
Ben sighed and got up. "I better get going. I promised Francis I'd meet him for a game of tennis. I'll be home for tea though." He said and he searched through his pockets for the keys to the car Eliza and Edward had bought him when he'd been accepted into Harvard.
"Okay darling, have a good time." Eliza responded as he left. She sighed thinking he was so much like Edward. And then she realised perhaps Margaret was like her- she was independent and she knew what she wanted from life, which Eliza had also. Still, sometimes Eliza wished time would stop so her children wouldn't grow up.
Philadelphia, June 1953.
Eliza sighed as she looked at the picture on the front of the paper. The headline announced that the "Traitors [were] put to death." The trial and subsequent appeals of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg against their death sentence for espionage had captivated American's ever since the first trial back in 1951. It was alleged that the Rosenberg's were part of an elaborate spy ring during the second world war on the side of the Soviet Union. Eliza had always thought it highly unlikely that the verdicts would ever be reversed. With the Cold War now going on American's were highly suspicious and highly patriotic and most thought that the Rosenberg's deserved no less than the death penalty. Eliza sighed as she turned the page to be confronted with yet another picture of the couple- this time from long before they were arrested and charged, in fact from just after their marriage. Eliza studied the grainy picture carefully. It was hard to believe these two smiling people had been involved in the spy ring.
"Mama- are you reading about the Rosenberg's again?" Ben asked, as he came into the sitting room. He had completed his first year at Harvard with top marks, although he still couldn't decide whether he wanted to study business or law, so he was taking subjects in both. He reminded Eliza so much of a younger Edward.
Eliza smiled up at her tall, handsome son with a guilty look. "I can't help it Ben- it's just too terrible."
"I presume you're saying that their death is too terrible not what they did." Ben said, sitting down in a chair opposite his mother and regarding her thoughtfully. "Mama I know you're too kind hearted for words, but honestly these people don't deserve to live. If their plans had of worked who knows what this country would be like today?"
"But can we be completely sure they did it?" Eliza asked.
Ben shrugged. "I wonder if we can ever be completely sure unless someone confesses. Mama I read the trial transcripts and they were incredibly damming. The Rosenberg's did it Mama." He sighed. "Anyway, you best put that paper away before Dad comes home and catches you reading it- you know he said you shouldn't since the verdict upset you so much in the first place."
Eliza sighed and returned the paper to the table where it would wait for Edward to come home and read it. "Have you seen Margaret yet today?" She asked, changing the subject.
Ben laughed. "She hasn't surfaced yet. But then she didn't get home until very late last night- from what she said to me before she left they were going dancing, and you know how she likes to dance." He said.
Eliza made a face. "Not one of those new Rock and Roll clubs I hope." She said. "Ever since she's been home from school all I've heard coming from her room are terrible sounds."
Ben shook his head. "Mama you've got to get with the times." And then he started singing "That's Amore" until Eliza covered her ears laughing and begging him to stop.
"You might be a good student, but as a singer you leave a lot to be desired." She told him. But she had to smile at him. She hardly believed her son was as grown up as he was. And then there was Margaret. She'd grown into a stunningly beautiful girl. "I wish she'd get up. She's only got another week here before she leaves for England and I'd like to spend some time with her."
"You're going to really miss her aren't you Mama?" Ben asked.
"Very, very much. It was hard to let her go but she's always wanted to study at the University in Liverpool and if we had said no, well the chances are she would have gone anyway. Haven't you noticed since we told her last year she could go she's been a lot happier and a lot easier to live with?" Eliza replied. In truth the decision had been agonising for both her and Edward who couldn't stop thinking of her as their little girl, not the grown up she was becoming. But at least Ben wasn't planning on leaving the country. He might be far away for most of the year at Harvard, but he was still in America. "I just still think of her as the little girl she used to be. Sometimes I think its still back in the thirties and forties and you're both still kids running around. It's hard to believe she'll be eighteen soon and you'll be twenty!"
Ben was looking thoughtful. "Mama- what were you doing when you were eighteen?" He asked.
"When I was eighteen? My god Ben, I can hardly remember back that far." Eliza said with a smile.
"Nonsense Mama- you've got a better memory that anyone I know." Ben said. "Mind if I smoke?"
"No go ahead darling." Eliza replied, and Ben took out his cigarettes. He'd taken up smoking during the year at Harvard and at first Eliza had been appalled, but Edward had laughed and said young men smoked now and it was the in thing to do. Eliza had sighed and wished that he could at least smoke a pipe rather than the smelly cigarettes and Edward had just kissed her on the forehead and walked off grinning. "Now let's see: when I was eighteen..I spent my eighteenth birthday in New Hampshire where I was working at the time. I'd been working there since I was sixteen."
Ben exhaled a cloud of smoke and grinned at her. "Well it sounds like you were pretty independent at that age then Mama."
"What's your point Ben?" Eliza asked hiding a smile.
"Just that if you were doing things like that at eighteen I don't see the big deal in letting Margaret go over to England to study at the same age." Ben replied.
Eliza nodded. "I know you're right of course, it's just a little hard to let go sometimes."
Ben sighed and got up. "I better get going. I promised Francis I'd meet him for a game of tennis. I'll be home for tea though." He said and he searched through his pockets for the keys to the car Eliza and Edward had bought him when he'd been accepted into Harvard.
"Okay darling, have a good time." Eliza responded as he left. She sighed thinking he was so much like Edward. And then she realised perhaps Margaret was like her- she was independent and she knew what she wanted from life, which Eliza had also. Still, sometimes Eliza wished time would stop so her children wouldn't grow up.