A/N: In reply to some queries, yes, this story will be covering the entire war. I may not cover the time period after the war…I think that can take up a whole new fic!
Chapter 5 – The Announcement
Whatever their shortcomings, the Lewisons did know how to get up a dance, and it was a delightful night for all concerned. Even Walter found himself opening to the cheerful music and finding more than enough willing partners to last the entire party. As for Di, the joy of dancing with friends was coupled with the pleasure of seeing Rilla so well received by everyone, and she talked and laughed as she had never done before.
Nan knew that Di and Rilla were among the sought after girls in the pavilion, but she cared not, being supremely contented to sit out on the rocks with Jerry and feel the cool breezes caress her cheeks. Romance and mirth was in the air: just below them Sally Warren was laughing at something Alec Burr was saying and giving him adoring glances; Ned and Lisbeth Jensen, evidently having left their twin sons at home, were strolling along the road with their heads close together; Jem and Faith had spied a flat and departed to the sand-shore; and Jerry was talking to her, the sound of his voice sweeter than any music in the world.
"It'll be great at Redmond this fall, with you, Di and Walt coming to join us too," he was saying.
Nan made some sort of reply, but she was more interested in enjoying the beautiful night with its harmony of stars and glittering sea. Linking her arm through his, she leaned her head on his shoulder and gave a little sigh of happiness, reveling in being so close to him. She often wondered how she could have caught the attention of Jerry Meredith, this intelligent, witty college sophomore who, according to Jem, could have his pick of any girl in Redmond. After all, she was just Nan Blythe, the little girl he had taught how to play checkers and who had romped in Rainbow Valley with him in their childhood!
She knew she could not compare to the brilliant, captivating girls of Redmond – a fact highlighted by Faith's best friend, Grace Claremont, paying the Merediths a visit last summer and agonizing Nan in case Jerry fell for Grace's beguiling charms. It had been a miserable summer, made even more miserable by several sightings of Jerry and Grace roaming over town together on the best of terms. Nan had truly believed that she had lost Jerry forever, until that unbelievable night at the end of the summer when she had started crying in front of him and he had put to rest all her fears, assuring her that he returned her feelings as readily as she gave hers to him.
Nobody at first could believe that Nan Blythe, coquettish flirt and darling of the Glen boys, had fallen in love with a serious-minded young man like Jerry…even more absurd that they should seem happy together! But what nobody – except perhaps Jem and Faith – knew was the deep companionship that Jerry and Nan had had since their Rainbow Valley days, and that Jerry had a fun-loving, playful humour hidden beneath his serious demeanor. Nan had discovered that humour as Jerry had found the deep tenderness and earnestness in the innermost chambers of her heart, and they completed each other in a way nobody else could.
"Like two halves of souls joined to one," Mrs. Blythe had said after she understood the nature of their relationship.
There were the cynics, of course; the Glen's gossip mongers who believed that this was just a passing fancy which Nan would get over soon enough, and the Glen boys who tried to make Nan believe that she would forget Jerry within six months. Nan had a sort of disagreeable consciousness that even Di thought occasionally that she was not serious about the relationship. She could never understand why people marked her out to be the fickle-minded flirt when Faith had had twice as many suitors as she before being involved with Jem, and although Nan would like to ignore those remarks, the truth was that they were beginning to bother her. Gossip did affect Nan very badly – careless and ill-meaning comments depressed her more than any tragedies or direct insults.
She sighed again, only her sigh this time was borne not of happiness but of aggravation. Jerry sensed it and looked at her questioningly. "What shifts your manner so drastically, Nanny Mummy?" he asked half-playfully, using the old childish nickname that they'd bestowed on Nan during their skits in Rainbow Valley when Nan had always acted as the mother.
"I wish people wouldn't talk so," said Nan a little vehemently. "They talk, and talk, and talk, and create so much trouble!"
"Well, they won't create trouble if the person they're talking about doesn't take any notice," said Jerry.
"Yes, but it's easier than it sounds."
"Don't think about that now," Jerry said, giving her a little nudge. "It's not possible to think of anything unpleasant on a night like this! Give me a smile, Nan, and look as sunny as you did when you arrived at the manse."
Nan could never resist anything Jerry asked her to do, and before long she was smiling. "Doesn't the music sound lovely?" she said. "I wish we could dance."
"I wish so too, but nothing doing," said Jerry. "Father's reputation will be forever damaged if anyone sees me on the dance floor."
"I wish people wouldn't think that minister's sons can't dance," said Nan.
"You're doing a fair bit of wishing tonight, aren't you?" Jerry laughed. "Don't look so woebegone, Nan. Go up there and dance ten consecutive sets, if you wish. There's no reason why you should renounce dancing because of me."
"Oh Jerry…you don't think I'm dissatisfied here with you, do you? Because I'm not."
Jerry said nothing, only gave her a smile which made her feel like the best-loved woman in the world.
"Do you dance at Redmond parties?" Nan asked a little while later.
"Yes, of course."
"There are girls there, too?" asked Nan anxiously.
"Oh, Nan, you goose," said Jerry amusedly. "Of course there are."
He saw the blood creeping up over Nan's cheeks and hastily squeezed her hand. "We'll both go to a dance at Redmond when the new semester begins," he said comfortingly. "You don't have to renounce dancing at Redmond."
"Thank God for small mercies," Nan said laughingly, but she held his arm more closely. "Would you die for me, Jerry?"
"You sound like a police officer interrogating a suspect, Nanny Mummy! Well, I'll have to consider the circumstances, won't I? And the method of getting killed. I refuse to be drowned. Stabbed to death, maybe, but quick and fast, not multiple times. Painless poison mightn't be bad, I'd consider that. Hanging – no, never hanging."
"Do be serious!"
"I am serious."
"But you would, wouldn't you?"
Jerry paused and looked at her. She looked like a little rose in the dusk, with her white skin standing out against the dark brown of her hair. Her eyes were wide and her lips were slightly parted. "Why…" he said finally. "I think I would." And with that, he kissed her.
Nan was to recount that moment endlessly in her head in the years to follow.
An hour later love victuals proved insubstantial for more practical needs, and they went to the lighthouse kitchen to investigate the rumours that supper was laid out and ready to be eaten. There was a little crowd in the kitchen, more than what the huge table could seat, so many of them stood at the doorway or at the windows, joining in the cheerful conversation around the table. Not long after Jerry and Nan arrived, Jem and Faith came in from their tryst on the sand-shore, professing starvation.
Alec Burr and Leslie Baxter obligingly made way for them at the table and almost immediately Jem was at the heart of the party, convulsing everyone with his conversation while they added in their comments. Even Ken, who was on the sill accompanying Rilla, tore his eyes from the pretty young face below him and called out a few remarks that had everyone in stitches. Jem would have stayed on after finishing his meal if he could, but more people were coming in and the seats were needed so, after ensuring that Faith had had her fill of cakes and ices, he gave her a look and escaped out to the open air.
"The way you monopolize parties is disgraceful," Faith scolded as they went down the steps out onto the rocks.
Jem grinned boyishly and slipped an arm around her waist. "But they like it," he protested. "Did you see Ken and Rilla? I'll have to warn him very seriously about this."
"Ken never heeds your warnings."
"Well, he hasn't come near you tonight, has he? So he does heed certain warnings."
"Imagine being jealous of Ken Ford," Faith scoffed, but she didn't pull back when he took her hand and led her to sit on a huge, flat slab of rock.
No sooner had they settled down, there was a lull in the music and noise. At first, neither took much notice of it but soon the silence became so oppressive that they looked up, puzzled. It was not normal for a dance to stop right in the middle. A laugh from Lisbeth Jensen died away, as though frightened by the hush.
Then they heard a voice unmistakably belonging to Jack Elliot saying slowly, "England has declared war on Germany. The news came by wire just as I left town."
"Oh, lord," Faith breathed. She met Jem's eyes in one long look, hardly daring to think.
Down below them the Jensens had exclaimed in idle surprise and gone back to their romancing. The over-harbour group stationed on some huge rocks had been silent during the announcement, but had now gone back to their conversation with as much zest as formerly. Nobody seemed to understand the enormity of this message.
Then she saw a huge, vibrant smile break out on Jem's face and knew that he, at least, did comprehend what the message meant to them. "I knew it," he said exultantly.
"England at war means Canada at war," Faith said slowly, a feeling of foreboding rolling over her.
Jem caught her up and did a quick twirl on the rock before pressing a quick kiss on her lips. "I knew it! England wouldn't leave France to rot. Gray didn't patch things up at the last minute. England at war! This is news!" He released Faith and glanced up at the lighthouse. "Would you mind if I left you for a while? This calls for the flag to be hoisted immediately. Cheers for Canada!"
The music started again and once more the crescendo of noise descended down on them. Faith tried to push away the thoughts buzzing about her head. If only Gertrude Oliver was here to offer her views on this! What was she supposed to think about the news? "Of course," she managed to say.
Jem's eyes sparkled as he drew her in for another delighted, victorious kiss, then he let her go and went running lightly over the rocks to the steps, narrowly preventing himself from crashing straight into Una who had materialized out of nowhere. "Oh, Jem," she said, trying to smile, "I'm sorry to trouble you, but if it's all right, can you take me back to the manse? I have a headache."
Jem halted in his celebration to look her over concernedly. "Definitely, you shouldn't stay here if your head is aching," he said obligingly. "Faith is down on the rocks, you can wait there with her, I'll be right back in a moment to take you home." He stayed long enough to watch Una make her way towards Faith, then dashed off calling, "Is Jack still there? Someone grab hold of him for me!"
Una approached Faith and sat down. "I'm so sorry to have to take Jem away," she said apologetically, "but my head is bursting and I don't think I can endure it for much longer."
Faith sat down beside her sister and made an effort to steady her voice. "It doesn't matter, dear. I think I'll go back home with you; I've had enough fun for the night."
"England has declared war on Germany after all," said Una, looking at Faith anxiously. "You did say it might matter to Canada?"
"Don't take my word as proof, Una. I don't know more than the next person."
"I heard Miss Oliver talking it over with Mr. Allan Daly. They were saying that volunteers may be called up to fight in the war since we're in it now – and they were speculating on how long the war might last. Do…do you think it'll last long, Faith? Long enough for our boys to be involved? They can volunteer, can't they?"
"Yes, they can," said Faith, a frown settling on her eyebrows. "Volunteers might be called for any moment. But they don't go straight into war, they have to train for a few months. Who knows whether the war won't be over by then?"
"It seems to me," said Una a little timidly, as though afraid of offering an opinion without any real authority to do so, "that if Germany is bothering to fight Russia, France, and Britain, they're intent on making a long business out of it."
Faith said nothing and they sat quietly for a time, waiting for Jem's return. Seeing that Una's face was very pale and remembering that she never made a fuss unless it was really bad, Faith urged her sister's head onto her shoulder and massaged the side of the head which Una said was aching. She longed for Jem to come back; whatever in the world was taking him so long?
He did arrive eventually, with a huge smile on his face. "All right, I'm finished here. Come along, Una, sorry to have kept you waiting. Faith, are you coming with us or staying here? If you're staying, Jerry's up in the pavilion with Nan and Ken."
"I'll go back with you," said Faith, helping Una to her feet.
"Are you sure? The party's not over yet," Jem said, looking at her keenly while preparing the boat. "You're not sick, are you?"
"No."
He studied her for a moment then, evidently satisfied with the results, smiled widely. "Good. I spoke to Jack and he said they'll be calling for volunteers tomorrow. Britain is certainly working fast, isn't she? Here, Una, easy. Are you quite comfy? We'll have you home in no time. Captain Josiah absolutely refused to hoist the flag till sunrise, but as long as it's hoisted, I don't really care when."
The boat sped over the water and Jem supported Una as they walked back to the manse, talking cheerfully to her, but thankfully not about war. Faith, lingering slightly behind them, ruminated on the possibility of the war lasting longer than any of them thought. Germany was certainly well-prepared – but could it have much of a chance against so many nations? No, surely the war had to be over by or slightly after Christmas! Even if Jem enlisted, he would be in the training camp when the war ended. Too far away to matter – to fight – or to be killed. Faith shivered slightly.
When they finally reached the manse, Una went in first, leaving them on the steps. Jem, who was standing on the lower step, looked up at Faith and the whiteness of her face temporarily blotted out the excitement over the war news. "You don't look too well yourself," he said. "Get a good night's sleep and I'll see you tomorrow."
Faith smiled and cupped his face in her hands, looking lovingly into his hazel eyes. "It's been a wonderful night, Jem. Thank you."
He smiled back and kissed her hand. "Good night, sweetheart."
Faith watched him stroll down the darkened street and closed her eyes, hoping fervently that the morbid sense of foreboding hanging over her was nothing but a result of over-excited nerves.
