June 5, 1943

"…Even in these troubled times, we can take pride in these young, talented people whose graduation we are celebrating today. If nothing else, it goes to show that even with the war raging overseas, life must carry on…"

She stifled a yawn, trying to pretend to be paying attention to President Davis' speech. In reality, she couldn't have been less interested about the older man's ramblings, which she had heard at least three times before, when he had been rehearsing it earlier this morning.

She let her gaze wander toward her peers who were sharing the front row seats with her. Smith College, located in Northampton, Massachusetts, and the largest member of the Seven Sisters liberal arts colleges, was women only.

This was supposed to be a day of joy for her, a reward for four years of hard labor. Instead, she felt as if she were being sent off to slaughter. With graduation, she would kiss goodbye to her dreams and ambitions, and begin the life she'd been destined for since birth. She might as well have been sentenced to a life in prison. The cage might've been gilded, but a prison all the same. There was nothing she could do about it, though. She could only keep a brave face and accept her fate.

"…Without further ado, I give the podium to the class of 1943 valedictorian of Smith College, Victoria Chase!" President Davis said, looking at her through his round glasses.

She put on her most dazzling smile and stood up.

-ooo-

Victoria paced frantically towards the rear side of the university administrative building, desperately trying to unbutton her graduation gown. She felt as if she were suffocating, and the gown only added to her distress. Leaving a few of the lowest buttons still fastened, she pulled the garment off her shoulders, letting it fall to the ground as she continued her pacing. She yanked her cap off, revealing her wavy, pixie-cut, platinum blonde hair, and tossed the headgear onto the lawn. Now free of the graduation outfit, and her pine green, one-piece cotton dress remaining, Victoria still felt that she was suffocating.

Suppressing the urge to strip down to her underwear, Victoria slipped around the backside corner and came to a halt. After casting a final glance around to make sure that she was alone, Victoria opened her shoulder purse that she'd been carrying under the graduation gown and took out a pack of Luckies and a Zippo lighter. She pulled out one cigarette, placing it between her lips, and lit up. She took a long drag and let out an audible sigh as she exhaled the smoke into the air. Victoria managed a short smile thinking what kind of fit her parents would throw if they learned what kind of habits she'd picked during her studies. Smoking was one of them, and she wasn't a stranger to cannabis either, even though the latter had become a scarce commodity after the passing of the Marihuana Tax Act some years back.

Victoria wouldn't have minded a reefer right now, but she had to settle for a regular smoke to calm herself. She tried her best not to think about the conversation that had taken place less than ten minutes ago…

"Congratulations, honey," Margaret Chase said as she gave her daughter a hug.

"Thank you, Mother," Victoria responded, sounding as assumedly heartfelt as her mother. Granted, feigned cordiality was probably better than the open disappointment Victoria would have faced if her GPA had been anything below 4.0.

"Has Nathan proposed to you yet?" Harold Chase asked blithely, making Victoria frown briefly. A full 4.33 GPA wouldn't probably have been enough to redeem a word of commendation from her father, much less the 4.07 that adorned her diploma.

"No, Daddy," Victoria said, trying to maintain her composure. She got upset every time her parents brought the subject up. She and Nathan Prescott had known each other since childhood and were close friends but that was all that they were. They both acknowledged and were content with that relationship, but their parents seemed to have other plans for them. Being the offspring of two of the most influential families in Seattle, Victoria and Nathan's marriage would not only be one of Seattle's biggest high society events, but it would also seal the merger of two of the biggest companies in the Pacific Northwest: Chase Consolidated and Prescott Development. Nathan would be destined to take the lead of the merged giant with Victoria by her side.

"Well, he'd better hurry if he wants to do it before the announcement at the dinner when we get back to Seattle."

"What?" Victoria blurted.

"Your marriage and the merger will be announced at the celebration dinner next weekend."

"But, but… Don't we have any say to the matter?" Victoria cried.

"This merger is too important to be postponed any further," Harold Chase said curtly. "Nathan Prescott is a bit of a laggard in my opinion but Sean seems to have faith in him."

"Merger? Merger?!" Victoria said in disbelief. "All you care about is your damn merger!"

"Watch your mouth, young lady," her father ordered sternly.

"Victoria, please," her mother tried to be more diplomatic. "I'm sure you and Nathan will make each other happy."

"You haven't got a goddamned idea what makes me happy!" Victoria snapped.

"Victoria Maribeth Chase!" Harold raised his voice. "You will marry Nathan Prescott! That's the end of discussion!"

Victoria couldn't believe her ears. Her heart started pounding and she felt she couldn't breathe. "May I be excused?" she managed to croak.

"Yes dear," her mother said. "We'll see you later when we cone to pick you up."

So Victoria had walked calmly away and, once her parents were out of sight, quickened her pace and nearly run to where she now stood, taking one drag after another from her cigarette and trying not to fall apart.

Why can't they understand? she thought. Were she and Nathan to get married, they both would be miserable for the rest of their lives. It would be a spectacular setup for a marriage, but that's all what it would be, a setup. She and Nathan could never love each other the way everyone seemed to expect. Although Nathan was very dear to Victoria, she'd never been romantically interested in Nathan. The traditional concept of marriage and family life had never appealed to her. That had reflected in her studies, as she wanted to make a career as a photographer. Studying photography, first at Blackwell Academy, and then at Smith College had been carefully planned steps towards that goal. To be able to study under talented photographers like Mark Jefferson, who had made a notable career at the Life Magazine, had further strengthened Victoria's ambition. Unfortunately, her parents didn't seem to care one bit about her career plans. She could get a formal education, but then she'd have to assume her role as a housewife.

Beside her own ambitions there was another reason why she and Nathan could never be more than friends: his sexual orientation. When they both had been studying at Blackwell, Nathan had confessed to Victoria that he preferred men over women. Although she couldn't quite understand it, Nathan was first and foremost her friend, and she loved and accepted him as he was.

At Blackwell, Nathan had met someone: a young, brilliant man called Warren Graham. Unlike she and Nathan, Warren came from a working-class family and was studying under scholarship. Nathan and Warren had fallen in love and were planning a future together, possibly in San Francisco, which allegedly had some sort of "gay community." Thanks to their, parents, that seemed an impossible prospect as well.

Victoria supposed that she and Nathan could come to an agreement to keep up a respectable front while keeping their lovers on the side, but even then, Victoria would be left out of what she desired. Any way she looked at it, her future seemed shallow and unfulfilling.

A single tear ran down Victoria's cheek as she took a final drag from her cigarette and flicked the butt away. She wiped her cheek and turned to walk back, but jumped when she suddenly noticed a man standing in front of her.

"Who do you think you are, sneaking up on people like that?" Victoria snapped angrily.

"I beg your pardon, Miss Chase," the man said politely. "I didn't mean to startle you."

"You know who I am?" Victoria asked suspiciously.

"Oh, sorry, I forgot to introduce myself," the man, dressed in a black, three-piece suit and a fedora said. "My name is Smith."

"I think it's safe to assume that you're not a descendant of Sophia Smith," Victoria said dryly, referring to the founder of the college. "Also, it doesn't explain how you know my name," she continued.

"Your assumption is correct, Miss Chase," Smith confirmed. "In my line of business, though, you need to be on the know about people," he explained. "I represent an organization that employs several bright and talented people."

"What's that got to do with me?" Victoria asked as she took a moment to take closer look at the man who was addressing her. He seemed to be in his late thirties, maybe early forties. He seemed to be in a good shape for a man of his age, although one could judge from the lines on his face that he'd led a wearing life. Based on the quality of the fabric of his suit and how it fit him, Victoria deduced that the "organization" he referred to must be some government bureau, possibly FBI; but if he was from the FBI, then why hadn't he just said so?

"You are a bright young woman, Miss Chase," Smith answered. "You graduated with top scores, majoring in photography and minoring in French," he remarked. "Je suppose que vous parlez couramment?"

"Oh, je peux me débrouiller," Victoria answered nonchalantly.

"Well, Uncle Sam could have use for a person of your talent."

"Are you offering me a job?" Victoria asked, unable to hide her surprise.

"In a word, yes."

"Well, Mr. Smith, even if I was interested in your job offer, and I'm not saying that I am, I can't possibly accept it. I have other engagements." Victoria couldn't help snorting internally at how concrete and literal that expression was in her case.

"Yes, I am aware of the arrangement between you and Mr. Prescott," Smith said, stunning Victoria and making her wonder how much the man actually knew about her. "I'm also aware that neither of you is very happy with said arrangement."

For once, Victoria was speechless. Who is this man?

"I'm offering you a chance to get you both out of an unpleasant prospect and a possibility to make a difference with your life."

"My... my parents would disavow me if I don't marry Nathan, and I can't even imagine what Nathan's father would do to him," Victoria tried to deter.

"Would that actually be so bad, if you consider the alternative?"

"Well…" Victoria stammered as her mind began to race. Up to now, she'd been completely dependent upon her parents' wealth, and she couldn't deny she was fond of the many luxuries it afforded her. Accepting the man's offer would mean the end of her old life forever. Her parents, and probably Nathan's as well, would do everything in their considerable power to try force her to yield. She would find herself ostracized, disinherited, and maybe even worse. On the other hand, she would be free—or at least relatively free—to pursue her own dreams, and maybe even encourage Nathan to stand up to his father. At the very least, Victoria knew Nathan would support her in whatever she decided. It all came down to whether she herself was willing to take that step into the unknown.

"What do you say, Miss Chase?"

"Where do I sign?"

Author's notes:

Hi and welcome to Band of Misfits! It's been a while since I've published anything and this story has been a work in progress for a couple of years. My initial intention was to finish it completely before I would publish it but I've since then hit with the writer's block. Therefore, I thought I'd put the already completed chapters out at some interval and hope that the feedback would restore my creativity. I hope you'll enjoy the story.