Battle Hymns Read online

  Battle Hymns

  Cara Langston

  Copyright 2014 by Cara Langston

  Smashwords Edition

  Smashwords Edition, License Notes

  This book is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction or unauthorized use of the material or artwork herein is prohibited.

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. It may not be re-sold or given away to another person. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you'd like to share it with. Thank you for your support.

  This is a work of historical fiction. Apart from the well-known events and locales featured in the narrative, all other names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  Published by Cara Langston

  Edited by Janine Savage

  Cover design by Jennifer Quinlan

  Table of Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Epilogue

  Acknowledgments

  About Cara Langston

  Part One

  December 1941

  One

  Lively swing music reverberated against the gilded mirrors and chandeliers of the restaurant. Charlotte Donahue bobbed her foot along to the beat, her high-heeled pump dangling precariously from her toes. She took a few small bites of dessert—a sliver of apple pie à la mode—and left the rest for her beau, Nick Adler. She turned her attention to the couples bopping on the dance floor.

  The silver spoon clinked onto the plate. Nick brought the starched napkin from his lap and set it upon the table. “Ready to dance, sweetheart?”

  She nodded, her drop earrings swinging beneath her dark curls, and returned his smile.

  Taking her hand, Nick led Charlotte to the dance floor. Music from the jazz band slowed, and he twirled her and pulled her into his arms.

  “It’s our song.” Nick’s fingers caressed her back through the maroon silk of her dress.

  As they swayed to the tempo, Charlotte stared into his blue eyes. “I’m so glad you asked me to dance that night.” She rested her cheek on his shoulder and whispered into his neck, “It was meant to be.”

  The song ended.

  He pulled away from her. “Let’s get out of here.”

  “Why? We’ve barely danced.”

  He kissed her hand. “Trust me.”

  Charlotte followed him to their table. Nick paid the bill, and they retrieved their winter coats from the cloakroom. They exited the restaurant. She looked to the inky sky. It was a cold December evening in Washington, D.C., and the absence of stars forecasted a possible snow shower later in the night.

  She huddled into the crook of Nick’s arm as the parking attendant dashed down the city block to retrieve the car.

  Nick pressed his lips to her temple. “Do you mind if I don’t take you back to your place yet?”

  “Not at all. What do you have planned?”

  He blew out a long breath. “That’s a surprise.”

  The black Buick Coupe pulled to the curb. Nick helped her inside. She placed her pocketbook at her feet and rested against the leather seat as Nick walked around to the other side and tipped the attendant. He sat behind the wheel and closed the door behind him.

  Now in the privacy of the car, Charlotte scooted toward him. He pressed his lips against hers, his hand cupping the back of her neck. She savored the taste of peppermint Altoids on his lips and tongue for several tantalizing moments. He was addicted to those mints, and through his kisses, she was, too.

  Nick started the engine and switched on the radio. “And in Europe, the Germans have marched on to Moscow in an attempt to capture the Soviet capital.”

  Charlotte turned the tuning dial, cutting off the news announcer, and settled on a station playing Christmas music instead.

  “You don’t want to hear about the war?” Nick asked.

  “My professors talk about it enough during class.” She stared out the window as he steered them into traffic. “Do you think we’ll join the war? Everyone thinks it’ll happen sooner or later. I hope it’s later, though I’d prefer not at all.”

  “Well, Roosevelt is determined not to get involved. We’re already sending manpower and supplies over to the British, though. We’ve taken a side. I won’t be surprised if we’re eventually dragged into it.”

  “I’m afraid you’ll have to leave.”

  Nick took her hand, kissed her palm, and said nothing. His silence brought tears to her eyes. She blinked rapidly, determined not to let them fall. She wanted to enjoy this night, and she wouldn’t let her anxiety ruin it.

  Instead, she gazed at her handsome beau as he shifted gears and drove them toward their surprise destination. Charlotte was smitten with Nick. She had been from the moment she first set eyes on him fifteen months earlier.

  In September of 1940, her first year at Trinity College commenced. She moved into the dormitory and met her roommate and soon-to-be best friend, Natalie Armstrong. Natalie was a pretty, petite girl with blue eyes, a heart-shaped face, and light blond hair curled above her shoulders. Natalie wasn’t from the Washington, D.C. area, but from Michigan. Excited to see what nightlife their nation’s capital promised, she invited Charlotte and two of their classmates, Sandra and Evelyn, to go dancing that first Friday night.

  The four women dolled up and strolled to a popular dance hall only a few blocks away from campus. Although they were only eighteen, they were able to order martinis, and Charlotte soon sat at a table with new friends toasting to a new chapter of their lives while the band’s jazz music floated throughout the venue.

  When Sandra and Evelyn left to visit the powder room, Nick scooted into the booth next to her. His golden blond hair was neatly combed, and light freckles dotted his nose and cheeks. He wore a charming grin on his face.

  “Excuse me,” he said. “I’m sorry for bothering you. I need some directions, and I wondered if you could help me.”

  Charlotte smiled. “It’s all right. Where do you need directions?”

  Nick glanced at the bar and settled his eyes on hers again. “To your heart.”

  She was so spellbound she hadn’t even registered his words until Natalie doubled over with laughter.

  “Oh, you didn’t!”

  Nick flashed another grin and pointed to the bar. “My buddy over there dared me to come over and try a line on you. I’m truly sorry, miss.” He extended his hand to Charlotte. “I’m Nick, by the way.”

  She s
hook his hand. “Charlotte. And this is Natalie.”

  Nick smiled at her friend. “Natalie, I’d hate to leave you by yourself, but would you mind if I asked Charlotte to dance?” He refocused his attention on Charlotte. “If it’s all right with you.”

  “She’d love to.” Natalie scooted to the other end of the banquette and stood. “And don’t worry about me. I’m going to have a chat with your friend.”

  After Natalie left, Charlotte accepted Nick’s hand. He led her onto the dance floor, where they danced to “Moonlight Serenade.” For the rest of the night, she didn’t leave his side. They danced to several more numbers and eventually returned to an empty table to get to know one another. She discovered Nick was twenty years old and in his third year at Georgetown University. He was studying political science and aspired to become a federal prosecutor after law school. Like Charlotte, he was from the D.C. area, but from Arlington, Virginia instead of Chevy Chase, Maryland.

  When she commented on the strict curfew of her college, Nick offered to walk her back to campus. She checked with Natalie, who had made herself cozy with Nick’s pal, John Cartwright, a tall and lanky fellow with curly, light brown hair. With Natalie’s consent, she left the dance hall with Nick and took his arm as they ambled down the street. Before they parted, he asked if they could meet again, and they made plans to see the new Clark Gable flick the next weekend.

  That was the beginning of their relationship. Now, Charlotte was madly in love with him, and it was clear Nick was just as enamored with her.

  Nothing could pull them apart.

  Nick stopped the car along the roadside near the National Mall, the park that ran through the center of D.C., between the Capitol Building and the Lincoln Memorial.

  “Are we allowed to park here?” Charlotte asked.

  “We’ll find out. Do you want to take a walk? It’s freezing cold, though. We can do something else if you’d rather.”

  “I don’t mind the cold.”

  Charlotte buttoned her winter coat and slid on her gloves. She linked her arm through his as they began their stroll down the path.

  The park was quiet for a Friday night, only the occasional sounds of traffic to break the silence. A cold wind rustled through the leafless trees, creating an eerie, howling noise. The lamps brightened pathways that had been shoveled of the snow that had fallen a few days earlier.

  “I don’t come here often enough.” Charlotte eyed the monuments brightly lit in contrast to the dark sky. “It’s so pretty at night.”

  “It is.”

  “I once read that the Mall was supposed to be a grand boulevard. I imagine it would’ve looked like the Champs-Élysées in Paris. Have you been to Paris?”

  Nick shook his head.

  “I’d like to visit . . . although not right now. Maybe when the Allies win the war and the Nazis leave.”

  He didn’t reply.

  Charlotte smiled and nudged him in the side with her elbow. “You’re being awfully quiet.”

  Nick stopped walking and stared into her eyes. “I love you.”

  “I know. I love you, too.”

  He exhaled a shaky breath. “Which is why . . . I wanted to do this.”

  Nick pulled a box from his pocket and kneeled in front of her. “Sweetheart, I have loved you from the moment I saw you. Would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?” He opened the lid of the small black box to reveal a diamond ring.

  Charlotte froze. She’d longed for this moment for months, but hadn’t expected Nick to propose tonight.

  “I talked to your parents,” he continued. “They gave their consent.”

  She found her voice. “You asked my parents? When?”

  He shrugged. “A few weeks ago. What do you say?”

  “Yes, of course!” Charlotte pulled him to his feet and took a better look at the ring. An intricately etched, gold band supported the round diamond. “It’s beautiful.”

  “My grandfather gave it to my grandmother at the turn of the century. Do you mind?” Nick took her left hand and pulled off her leather glove. She shook her head as her eyes grew misty. He took the ring from the box and slid it on her finger. It fit snugly.

  Nick’s fingertips caught Charlotte’s tears as they fell. She stood on her toes and brought her lips to his. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and he drew her waist nearer. Much to her dismay, Nick soon pulled away, a grin still plastered on his face. “Are you ready to leave?”

  She pouted. Returning to the college meant they’d be separated, and she had more time before her curfew.

  “At least to the car.” Nick rubbed her shoulders. “I don’t want you to freeze.”

  “I’ll go back to the car with you, but I won’t say good-bye until the minute before they lock the doors.”

  They returned to Nick’s Buick. He drove to the campus and parked down the street from the entrance of Charlotte’s dormitory.

  “It’s not fair we have curfews and you men can do whatever you want.” She glanced at the dashboard clock. She had to be inside before eleven o’clock on a Friday night, an unreasonable constraint. Nick, of course, had no curfew at Georgetown.

  He squeezed her hand. “Believe me, I wish you didn’t have a curfew either.”

  She smiled coyly. “When I return home for Christmas, it’ll be extended to midnight. Then I can spend more time with you.”

  He toyed with the engagement ring on her finger. “That’s good to know,” he whispered, dipping his head to kiss her. She pressed her lips against his with increasing fervor. She wanted more than their usual, sweet good-night kiss.

  Nick’s tongue grazed her lips while he pulled her closer. His hands roamed up and down her back. One slid between their bodies, caressing her breast through the thin silk. She gasped as Nick placed kisses across her jaw line, up to her ear. He lifted the bottom of her dress, and she opened her eyes. Her gaze landed on the clock. It was nearly eleven.

  “Damn it!” Charlotte’s curse startled Nick. She lurched away from him. “I have to go, sweetheart. I’m so sorry.” Her heart beat frantically beneath her ribs as she adjusted her dress, pulled on her coat, and grabbed her pocketbook from the floor. “I love you so much.”

  She opened the door and hurried out, slamming it behind her. She rushed toward the dormitory, turning every so often to catch another glimpse of her fiancé.

  Nick emerged from his car and leaned against the inside of the open door. “Can I see you again tomorrow?”

  A grin swept across her face. “Pick me up at six!”

  She ran toward the front door of the dormitory and turned the door handle. Thankfully, it was unlocked.

  As she entered, Mrs. Lloyd, their house matron, walked toward the door, keys in hand. She frowned at Charlotte. “Good night, Miss Donahue.”

  Charlotte hurried upstairs to the room she shared with Natalie. She unlocked the door and opened it, glad to see her best friend was awake so she could share her news.

  Natalie sat on her bed with rollers in her hair and a book in her lap. She glanced at the clock and flipped the book cover closed. “Close call. How was dinner?”

  Charlotte grinned. “Dinner was great. What happened afterward was even better!”

  Natalie narrowed her eyes. “What happened?”

  Charlotte held out her left hand.

  With a loud shriek, Natalie jumped from the bed and grabbed Charlotte’s hand to get a closer look. “Goodness gracious! You must give me details.”

  Charlotte relayed all the events of her evening with Nick.

  Natalie squealed again. “Oh, Charlotte! This is the beginning of something grand, I can tell! You two will be so happy together. I’m absolutely sure of it!”

  ***

  Charlotte pored over her history textbook and notes on Sunday afternoon, memorizing the facts and dates required for her final exam the next day. Glancing away from the textbook, she twirled her engagement ring around her finger. Not only was the ring beautiful, the symbolism behind it meant eve
rything to her. Nick loved her and wanted to spend the rest of his life by her side. It was the greatest feeling in the entire world.

  She tried to read one more chapter, but was unable to focus. The words on the page might as well have been written in a foreign language. She rubbed her forehead and decided to take a break. She stood, smoothed her skirt, and left the room.

  When she reached the lobby of the dormitory, the radio was turned to Sammy Kaye’s Sunday Serenade on NBC. Natalie sat on a loveseat, flipping through the latest Screen Guide magazine, which featured Lana Turner in a bridal veil on the cover.

  Charlotte plopped down next to her. “Sorry if I’m interrupting.”

  Natalie closed the magazine. “It’s fine. I was only reading about Judy Garland’s marriage. It’s not breaking news, and I can finish it later.” She tapped her fingers to the beat of the music. “I’m excited for your engagement party tonight. Have you decided what to wear? I don’t want to sport the same color as the bride-to-be.”

  Having known about Charlotte’s engagement ahead of time, her parents had planned a soirée in honor of her and Nick. Many of her girlfriends from Trinity College and Nick’s buddies from Georgetown were invited. She was looking forward to it all day. It was no wonder she couldn’t study.

  “I have so many dresses, I can’t decide.”

  Natalie perked up. “Let’s go upstairs and figure it out. How swanky do you think the party will be? I can’t choose between my blue velvet and my black silk.”

  As she collected her magazines, a radio commentator disrupted the music. “We interrupt this program to bring you a special news bulletin. From the NBC newsroom in New York—President Roosevelt said in a statement today that the Japanese have attacked Pearl Harbor in Hawaii from the air. I’ll repeat that. President Roosevelt said in a statement today that the Japanese have attacked Pearl Harbor in Hawaii from the air. This bulletin is from the NBC news room at Radio City.”

  The National Broadcasting Company returned to their normal programming.