O'hara's Choice - Leon Uris [64]
After vows, they swept from the chapel beneath an archway of drawn swords.
Zach spotted Amanda in the last row and waited to let the place empty. In a moment, they were alone. They sat together awkwardly, not having seen each other since that golden and ugly day in the glade.
Zach blurted something about going out on field maneuvers and something about being on standby to ship out because bandits in the isthmus had raided the train being guarded by Marines, but the emergency faded and they returned to finish their AMP classes and one thing or another.
“My mother asked me to accompany her to New York for the opera season and, well, as you know, one thing can lead to another.”
“Sure,” he said.
“I see you were promoted.”
“Corporal.”
“You’ll end up with an armful of those stripes.”
“Varnik has drawn a great post. The navy keeps a small contingent of about a dozen men in Recife, Brazil. There’s a lot of Americans shipping in and out. They keep an eye on things, if you know what I mean.”
“Yes.”
“Beth is going to be able to join him. I understand the living there isn’t too expensive. Anyhow, Captain Storm gave them permission to marry only a few days ago.”
“Recife. Sounds like the end of the world. Oh, you Marines! And yourself?”
“A cruiser is somewhere in the middle of the Atlantic heading for Norfolk.”
They ran out of words and slowly, slowly dared to come into eye contact.
“There’s to be a Marine guard tomorrow night at the Constitution,” Amanda said. “Will you be there?”
“No.”
“I’ve thought a hundred times about seeing you tomorrow. I’m glad we don’t have to put each other through that.”
A small orchestra culled from the big band could be heard from the reception in a nearby rec hall.
“Amanda,” his voice whispered in pain as he reached for her.
“Zach, if you touch me, I’ll die,” she said.
“I could be around a few more weeks. Actually, I have some leave coming. Please let me see you.”
They measured it up.
She reached over and gave him an instant kiss on the neck, long enough to nip him good with her teeth.
“I love you, Zach,” she said, and fled the chapel.
Major Ben Boone trained down from Newport the next day for a round of meetings, including an important late session with the commandant. Ben didn’t reach the barracks till sunset, where a lone bugler played “Colors” and a four-man color guard put the flag to rest.
Tobias Storm was waiting in Ben’s quarters.
“Damned barracks is as quiet as a moth pissing on a weed,” Ben said.
“Most of the enlisted personnel have drawn tin-soldier duty at the Constitution Ball. Matilda is going with one of our sons. We get invited everywhere. Everyone thinks I can get them a deal on Chinese imports. So how’d you make out with the boss?”
“Good. This first AMP class has raised some eyebrows. We’ve picked up a couple of friends at the War College, and guess who, Senator Davenport, has opened the door for us.”
“Davenport. Jesus, he’s a big one,” Tobias said. “Never thought he’d convert.”
“You know how it is,” Ben said. “Once they convert, they become Holy Rollers. Have you drawn up your list for the next AMP class?”
“Almost completed.”
“It’s full steam ahead,” Ben said.
A nervous moment followed.
“Matilda and I would like to retire; however, we love Washington. I want to stay on and get this next class going. I believe in AMP, strongly.”
Ben allowed himself a deep sigh and a deeper drink of relief.
“Of course I’ve got to promise her a wedding every year. I hear tell there’s a couple of merry widows hunting you down in Newport. Now, your wedding could well cap Matilda’s career.”
“If the United States Marine Corps wanted me to have a wife, they’d have issued me one,” Ben growled. “Have you ever noticed that all widows had great marriages and all divorcées had shit heels for husbands? It’s my stump they go wild over.”
Another nervous moment began.
“Ben, what bad news are you sneaking around?”
“Didn’t realize I was wearing it on my sleeve.”
“You are, the bad one.”
Ben grumbled, then gargled down a shot of rum. “I was hoping to get six, maybe eight,