The Good Life by Gordon Merrick

Author:Gordon Merrick
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781497666436
Publisher: Open Road Media

PART THREE

NEW YORK CITY, 1939–1943

They were still two days out of New York when Hitler ordered his army into Poland and Europe was finally at war.

The news was announced on the ship’s public-address system like an item of shipboard entertainment. It gave the day a jolting start. Rumors flew throughout the ship. They were to be attacked by U-boats. Bombers had already taken off to blast them out of the sea. There were many references to the Lusitania, whose sinking had led the United States into what had suddenly become the first World War.

They were finishing lunch when Perry froze with the realization that Bet might be cut off for the duration.

“My God, Billy,” he exclaimed. “What about Bet? I knew we shouldn’t leave her. What are we going to do?”

“We can’t very well tell the captain to turn around and go back for her. Until we know more about what’s happening, we have to put the pieces together as best we can.” Billy sighed and sipped his wine. “We’ve been incredibly lucky. I’m particularly happy for your sake. No matter what happens, you’ve had a look at Europe before the wreckers get at it.”

“It’s the best thing that ever happened to me. The week in Paris was enough to hook me for life. I’ve even picked up a little French during the summer. I’m not a hopeless case.”

He hadn’t known that you could fall in love with places almost as if they were people. Paris was sexy. He’d been a dedicated sightseer as usual and had spent a couple of mornings at the Louvre, but the streets themselves were sights — the way Notre Dame was anchored in the river like a majestic ship, the sweeping vistas everywhere, the Place de la Concorde, the Champs-Élysées crowned by the Arc de Triomphe, the Esplanade des Invalides, Chaillot facing the fantasy of the Tour Eiffel across the river, the clustering cafes, gay and inviting under the lush chestnut trees. It all made him keep wanting to laugh out loud with delight.

A voice accompanied it all, the heartbreakingly jaunty voice of the little woman called Piaf that Billy had told him about. They went to a nightclub to see her, and Perry wanted to marry Bet on the spot. Even though he couldn’t understand a lot of the words, when Piaf sang about love, you were ready to forgive your girl anything.

They gave up expecting to hear from Bet when the purser told them that it was too soon to tell what effect wartime priorities were going to have on services, and by evening the rumor mill seemed to be running out of steam. Their last day was like any other day at sea except that when night came the decks remained unlit. They discussed intermittently their altered plans. It required no discussion for Billy to accept the fact that he would remain in the States for the foreseeable future.

“What a difference it makes to have you,” he said while they were having drinks before lunch in his favorite bar.

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