“Good morning,” she said, and smiled at him.
“Good morning,” he replied, smiling uncomfortably. Then, “Ed came home last night.” KI know,” Charity said. “I’ve got lipstick. We can letter scarlet A’s on our foreheads.”
“He is not going to think this is funny,” Douglass said.
“I’m sorry if you are now overwhelmed with morning-after remorse,” Charity said. KSHOULD I jump out the window?” KI was thinking of Sarah,” he said.
He really is. He is, in addition to everything else, a nice guy.
“She told me he wasn’t due until Tuesday,” Charity said. Then a thought of genuine importance hit her. “Are you going to be all right to fly?” He nodded, and then he thought of something. “My God, my father.”
“I won’t tell if you won’t tell,” Charity heard herself say. She was sorry, but the crack had popped out on its own.
“Jesus,” he said impatiently.
“I spoke with him an hour ago,” Charity said. “He will be tied up–he’s at the base in Fairfax–until nine. He wanted to know if you could delay your departure until noon. I told him you could.” He looked at her in surprise.
“You’re not taking off until about six,” Charity said. “There’s a front going through, and they will hold you until it does.”
“You know, then?”
“Well, you know, what the hell, why be in the OSS if you don’t get to know the secrets?”
“Is that why what happened last night happened?”
“What happened last night is standard V-Girl service,” Charity said. “Just the standard patriotic contribution to the morale of the boys in uniform.” She wondered why she had said that, why she was acting as she was.
“I don’t understand you at all,” he said, almost sadly.
He turned and looked for his uniform. He found it where she had hung it in the closet and, with his back to her, started to put it on.
He had, she saw, a very broad back.
After he pulled his trousers on, while still in the process of tucking his shirt in, he turned and faced her.
“I would be grateful when you come out, if you would control that clever mouth of yours. Don’t make it worse for Sarah than it will be.
” Then he finished zipping his fly and walked out of the bedroom.
Bitter, ever the gentleman, was sitting at the table drinking coffee.
The table was covered with silver, china, and food, but he was waiting.
“Good morning,” Douglass said, as jovially as he could manage.
Bitter stood up and they shook hands.
“Good to see you, buddy,” he said.
“You too,” Douglass said.
“What are you doing in Washington?” Bitter asked. “If you can tell me.” “Leaving,” Douglass said. “I’m going from here to the airport.
“Sarah was so beside herself with pleasure, she ordered breakfast for four,” Bitter said. “Dig in.” Sarah and Douglass looked at each other, and then away.
“As a matter of fact, Eddie,” Douglass said as he helped himself to coffee, KI am about to test the premise that a lot of money and effort can be saved if we ferry P-38s to England.”
“That’s you?”
“You know? How did you hear about it?” KTHE Navy is going to run Catalinas along your route,” Bitter said. “I assigned the Catalinas.
” “What are Catalinas?” Sarah asked.
KLONG-range amphibious patrol planes,” Doug furnished. “If we have to sit down, they’ll pick us up.”
“I wish I was going with you,” Ed Bitter said.
“No, you don’t,” Douglass said.
“Am I allowed to ask questions about that?” Sarah asked.
KNO,” Ed Bitter said simply.
Charity walked into the room from the corridor.
Bitter looked at her, and then at his wife, and then back at Charity.
“Good morning, Edwin,” Charity said matter-of-factly. “I didn’t think you were due back until Tuesday.”
“We came back early,” Bitter said.
“Oh, good!” Charity said. KSAUSAGE. I’m as hungry as a horse!” She sat down and began to help herself.
Bitter looked at Douglass, who carefully avoided looking at him.
Charity ate a piece of sausage, made a pleased face, and then said, “Captain Douglass will meet Doug at the airport in Baltimore. I think Doug would prefer that you drove him. Can that be arranged?”