Page 35 (1/2)

Elizabeth nodded as she gave hilass of lemonade "I put the envelopes in order first That didn’t take as long as Grain the day Granddad said goodbye to her in Portland He introduces each fellow soldier he meets like an author introduces the characters in his story--who each of them is, where he comes froroup, but they’re united in their commitment to what they’ve chosen to do Granddad doesn’t portray their journey as a grand adventure And yet, as they’re crossing the country--and then the ocean--it feels that way There’s a sense of exciteerness for what lies ahead"

"Do you think they knohat lies ahead?"

Elizabeth shook her head "How could they? They’re only eighteen And, like Granddad, they’ve enlisted because of Pearl Harbor The country they love has been attacked They want to defend it They believe what they’re doing is right and good And because it is right and good, they also believe they’ll return triumphant and whole But they can’t, can they? Not all of them"

"No," Nick said "Not all of theone into battle yet?"

"Yes Just And they all survived Granddad says it that succinctly, that flatly, without any description of what actually happened" Elizabeth handed hiht on April 13, 1942 "A few hours later, he wrote this"

Nick’s expression as he read revealed nothing When he finished and looked at her, his eyes were the color of stone "What do you think?"

"About the letter? That it’s beautiful He loves Gram soyou have other thoughts"

"I get the feeling so horrible happened He needs to tell her what it was"

"He won’t Ever"

"What?"

"He’ll tell her succinctly, flatly, when one of his band of brothers dies But he’ll never describe how his friends die, or the way it feels to aier and watch hiry, or if there comes a ti one"

"He has to tell her those things"

"Does he? Why?"

"She’s the woman he loves! The woman who loves him He can’t hide such i?"

"Yes" It was so clear to her How could it not be to him? But it obviously wasn’t A new darkness shadowed his eyes It looked like sadness, she thought Loneliness He didn’t agree hat she was saying And yet, it seeue the point Maybe, if she quit arguing, he’d explain "Why would he hide what he was feeling?"

"Because he loves her He wants to protect her, Elizabeth Her--and the in co him at all? Because if so, I don’t believe it Granddad would never, ever, have coht," Nick said "He wouldn’t have He’d have died first You know that I know that And he trusts that your grande a man like Charles MacKenzie, Elizabeth Not even war can do that"

Elizabeth heard in Nick’s voice the same emotion she’d heard in Granddad’s when he spoke of Nick She couldn’t define it But it was solemn Important And very deep Gram had said the tere alike And close, Elizabeth realized Bonded in some special--reverent--way Maybe Granddad had told Nick about the letters, what he’d shared and hadn’t shared with Clara…and why Or

Either way, Nick see to find any preestured toward the letters as he spoke Here referred, of course, to what Charles had written to his love And yet, for a crazy unsettling moment, it felt as if here--where there was no betrayal--was anyplace she happened to be With Nick

"No betrayal," she murmured "But you said Granddad wants to protect Gram And them"

"He needs to believe that the world he knew before he went to war still exists That’s the world he’s fighting for, where a girl climbs down a tree to meet the boy she loves, and you don’t have to strain to hear an owl above the sounds of , Elizabeth, to protect that innocence, that ideal"

"So when he writes about Gra her to ith hi horay eyes, the sadness--and the loneliness--were gone

What filled the void was so unsettling, in a giddy, glorious way, that she turned fro

"Maybe we should look at your color scheestions In fact, don’t let me I’d never have come up with the choices you oing to love these" Elizabeth’s assertion, rateful one "The colors you’ve chosen are so cheerful Just walking from room to roo she can see the trouble with her vision?" Elizabeth frowned "She didn’t say anything about it"

"I’ht, of course Gram wasn’t one to complain "She doesn’t know?"

"She’s aware that her vision isn’t what it used to be But if it’s what I think it is--cataracts--the ies without realizing how significant they are"

"But you think they’re significant"