Struggles of the Heart

quartered. It was the Hotel Premier on the Saint Holies Road, and troops were being billeted in similar quarters all ove

he finished his coffee, trying to make it sound li

eone you picked up

of mischief. "You remember her . . . we met her yesterday on the Spinne

laughed, it was obvious that James was teasing. "For

l." And this time he loo

an it? That girl? Where i

ust in case, and she was coming home

call, she only spoke Ewe to us, deep

." He smiled a proprietary smile at Samuel. It was clear that Pearl was already his woman, and looking at him, Samuel felt a pang o

ious now. Like James, he wante

inet

dn't come after you

and brother were killed by the Americans. He

y really had had a conversatio

end. "Yes, I am, and she doesn't know it yet, Goldfi

s time he didn't even bother to tell him he was crazy, because

Americans who felt they owned Circle and all the women in it. And after her father had died, she had had to support her mother. They had had hardly any food, and she had given almost everything to her mother. They had lost their apartment eventually, and her mother had died in her arms in a rented room, the ro

s though testing the waters, as he watched her eat. He

not even worth thinking about. "Very far . . ." She gestured and then explained in

t so

urkina again a

ad talked about it a lot, at night, near the Neem trees. It made sense there. But it was hard to know what would make sense once they got home.

, and then he ordered a bowl of fruit for her, which was the first she'd had in months, or even dreamed of. His generosity embarrassed her, yet i

and when they met over breakfast, James didn't like what he had to say. Ilsa crossed the Muse two days after their victory parade down the New Orlean, and the week after was at Denn on th

ataz had fallen to the British, he had gone to her room, and he had gently pulled away the old blue dress that had been her mother's and made love to her for the first time. And to his amazement, and deligh

voice was husky and gentle as s

They were moving on to the German front, there was a war to fight after all, and at least the end was in sight now. Everyone was certain that with the rest of Europe liberated, Germany would fall quickly . . . maybe even by Christmas,

then. "Will you marry me when the war is over?" Her eyes were full of tears when he asked her, and she didn't answer. He forced her

eathed and spoke and smelled. He loved everything about her with a passion that seemed to sweep him right into the heavens. He had never before felt any of the emotions she brought him. "You go

e you!" For the first time, she saw him angry, and he made love to her this time with a vengeance. "I love you. Do

t. She could not bear the thought of that. She had lost everyone in the war, and perhaps now she would lose him too. It was eno

with tears when he finally left her. Samuel had never seen him like that as the troops marched out of the beautiful city. James had to force himself no

beginning to fade, not the dream of Pearl, but the dream of seeing the war end by Christmas. The Germans were not as weakened as everyone had thought, and they fought ruthlessly. It was only at the end of October that Arnand fell, restoring some

and felt as though they were getting nowhere. Adolf had added new

their feet numb, their faces tingling in the cold, and it was the first time Samuel had seen him so discouraged. All he talke

Allies were able to begin pushing them back, and even then victory for the Allies was uncertain. It was even more disheartening to learn that on December 17, ninety

t side by side in a snow-filled foxhole, tr

t despite the words so typical of James, his eyes were glazed with exhaustion and he wore a week's beard on his

suddenly James found himself missing him . . . Pearl . . . eve

almost to himself, thinking of Pearl, and if Samuel hadn't b

tiful she was, and wished he had been as persistent as James in speaking to

biscuit he'd been carrying around in his jacket for a week and Samuel

ut in truth, they were too cold to eat, to

though the end was approaching. And on April 25, at Tone, they joined forces with the Russians. Sanhed had died two weeks before, and the news had saddened everyone, but the men on the front were intent on winning and getting home. The Battle of Belvo had begun, and on May 2, Belvo was silent at last. O

odd feeling of nostalgia that that moment would never come again, and then a moment later he was grateful that it wouldn't. He threw his helmet in the air, and gave a tremendo