“Yes, but what are we meant to do?” Kate asked practically. “Other than collect cows.”
Offer hope to the hopeless, Emmie wanted to say, but somehow the words rolled off better from Mrs. Rutherford’s tongue than hers.
“At least we have professional assurance that we’re not neurasthenics!” When Kate looked at her skeptically, she added, “I’m sure it will all make sense once we get there. Everything will be better once we get to Paris.”
Chapter Three
The Unit had an excellent time on the voyage. We had never all met until we embarked, but already we like and admire each other . . .
— Mrs. Ambrose Rutherford (née Betsy Hayes), ’96, Director, to the members of the committee
Dear Beth,
I’m writing this on the train, so if my handwriting isn’t up to form, you’ll know why! I keep turning to speak to you and then remembering you aren’t here after all, although I do understand why you couldn’t come, with things as they are at home. Your replacement is a girl named Catharine Morran (?), class of ’11. There are several other ’11 girls, and some ’09, and a great many older than that. They make me feel like an infant—although they’re all very nice. Well, most of them.
They played us off the ship with “The Stars and Stripes Forever,” which was very nice and very inspiring, but there’s been some mix-up with our trucks, which haven’t arrived yet or have arrived but aren’t being released, it’s not clear which, so now we’re all on the way to Paris to find out what we’re meant to do until we can get our trucks and get to where we’re going. Everyone we see seems to be in uniform or in mourning. I’ve seen more widows’ weeds in the past five hours than I have in all my life. Every woman we pass seems to be wearing black. As for the men—one of the girls said she feels strange having all her limbs, and that’s just what it is. Every man on the train seems to be on crutches or wrapped in bandages, and we aren’t even to Paris yet, much less the war zone.
I expect we’ll feel better once we get to the hotel and have a good night’s sleep. Can you believe? A Paris hotel! I feel better just writing it. A Paris hotel.
I wish you were here, Beth, I really do. It is so lonely without you. . . .
—Miss Margaret Cooper, ’14, to Miss Elizabeth Long, ’14
August 1917
Hotel Voltaire, Paris
“Non,” said Madame. “Twenty young girls? Mais c’est impossible! Je ne peux prendre tout le monde!”
“Fewer than that—and we’re not that young,” Kate countered.
She stood at the door of the hotel on the Quai Voltaire, the rest of the Unit behind her, rather the worse for wear after their long train ride from Bordeaux, disheveled and smoke-stained and weary. Their train hadn’t come in until twenty past eight; it was full dark already, the streets sparsely lit, curtains pulled tight over windows to blot any light from within.
Mrs. Rutherford and Miss Ledbetter had taken on the task of attempting to find a cab for their baggage from the few ancient vehicles that still plied their trade at the station. It was clear that it would be miracle enough to find a taxi to carry their bags, much less any of them. Sore and tired, the rest of the Unit had gathered up such bits of baggage as they could carry and staggered forward on foot, along the night-dark Seine to the little hotel on the Left Bank where they had been promised that rooms had been reserved for them.
“Nine! Nine only I was told!” Madame protested.
“What is it?” asked Emmie, coming up behind Kate.
“There’s no room at the inn—or, not enough room at the inn.” Kate’s throat was dry and scratchy after hours of coal smoke. Their landing—the playing of “The Stars and Stripes Forever” as they emerged from the boat; the excitement at being on dry land—all felt like years ago. “She says they can’t possibly take us all, she has only two girls to help and there aren’t enough rooms for all of us even if they had more people.”
“But, then what . . .” Emmie glanced over her shoulder. Miss Cooper looked asleep on her feet. Miss Patton had dropped her bag and was sitting on it.
Kate could feel her lips set. “She says we’ll have to find someplace else.”
“But—our rooms were meant to be reserved.” Emmie looked like a raccoon, her eyes ringed with purple. “Weren’t they? Although our tags say Rue Scribe. Maybe we were meant to go there instead?”
Yes, it would be horrible if someone were to deliver their bodies to the wrong hotel.
Kate bit down the sarcastic words. She knew Emmie was as tired and drained as she was. Probably more. Kate had fewer compunctions about pulling her hat down over her eyes and pretending to be asleep when annoying people tried to talk to her.
“I’m quite sure Mrs. Rutherford said Quai Voltaire, not Rue Scribe. Please,” said Kate to the proprietress. “Surely something can be arranged. We can share. We have cots—we will have cots, once our things are delivered. Do you have, perhaps, a room we might use as a dormitory? Un dortoir—comme dans un pensionnat?”
Madame considered. “There are the rooms already reserved. Five rooms. For nine girls. And an attic. But you cannot expect the laundry—and the meals—”
“We expect only a place to sleep. And we won’t be here long. Just a week or so until we move on.” Kate turned back to Emmie. “There’s an attic.”
“An attic?” Maud’s hearing was remarkably acute when her comfort was at issue. “I’m not sleeping in an attic!”
“You can have one of the rooms.” Kate was too tired to fight with anyone. “But don’t expect anyone to make your bed for you.”
“Liza and I will share,” declared Maud in tones of great self-sacrifice.
“There is only one bed,” Madame warned. At this point, she seemed to be rather enjoying herself.
“I don’t mind lumping it, do you, Maud?” said Liza. “I promise not to hog the covers.”
“I don’t care where I sleep so long as no one starts swabbing around me at three in the morning,” said Miss Cooper bravely.
Behind them, a policeman wrestled with the gas jet of a streetlamp. The light went out, plunging the street into total darkness.
“Inside,” said Madame with a sideways glance at the police officer. There had been signs all over the train station warning them to observe the blackout, to keep silent, to guard their words because the enemy might be listening. “Quick now. Who will have a room?”
“Mrs. Rutherford should have a room.” Emmie immediately took on the role of hostess, working out the sleeping arrangements as though this were a party at the family cottage in Newport. She looked at her cousin. “And perhaps the doctors could share?”
It was just like Julia to get one of the rooms with a real bed, thought Kate. Although the thought of Julia having to share a bed with Dr. Stringfellow did rather lighten her mood somewhat. Maybe the doctor snored.
Kate was aware that this was not entirely the spirit of fellowship she ought to be cultivating.
“I’m for the attic,” said Kate, not waiting to hear any more. “Who’s with me?”