The Long Path Home - Ellen Lindseth Page 0,68

Added to what he had said tonight, she now wondered if Luciana was somehow the reason the sergeant had been pulled “from the mountains” and attached to their unit. If so, with Luciana injured, he likely would be sent back posthaste, which would make the sergeant happy. And her, too, right?

Pushing aside a queer sense of loss, Vi went to see what Sue wanted.

Chapter 19

Gertie sank onto her cot, her face pale. “What do you mean, Luciana won’t be coming with us? Aren’t we supposed to stick together, like family?”

Marcie sat next to the girl and hugged her. “Don’t worry, Gert. It’s only for a few days. The doctor wants to be sure there’s nothing worse with her ankle than a bad sprain. Then she’ll be cleared to rejoin us in Rome, and everything will be back to normal. You’ll see.”

“I’m starting to wish I was the one with the bum leg,” Frances groused from her cot as she fluffed her pillow. “She gets to be waited on hand and foot, with a room all to herself and a good night’s sleep, unlike me if you gals keep flapping your gums.”

“Frances is right,” Ann said tiredly from her bunk. “Luciana is in good hands, which means we can all stop worrying and call it a night. Reveille is going to seem awfully early tomorrow morning. Or maybe I should say this morning, since it’s after midnight.”

“But what if the injury turns out worse than the doctor thinks and she can’t rejoin the show?” Gertie bit her lip as tears filled her eyes. “Will the USO send us home?”

Vi was wondering the same thing but hadn’t wanted to ask aloud.

“Would that be so bad?” Marcie said, rubbing Gertie’s back reassuringly. Vi eyed her travel buddy curiously. She was both touched and a little astonished by Marce’s compassionate behavior tonight. It was a side Vi hadn’t seen a lot of on the trip so far. “If we get sent home, you’ll never have to perform near the front lines.”

“But now I want to,” Gertie all but wailed. “All those brave men hoping for a taste of home—we can’t let them down.”

“We won’t,” Vi said firmly. “Luciana will only be sidelined for a couple of performances at the most. In the meantime, Mr. Stuart will likely promote one of us to take her place. Actresses are switched midproduction all the time with no problems.”

“That’s right,” Marcie agreed. “Think how we lost Janet, but then Vi arrived, and everything turned out fine. Perhaps even better, since Vi is a much better dancer than ol’ Janet ever was.”

“Yes, well,” Vi said, appreciating the compliment but not the timing. “Let’s all hope Luciana’s recovery is swift.”

“Especially since we don’t have anyone to take her place,” Ann said glumly.

“Oh, I bet that won’t be a problem.” Frances rolled over and pinned Vi with a hard look. “I bet someone here has already rehearsed the whole role in her head, just waiting for such an opportunity.”

Vi frowned at the girl. “What are you talking about?”

“I saw how you stole the scene tonight with your little impromptu performance.”

“I was trying to keep the show moving, since everyone seemed paralyzed by Luciana’s fall.”

“Victor could have handled it. In fact, he did, once he got over his shock from having to work around you!”

“Actually, I was rather glad Virginia jumped in when she did,” Ann said from her cot.

Frances ignored her. “And then there’s the whole thing with Janet and how you just conveniently showed up almost the same moment she was canned, without even having to audition.”

Vi took a steadying breath to keep from losing her temper. Everyone, including her, was emotionally wrung out from the performance. “I admit it may have looked a bit irregular, but I had nothing to do with Janet getting the boot. All I know is your stage manager talked to mine, and off I went.”

At least she thought that’s how it had gone. Sal had been rather cagey about who he had talked to.

Marcie stood and shot Frances a nasty look. “Don’t pay any attention to her, Vi. Frances wouldn’t recognize talent if she fell over it.”

“Which, as long as you’re around, will never happen,” Frances shot back. “Too bad Virginia didn’t replace you instead of Janet, since you’re the one dragging the show down.”

Marcie’s hand balled into a fist. “Listen here, you buttana—”

Vi sighed and clapped her hands once, loudly. “Marcie! Frances! That’s enough.” She glared at both of them. “Now is not

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