Sharing Corrie

Chapter Twenty Six

 Corrie frowned as she examined the gown Edwin had given her. It was a soft shade of mint, matching the color of her eyes, with a high waist and a v-shaped neckline. Corrie never would have chosen such a dress for herself, but she had to accept Edwin's generosity. It irked her that he still spent money so frivolously despite the war, but he had always pampered her with extravagant gifts. Perhaps he was trying to give her a glimpse of the life they could one day have.

The dress, however, wasn't merely the gift of a doting beau; over the past few days, Edwin and her parents had arranged to throw a lavish party, supposedly in support of the war effort. It was just like Edwin to host a party within days of arriving in the town. The dress was to be Corrie's attire for the evening, and though she would oblige, she had no desire to parade around in fine silk on Edwin's arm. She would prefer to sit down and talk about the future realistically. Edwin spoke in generalizations while she desired specifics. If they were to wed, when? Where would they live? What would she do? How could she still support Christina? When would she go back to school, if ever?

Edwin, however, dismissed all of Corrie's concerns with a wave of his hand and a vague sentiment on everything working itself out. Corrie sighed and returned the dress to her bed, grabbing her hat and walking to the hospital. With Edwin occupied in planning the festivities, she had time to breathe and visit the friends his arrival had required her to neglect.

Corrie reached the practice at lunch time, hoping to intercept all of them but especially Dr. Benjamin who she hadn't seen since Edwin arrived. She knew he was likely keeping his distance, but she realized she missed him even though they no longer spoke as easily as they used to.

"Hello?" Corrie called.

"Back here!" Hannah's voice echoed from Christina's room, and she found Hannah, Jack, Dr. Benjamin, Mr. Fletcher, and Christina crammed into the small room.

"Good morning!" her friends greeted her.

"How's your week with your handsome beau?" Jack teased though Corrie did not miss the dark flash in her cornflower eyes.

Corrie blushed, glancing quickly at Dr. Benjamin who evaded her gaze. "Oh, it's fine. He's busy this morning, and I haven't seen much of you all in the past few days."

"I've seen far too much of you and Edwin," Christina teased with an eyeroll.

Laughing nervously, Corrie's eyes shifted from friend to friend. There was a restless undertone to the conversation; it was no secret that Christina, Jack, and Hannah disapproved of Edwin, and Corrie blushed to consider what Dr. Benjamin must think.

"What's happening on the Western Front?" she finally asked, deflecting the conversation away from herself and gesturing towards Christina's array of newspapers.

Christina squinted at one of the papers. "Quite a bit, but our soldiers aren't fully engaged yet. David says the rations are already getting smaller and they haven't even started fighting yet. A few men caught the flu and died already."

"When will soldiers arrive here?" Corrie asked, finally letting her gaze rest on Dr. Benjamin.

He raised tortured eyes to hers and she nearly gasped at his expression. She had always treasured Dr. Benjamin's cheerful good nature, but it seemed to have dissipated. Dark bags gathered under his eyes and a permanent wrinkle formed between his eyebrows. His eyes appeared empty and forlorn even as he attempted a smile.

"Perhaps the end of November," Dr. Benjamin answered simply.

Uncomfortable silence fell over the small group, and Corrie wondered if she had failed to veil her feelings well enough as they all seemed aware of the tension. For the first time in months, Corrie felt as if she didn't belong. The feeling reminded her of the time she had leapt into an ice cold lake, plunging into the freezing water. She felt as if cold instantly washed over her and she knew she could not stay here any longer. Her presence was an aggravation to her friends rather than a balm.