Chapter Five:

Old Acquaintances

The halls of Redmond were filled to bursting with students, professors and lost people. Some invisible whirlwind was sweeping freshies under the feet of upper-classmen and seniors, and ditzy professors were dropping books and papers everywhere, like snow flakes. Trying to absorb the overwhelming procedures of such a large establishment, Diana stumbled and side-stepped out of the way of different people, and fell over the feet of a beautiful girl, who had violet eyes and rippling gold curls on her porcelain forehead. Stood--well, crouched-- next to such a beautiful girl, Di felt out of depth; a country bumpkin. However, Walter was relaxed talking to this girl--in fact, he looked happier than he had for weeks!

“Di, you remember Alice Parker, don’t you? Alice, this is my sister Diana,” Walter introduced the girls to each other.

“I can’t say you--” Di began, but Alice interrupted, cooing,

“Aren’t you the sweetest thing? Well, I don’t think we are in the same circles but with that hair I don’t think I could have missed you.” Di patted her braid of copper sadly. Although she had never hated her hair, it was the first thing people noticed of her, and was a sore point. Gathering together her things, Diana parted with them and went to find Nan, Faith and Persis again.

“She was awful!” explained Di as she stood with her friends.

“Well, why don’t we leave? We’ve sorted everything that needs to be done today, and I overheard some of those handsome upper-classmen that they were single!” laughed Persis.

***

Within a few hours, Nan had a large, painful blister on the back of her heel.

“Maybe house-searching should wait awhile?” asked Faith, kindly checking Nan’s heel. “Gosh Nan-that looks sore!”

“Well, I am still going to volunteer tonight at the Red Cross—you can’t stop me!” Nan pouted a little, and opened her eyes wide, like Little Dog Monday’s eyes.

All afternoon, the quartet had been searching for houses—just a small place to rent—but a place to call their own. All the right houses had been too expensive—all the ones in good locations too small—and all the affordable ones houses.

“We need a home; even if it is just a rented place!” Di had made clear earlier—and all the others had agreed with her.

***

After a light supper, Di, Nan, Faith and Persis headed down to the Red Cross meeting. They were greeted by a simpering 20-something woman named Miss Mary Manton. Under her breath, Di had murmured to Faith,

“She’s buttons on her cuffs, enough flounce in her skirt to make another one, a silk sash and silk stockings too. Are we in a war? And is she our leader?” to which Faith had added;

“And a silky, patronising tone to boot.”

Miss Manton explained to them the basics of a Red Cross—“Really, we aren’t such country lasses as to not know what a Red Cross is,” though Di—and told them that Sophie Martin was the principal of the meetings.

“Of course,” simpered Miss Manton, “She only got the place because of her unfortunate circumstances—she is an orphan you see—got to Redmond on scholarship—works.” And with those words, the girls were thrust into a hall bustling with other teenagers.

“Hello!” greeted a smiling, tanned girl, about seventeen.. “I trust Miss Manton has informed you of what we do here?” she laughed, rolling her eyes. “Oh—where are my manners? I am Sophie Martin—I am supposed to be in charge! What are your names—no—let me guess. You are… Persis!” she decided, pointing to Faith. “You… Diana,” to Persis “You-Anne,” to Di “And you Faith,” to Nan.

“Quite wrong!” giggled Persis. Brashly, she reeled off the girls nicknames, what they were studying at Redmond and added that they all had brothers in the war. “Oh, and Nan and Di are twins!” she tacked on. With a slightly startled look on her face, Sophie sent the girls to different posts.

***

Back at the boarding house, Di recounted the affair in a letter to Jack.

And Jack—it was so funny! She got our names all muddled up (I was Nan, if you wanted to know) and then she sent us all off to do different things. I spent two hours simply rolling bandages. Then, at the end of the evening, Sophie pulls us four to one side, and asks if we would like to meet up after college sometime. She is so beautiful; she has chocolate brown waves, and is beautifully tanned with apple-y cheeks, and seems to be smiling permanently—she is like Shirley! Anyway, she asked us to meet up sometime, and as we are both doing Arts and History, we are going to meet up after studies—where she works! Imagine Marilla and Rachel Lynde’s horror at a woman working! Well, dearest of Jack’s, there is so much more I would love to say, but it is late, so I will finish with,

I love you,

Your

Di

xxxxx

Di folded the letter up, kissed it, and pushed it into an envelope.

“Sleep well Jack,” she murmured, then knelt down to say her prayers.

“Please keep them all safe tonight—all of our boys” she said simply.

A/N: I hope you like this chapter—it will all fit together soon, I promise! I have a bit of a letter obsession at the moment as well

A Forgotten One-thanks so much for all of your reviews-they really help!