Fields of Satin

Chapter One

"What do you think Beth?" My grass green eyes slowly raised from my worn out book to the ginger haired girl sat in front of me. Her eyes were a bright blue and she donned a bright smile that I'm sure gained her much attention from the opposite sex in her small Welsh town. The girl was as innocent as a small lamb although annoying in character, I wasn't even sure if she was on the right boat. A boat to war, a boat to hell on earth. "Beth? What do you think?" Her tone was more persistent this time.

"My name is Elizabeth. And I'm afraid I wasn't listening." I pushed my gaze back to the battered book in my gloved hands. I had told her that my name was Elizabeth but for some reason she had taken it upon herself to give me the nickname Beth.

"Oh that's quite alright, Beth. I often lose my train of thought. You know my nanna used to say that one day that would be the death of me, of course I didn't agree with her. How can one die from losing their train of thought. Perhaps you could if you were standing in the middle of the road and then forgot to walk, but then of course why would you be stood in the middle of the road?"

She continued to drone on and on about something or another. My head started pounding from the incessant ramble that came out of her red stained lips. I managed to worm my way around from the gossiping woman, making an excuse that my stomach hurt from the rocking of the steam boat. A lie, but it didn't matter as it started more and more ramble from the ginger welsh girl. She had told me her name, briefly but the information was lost in all the other things that she began telling me.

My black gloved hands clasped the side of the boat, eyes firmly shut so I could feel the sea breeze against my face.

I was on a boat to France. The boat was filled with bright eyes soldiers and nurses ready for the front. I was one of the nurses, however all my fellow women were much younger than me, at least five to ten years younger. It was remarkable to me that such young women wanted to run off to war, were they prepared? Do they fully understand what they are doing? As an unmarried woman of thirty I had become a burden to my family, my father in particular. My mother, a well known woman of the county never really cared about me or my future, that and the disapproval of my father had made my decision to join the red cross an easy one. No tears were shed on my departure. A swift kiss on the cheek from my mother and a stern gaze from my father sent me on my way to war.

"Cigarette nursey?" A pale hand holding a pack of cigarettes shot out toward my face, the owner of the hand was a private, hat tucked securely under his arm, blonde hair blowing in the wind. His lips were set in a kind smile. Too young, I thought. Too damn young.

"No thank you private." My eyes were once again closed head stretched up to the sky.

"Aw come on nursey, I'm going to war ya' know, least you could do is have a smoke with me." I turned toward him and his smiling face, you won't be smiling again for a long time. I thought solemnly, "I'm afraid I don't smoke Private, but you see that girl over there with the red hair?" I pointed out the young welsh woman I had been sitting next to moments ago, she seemed to be having a discussion with another young woman opposite, her giggles and laughter could be heard across the boat, even over the roaring of the engine and sea. "I'm sure she would be more than happy to share a smoke with you." The private withdrew his hand and nodded before walking off toward the ginger. I turned around and leant against the hull of the boat, eyes watching the private as he lit a cigarette with a match box. The ginger whose name I remembered to be Ava, had her eyes locked on the private as he grinned at her. A rare small smile danced on my lips as I watched the young couple.

A sudden gust of wind pushed me back against the hull, I braced myself against the boat as the wind continued to rip around the boat until finally after a few moments of tugging against my hair, my black hat flew off my head. A gasp escaped my lips as I tried, and failed to reach for the flying hat. I watched it as it danced a long the wind out to sea, before finally settling on the surface. With dismay I watched it bob slowly away from me and the boat.

Damn it, just my luck.

"France ahead! Come here boys, you can practically smell the Fritz' shitting themselves!" A bustle of laughter spread across the ship, a long with a few murmurs before suddenly a group of men on the opposite side of the boat stood up arms around each other and began to sing.

Keep the home fires burning

While your hearts are yearning.

Though your lads are far away they dream of home.

There's a silver lining

Through the dark clouds shining.

Turn the dark clouds inside out till the boys come home.