“It’s a sweet place too.”

  “I bet,” Mary said. Nora had lived in the same dorm as her and she hadn’t even known it.

  “Say, why don’t you come dancing with us tonight?” Rosalie asked.

  “Me? Sure.”

  “Okay. We’ll meet out here at eight o’clock.”

  “Great, and thanks for including me.” Deep in thought, Mary barely remembered to wave goodbye.

  Nora had no boyfriend or husband. She lived alone in a Flat Top up the hill somewhere, loved to read, and was painfully shy. She also was beautiful and had a lovely laugh. Nice to know something about you, Dr. Nora Lindstrom. The problem was, those bits of information only made Mary hungry for more.

  I will not look back. I will not look back. I will not look back. Nora lengthened her strides. Her breath appeared as puffs of condensation in the cold afternoon air. Behind her, down the hill, she imagined Mary’s eyes following her movements. Even at this distance and without being able to see her, she blushed crimson. What was it about that girl that made Nora feel like an awkward teenager?

  Pull yourself together. She’s no different than the thousands of other girls here. But Mary was different. It wasn’t that she physically reminded her of Anna—she didn’t. But she had the same kind of confidence, carefree air, and self-possession. Nora often found herself detouring to walk through Beta-2 even when she didn’t have to, just to catch a glimpse of her. She’d memorized Mary’s mannerisms, including the way she unconsciously played with one of the curls at the nape of her neck as she focused on the dials and knobs in front of her.

  Nora threw open the front door with more force than she’d intended. What she needed was to sit with her journal, listen to the news on the radio, and read the new novel she’d picked up at the library, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. She closed the curtains, retrieved the journal from its hiding place in her suitcase underneath the bed, and settled down on the couch.

  On the radio, Edward R. Murrow delivered a report from Berlin. Nora turned up the volume as he described a British Royal Air Force nighttime bombing raid. He’d been allowed to ride along with the bombers. Nora wondered whether he was brave, or a fool. Either way, she was grateful for a firsthand account. “Men die in the sky while others are roasted alive in their cellars. Berlin last night wasn’t a pretty sight.”

  Nora sighed heavily. She imagined war was never a pretty sight. She snapped off the radio and picked up a pen.

  Dearest Diary,

  What a day! The difficulties at work persist with faulty equipment to blame, I fear. I do hope we get to the bottom of this, and soon. That’s all I feel comfortable saying about that.

  As for life here on the Reservation, I ran into Rosalie and Betty today on my way home. It was wonderful to see them. It’s been far too long, and they gave me an earful about that! They want me to come dancing with them later. Can you imagine? I have two left feet and no social skills, and they want me to come dancing. What could they be thinking? At any rate, it’s ridiculous, of course. But perhaps I could go and watch them cut a rug for a minute or five. It would be something to break up the monotony. Besides, they won’t let me hear the end of it until I agree to do something other than spend my time keeping my own company.

  All right, dear diary. If I’m going to accommodate my friends, I’d better fix myself some supper, indulge in a chapter of this engrossing book I started reading last night, and find something to wear.

  Ever faithfully yours, dearest diary,

  Nora

  The dance floor teemed with sweaty bodies—men in uniform, men in civilian clothes, and women of every shape and size. Some of the women, who far outnumbered the men, danced with each other.

  Mary shouted to be heard over the music blaring from the jukebox. “Are these dances always this crowded?”

  “No,” Rosalie answered. “They’re usually far more crowded than this.”

  Mary’s mouth formed an “O.”

  “C’mon. I love this song. Dance with me!” Betty grabbed Rosalie’s hand and the two of them disappeared in the crowd.

  A handsome MP materialized out of the throng. “Wanna dance?”

  Before Mary knew it, they were swallowed up and surrounded by gyrating hips and swinging elbows.

  “What’s your name?”

  “Mary. What’s yours?”

  “Bill.”

  “Nice to meet you, Bill.”

  He took her hand and swung her around. The room spun. “I don’t have much experience at dancing,” she shouted.

  “That’s okay. Just relax and go with the momentum.”

  Mary tried to do as he said, but she was having trouble keeping up. He turned her in one direction, then looped her around the other way. By the time the song ended, she wondered if her shoulder was still in its socket.

  “Thanks,” she said.

  “Wait. We’re not done yet,” he answered, as another song played.

  “Oh, I think I am.” She withdrew her hand and retreated to the sidelines.

  “He’s a good-looking guy,” Betty said. She and Rosalie joined Mary in line for a Coca-Cola.

  “I guess.”

  “Hey.” Rosalie jabbed Betty in the arm. “I can’t believe it. Look what the cat dragged in.” She pointed toward the door.

  “You’re kidding me. I never thought she’d show.”

  Mary followed their sightline. She stood on her tiptoes to see over the crowd. Her breath caught as she glimpsed Nora standing just inside the entrance to the hall. It never occurred to her that Nora might be here; the girls said she’d turned them down.

  Rosalie waved wildly.

  Nora nodded in recognition and arrived a few moments later.

  “Hi,” she said.

  Betty pinched her on the arm.

  “Ow. What was that for?”

  “I needed to be sure it wasn’t a mirage. You’re actually here.”

  “Very funny.” Nora glanced around nervously, and Mary thought she might bolt.

  “Hello,” she said, and Nora turned in her direction. She smiled, revealing straight, white teeth, and Mary blinked. Stunning. She wore her hair swept up off her face, accentuating her high cheekbones. The blue of her dress matched the exact shade of her eyes.

  “Hi. I see you’re awake this time.”

  “Day shift this week.”

  “Since you’re here, you must dance.” Rosalie nudged Nora toward the dance floor.

  “But, I have no idea how to dance.”

  “I’ll teach you.”

  Whatever Nora answered, it was lost in the beat of the music.

  “Let’s go,” Betty said, pulling Mary along with her.

  They danced three or four songs; Mary lost count. For the first time in a long time, she was having fun. Every now and again, she caught a glimpse of Nora, her expression a mix of embarrassment and concentration as Rosalie taught her the steps.

  “This is the East Coast Swing,” Betty screamed in Mary’s ear. “Triple step, triple step, rock step, rock step.”

  Mary twice turned in the wrong direction before she finally caught on. Once she did, they fell into an easy rhythm.

  “Hey, you’re a quick study. I like that.”

  The song ended, and Rosalie tapped them both on the arm. She mouthed, “Let’s get some air. It’s so stuffy in here.”

  The four of them spilled out into the night, and, as if by silent agreement, turned toward home.

  “That was a blast!” Betty mopped her brow.

  “It sure was,” Rosalie agreed. “How about you, tall, fair, and shy?” She bumped hips with Nora. “Admit it, you had a good time.”

  Nora’s cheeks stained red.

  “Well? You did, didn’t you? You are honor-bound to tell the truth.”

  Reluctantly, Nora nodded. “I confess, I had more fun than I thought I would.”

  “Ha! I told you so.”

  “That doesn’t mean I’m going to let you drag me to these things on a regular basis.”

  “No, of course not,” Betty teased. “You’d rather have your head stuck in a book.”

  “There’s nothing wrong with loving to read.”

  “I know. But a good book won’t keep you warm at night, if you know what I mean.” Rosalie winked.

  If possible, Nora’s face turned a darker shade of red, visible under the streetlight. “Some of us aren’t as boy-crazy as you are. Speaking of which, what happened to what’s-his-name?”

  Rosalie sighed. “What’s-his-name turned out to have a girlfriend back home he conveniently neglected to tell me about.”

  “Ouch,” Betty said.

  “That’s awful,” Mary said.

  “What about you, Mary? Do you have a fella?”

  Mary’s pulse accelerated as all eyes turned to her. Nora’s gaze nearly burned a hole through her. “I… I had a boyfriend back home. His name was Sam and he worked as an apprentice to a watchmaker.”

  “Had? As in, past tense?” Betty asked.

  “Yes.” Mary fidgeted under the intensity of Nora’s scrutiny.

  “Well, details, girl.” Rosalie pushed.

  Mary wished they would drop it.

  “Don’t leave us hanging. He made a good, steady living, right?”

  “Yes.”

  “He was good looking?”

  “Very.”

  “What happened?” Rosalie prompted impatiently. “Getting information out of you is harder than figuring out what the heck it is we’re all really doing here.”

  “He wanted to get married.” Nora’s expression held surprise and disappointment. Or maybe Mary was reading something into it that wasn’t there at all; she couldn’t be sure.

  “And?” Nora asked it so quietly, Mary wasn’t sure she’d heard her correctly.

  “I-I didn’t want what he wanted.”

  “What did you want?”

  Mary searched Nora’s face. Why is it so important to me that you believe I don’t miss or need Sam? She furrowed her brow. Choose your words carefully, Mary Elizabeth. “I wanted to be in love—to really be in love. I never felt about Sam the way I thought being head-over-heels should feel.” I expected to get lost in his eyes the way I get lost in yours. Mary swallowed a gasp.

  “Here, I’ve been trying to find a fella to spoil me and provide for our family. I figure if he does that, I’ll learn to love him,” Betty said.

  “And it wouldn’t hurt if he was Clark Gable-handsome, either,” Rosalie added.

  Nora remained stoic, her expression unreadable. They arrived in front of the dorm.

  “You want us to walk you home, Nora?”

  “No, thanks. I can make it fine on my own.”

  “That’s the refrain of your life, Yankee.” Rosalie kissed her on the cheek. “I’m proud of you for coming tonight. I know that wasn’t easy for you, and I want you to know we appreciate it. Don’t we, girls?”

  “We do,” Betty and Mary said in unison.

  Nora waved and strode up the hill as the three girls watched after her.

  “I can’t believe she really came.”

  “You owe me a buck.” Rosalie held out her hand to Betty.

  “C’mon, that was a friendly wager.”

  “A bet’s a bet.”

  “You two bet on whether or not Nora would come to the dance tonight?” Mary asked.

  “We did. This is probably the hundredth time we’ve asked her to join us,” Betty said.

  “But the first time she’s ever taken us up on it. Pay up.”

  Betty dug in her purse and pulled out a dollar bill.

  “Thank you very much.” Rosalie snatched it from her.

  “I can’t believe you two.” Mary led the way into the building. “I’ve got to get some shuteye. I’m exhausted.”

  “We’re glad you came with us,” Betty said. “You’re fun.”

  “Thanks. You two sure know how to show a girl a good time.” Mary bit her lip. These were Nora’s good friends. Where they went, maybe Nora would go too. “Maybe we could do it again sometime?”

  “You bet.”

  “Okay, then. Great.” Mary pointed down the hall. “That’s me, second door down on the left.” She started toward her room, and then turned around. “Thanks again for inviting me.”

  “You’re welcome,” Rosalie said. “It isn’t everyone who passes the Nora test.”

  “The Nora test?”

  “She means that with most strangers, Nora gets so uncomfortable that she heads for the hills at the first opportunity. She must’ve really liked you. She stuck around.”

  “Huh.” Mary smiled. “Goodnight.”

  “Goodnight.”

  Once she was inside her room with the door closed, she twirled around and flopped onto the bed. I passed the Nora test. The thought made her unaccountably happy. Maybe I’ll see her on the floor tomorrow and I can thank her for coming out tonight. She frowned. Don’t be silly, Mary Elizabeth. She never even acknowledges that you exist at Beta-2 beyond checking your work.

  Still, the notion that she might be in proximity to Nora again so soon made her heart flutter happily. See you tomorrow—maybe—Nora Lindstrom.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  Nora, Del, and Chauncey Starr, Y-12 operations manager and Dr. Lawrence’s liaison, sat around a conference table in the administration building on the campus. They’d gone around and around on the issue of whether or not they could afford the time necessary to send the coils from the giant magnets back to the manufacturer, Allis-Chalmers, for cleaning and repairs.

  “I’m telling you, if we shut Alpha-1 down now, we’ll be so far behind the eight ball we might as well hand a win to Hitler, because the Germans surely will beat us to the finish line.” Chauncey’s face was nearly purple with anger.

  Nora gripped the edge of the table to keep her hands from shaking and gritted her teeth. I am not going to give in. I’m right. I know I am. Still, she was treading a fine line. Technically, she had no say here, since the issue only tangentially involved her cubicle operators. Del shot her a warning glance that she studiously ignored.

  “And I’m telling you, my girls can only do so much. If we don’t take this step now and shut that operation down so that the coils can be properly cleaned, we’ll never get the level of production we need out of that plant.”

  “Stand down, both of you.” General Groves swept into the room, followed closely by Dr. Lawrence.

  “Sir.” Nora, Del, and Chauncey stood simultaneously.

  “Sit, sit.” Groves threw down a thick manila folder, and the papers within cascaded out onto the scarred wood. He took a seat at the end of the table. Dr. Lawrence pulled up the chair to his right. “Dr. Lawrence and I have gone over all of these incident reports you’ve compiled.” He indicated the now-messy pile of documents.

  Dr. Lawrence picked up the conversation thread. “We’ve looked at this every which way. We’ve tried the minimally invasive approach, but the truth is, we believe the coils are shorting out because of rust and sediment in the cooling oil.”

  General Groves leaned forward and planted his elbows on the table. “The only cure for that is to remove the coils and send them back to Allis-Chalmers.”

  Chauncey’s lips formed a thin line. Nora was tempted to say she told him so, but there was too much at stake to gloat over a situation that could be catastrophic to the war effort.

  “I’m hereby shutting down Alpha-1 until Allis-Chalmers gets this resolved and sends the coils back, fully cleaned and contamination-free,” Groves announced.

  Starr opened his mouth to say something, but Dr. Lawrence put a hand on his arm to restrain him.

  “I understand what a hardship this is,” General Groves continued. “It will be more important than ever to ensure that we account for the factors that are bedeviling Alpha-1 and make damn sure they aren’t repeated in the racetracks coming on line now. I don’t have to tell you, today is December 15, 1943. The Germans are hard at work trying to do the same thing we’re doing. For all we know, they’re ahead of us. Bringing those other buildings up to speed and operating smoothly is our top priority.”

  He turned his piercing gaze on Nora and she struggled to maintain eye contact. This is no time to be a shrinking violet. You represent all those hard-working girls who’re being maligned on a daily basis by others who try to shift blame.

  “You’re confident these young girls can handle what’s ahead? We don’t have time for histrionics; we need results.”

  “Yes, sir. These girls are dedicated and determined. They’re learning to problem-solve as they go. We’re up to the task.”

  “Good.” He turned to Chauncey. “The chemists, the engineers, and the rest of your boys, they’re capable?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “All right, then. You’ve got your marching orders. Squeeze as much production as you can out of those racetracks that are on line or coming on line, keep downtime to a minimum whenever possible, and remember that we’re all on the same team. If one of us fails, we all fail. Am I understood?”

  “Yes, sir,” Nora, Chauncey, and Del said in unison.

  The general gathered his papers and he and Lawrence departed without saying another word. Nora slumped back in her chair as the tension of the moment dissipated.

  “Listen,” Del said, “Groves is right. We have to find a way to optimize Alphas 2 and 3 and Beta-2. Nora, I know your girls are working around the clock, and you’re doing a great job with them.” He smiled kindly at her. “Chauncey, I know you’ve got your boys working overtime trying to adapt the equipment and implement the new designs to compensate for the failures. We’ve all got to keep communicating and problem-solving as a team. Dr. Lawrence and the general are counting on us. They’ve put a lot of faith in us and we need to prove we’ve earned that faith.”

  Chauncey rose. “I’ll do my part, and so will my boys—that means raising and maximizing production levels. You do your part.” He pointed his finger at Nora. “Keep those girls from making mistakes, and everything will be as good as it can be.”

  Nora went through the motions of putting food on her tray. She selected an apple, a banana, and a cup of whatever the mystery soup of the day was. In truth, she had no appetite. This whole mess with the Alpha-1 work stoppage and the lack of productivity turned her stomach.