Gladys scoffed. “Hardly to myself. My friend got knocked up and took over my bed. Put a real cramp in my love life.”

Margaret held back a smile. Despite all of Gladys’s posturing, Margaret knew that neither of them had spent a night with a man. As for Margaret, she rather liked the romantic notion of waiting until she was married. And Gladys’s opinions about the superiority of womankind set a standard that only the most remarkable of men would be able to meet. So far, none had. Though Oliver held some promise.

Dottie walked out of the tiny bathroom and seemed to have heard everything they were saying.

“Don’t let her fool you, Margaret. Gladys is a mother hen deep down, and I don’t know what I’d do without her.”

“I know it,” Margaret acknowledged. “She’s just such fun to tease.”

Gladys sank into the little couch and patted the cushion next for her, inviting Margaret to sit. Dottie crossed the room and sat back on the bed that had become her own.

“Now,” said Gladys in a firm tone. “Cough it up. I want to see that letter.”

“What letter?” asked Margaret. She really didn’t mind them seeing it, but it was fun to antagonize Gladys.

“Don’t play dumb with me. It’s from the boy in John’s unit, right?”

Margaret knew that if she didn’t turn it over, Gladys would have no compunctions about grabbing it by force, even if Margaret had put it down the front of her blouse.

“I’ll give it to you if you tell us whether or not you’re going out with Oliver again.”

Gladys folded her arms and sank back into the tweedy fabric. “Well, as I haven’t made up my mind yet, there’s not much to tell.”

Dottie spoke up. “I’m declaring Rule Number One. There are no secrets in the Sock ’Em Club, Gladys. You’ve read and reread Oliver’s little note more times than I can count. And last time you went to dinner with him, you came home blushing like a freshly picked apple.”

“Elizabeth Arden, darling. It’s the rouge I put on my cheeks.”

Margaret pulled William’s letter from her pocket and handed it to Gladys. “Here. In good faith. And in the hopes that you say yes to Friday night. Don’t get too excited, though. William’s a boy who is overseas and at war for the first time. He says all the things you might expect from one in that circumstance.”

Gladys snatched it from her fingers with more force than was required, as Margaret was readily giving it up.

Dear Margaret, she read out loud.