Spitfire Girl

by Lily Baxter

  Susan found the bicycle where she had left it and started out for home, but she was tired and it was dark, cold and starting to rain. She did not hear the car until it was almost upon her and she saw the slatted beam of the dipped headlights as it rounded the bend in the narrow lane. She flung herself into the hedge and the vehicle’s brakes squealed as it came to a halt a few yards along the road. A man leapt out and ran to her assistance.

  ‘Oh my God. I’m so sorry. I didn’t see you until it was too late. Are you hurt?’

  She struggled to her feet. ‘I’m okay. I think.’ She thought she recognised the voice. ‘Mr Peterson?’

  He steadied her, placing his hand beneath her elbow. ‘Yes. I’m sorry. Do I know you?’

  She grimaced as she flexed a scraped knee. ‘Not really. I was in the bar last night when …’ She hesitated. ‘I’m staying with the Fullers.’

  ‘I remember now, you’re the girl with the yellow Lab. I’m afraid I’ve forgotten your name. Sorry.’

  ‘It’s Susan Banks, and I’m helping out at your house while Mrs Delaney is laid up. I’ve just come from there now.’

  ‘I heard about poor Mrs D.’ He bent down to retrieve the bicycle. ‘Let me give you a lift back to the pub, Susan. The bike will go on the back seat.’

  ‘I don’t want to put you to any trouble.’

  ‘It’s the least I can do in the circumstances.’ He wheeled the bicycle towards the large and expensive-looking cabriolet and propped it against the wing. Having put the top down he lifted it onto the back seat despite Susan’s protests that it might make the leather upholstery muddy. ‘It will brush off,’ he said cheerfully. ‘Hop in. I’ll have you home in no time at all.’

  ‘I was supposed to give you a message,’ she said, climbing into the passenger seat.

  ‘Don’t tell me. Dinner’s at seven thirty sharp and I’m not to be late. My darling Elspeth is a stickler for punctuality, and I’m forever upsetting her by turning up at all hours. It’s the nature of my job, I’m afraid.’ He leapt into the driver’s seat and started the engine. He negotiated the tight bends with ease and when they reached a straight piece of road he shot a curious glance at Susan. ‘Have you known Roz long? I don’t think I’ve ever heard her mention your name.’

  ‘We only met by accident yesterday. Charlie chased Orlando into the pub garden.’

  ‘It’s none of my business, of course, but you seem awfully young to be wandering the countryside on your own.’

  ‘I had Charlie with me.’

  ‘I was forgetting the faithful hound.’

  ‘I couldn’t keep him in London. It’s all a bit complicated.’

  ‘I’m a good listener.’

  By the time they pulled up outside the pub Susan had told him her life story. He was surprisingly easy to talk to and she could understand why Roz enjoyed his company. He was, as he had said, a good listener, and he laughed appreciatively at her deliberately whimsical descriptions of life in the Kemp household. She decided that he was wasted on Elspeth. ‘Thanks for the lift,’ she said as he turned off the ignition.

  ‘Don’t mention it.’ He was already on the pavement, lifting the bicycle from the back of the car. ‘I don’t think there’s any damage,’ he said cheerfully, ‘but of course I’ll pay for any necessary repairs.’

  She eased herself off the seat. Her knee was painful and stiff, but she did not want to upset him by admitting she was in pain. ‘It wasn’t your fault.’

  ‘You’re a very generous girl, Susan. You must allow me to buy you a drink.’

  ‘I’m under age and you’ll be late for dinner if you’re not careful.’ She took hold of the handlebars. ‘I can manage. I’ll take it round to the garage.’

  ‘I’ll be in the bar if you fancy a glass of ginger beer. And don’t worry, I won’t stay long.’

  She wheeled the cycle to the back entrance and stowed it away for the night. Charlie greeted her with ecstatic yelps as she entered the kitchen and she made a fuss of him, stroking his head and tickling his ears which always sent him into paroxysms of bliss. When he finally settled down she realised that she was hungry. She had not eaten since lunchtime but the worktops were bare and there was no evidence that Roz had started to make supper. Susan had not intended to venture into the bar. Last night’s episode with Charlie attempting to ravage Elspeth’s mink coat had made her wary of letting him loose on the drinking population of Hamble. She had no intention of accepting Patrick’s offer of a drink, but she needed to speak to Roz.

  She found her deep in conversation with Patrick. The bar was empty apart from the usual couple of regulars who sat in the snug nursing their pint mugs of brown ale. Neither Roz nor Patrick seemed to be aware of her presence and Susan felt an apprehensive shiver run down her spine. Their heads were close together and although there was the whole width of the bar counter between them it did little to keep them apart. Their elbows were touching as they leaned on the polished surface and their voices were low and intimate. In that instant Susan knew for certain that Elspeth’s suspicions were justified, but now she was beginning to think that there might be an ulterior motive behind Elspeth’s offer to take her on while Mrs Delaney was incapacitated. There must be dozens of local women who would have been glad of the work. Suddenly it all made sense: the lecture on loyalty, the generous wages and the vague promise of a joyride in the Moth. Elspeth had set her up to spy on the star-crossed couple. It would have been obvious to anyone observing them now that they were on the verge of an affair, if not already deeply involved. Susan’s heart contracted with sympathy for both of them. She knew instinctively that Roz was not the sort of girl who would set out to break up a marriage, and Patrick did not seem like a womaniser. It appeared that fate had dealt all three of them a rotten hand. Susan was about to retreat when the pub door opened and two men in RAF uniform walked into the bar.

  ‘Tony!’ She would have known him anywhere. Her fleeting attraction to Colin was as nothing compared to the way her heart leapt at the sight of Tony Richards. She took a tentative step towards him. ‘Tony. It’s me, Susan.’

  He stared at her blankly for a moment and she held her breath. He did not recognise her – so much for the romantic notions that she had built up since their last meeting. She had been chasing rainbows. Charlie chose this moment to wriggle free from her restraining hand on his collar and he bounded over to Tony, jumping up at him as if he were a long lost friend.

  ‘Charlie. Come here this minute.’ Covered in confusion and wishing the floor would open up and send her hurtling down to the cellar below, Susan clicked her fingers at her errant puppy.

  At the sound of her voice, Tony’s expression changed. ‘Susan. It really is you. I thought for a moment that my eyes were deceiving me. What on earth are you doing here?’

  Her mind had gone completely blank. ‘I thought a change of scene would do me good,’ she murmured in desperation. She had imagined the moment when they met again a hundred times or more, but now they were face to face the reality of the situation hit her forcibly. She had fled from London in the childish hope that Tony would welcome her with open arms. It was only now she realised that she had not thought it through. She had come running to ask help from a man she had come to know through the stories his father told about him and the photographs proudly displayed around the tiny flat. She had dusted them every day, small black and white images of Tony as a chubby-cheeked baby, a tousle-haired schoolboy, a slightly sulky-looking teenager and a proud new recruit in RAF uniform. She had fallen in love with him by proxy. But what did he know of her apart from the fact that she had lied to him from the outset? She felt her cheeks burning with embarrassment, and she was acutely aware that both Roz and Patrick were staring at her. She turned to them with an attempt at a smile. ‘I told you about Tony and his dad. They were very good to me when I needed a helping hand.’ She knew that she was stating the obvious, and that they probably knew Tony better than she did. She wished the floor would open up and swallow her.

&n
bsp; ‘It’s good to see you again, Susan,’ Tony said with his easy smile. He turned to his companion. ‘This is my very good friend, Danny Gillespie. Danny, this is Susan Banks, who by some amazing twist of fate has turned up in Hamble.’

  Danny grinned and shook her hand. ‘Pleased to meet you, Susan.’

  ‘How do you do?’ She managed a weak smile.

  Roz took a pint mug from the shelf beneath the bar. ‘The usual, boys?’

  Tony nodded emphatically. ‘Yes, please, Roz.’ He was about to place a handful of coins on the counter, but Patrick forestalled him.

  ‘This one’s on me, chaps.’ He turned to give Susan a friendly grin. ‘I still owe you that drink.’

  She was trapped. Tony was standing close by her side and Danny was making a fuss of Charlie. She would have liked to flee to her room and lock herself in, but that would have made her look even sillier. ‘Lemonade, please.’

  ‘Lemonade it is, and two pints of best bitter for the boys, if you please, Roz.’ Patrick glanced at his watch. ‘I’ll have one for the road and then I really must be off.’

  ‘Yes. You don’t want to upset Elspeth again.’ Roz was smiling but she could not quite disguise the hint of bitterness in her voice.

  ‘Thanks, Patrick,’ Tony said with an appreciative nod. He turned to Susan. ‘Let’s go and sit by the fire. Danny will bring the drinks.’

  She followed him to the ingle nook. He waited until she was seated and then sat down beside her. ‘What’s this all about, Susan? I’m delighted to see you, but I thought you were settled in the flat with Dad. I thought you two were getting on well.’

  She gazed into the orange flames as they licked around the logs. The sap hissed and sizzled, sending plumes of aromatic smoke up the chimney. ‘We were, but it was a bit difficult when your aunt came to stay.’

  ‘Colin told me that things were a bit tense, but the old girl’s not too bad when you get to know her.’

  ‘He gave me your Christmas present.’ Susan looked him in the eyes for the first time and she smiled shyly. ‘I love the book and I’ve been studying it.’

  ‘And the one you gave me was an inspiration on your part, and probably much too expensive.’ He laid his hand on hers as they rested in her lap. His expression was suddenly serious. ‘What went wrong? I really thought you were settled in the flat with my dad. Colin said that he thought the world of you. He also said that you’re a wonderful cook and he had the best Christmas dinner ever.’

  Still she could not bring herself to tell him the truth. ‘Your aunt didn’t like me, and she couldn’t stand Charlie. I tried my best to get on with her, but you know what they say about two women in the kitchen. It doesn’t work.’

  ‘I didn’t know that Aunt Maida could boil an egg, let alone cook a proper meal. But I’m sorry it didn’t work out, more for Dad’s sake than anything. He won’t admit it, but I know he’s been really lonely since Mum died.’ He gave her a searching look. ‘I’m still not certain you’re telling me everything. Did you come here because of Colin? I know he’s a charmer, but if he’s led you on …’

  ‘No,’ Susan said hastily. ‘He didn’t. He took me to a lovely place called the Trocadero on Christmas Eve and bought me dinner. He told me about Morag, his childhood sweetheart in Scotland.’

  ‘Ah, yes, Morag. The faithful Highland lassie.’ He frowned thoughtfully. ‘But that still doesn’t explain why you decided to come here. Was it something I said? I mean, I wouldn’t want to have given you the impression that life was easy here, or any safer than in London. We had a huge bomb drop slap in the middle of the airfield a couple of weeks ago.’

  ‘I didn’t know where else to go. I haven’t any friends or family and you did tell me to look you up if I was in the area.’

  He squeezed her fingers. ‘Well, I’m glad you did, and I’m really pleased to see you again.’ He looked up as Danny brought their drinks to the table. ‘Thanks, old man.’

  ‘Thank you, Danny.’ Susan made room for him on the settle but he shook his head.

  ‘It’s nice to meet you, Susan, but I can see you two have some catching up to do. I’ll be at the bar, chatting to Patrick.’ He strolled off, leaving them with just Charlie for company.

  Susan glanced over her shoulder but Patrick showed no sign of getting ready to leave, and a quick look at the clock on the shelf between the optics told her that he would never make it by seven thirty.

  ‘He’ll cop it when he gets home,’ Tony said as if reading her thoughts. ‘Poor old Patrick. He has a hell of a life with Elspeth, but you’ll find that out if you stay round here for long.’

  Susan had only been in Hamble for just over twenty-four hours. She was an innocent bystander and yet she found herself becoming entangled in the complicated lives of the inhabitants. She bent over to pat Charlie as he settled on the hearth, stretching out in front of the fire. His coat was smooth and warm and his presence was comforting. At least she had one good friend on whom she could rely. She looked up to find Tony regarding her with a thoughtful expression.

  ‘What are you going to do about a job, Susan?’

  ‘It’s all sorted, at least for now. I’m working here until Mrs Delaney’s broken ankle mends, and I’m helping out at the Petersons’ house in the afternoons.’

  ‘Good luck with that.’ Tony pulled a face. ‘I don’t think I’d like to work for Elspeth.’

  ‘You don’t like her?’

  ‘I didn’t say that, but she’s not the easiest person to get on with, and she leads poor Patrick a bit of a dance.’

  ‘She owns a Tiger Moth. She’s got a pilot’s licence. I really admire her for that.’

  ‘You really have been bitten by the flying bug, haven’t you, Susan?’

  ‘Now you’re laughing at me.’

  His smile faded. ‘No, honestly, I’m not. I think it’s super. Most of the girls I know are only interested in the pilots, not their machines.’

  ‘Maybe I like both.’ She could not resist flirting with him, just a little. He was just as good-looking as she remembered, and he had kind eyes. She found herself falling in love with him all over again.

  He laughed. ‘Now you’re flannelling me, Susan.’

  ‘Maybe, just a little, but one day I’ll get to fly a plane. Elspeth’s sort of promised to take me up in her Moth.’

  ‘Then I hope she keeps her word. Did she tell you that she’s a friend of Pauline Gower?’

  Susan shook her head. ‘Should I know who she is?’

  ‘She’s the commanding officer of the women’s section of the Air Transport Auxiliary, and I shouldn’t really tell you this, but rumour has it that they’re going to be transferred here from White Waltham later this year.’

  Susan could hardly believe her ears. ‘Really? That’s wonderful. I’d give anything to meet the women pilots and hear first hand about their exploits. They’re so incredibly brave.’

  ‘Well, you never know. I might be able to swing it for you.’

  ‘Would you? I’d be in your debt forever.’ Forgetting decorum, she flung her arms around his neck and planted a kiss on his cheek, but the realisation that everyone was staring at them made her pull away instantly. She reached for her glass and took a mouthful of lemonade. ‘I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to embarrass you.’

  Tony chuckled. ‘I can take that sort of humiliation a hundred times over. It’s not every day that a pretty girl kisses me so enthusiastically.’

  ‘You did mean it, didn’t you? You wouldn’t tease me about anything so important.’

  He crossed his heart. ‘I’ll see what I can do.’

  ‘I was hoping I might get a job at the aerodrome,’ Susan said wistfully. ‘But I don’t know what I could do.’

  ‘If I hear of anything I’ll let you know.’ He looked up as Danny came to join them. ‘Susan is looking for work on the base. Is there anything going in your department?’

  Danny pulled up a chair and sat down. ‘Not unless she’s good at riveting and welding bits of smashed u
p machines back together again.’ His smile was genuine and his snub nose and freckled face made him look like an overgrown schoolboy.

  Susan took an instant liking to him. ‘I’ll do anything within reason.’

  ‘I don’t suppose you’ve got any engineering experience?’

  ‘No, but I could learn.’

  Tony drained his mug and stood up. ‘I’m getting this round. Won’t you have something a bit stronger, Susan? A shandy or a port and lemon, perhaps?’

  She glanced at the bar and saw Patrick still deep in conversation with Roz. Reluctantly she rose to her feet. ‘No thanks. I’d better get back to the kitchen and make supper. I think that’s part of my job here, although we haven’t had a chance to talk it through properly.’ She turned to Danny, smiling. ‘It was nice to meet you.’

  ‘Likewise, Susan. I expect we’ll be seeing a lot more of you.’ He handed his empty glass to Tony. ‘Thanks, mate.’

  Susan called to Charlie who was sound asleep and twitching as if in the middle of an exciting dream. He opened one eye and yawned, but as Susan followed Tony to the bar Charlie leapt up, shook himself, and lolloped after them.

  The pub was filling up and Tony had to wait to be served. Susan hesitated; she felt she still owed him an explanation as to why she left London in such a hurry. ‘I don’t want you to think that I let your dad down by leaving.’

  He set the empty glasses on the bar. ‘But you weren’t unhappy in London with Dad and Aunt Maida, were you? I’d hate to think you felt you had to leave.’

  ‘Your dad did everything he could to make me feel at home, but it was cramped in the flat and your aunt objected to Charlie. He chewed up one of her best shoes and she was furious. She wanted me to get rid of him but I wouldn’t do that. Anyway, I would have had to leave sooner or later and find a more permanent home for both of us.’