A Flight of Golden Wings

by Beryl Matthews

  ‘Why don’t you wait a while before asking someone else to share with you?’ He gave her an enquiring glance. ‘You could let me stay.’

  ‘You can’t move in here with me, Jack. My God, think of the talk that would cause! And—’

  He held up his hand to stop her. ‘That’s not what I’m suggesting. I was hoping that you’d let me stay overnight now and again. We haven’t had much time together since we were in London, and I’d sure like to make love to you again.’

  The very thought made her heart leap. He was right. This was a good opportunity to be alone, something not easily achieved with the kind of life they led. ‘I’d like that too. Can you stay tonight?’

  He reached across for her hand and squeezed it. ‘I was hoping you’d say that.’ Standing up, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her lingeringly. ‘Let’s go out and eat first, shall we?’

  ‘Good idea. I’m starving.’

  ‘Me too!’

  When the photographs fell out of the envelope, Bet gave a cry of delight. Ruth had written names on the back to show who they all were. She had even included one of the bride and groom. As Bet studied the smiling faces, especially those of her children, her vision blurred and tears trickled down her cheeks. She had been so worried when they had gone to a country fighting a desperate war, but Jack and Lucy looked happy. She missed them so much. They had been her whole life for many years, but she would never have tried to stop them from doing anything they thought was right for them. Ruth was such a thoughtful girl sending her regular letters to give assurance that her children were OK. There had never been the slightest hint of a romance between her and Jack, but Bet couldn’t help hoping that there was. She was just the kind of girl Jack needed.

  The picture of Lucy smiling up at the RAF pilot, Dave, made Bet sigh. He looked such a lovely boy. She picked up another picture. Ah, and here was Simon. He was constantly mentioned in letters from all of them, but this was the first time she had seen what he looked like. Bet wished the pictures were in colour, but saw he was quite good-looking and more mature than Dave. She liked him. Her children had obviously made some fine friends, and she was very happy about that. She was also delighted to have a picture of Ruth’s folks. It was lovely to see the couple who were being so kind to Jack and Lucy.

  Her neighbour, Kathy, would love to see these. Her son was in the army and somewhere in England. Scooping up the photos, Bet hurried across the yard and into Kathy’s kitchen.

  Bet sniffed appreciatively. ‘I’m just in time. You’re making pancakes and I haven’t had breakfast yet.’

  Kathy rolled her eyes. ‘I don’t know how you do it, Bet. I’ve only got to start mixing, and there you are.’

  ‘No one makes pancakes like you.’ Bet sat at the table and waited. They had fallen into the habit of doing this on a Saturday morning. They made a joke about it, but the truth was, they were both a little lonely and enjoyed talking about their children over pancakes and maple syrup. Kathy was a widow like Bet, and only had one son, Al. He wasn’t much of a letter writer, so Bet shared any news she had.

  ‘Ruth sent me some photos and I thought you’d like to see them.’

  ‘Oh, yes please! But let’s eat these before they get cold.’ Kathy put a plate of hot pancakes on the table and they started on them straight away.

  When the plate was empty, Bet sat back and sighed with pleasure. ‘Mine never taste as good as that.’

  Kathy began clearing the table. ‘Al always liked them. Do you think they’re getting enough to eat over there?’

  ‘Of course they are. Lucy says the food isn’t anything like ours, but they aren’t starving.’ Bet spread out the pictures for Kathy to see, pointing to each one in turn and giving their names.

  ‘They’re great, Bet. And they look as if they’re having fun.’

  ‘My two have only ever wanted to fly, and the ATA is giving them the chance to do that with lots of different planes. Lucy flies Spitfires,’ Bet said proudly. ‘Jack is working as an instructor, and Ruth flies bombers as well. Jack says she’s very good.’

  ‘Nice-looking girl.’ Kathy studied the picture carefully. ‘Do you think Jack’s in love with her?’

  ‘I’d be really happy if he was, but as far as I can tell, they’re just friends. You know my Jack, he wouldn’t say anything even if there was a romance between them.’

  Kathy nodded understandingly. ‘Your Jack’s always been too difficult to pin down, though one or two girls have tried.’

  ‘Yeah, that’s true enough. Lucy says he’s changed, but I doubt he’s changed that much. It’s a shame, though. Ruth seems a real nice girl, and her family have been good to my two.’

  ‘Your Lucy looks taken with that RAF pilot, doesn’t she?’

  ‘That’s Dave Sullivan, and from the way she goes on about him, I’d say she’s in love.’

  ‘I had a letter from Al yesterday.’ Kathy beamed with pleasure. ‘He said the local people are very friendly and often invite them into their homes. Though they’re careful not to eat too much, because of the food rationing. It’s hard to imagine what it’s like not being able to go out and buy what you want, isn’t it?’

  Bet nodded, and let Kathy continue.

  ‘And they throw a party for the children sometimes, and invite all the young girls to their dances. They’re doing all right, aren’t they?’

  ‘Sure they are.’ Bet squeezed her hand. ‘They say the war will be over by the end of next year, and then they’ll all be coming home.’

  ‘Won’t that be great? It’s tough having them so far away, but we’re not the only ones, are we? Families are separated all over the world.’

  Bet gazed at the photos, a wistful expression on her face. ‘Yeah, it’s hard, but we’ll get through it. We’ve got to.’

  Kathy nodded glumly. ‘We don’t have much choice.’

  ‘Isn’t that the truth!’

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  The evenings were getting cold now November had arrived. Where had the summer gone? Ruth put a match to the fire and sat back on her heels to watch the flames take hold. It was such a comforting sight. She was going to spoil herself this evening and curl up on the settee to read a book. She still didn’t like being here on her own, and Jack’s suggestion that he would stay overnight quite often had not worked out. He was so busy – they all were. It had been recorded that in two days at the beginning of November the ATA had ferried over 800 aircraft. The delivery of heavy bombers had also increased, and a few more women were now cleared to fly them in an effort to meet the demand for qualified pilots. Gussie was one of them. There was no denying that Ruth missed her lively friend, but they met up occasionally at some airfield. Gussie was obviously blissfully happy, and that was all that mattered.

  There was a knock on the door, making Ruth jump to her feet. That couldn’t be Jack because he had his own key.

  She smiled with pleasure when she opened the door. ‘Lucy! What a lovely surprise. Come in. What are you doing down here?’

  ‘I’ve got two days off, so I thought I’d come and see you. I hope you don’t mind.’

  ‘Of course I don’t.’ Ruth took Lucy’s bag from her and placed it on a chair. ‘Are you able to stay the night?’

  ‘I’d like to, if that’s OK?’

  ‘That would be lovely.’ It was then Ruth noticed that Lucy looked rather unhappy, which was more than unusual, for she had such a sunny disposition. ‘Sit down and tell me what’s the matter.’

  ‘Dave’s asked me to marry him.’

  ‘And what did you say?’ Ruth spoke gently as Lucy didn’t seem overjoyed by the proposal.

  ‘Well, I was pleased, of course, but I told him there was a lot to consider, like where would we live when the war’s over – England or America. He waved that aside and said we could sort it out when the time came.’ Lucy clasped her hands together tightly. ‘I didn’t like that, Ruth. I told him that when I married it would be for life, and it was sensible to get everything straight
first.’

  Ah, there was a touch of her brother’s caution in her after all. Ruth hadn’t noticed it before. Bet had obviously brought up her children to think before they took action.

  Lucy stood up with her back to the fire. ‘He just laughed and told me I worry too much. He took me to meet his family last Sunday.’

  When she lapsed into silence, Ruth waited, then asked, ‘How did you get on with them?’

  ‘They didn’t like me. They were very posh. I didn’t think anything about it at first.’ Lucy gave Ruth an affectionate smile. ‘After all, you and your family are posh, so is Simon, and you treat us real good. Your mom and pop are the nicest folks we’ve ever met. Not once have you ever made us feel out of place.’

  Ruth was surprised to hear that. Her father was a successful barrister and they were quite wealthy, but she’d never considered that they were ‘posh’, as Lucy put it. Her family had worked hard for what they had. Dave’s parents must have hurt Lucy very much for her to be so upset. ‘And they did make you feel out of place?’

  ‘They made it clear that I wasn’t good enough for their son. Boy, did they know how to snub without being too obvious. All it took was a sly remark here and there. They had belittling someone down to a fine art. And they kept shoving some other girl down my throat all the time, saying how wonderful she was.’ Lucy’s mouth thinned into an angry line. ‘I told Dave I wasn’t going to be treated like a piece of dirt. I’ve had a fine education and I’m as good as they are. Better, in fact!’

  ‘Of course you are. By the sound of it they’re the ones who need a lesson in good manners. Don’t let them upset you.’ Ruth put an arm around the unhappy girl, angry at the way her friend had been treated. ‘Want a cup of tea and something to eat?’

  ‘Please.’ Lucy opened her bag and took out a box. ‘I brought you some eggs.’

  ‘Gosh, thanks! Fancy scrambled eggs on toast?’

  ‘That would be great.’ Lucy was smiling now. ‘I feel better for telling you.’

  ‘Lucy, you mustn’t let people like that upset you. It sounds as if they’ve lined up a suitable wife for their son, and you’ve thrown a spanner into their plans. I’m sure it wasn’t anything personal. They would dislike any girl but the one they had chosen to be their daughter-in-law.’

  ‘I expect you’re right, and Dave just looked bored when they went on about this other girl. He didn’t seem at all like his parents – stuffy, you know?’

  ‘No, he isn’t stuffy.’ Ruth broke the eggs in a pan, her annoyance disappearing when she heard Lucy use that word. ‘And don’t forget that he is facing danger each time he takes off. He must have a very different outlook on life. What did he say about his parents’ rudeness?’

  ‘He just shrugged and told me to ignore them. They were always like that, he said. But I was hurt and suggested it would be better if we didn’t see each other again. He exploded. It was his life, he told me, and he’d go out with any girl he wanted to. He begged me not to leave him because he loved me, and we could still get married without telling his family – it was none of their business anyway.’

  Ruth stared at her in alarm. This was a recipe for disaster.

  ‘It’s all right, Ruth. I told him that was out of the question, but we would still go out together. Once the war is over his family might feel differently, so we’d discuss it then.’

  ‘Did he accept that?’

  ‘Yeah, he seemed happy with that. He said he’d try to be patient and wait for the right time. I love him, Ruth, and don’t want to hurt him. His folks ought to realise that he’s facing danger each time he takes to the air, and they shouldn’t begrudge him any happiness. And he’s happy with me.’

  ‘We know he is, Lucy, but you’ve done the right thing by saying you should wait before taking such an important step.’ Ruth dished up the eggs, relief surging through her as they sat at the table. Thank heavens she was a sensible girl – many weren’t, and had got themselves into great trouble by making a hasty decision. That was the nature of war. The uncertainty of wondering if you were going to live through the next day made some people reckless, allowing themselves to be swept away on the moment. It was a happiness that could turn sour in a short space of time, and she didn’t want that for Lucy. ‘Dave isn’t a fool, and I expect that deep down he agrees with you.’

  ‘He does.’ Lucy took a mouthful of egg. ‘Gee, this is great. Nearly as good as Mom’s.’

  ‘A compliment indeed.’ Ruth was relieved to see Lucy more cheerful again.

  ‘Don’t tell my big brother about this, will you? If he found out I’d been treated bad, he’d be round there telling them what he thought of them.’

  Ruth couldn’t agree more; he would be furious if he thought his little sister was being treated with disrespect. ‘I’ll bet he would, but I promise not to say a word to him. I’ll leave that for you to do in your own time.’

  ‘Thanks, you’re a real pal.’ Lucy cleared her plate and stood up. ‘I’ll make the tea.’

  ‘That’s all right, I’ll do it.’

  Lucy gave her a hurt look. ‘I do know how to make proper English tea. Jack taught me.’

  Ruth was immediately on her feet. Jack’s tea was atrocious, and she wouldn’t let him near a teapot.

  ‘I’m only kidding,’ Lucy joked. ‘Simon showed me how it’s made.’

  ‘That’s a relief!’ She watched carefully though, but Lucy even warmed the pot first.

  ‘Anyway, I thought to hell with his folks.’ Lucy returned to the subject troubling her. ‘It was Dave I loved and I’d stay with him, even if they did disapprove.’

  ‘Good for you! And really, it’s their problem, not yours.’

  ‘I never thought of it that way, but you’re right. It was silly to let them upset me.’ Lucy poured the tea and handed a cup to Ruth, smirking with pride. ‘Try that.’

  Ruth made a show of savouring the brew. ‘That’s excellent.’

  ‘Told you.’ She put her arms around Ruth and hugged. ‘Thanks for letting me talk. It was what I needed to do, and I knew you’d be the one to come to. You’re so sensible.’

  Ruth pulled a face. ‘I’m not so sure about that, but thanks for the compliment.’

  ‘But you are. Jack always says you’ve got your head screwed on right.’

  ‘Jack!’ Ruth just had to laugh at that. ‘He’s very expert at unscrewing it.’

  ‘Don’t I know it! He’s so damned persuasive. If he ever starts a sentence with the words “Will you—?” it’s time to run for your life. When I was in the air strapped to the wing at the show, all I could think of was how did I ever agree to this? Come to think about it, I’m not sure I ever did.’

  They were both laughing when there was a knock on the door, and Ruth opened it to find Simon standing there.

  ‘How lovely, two visitors in one evening. Come in, Simon.’

  Lucy beamed when she saw him. ‘Great to see you, Teach.’

  ‘Am I interrupting anything? I could hear you laughing from outside.’

  ‘We were talking about my big brother, and I was giving Ruth some sisterly advice on how to handle him.’

  ‘Ah,’ was all he said.

  ‘Sit down.’ Ruth took another cup off the dresser. ‘The tea’s fresh and if you’re hungry I could do you scrambled eggs on toast. Lucy brought some eggs and there’s two left.’

  ‘I wouldn’t say no to that.’ Simon sat at the table while Ruth busied herself at the stove.

  ‘What brings you here?’ she asked.

  ‘There’s a bit of reorganising going on, and I said I’d come and let you know. In fact, it’s good you’re both here, because it concerns you as well, Lucy.’

  Ruth put the plate in front of him and sat down, expectantly. ‘Sounds intriguing.’

  ‘You’re needed at White Waltham, Ruth. We’re getting an increasing amount of Halifaxs and Stirlings to ferry and need all the four-engine pilots we can find at the moment. And things could get even busier next year as the build
-up to the invasion begins.’

  ‘What about me?’ Lucy’s eyes were wide with excitement. ‘Can I come to White Waltham as well?’

  ‘That has already been agreed.’ Simon didn’t get any further as Lucy erupted.

  ‘What do you want me to fly?’

  He gave Ruth an amused smile, and then looked back at Lucy. ‘Well, there’s the Typhoon and the new Tempest coming on to our books. Also the Mosquito …’

  Lucy stilled, a question in her eyes. ‘But that’s a twin …’

  ‘How about doing a conversion course for twins?’

  ‘Wow! Can I, Simon?’

  ‘I’ll teach you myself.’

  That was too much for Lucy. She was on her feet dancing around and hugging Simon and Ruth in turn.

  ‘These Americans are so emotional,’ Simon remarked dryly.

  ‘Aren’t they? But it’s really quite refreshing.’

  Lucy sat down, her smile as wide as it could get. ‘You English,’ she chided, ‘you ought to let your emotions out. It’s good for you. Isn’t it wonderful, we’ll be at the same ferry pool, Ruth! Won’t that be great?’

  ‘It certainly will.’ Ruth couldn’t be more pleased, and she was delighted to see Lucy so happy again. Dave’s parents had upset her, but she doubted if anything could keep Lucy down for long. All she had needed was a chance to talk over the situation and get it clear in her mind. Once she’d done that she had been able to see how unimportant it was at this point. She had a zest for life that really was refreshing.

  ‘Could we rent a little place like this and share it?’ Lucy gazed hopefully at Ruth.

  ‘We’ll see what we can find.’ She couldn’t help wondering what Jack was going to say about that arrangement. Their secret nights together would end. That would be a disappointment for both of them, but she wouldn’t be sorry to leave this cottage. Since Gussie had moved out, Jack had only been able to come a few times, and she didn’t enjoy coming back to an empty place each night. She had never lived on her own before, and she didn’t care for it much.