Page 25 of The Spitfire Girls
‘May!’ Lizzie protested. ‘All I want is to get on with my training instead of being grounded like some incompetent ...’
‘In fact, I think Lizzie could do with some more hands-on training as well as a lesson in respect,’ May interrupted. She turned to the Lizzie with a smile. ‘We have Tiger Moths that need to be taken back for further repairs, and I think that would be an excellent job for you to do today.’
‘Tiger Moths?’ Lizzie asked, her voice rising. ‘Slow, stinkingTigerMoths?’
‘When I started with the First Eight, we flew those slow old planes day in, day out, taking them wherever they needed to go, and notoncedid we complain about it, because we knew that we were doing this, selflessly, to help the greater good,’ May said. ‘And I expect you to take it on the chin, too. How about you, Montgomery?’
He grinned. ‘Same here. I flew what I had to fly, kept my head down and worked hard. There ain’t no point being part of a squadron if your team have no faith in you.’
‘I think we’re on the same page then,’ May said, her anger slowly subsiding.
‘And Ruby? Are you going to make her do the same thing?’ Lizzie stuttered.
‘No, Ruby is an excellent team player and she can spend the day under my tutelage, training in the Halifax.’ May spun on her heel then, leaving poor Jackson to deal with the fallout. But as she turned she caught his eye, and she was certain his amusement was equal to hers.
Wishing Lizzie could see what a decent man he was, she continued on to her desk in the corner of the main room to check the chits and make certain she knew where everyone was for the day. She had girls flying and girls training, and sometimes a combination of both, and she liked to know where they were at all times. It meant she was grounded more than she liked; now that she was running the operation, she did more administration work than actual flying, and she missed it. Ever since she’d arrived at Hamble, she’d had this strange superstitious feeling that they’d gone without a loss for too long, that their luck might dry up soon. It was stupid, but she couldn’t shake it. Some of the mechanics joked about their perfect fatality rate, that the girls were able to do what male pilots never could, but even the thought of it, the notion that she might be the one to have to visit a family or write the letter telling them their daughter had died in the air, was like a punch to the stomach. Morbid thoughts like that were sometimes as hard to live with as her memories of Johnny.
‘What’s going on?’ Ruby’s soft voice warmed her.
‘It’s just you in the Halifax today, Ruby.’
‘Where’s Lizzie?’
‘Let’s just say that Lizzie has been seconded to Jackson Montgomery’s service for the day,’ May told her. ‘We can all pray that she returns in a more humble frame of mind than when she left.’
Ruby snorted with laughter and May laughed along with her, surprising herself.
‘Well, I appreciate the extra training, thank you,’ Ruby said. ‘But if you’d like me to do any other work today instead, or ...’
‘You want the first solo flight, Ruby?’ May asked.
‘You know I do.’
‘Then don’t look a gift horse in the mouth. If Lizzie could get an extra day of hands-on training without you, she’d take it in a heartbeat. In fact, she’d knock you down and trample over you to get it.’
Ruby didn’t reply, no doubt because she knew it was true. Lizzie was ruthless, clearly used to getting everything and anything she wanted. It made her an incredible pilot because she was fearless, but it didn’t exactly make her an easy ally or friend to have on base.
‘The mail’s here!’ one of the girls squealed, and May saw Ruby’s face light up as Polly crossed the room with an envelope in her outstretched hand. She must have just arrived at Hamble on the mail plane, and May was pleased to see her again.
‘There’s one for you as well,’ Polly said, passing it to May.
Her hand shaking, May took the cream envelope, her mother’s familiar scrawl across the front. She held it tight, as if doing so would connect them, before opening a drawer and tucking it inside to read later. She sighed as it landed with two others that looked just like it.Or maybe I won’t read it at all.
Ruby had gone silent, and May looked up to see her rip her letter into tiny little pieces, shredding it until the paper fell all over the floor. Tears rolled down her cheeks.
‘He meet someone else?’ The American drawl was lazy and loud as Lizzie strolled into the room. ‘Don’t go getting your knickers in a twist over a man, sugar.’
‘Leave her alone, Lizzie!’ Polly shouted.
But Ruby didn’t even seem to hear them. ‘I hate him,’ she whispered, her voice low and full of anger. ‘He could meet someone else and I wouldn’t even care.’
May knew she was only venting; the letter might be in shreds and her heart might feel broken, but Ruby was fingering the ring hanging from her necklace as she spoke, and that told May everything she needed to know.
Lizzie breezed out as quickly as she’d breezed in, her flying hat and goggles tucked under her arm, and May stood, leaning forward.
‘Was it him or his mother?’ she asked quietly.
Ruby’s eyes met hers. ‘His mother.’
