Page 26 of The Spitfire Girls
‘And she said?’
‘That her delightful son wholeheartedly agreed with her, and that I have four weeks to return home or our engagement will be off.’
Ruby’s voice was full of anger, but May wasn’t about to go easy on her just because she was hurting. This was the time to push her, to draw on that anger and stop her from holding back.
‘Are you going to go home?’
‘No.’ Ruby’s reply was quick, without a beat of hesitation. ‘I want to prove them wrong. Why is it fine for him to do his bit, but not me?’
‘You’re certain?’ May asked.
‘Part of me wants to give up – there’s a little voice telling me that I’m not good enough, that I shouldn’t have come in the first place.’
‘And the other voice?’
Now Ruby found a smile. ‘That voice is telling me that I can do it, that I’m capable of making a difference here, and to hell with what anyone thinks of me.’
‘I say we listen to that voice then,’ said May, ‘because that’s the Ruby I want to see on my base flying my planes.’
Ruby was looking down at the paper strewn in tiny pieces all around her feet, and as she bent to collect them, May moved around and squatted down beside her to help.
‘If you could fly into his base, once you’re cleared to fly a bomber, is that something you’d want to do?’ May whispered.
Ruby froze, then looked up, a strength shining through that May hadn’t seen before. ‘Yes.’
May nodded. ‘Then you have my word that I’ll try to make that happen, in exchange for you starting to believe in yourself and in your abilities.’ She paused. ‘Do we have a deal?’
Ruby held out her hand. ‘Deal.’
‘Then clean this mess up, Sanders, and meet me out front in thirty minutes, ready to show me what you’re made of.’
May returned to her desk to study her paperwork. She was always so good at giving advice to her girls, giving them pep talks and helping them to manage their personal and work lives. She glanced at the drawer where her mother’s letters were hidden, the pain of her words too much for May to deal with right now.Pity I’m not better at putting the broken pieces of my own life back together.
‘Did you get any mail yesterday?’ Ben’s question was friendly, his eyes lighting up as he reached into his pocket and took out a folded piece of paper. It was already smudged with grease. He waved it. ‘My little sister again, insisting that I go home to see her when I have leave. She’s relentless.’
May sighed. ‘You should go. It sounds like she’s missing you terribly.’
‘It’s her birthday in a few months’ time, and I was hoping I might be able to save up some leave, head home for a few days?’
May wondered how many men existed like Ben. He worked all day with his hands, bent over engines for so many hours his back must ache by nightfall, but he never complained about it. He complained about the state of the engines plenty, but never about the work he did.
‘So, did you get one?’ he asked.
‘Did I get what?’ She was lost in her own thoughts.
‘A letter, silly.’
‘Oh, ah, yes. From my mother.’
‘How is she? Missing her girl?’
May sighed.Two years, she thought. It had been two years today since Johnny had been taken from them, and the anniversary was making it even harder than usual to think about her family. Or maybe it was amplifying her guilt at not seeing them or being in touch with them for so long.
‘I actually haven’t read it yet.’
Ben took a step forward, his gaze fixed on her, so that she couldn’t look away.
‘One of these days I’m going to ask you about your family, May,’ he said. ‘And I’m not going to let you walk away without answering.’
