Page 36 of The Spitfire Girls
Jackson held up his glass to first May and then Benjamin, and she clinked it, hoping neither man had noticed her flushed cheeks.
‘May, I’ve been wanting to have a quiet word with you about something, although it’s not something I should be sharing,’ Jackson said in a low voice. ‘It’s about the pay disparity between male and female pilots.’
She exchanged glances with Ben. ‘Pay disparity?’ she repeated. ‘Are we not paid the same?’
‘I’m afraid not,’ he said, moving closer and glancing over his shoulder. ‘This didn’t come from me, though – they’d have my head on a block if they found out I’d told you.’
May almost choked on her drink, the bubbles catching in her throat. ‘How have they got away with this?’
‘There she is! The one and only Commander Jones!’
May turned at the sound of her name, the room seeming to fall quiet just as she locked eyes with the deputy prime minister. She’d been told Winston Churchill himself would be attending, but now that she was faced with his second in command, Clement Attlee, she guessed that might no longer be the case.
‘Thank you so much for inviting me tonight,’ she said, not telling him that he’d missed theseniorpart of her title, something she was certain any male commander would have pointed out immediately. ‘It’s an honour.’
‘The honour is entirely ours,’ he said, looking slightly awkward. ‘Now, do tell me, will there be other pilots joining us tonight? We’d like to wait until they are here to thank you all at the ATA for your service.’
To say she was surprised was an understatement. For so long they’d been merely tolerated, and now they were being celebrated? Perhaps it was to do with them taking over the Class V bombers, which were so essential to the war – it might have helped change opinions. With four-engine bombers being delivered as fast as they were made available, their boys had more firepower at their fingertips than ever before.
‘Yes, sir, there will be more joining me, but they’ve been flying and ferrying aircraft all day, so they may be a little late. I actually have one of our guests from the United States joining us as well as another top pilot. Both of them are in consideration for our first female bomber pilot, sir.’
‘Well, I’ll look forward to becoming acquainted with them both,’ he enthused, as he stepped away.
‘Sir, before you go, I wanted to ask you ...’
‘Commander Jones, excuse me a moment,’ Atlee said, touching her arm and frowning as if he didn’t really want to go. ‘Please accept my apologies, but I promise we’ll have time to talk later.’
May opened and shut her mouth, wishing she’d taken the opportunity when she had it, but Atlee had gone and was already talking to someone no doubt more important and more influential than her. She moved to stand with the men again, frowning as she interrupted them.
‘Jackson, you’re absolutely certain we’re paid less?’ she asked.
‘I probably shouldn’t have said anything,’ he apologised. ‘Honestly, it wasn’t my information to share, but I’ve seen how hard you all work, and you’re all doing the same job, so the double standard is disappointing.’
She was seething, but not at him. She didn’t like being taken for a fool, and she could just imagine a tableful of men sitting pleased with themselves for getting women to do the same job as men, but for so much less. Why had she never thought to investigate this before now?
Jackson grimaced. ‘You’re paid twenty per cent less, May. It’s grossly unfair,’ he murmured. ‘But that information hasn’t come from me.’
Her mouth went dry.A whole20per cent less? For the same job?
‘You needed to know so you could work out costings in the event your country allows women to fly. That’s why, isn’t it?’ May asked, everything falling into place. ‘Please don’t tell me the United States government will try to do the same thing if they establish a flying squadron?’ She felt foolish, stumbling over things she hadn’t even processed properly. She suddenly wished Lizzie was with her to hear all this, and she scanned the room to see if she’d arrived – Lizzie was being paid the same as the rest of them as an ATA pilot, but she’d be interested to hear about the disparity and that the same might happen in the US. ‘I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said that. Please don’t feel you have to answer.’
Jackson nodded and looked between her and Ben. ‘You’ll be discreet?’
May nodded, finally spotting Lizzie and waving her over. ‘Of course. But I intend to ask for equal compensation.’
He held up his glass again. ‘And so you should.’
‘Jackson?’ Lizzie said as she joined them, looking Jackson slowly up and down.
‘Nice to see you too,Elizabeth,’ Jackson said. ‘Don’t you look stunning tonight in your dress uniform!’
‘Well, I ...’ Lizzie started, her cheeks turning pink. May wasn’t surprised she was stuck for words; Jackson did look awfully handsome all dressed up in his tux with his hair slicked back. She wished she’d worn a dress, but it had seemed more appropriate for them all to wear the uniforms they were so proud of.
‘You might not have recognised my dashing date. Seems Ben scrubs up rather well too, don’t you think?’ May said.
Lizzie raised a brow at Ben, still speechless, before turning back to Jackson.
‘Where’s Ruby?’ May asked.
