Page 40 of The Spitfire Girls
‘May, please ...’ Lizzie blinked away tears. Had she been so reckless? Had May truly believed in her so much, in her ability, and she’d thrown that respect away?
‘The decision has been made, and that’s final,’ Montgomery interrupted. ‘Rivalry is one thing; it helps to push pilots to their limits and encourages them to do their best. But you went too far.’
‘Too far?’ She lifted her chin, not about to let them treat her like this, even if she was struggling not to cry. ‘With or without your support, I know I’m the best pilot here. I’m going to make a name for myself in the sky just like my father did, and neither of you can stop me!’
‘You’re excused, Elizabeth,’ Jackson said.
‘Excused?’
‘Excused,’ he repeated. ‘And you’re nothing like your father. He would have been ashamed of you today.’
His words were a blow, but she refused to back down. ‘My father would have been proud to watch me fly like that! How dare you talk about him as if you know him!’
Montgomery walked closer, so close she could feel his breath on her face. ‘Our fathers were in the same squadron,’ he said, so low she doubted anyone else could hear. ‘And I know that your daddy flew for the team, for his squadron, and if they hadn’t been there supporting him, protecting him from enemy fire, he never could have had his victories.’
She stared back at him. ‘I don’t believe you.’
‘Ask him yourself, then,’ he said, backing away. ‘But your father wasn’t always the big gun out the front. He supported his crew and they supported him. There’s no point being the best out front if there’s no one on your tail or to your side to back you up.’
‘Congratulations, Ruby. You flew a perfect, textbook flight today, and you are a talented,respectfulpilot who deserves to represent the ATA by being the first woman to ferry a four-engine bomber,’ May said in a loud voice, her back turned to Lizzie now. ‘We are all so proud of you.’
Ruby’s cheeks were flushed, and Lizzie couldn’t stop her mouth from falling open. Shivers raced down her spine as she stared at the people in front of her, unable to comprehend what had just happened. And how dare Montgomery act as if he knew anything about her father’s victories!
‘You know she’s not as good as me!’ Lizzie fumed, anger lashing through her body in waves.
‘I was speaking honestly in London, Lizzie. You were neck and neck until today, and I supported you both equally all the way, but the decision was simple in the end,’ May said bluntly, giving her no more than a cursory glance. ‘The best pilot has been given the honours, and that’s final. Depending on the success of Ruby’s first flight and your own conduct, you’ll be cleared to ferry four-engine bombers within the month, too.’
‘You spineless bastard!’ Lizzie screamed at Montgomery. ‘How could you not support me? How can you not see how capable I am?’
Montgomery stepped closer again, unblinking. He took her by the elbow and steered her away from the others. ‘You’re out of control, Lizzie. Rein it in.’
‘Don’t speak to me like that!’
‘You’re easily the best pilot here, I’ll give you that,’ he muttered. ‘But there’s no use in being the best if your leader can’t rely on you to follow orders. It’s time you looked at the bigger picture, Lizzie.’
Lizzie stood in stunned silence as May and Ruby disappeared, and then Montgomery walked off too. She realised then that the entire crowd had gone, and she had no idea how much any of them had heard. Now it was just her, standing alone in a field, horrified by her public outburst.
Tears slid down her cheeks then, fast and furious. Lizzie wiped at them before giving up, falling forward and crying, fists clenched as she sobbed.
What had she done? Was Montgomery right –wasshe out of control? How had she become this person? Or had she always been her?
Suddenly her clever tricks and fast take-off seemed immature, everything she’d thought so incredibly clever actually so terribly, terribly wrong. She’d lost the flight, the one thing she wanted more than anything, and she had no damn idea what to do about it.
Suddenly black boots appeared on the ground in front of her and she looked up through tear-blurred eyes.
‘Get up.’
A hand extended towards her and Lizzie blinked, taking it and looking up at Jackson Montgomery. Why had he come back?
‘What have I done?’ she whispered. ‘How did this all go so horribly wrong?’ Her daddy would be waiting for the mail, eager to hear news of whether she’d been awarded the first flight, and now she was going to have to tell him that she’d lost it.
‘You behaved like a princess,’ he said, letting go of her hand. ‘And if you can’t see that then I can’t see how I can help you.’
She gulped. ‘I think I can see that now.’
‘Good,’ he replied. ‘So brush away those tears, pull yourself together and go tell your fellow pilot how proud of her you are, and that she deserved the first flight.’
Lizzie was hollow inside, and she sucked back a breath. ‘I can’t.’
