Page 8 of The Spitfire Girls
‘Here we go, ladies,’ the driver announced as he pointed out of the window. ‘Head straight in there.’
Ruby pushed open her door and studied the flat-roofed, two-storey brick building that awaited them. She held up her hand to shield her eyes from the glare as the sun peeked from between the clouds, turning only when she heard a low wolf whistle.
She saw the men then, lounging outside another building, cigarettes in hand as they stared at the cars.And at her. She twirled the engagement ring on her finger, pleased she’d kept it there even though she didn’t expect she’d be allowed to wear it for long. Or perhaps evenhavea fiancé for long if she didn’t hear back from Tom soon. Clearly these men had been waiting to see the new recruits, and she knew that she’d never survive if she couldn’t deal with a whistle or two in the field.
Ruby forced a smile and stood straight, waving a hand in their direction. ‘Afternoon, fellas,’ she said, hoping she sounded more confident than she felt.
Some of them waved back; others looked down at their boots as if they were embarrassed.Serves them right, she thought as she walked as determinedly as she could towards the nondescript brick building.
‘I thought mechanics would be better-looking,’ Polly whispered with a giggle.
Ruby averted her eyes, smiling as they made their way inside. The room was bare, with desks and chairs lining the walls and little else; and there they all stood, a growing group of women quietly chatting, until a strong voice cut through the noise.
‘Welcome to our newest volunteers!’
Ruby turned as the room fell silent, and watched as May Jones herself walked towards the large desk in the corner. Her dark-blue dress uniform fitted her like a glove; the jacket was tailored to her frame and fit her perfectly and her tie was snug to her shirt. Something about seeing a woman so feminine yet so full of authority filled Ruby with both anticipation and fear, but the one thing she was certain about was that she wanted to wear that exact same uniform. And she’d do so brimming with pride.
‘We need to get the basics out of the way first, so you’ll all be having your medical check today, followed by an interview with me. I personally confirm with each new recruit that you’ve passed our tests, and our aim is to train you and get you in the air as soon as we possibly can.’ She paused and took a quick sip of water, but Ruby still couldn’t take her eyes off her. ‘Once all that is out of the way, you will commence with ground school, which will cover everything from meteorology, map-reading, mechanics, navigation and so forth, and then you will progress to dual and then solo flights in the good old Tiger Moth. From there, you’ll be required to fly a number of cross-country flights along fixed routes before being assigned to your ferry pool.’
May’s dark gaze was steady as she appeared to study the room, her manner as perfectly composed as her uniform. The hopeful candidates all stared back at her.
‘You’re all doing something amazing by being here today, and I’m proud of every single one of you for volunteering for this role. If you have any questions, please ask me at your interview, and I’ll be more than happy to discuss anything flying-related.’
Ruby expected someone else to take over now that the introduction was complete, but it was May herself who ushered a doctor into the room. She watched her check all the blinds were properly closed and then nod to the doctor, moving towards the front of the room to lock the door as they all looked on, wide-eyed like children who weren’t sure what to expect. Her dark hair was cropped shorter than Ruby had imagined it would be – much shorter than the original photos she’d seen of her – and she wore barely a scrap of make-up, so she was much more serious-looking in real life. But she was pretty in a classic kind of way, with eyes as dark as her hair, full arched brows and a wide mouth.
‘Ladies, this is Dr Arthur Barbour, the chief medic here at White Waltham, and you’ll come to know him as Doc.’
He held up his hand in a wave and bowed to them. ‘Ladies, it’s a pleasure. I’ll be doing our standard medical check today, so please come forward in an orderly fashion.’
Ruby followed him with her eyes as he set up in the corner of the room, pulling out a curtain attached to a metal pole. Not one of the women moved, including her.
‘Who’s first? I promise I won’t bite,’ he joked, although no one laughed back.
Ruby looked around, but still no one volunteered. She counted to five in her head, hoping someone else would speak up, and when nothing happened she slowly raised her shaking hand and gulped down her nerves.
‘Um, ah, I’ll go,’ she said, clearing her throat and forcing herself to close the distance between herself and the doctor.
Doc’s smile was wide as he looked her up and down, and Ruby suddenly wished she hadn’t been so forthcoming. ‘You’ll find that my care for my pilots is second to none,’ he said, his Scottish accent sounding friendly as he touched the small of her back, propelling her forward. ‘If you’d please go behind the curtain and remove all your clothes, we can begin.’
Ruby’s feet turned to lead. ‘Excuse me?’ she stuttered as heat flooded her cheeks.No clothes?She couldn’t take her clothes off in front of a man!
‘Your examination must be done naked. We have the same rules for men and women, no exceptions. I’m sorry, love.’
She turned to look at the women waiting in a group behind her, but the only one to meet her gaze was May. She walked forward, no doubt knowing precisely why Ruby was so ill at ease.
‘It’ll be over in no time,’ May said briskly. ‘I can be present if you’d prefer another woman ...’
‘No! No, I’ll be fine,’ Ruby said, regaining her composure. The only thing worse than the doctor seeing her naked would be having May herself watching on! ‘It just took me by surprise, that’s all.’ She’d never been naked in front of a man before, not even their own family doctor. But if this was part of the job, it was part of the job, and she could either follow orders or get on the next train home.
Doc gestured again for her to disappear behind the curtain and she followed his instruction without hesitation this time, quickly taking off her clothes and folding them in a neat pile on the chair.
‘Ready,’ she called out.
He entered, and her face and neck burnt hot as his gaze swept quickly up then down, but she refused to do anything other than look straight ahead, no matter how tempting it was to cross her legs tightly and wrap her arms across her breasts.
Ruby endured the touching and prodding, the opening of her mouth and the eye check, and wondered why on earth she had to be naked for such a consultation. Couldn’t she have kept her undergarments on, at least? If she were braver she’d have said something, but she couldn’t have uttered a word if she’d tried.
Once it was finally over, and she felt more like he’d asked her to strip down to nothing for his own pleasure than out of any genuine medical need, she waited for Doc to leave her and blew out a breath she hadn’t even known she was holding. Was that it? Had she passed? She was sure there was nothing wrong with her – no illnesses or disabilities – and her eyesight had always been excellent.
