Page 87 of The Spitfire Girls
Lizzie rolled her eyes at him. ‘You make it sound like I’ve brainwashed the poor man into being my best friend.’
Jackson laughed. ‘Well, I’ve heard worse things said about how you managed to convince a burly general to let women climb into planes and fly them all around the country.’
‘Who’s saying these things?’ she asked, horrified. ‘I would never do that!’
He was clearly enjoying this, and she hated how much he’d managed to rile her. She knew people would gossip and say all sorts of things about her, but the only thing she was guilty of was believing in women and wanting to serve her country.
‘Do you want to hear what he has to say or not?’ she asked.
He shrugged. ‘Just get on with it. I’ve got work to do.’
‘Congress is considering a bill that would finally make the WASPs part of the Army Air Forces!’ she said excitedly. ‘Can you believe it? After all this time, they’re starting to realise what assets we are.’
‘And it took women being stationed at one hundred and twenty bases around the country before they did,’ Jackson said. ‘What a bunch of idiots. They should have done this from the very beginning.’
‘I know there are some women who don’t want to be part of the army, but most will be thrilled.’
‘What’s the reluctance? Won’t they finally be paid properly?’ he asked.
She nodded, dropping the letter to her desk. She’d campaigned so long for them to be fairly recognised, it was almost hard to believe it was going to happen at last. ‘Our pilots will be paid the same as any male pilot. They’ll be supplied with proper uniforms at all times, and they’ll be covered by army insurance. It’s incredible.’
Jackson smiled. ‘I hope they all remember to thank you.’
‘I’m going to start as many WASPs as possible in the army’s four-week officer training course. We have around four hundred who’ll be interested.’
If Jackson was surprised, he didn’t show it. ‘Good.’ He paused. ‘Is there something you’d like to say to me?’
‘Why, is there something I’ve forgotten? It’s not your birthday today, is it?’
‘I thought you might want to thank me, actually,’ he said. ‘Your girls have pretty much already been through army training, so they’ll find officer training a walk in the park.’
Lizzie grabbed a ball of paper and threw it at him, laughing when he dodged it and jumped out of the doorway. She still found it hard to believe that someone who’d annoyed her for so long had come to mean so much to her. Even if he did still drive her crazy most of the time.
Jackson popped his head back around the door, and his eyes met hers. ‘Any chance you want to go see that new movie, the one based on you girls? Some of the others are attending the first screening tonight, I’m told.’
‘Will you take me to dinner first?’ she asked, not letting on that she’d already planned to go to the first screening. They were all so excited about the film.
‘Will you come with me to the movie if I say no?’
She folded her arms across her chest. ‘No.’
‘Dinner it is, then.’
Lizzie shooed him away, laughing, and picked up the letter again. It was actually happening. Women were on the cusp of being fully accepted by the army. She couldn’t wait for the day it was announced, so she could see the looks on the faces of every single WASP. They were all going to feel so proud. She only hoped this new movie,Ladies Courageous, was as good as they all expected it to be.
They’d endured so much, and the fact they were women hadn’t had any impact on their flying skills. They’d flown through painful periods and cramps, endured hours without being able to go to the bathroom, and despite all the negativity thrown in their direction.And still they’d succeeded. Nothing was going to stand in their way now. Nothing.
Later than night, she followed Jackson into the little theatre.
‘I’m nervous,’ she said, keeping a respectable distance from him as they sat side by side.
The theatre was full of WASPs and some locals who’d always been huge supporters of theirs; there was a low hum of chatter, and she dug her fingers into her knees, wishing she could reach for Jackson’s hand. In truth, she could have; who was going to care if she made it plain that there was something between them? But she didn’t want to cross that line. Both she and Jackson were highly respected by the recruits, and she didn’t want anything to jeopardise that.
‘It’s going to be great,’ he said.
‘I just ...’ she groaned. ‘I hope they give us the respect we deserve. I’m quietly terrified.’
‘I’ve heard a rumour that there’s a group of men causing a bit of a fuss over you girls at the moment, especially given the publicity you’re getting over this film,’ Jackson whispered. ‘I wasn’t going to say anything, but the army has closed some flight schools where these men were flight instructors. They’ve lost their jobs, which is why they’re so upset.’
