Muriel Denton came fourth in the all-women’s race, much to her disgust. Her disappointment was tempered a little by the fact that her friend, Pattie Henderson, won. Though fierce rivals on the track, outside a race they were all good friends and rooted for each other. ‘Anyone but you,’ she said, slapping Pattie on the back, ‘and I’d’ve been spitting feathers.’
Pattie laughed. ‘I only won because Pips doesn’t race any more. If she’d been racing her Bugatti today, I’d have been lost in her exhaust fumes. Come on, let’s get a drink and go and find her. I’m still hoping to persuade her to take up racing here again, though goodness knows why I’m bothering because she’ll beat us hollow.’
‘I don’t think you’ll manage it. She gave a promise to George that she wouldn’t race any more after their marriage and Pips never breaks her promises.’
Pattie pursed her lips and glanced across to where their party of friends was standing on Members’ Hill. ‘Then it’s George I have to work on, is it, to get him to release her from her promise?’
‘You can try,’ Muriel laughed, ‘but I wouldn’t hold your breath.’
A little later, Pattie, her racing over for the day, drew George aside. ‘Dear George, I want to ask you something.’
He smiled down at her. He liked this dark-haired woman with warm brown eyes and a very firm handshake. In fact, he liked all of Pips’s Brooklands friends. Even Mitch Hammond, in a way. George was forced to admit that his rival was a fine man; a courageous and daring man who’d flown with the Royal Flying Corps during the war as a reconnaissance pilot. Though he wasn’t too sure just how much he could trust him around Pips. He had the reputation of being a lady’s man, which Mitch himself seemed to delight in perpetuating.
‘Now I wonder if I can guess what that might be?’
Pattie looked up at him, her eyes wide. ‘Can you?’
He sighed. ‘You want me to persuade her to race again.’
‘How did you know?’
‘Because, my dear, I’ve been struggling with my conscience as to whether I ought to do just that. I know she misses it, but, you see, that accident she had frightened the life out of me. I couldn’t bear to lose her.’
‘Mm. I do see that. The rest of us aren’t married, so it’s not quite the same for us.’
‘You have families though, who must worry about you.’
‘Of course, but they all realize it’s just something we have to do.’
‘As I suppose I should for Pips,’ he murmured. He paused for a moment before asking, ‘Are none of you married or engaged?’
‘Not amongst our little group – the Brooklands Girls – no. Muriel was, of course, but her husband was killed on the Somme.’
After a slight pause, he asked softly, ‘And you?’
There was a slightly longer pause before Pattie, her voice shaking a little, said, ‘My fiancé was killed at Passchendaele and I haven’t met anyone since who could even come close to him in my affections.’
‘I’m sorry.’
‘So,’ she said briskly after a moment. ‘What about it?’
‘I’ll think about it. I promise you that and – and maybe I’ll talk to her. But, of course, she’s still got her flying.’
‘Yes, there’s that,’ Pattie said, but she didn’t sound too enthusiastic. For her, flying could not even begin to match the thrill of racing round the Brooklands track.
They rejoined the others and, for the moment, the subject was put aside, if not entirely forgotten.
‘Has Uncle Mitch telephoned yet?’ Daisy asked impatiently at breakfast the following morning after George had left for the office.
Pips laughed. ‘Give him a chance to get it arranged. I’m sure he won’t forget, but until he does, what do you want to do today? Shopping? Sightseeing?’
‘I’d love to go to Kew Gardens.’
Pips raised her eyebrows. ‘Really? Why?’
Daisy chuckled. ‘You know Granny has made Jake head gardener. He has two boys from the village who’ve recently left school working under him and then Harry helps out at weekends and in the holidays when he’s not working for Granddad Dawson.’
Pips nodded. ‘Go on.’
‘Jake has been reading everything he can get his hands on about gardening and he got a book about Kew Gardens.’
She seemed about to say more, but at that moment, the telephone shrilled and Daisy leapt up and then remembered that this was not her telephone to answer.
‘Go on,’ Pips laughed indulgently, ‘you can answer it.’ There was no missing the girl’s excitement as she said, ‘Hello, Uncle Mitch.’ Then she listened carefully before saying, ‘That’s wonderful. Thank you so much. See you tomorrow.’ There was a slight pause before she added, ‘Will Johnny be with you?’
As she replaced the receiver carefully, she was grinning.
‘So, when are we going?’
‘Tomorrow afternoon and again on Friday afternoon – if that’s all right with you.’
‘Of course. But today, you want to go to Kew, do you?’
‘Yes, please. Then I can tell Jake all about it.’ With a mischievous grin, she added, ‘And tomorrow we go flying.’
Daisy’s excitement the following afternoon was palpable and infectious. Pips could fully understand it. She still got the same thrill when an aircraft under her control lifted into the air. It was the same nervous excitement lining up for a race on the Brooklands track, but now, she tried not to dwell on that. A promise was a promise and she would not break it. At least, she could still go flying.
‘There’s Uncle Mitch – and Johnny – with Mr Pointer.’
They were standing by the two-seater aircraft that was used for training.
Pips had lent Daisy her flying helmet and jacket, which, though a little large for her, would keep her warm in the cockpit.
‘Ready, Daisy?’ Jeff asked as they approached.
The girl’s eyes shone. ‘Yes, please, Mr Pointer.’
‘Hey, none of the “mister” stuff, and I’m far too young to be “uncle” to anyone.’ He wasn’t, of course, but Daisy giggled as he added, ‘It’s Jeff. Now, are you sure you don’t want to go up with your aunty? She has a full pilot’s licence, you know.’
Daisy shook her head. ‘No. I would like you to show me things and Aunty Pips says she’s like Uncle Mitch. She won’t try to teach a relative. She’ll take me up, but only for a flight.’
Jeff nodded. ‘I understand that. All right. Let’s climb aboard, then.’
As they walked towards the two-seater biplane, Jeff said, ‘This is an AVRO 504 built during the war. After the conflict, there were a great many for sale, so Mitch and I bought a couple. They make ideal training aircraft as well as being useful for taking folk up on pleasure flights.’ He chuckled. ‘We’ll do anything anybody asks us – within reason. I’ve even been known to fly a banner across the sky for a mate of mine, who wanted an unusual way to propose to his girlfriend.’
Once they were both settled, Daisy in the front seat with Jeff behind her, he went through all the cockpit checks with her, before one of Jeff’s mechanics shouted, ‘Petrol on,’ followed by two further instructions. Fascinated, Daisy listened, taking it all in.
Then the mechanic turned the propeller and shouted ‘Contact!’ to which Jeff replied ‘Contact!’ The mechanic swung the propeller forcefully and the engine fired. When Jeff waved his hand to signify that he was ready, the chocks set in front of each wheel were removed and Jeff began the take-off. The aircraft bumped along the grass and rose into the air. At once Daisy felt the thrill of being airborne as the aircraft climbed. Jeff levelled out and then began to turn. Now, if she looked to her left, Daisy could see the ground – to her right, the sky. She felt as if the world was spinning beneath her but, far from feeling nervous or nauseous, Daisy revelled in the new and exciting experience.
Now she understood why Aunty Pips loved flying. Oh, for the day when she’d be old enough to take lessons. But Jeff was already shouting instructions to her from the rear cockpit, explaining what each of the instruments in front of her was for. She took it all in, absorbing every word, every instruction, as he talked her through everything he was doing until she felt she could almost fly the plane right now.
Jeff must have felt her enthusiasm because suddenly he said, ‘Have you got all that?’
‘I think so,’ Daisy shouted.
‘Right, you have a go, but I’ll take over again to land her.’
They were still waiting for her – Pips, Mitch and Johnny – when they landed.
‘How was it?’ Johnny was the first to ask.
‘Magnificent! I can’t wait for Friday.’
Jeff drew Mitch and Pips a little to one side. ‘She has the makings of an excellent pilot.’
Pips’s eyes widened. ‘You’ve given her a lesson?’
Jeff held up his finger and thumb, a small space between them. ‘Just a little one.’ He glanced at Mitch. ‘I did have my boss’s permission.’
‘Trouble is,’ Pips glanced across at her niece, ‘when she’s old enough to start having proper lessons, she won’t be down here enough for you to teach her.’
‘Oh, I don’t know,’ Mitch said. ‘There are the long summer holidays. We could do quite a lot in six weeks.’
Jeff nodded. ‘She’ll pick it up very quickly. I can see that already. As long as she can get the requisite number of flying hours in . . .’
‘We’ll see that she does,’ Mitch said firmly. ‘She’s a great kid. I like Daisy, as I think’ – he grinned at Pips – ‘does my nephew.’
‘What?’ Pips’s startled glance swivelled towards the two young people. ‘Oh dear.’
Mitch frowned. ‘You don’t like him because of who he is?’
‘What?’ Pips said again. ‘What d’you mean?’
‘Because he’s my nephew.’
For a brief moment, Pips stared at him and then burst out laughing. ‘Heavens, no. It’s not that. I think he’s a lovely young man. It’s just that’ – her glance went again to Daisy – ‘back home, there’s Luke.’
‘Luke? Oh yes, I remember. I met him when you were in hospital. But he’s her cousin, surely.’
‘Yes, but they’ve always been close friends since they were small. And then, of course, there’s Harry too.’
‘Harry?’
‘Luke’s half-brother. Since he was quite young, he’s been declaring openly to anyone who’ll listen that he’s going to marry Daisy one day.’
‘And what does Daisy say?’
‘She just laughs. I don’t think she takes him seriously.’
‘Mm.’ Mitch was thoughtful before saying slowly, ‘Well, contrary to what you might think, Pips, despite the fact that he looks very like me, Johnny is nothing like me in character. I don’t think he’s going to be a lady’s man or even a bit of a flirt. If he sets his mind on your Daisy, you can bet your life he’ll be serious.’
‘She’s only fifteen, Mitch. I don’t think her mother or father would be amused if she were to become romantically involved with anyone just yet. And my mother would have a fit.’
‘I don’t think you need worry. At the moment, Johnny’s head is in the clouds. All he can think of is joining the RAF.’
‘Perhaps that’s just as well,’ Pips murmured as she watched the two young people talking animatedly together; no doubt, she thought, all about flying!