Kit sat on the window sill hugging her knees and watching Emily sleep as the first lavender glow of light met the dawn. When Emily stirred, Kit came to her, kissing her forehead.
“Good morning,” Emily said as she stretched then pulled Kit against her.
“Good morning, my love.” Kit swept the hair from Emily’s face.
“What time is it?”
“Early,” Kit whispered. “I didn’t want to wake you, but we need to start back soon.”
“Kiss me awake,” Emily said, locking her hands behind Kit’s neck.
Kit obliged, kissing her softly then again passionately.
“I wish we could stay here all day and all night and all day again.” Emily sighed dreamily. “Just you and me and our tiny bed.”
“So do I, but we can’t. I have to be at the airfield at seven this morning. And you have a job too.”
“I want a new job,” Emily teased, playing with the curls over Kit’s ears. “I want to be your personal driver. I want to drive you wherever you need to go.” She smiled coyly.
“I like the idea, but I’d never get anything done. We’d spend all our time in the backseat of the car.”
“I know.” Emily winked, pulling Kit down on top of her and locking a leg over her. Kit nuzzled her neck, making snorting noises as she rolled them back and forth on the bed. Emily giggled and wiggled beneath her. Kit allowed them a few minutes of snuggling before swatting Emily on the bottom and pulling her out of bed.
Emily gulped down a cup of coffee before climbing on the back of the motorcycle for the ride back to Alderbrook. The closer they got to Digby Lane and home, the tighter Emily clung to Kit. She rode the whole way with her head against Kit’s back. Kit pulled up to the side door of the big house and let Emily off. She then hurried to the cottage to change and wash before waiting by the motorcycle for Emily to finish getting ready. As Emily rushed out and climbed back on for the trip to the airfield, they both saw the curtain in Lillian’s bedroom part.
“Did she say anything?” Kit asked.
“She tried. Let’s go.” Emily held on as Kit roared down the drive.
If word of their nights together got out, Kit knew Emily would be subject to a whole new world of questions and suspicions. Unless they planned on weaving an elaborate web of lies and half-truths, the road they had started would have to be kept private. Kit didn’t want Emily to get hurt. Kit had been through that before, and she didn’t wish those kinds of stares and malicious remarks on anyone. Kit had developed the crust to protect herself from the moral bigots and hypocrites. Emily hadn’t been exposed to it yet.
Kit pulled up to the motor pool.
“Thanks for the ride, Lieutenant,” Emily said as if she too realized they needed to keep up a professional appearance.
“You’re welcome, Miss Mills,” Kit said in her best business voice. Then in a quiet voice she added. “I had a wonderful time last night.”
“So did I.” Emily’s hand slid across Kit’s shoulder as she climbed off.
“Perhaps we could have tea later in the ready room.”
“Perhaps,” Emily said with a soft smile. “But I’d rather enjoy a long, luscious kiss.”
“That would definitely be better than tea.” Kit pulled away then looked back and winked.
“Fly safe, Lieutenant.”
Kit was the last pilot to enter the ready room and felt every pair of eyes follow her through the door.
“Good morning, ladies,” she said cheerfully.
“You may not think so,” Patty mumbled as she brushed the mud from her flight boots.
“Where were you last night?” Lovie asked quietly.
“Who wants to know?” Kit said, thumbing through the day’s assignment sheets and the weather report.
“Everyone from Griggs to the field commander,” Red said, nodding out the window toward the flight command office.
“What are you talking about?”
“Did you forget the monthly flight command meeting last night?” Lovie whispered.
Kit felt the color drain from her face.
“Oh, shit,” she muttered, looking out the window at Commander Griggs heading toward the ready room with determined strides.
“Make up something good because she is one mad woman,” Red said.
“Lieutenant Anderson,” Griggs snarled, stepping inside. Her eyes were black daggers and her jaw muscles were pulsing as she slammed the door. “Where were you last night? We sent an aide to your home. We scoured the countryside in every café and pub within thirty miles. Admiral Foster was ready to have you declared AWOL.” She stood toe to toe with Kit, her venom so hot, every woman in the room could feel it. “Last night’s meeting was important. I told you that. The meeting was for the Admiral’s staff to hear our recommendations on pilot training, squadron assignments and pilot salaries. Where in the hell were you?” Griggs didn’t seem to care every pilot in the room was watching her dress Kit down for her oversight. “You better have a damn good reason.” She glowered at Kit, waiting for her reply.
“I was . . .” Kit started, looking around the room at her pilots, each of them anxious to hear what she had to say. “I was out of town,” she stammered.
“Out of town doing what?” Griggs demanded loudly. “I expect a full explanation and I want it right now, Lieutenant.”
Kit looked over at Red and Lovie. Both lowered their eyes as if to say they knew exactly what she was doing.
“I was out of town taking a little R&R,” she said, pulling herself up proudly. “I haven’t taken a night off since I got here over a year ago. So last night I took one. And if you want to know why, I’ll tell you. Yesterday I flew a ramshackle piece of shit airplane into a fog bank over the coast of Wales and instead of bailing out and dumping the damn thing in the drink, I put it down in a field. Two hours later, the fog lifted and I took off. I made it as far as Darnell Heath before the fog closed in again. Have you ever flown over Darnell Heath, Commander? There isn’t one field long enough or flat enough to hold an airplane. I flew through two hours of fog so thick I couldn’t see the propeller. I flew around in circles so many times I thought I would fly up my own ass. By the time the fog cleared and I set down on this field, I didn’t have enough fuel to move the pin on the gauge. And you know why? Because some fool mechanic told me I was carrying a load of replacement parts for the MAC unit, precious Spitfire parts. So I protected them with my life. They couldn’t give me a decent airplane like a De Havilland or a twin-engine transport for the precious parts. They gave me an out-of-date Gypsy Moth with so many holes in the skin you could see through to the other side. I don’t mind though. That’s what they pay me to do. You know what makes me mad? The Goddamn parts I was supposed to be carrying were nothing more than hubcaps and seats. Hubcaps and seats, Commander. I risked my life to protect nothing.” Kit met Griggs’s determined stare with one of her own. “I don’t give a damn about a meeting. I’m a pilot. With all due respect, Commander, you can keep the meetings and the paperwork. If you want me to deliver airplanes, fine. But don’t ask me to give up my free time to sit in a stuffy room and tell an Admiral we need more pilots with better training and more money. If they don’t already know that, then my telling them wouldn’t make a damn bit of difference.”
A dead silence fell over the room. Griggs stood staring at Kit with narrowed eyes, her lips drawn thin. No one said a word as they watched Kit stand up to Commander Griggs’s authority.
“R&R, eh?” Griggs said.
“Yes, Commander.”
“Gypsy Moth.” Griggs snapped a look out the window, the Moth still sitting on the flight line.
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Hubcaps?” she asked.
“And seats, ma’am.”
“Damn,” Griggs said then strode into her office without a backward glance. She closed the door, but before it latched she opened it again. “Next month, Lieutenant, try not to find fog right before the monthly meeting,” she said, giving Kit a long look.
“Yes, Commander,” Kit said and saluted.
Griggs closed her door and left Kit to her work. Nothing more was said about Kit missing the meeting. Lovie, Red and the others knew better than to tease Kit about the incident with Griggs. It was very unlike Kit to snap back at the Commander like that, especially in front of such a large audience. Kit’s even temper had been tested to the limit, and everyone knew she was better left alone. She gave out assignments and wasted no time in getting flights in the air. Several of the pilots were sent to a small factory near Paddington to pick up Hurricanes. Kit was left to fly test flights for the MAC unit. She made several trips across the infield. Each time she allowed her eyes to drift toward the motor pool. The building was too far away to see who was standing outside, but just a glimpse in that direction brought a smile to her face.
“Log your entries, ladies. Then you can call it a day,” Kit said, passing through the ready room on her way to Griggs’s office. She knocked on the door and waited for permission to enter.
“Come,” Griggs said.
“All flights have been completed, and all pilots are back, Commander.” Kit set a daily report on her desk. “And, Commander . . .” she started but waited until Griggs looked up from her work.
“Yes, Lieutenant.”
“I want to apologize. About this morning, I was way out of line. I’m sorry.” Kit stood at attention.
“Accepted,” Griggs said and went back to her paperwork. “Just don’t make a habit of it.”
“Thank you, Commander,” Kit said and saluted then turned to leave.
“Lieutenant?” Griggs said without looking up. “You still haven’t turned in your contract renewal. Can I expect it within the week?”
“I don’t know.”
“Anything I can do to help?” Griggs asked, looking up.
“No, ma’am. It’s something I have to decide for myself. But thanks for the offer.” Kit closed the door. She felt the growing pressure about her renewal. She had agreed to spend eighteen months in England, working for the ATA. After that, she would go home, return to her job and the company she helped form. That was her plan. If she stayed longer, she ran the risk of losing her company and her future. But now Emily was a new factor in that equation. They had agreed their fun and games would be just temporary, but that was becoming harder and harder to remember.
For the next three days, Kit was so busy she didn’t have time for anything but ATA business. She was sent to Scotland to pick up a heavy bomber then flew a seaplane to Ireland. She spent the night waiting for a return flight. The blue skies over England meant the ferry pilots were flying a nearly continuous stream of missions. Emily was busy too, shuttling pilots to the factories to pick up new aircraft, chauffeuring officers to meetings and keeping the vehicles in the motor pool clean and ready for service. Late meetings, night instructions and overnight trips meant there wasn’t time for even the shortest rendezvous.
Kit was walking one of her pilots to the MAC unit to discuss a test flight when she saw Emily heading toward her. They smiled at each other as they passed on the infield. Emily’s eyes followed Kit so intently she didn’t seem to notice a field marker and stumbled over it.
“Good afternoon, Miss Mills,” Kit said politely, taking her arm to help her up. “Are you all right?”
“Hello, Lieutenant Anderson,” Emily replied. “Yes, thank you. I’m fine.”
“How is your grandmother?”
“She’s well. She asked how you are.”
“Tell her I’m sorry I’ve been too busy to stop by for a visit, but soon, I hope.” Kit squeezed Emily’s arm, telling her the visit she was talking about was meant for the two of them, not her grandmother.
“She’ll be pleased, I’m sure.” Emily smiled discreetly. “She has missed you.”
“I’ve missed her too. I’m late,” Kit said, checking her watch. “Have a nice day, Miss Mills.”
“You too, Lieutenant.”
Late that night, after Kit closed the carriage house door on the motorcycle and walked the path to the cottage, she waited in the darkened bedroom for a knock on her door. It was just after midnight when Emily’s faint tapping brought Kit rushing to greet her.
“I missed you so terribly. It has been three whole days,” Emily said, throwing herself into Kit’s arms. “Hold me.”
“I missed you more,” Kit said, kissing her wildly. She drew Emily inside and closed the door with her foot. They fumbled their way to the bed, kissing and pulling at each other’s clothing with desperate gasps. What started as soft sighs soon grew to shrieks and cries even thunder couldn’t hide.
“I never knew this cottage could hold such magic,” Emily said breathlessly, snuggling against Kit’s exhausted body.
“And just think, you wanted me to move out,” Kit said, spooning her body behind Emily’s.
“I had a dream about you last night. We were drifting down the river in a little boat with moonlight shining down just on us.”
“Just us?”
“Yes,” Emily sighed, wiggling her bottom into Kit’s lap. “We went on for miles and miles, holding on to each other just like this.”
“Sounds like a fabulous trip. Can we do it for real sometime?”
“I’d love that. Just you and me and the moonlight. Promise we’ll take a boat ride before you go back home,” she said, hugging Kit’s arm around her.
“I promise, sweetheart.”
“I wish I didn’t have to leave you tonight,” Emily whispered.
“Your grandmother will have questions, and I know exactly what she is going to think.”
“I don’t care.” Emily closed her eyes and held tight to Kit. “I don’t want to leave you.”
“I care.” Kit laced her fingers through Emily’s hair and smiled down at her. “Tomorrow we will have tea in the ready room and maybe a ride on the motorcycle. Tonight you have to be a good girl and go up to your own bed.”
“You sound like my mother when I misbehaved.”
“Believe me, I wish you could stay too. But we have to be careful.” Kit kissed the back of Emily’s neck. “And besides, if you stay here I won’t get any sleep at all. I’ll have my hands all over you, and you know it.” She bit her neck playfully.
“I know you are right, but can’t I whine just a bit more?”
“No. If you don’t stop that, I’ll give in and let you stay.”
“Oh, goodie,” Emily said childishly and turned over to face Kit. She took one of Kit’s nipples in her mouth and sucked hard on it.
“Ouch,” she shrieked, clamping her hands over her breasts. “You little brat.”
“Kiss me,” Emily demanded. “Kiss me hard.”
Kit kissed her, hard at first then passionately, pulling Emily to her. Finally Emily slipped out of bed and dressed. They stood in the doorway, kissing and holding each other, unable to end their evening together.
“I love you, Kit. I want you to know that. I know what we said. I know we may not have a future, but I still love you,” Emily said, stroking Kit’s face. “And I know you love me too.”
“This is the hardest thing I have ever done,” Kit said, holding Emily in her arms. A tear rolled out of Kit’s eye and ran down her cheek.
“I want you to know I am yours, forever and ever,” Emily said, her chin quivering as she looked up into Kit’s eyes, then she turned and hurried up the path.