Chapter Thirty-Nine

“I soloed!” Shirley announced, bursting through the front door of Riverview Cottage, grinning from ear to ear.

Startled, Ruth jumped and slopped her tea all over the kitchen table, whilst Mary, who tended to be found where Lawrence was when not on duty, ran around the table and enveloped her friend in a hug.

“I’m so happy for you! We’ll have you flitting around the air in a Spitfire before you know it.”

Before she could reply, Lawrence was joining the hug, and they were rocking back and forth. “Good for you, well done!”

Throwing the rag she’d mopped up her tea with into the sink, Ruth waited until Shirley had been released, and then she too stepped forward. “Good for you. Thelma told me she had great faith in you.”

Reining in her delight, Shirley nodded in acknowledgment of this. Part of her felt like dancing around and shouting at the top of her voice about what she’d done not an hour ago, but a bigger part didn’t want to draw attention to herself. She, little Shirley Tuttle, a no one from nowhere-of-importance, had actually flown solo in a Tiger Moth biplane! Not long ago, she’d been happy to have got into the ATA as a mere mechanic. More than happy. Ecstatic! She had good friends, friends she’d nearly lost twice, and now she had the possibility of a real future. A future her husband would share with her, once this war was over.

“Thanks, everyone. Really and truly, thank you. I’m still not sure this is real.”

Mary took her by the shoulders and looked directly into her eyes. “It’s real. It’s very real.” She then became much less serious and stood back, though still holding Shirley by the shoulders. “Come on. Jane said she wanted to meet up at Betty’s. We’ll be a bit early, but when you’ve something to celebrate, who cares?”

****

“Now if this doesn’t warrant a celebration,” Doris declared, clapping her hands together in delight, “I don’t know what does!”

Walter, ever the voice of reason, grabbed his fiancée by the hand and pulled her down to sit upon his lap. “I think we should let Shirley decide.”

Shirley had been taken aback upon hearing Doris’s declaration. Even though she knew the American in their group was by far the most boisterous and spontaneous of them, her ability for spur-of-the-moment decisions could still surprise her. As happy as Shirley was at her accomplishment, she didn’t feel like a party. On the way over from Ruth’s, she’d given it some thought. She couldn’t tell her husband in direct words what she had done, no matter how much she wanted to do so. Shirley took all the government warnings about not giving away secrets very seriously, and it mattered little she couldn’t think of much she could give away. All she’d really wanted to do was to have a quiet night in with her friends, celebrate, and ask their advice for what she should do next. One thing she knew—she couldn’t go back to being a mechanic.

When she came back to herself, she found Doris waiting for her reply. Hating she was letting her friend down, she put on her best smile and informed her of her decision. “Not tonight, Doris. Maybe it’s because I’ve had such a great day and it’s all catching up with me now. Can we just have a quiet night in? You’ve been promising to teach me to play poker for ages now.”

“Can I treat us all to fish and chips?”

“Great idea, Doris!”

Unheard by the three of them, Jane had walked in, and behind her stood every one of her friends. Shirley couldn’t stop the groan from escaping. “Please don’t tell me you all want a party.”

Thelma clapped Shirley on the shoulder as she walked past. “God, no. It’s been a long week. Mind you”—she grinned at Doris—“I’ve never been known to pass on fish and chips, especially when this one here’s buying!”

After Lawrence and Walter had been sent out and returned with the food, everyone was sprawled on various rugs and cushions—apart from Betty, who still found it a little hard to get up from the floor—tucking into a mountain of fish and chips.

“I often think it would be cheaper for Doris if she bought Fred’s shop,” Penny shared, ducking to avoid the fat chip Doris aimed at her head in retaliation.

“Maybe I will, some day.”

“Lovely as this is,” Ruth said, raising her voice a little to be heard over the various conversations, “can I ask why you asked us all to meet here, Jane?”

“First things first,” Jane declared, getting to her feet. “Could someone keep an eye on Bobby? If I put this plate down, I’m pretty sure he’ll wolf the lot down in no seconds flat.”

Lawrence got to his feet. “Leave it to me. Okay to shut him in the kitchen for a bit, Betty?”

Her mouth too full of piping hot fish to speak, Betty nodded her agreement.

Jane waited until Lawrence returned before telling them her reason. “I had a call from Mr. Gable this morning.” Everyone’s ears perked up at this. “He rang to say there’ll be a hangar dance at RAF Polebrook, a week Saturday.”

Without considering the consequences, Doris shot to her feet, apparently not aware she’d sent her dinner flying everywhere. “What! Are you telling me I’ve only just over a week to get us all ready?”

“Did she just say, all?” Mary asked Penny.

“I think she did.”

Mary asked, “Should I be worried?”

“Probably,” Doris stated, obviously overhearing them.

“If you’ve quite finished?” Jane asked.

“For now,” Doris muttered.

“As I was going to say. On behalf of everyone there, the Station Commander invites everyone from RAF Hamble who isn’t on duty and is able to get there. He wants to show Doris how sorry most everyone is for accusing her of stealing Clark Gable’s handkerchief…”

“Everyone?” Doris demanded.

“Most everyone,” Jane corrected her and then ploughed on. “Also, they’re very keen to meet Penny. It appears the story of her deductive reasoning has become legend around the base.”

“Here’s to Miss Marple!” cried Doris, quickly joined by everyone else until Jane had to ask for quiet again.

“This goes without saying, and I know no one here would mind my saying so, but I would like to extend a special invitation to the star of the day. Everyone, please raise your glasses to our very own Miss Shirley Tuttle! Today, she took her first step into a bigger, most wondrous world.”

“To our Shirley!”

****

“Squadron Leader Tom Alsop. Squadron Leader Thomas Alsop. …Got it. …Yes, I’ll wait.”

“You’ve managed to get through, then?” Betty asked, on her way back to the garden where, in spite of Shirley’s protests to the contrary, a small party was in progress. However, as everyone was full to overflowing on fish and chips, this meant everyone was simply having a relaxing time with good friends.

“Eventually,” Penny muttered. Betty, being smart, left her to it.

After what was an interminable wait, her husband finally came on the phone.

“There you are, Tom! What kept you? …Sorry, how was I to know you were trying to sleep off a headache! …Yes, I’m sorry too. How are you feeling, other than the headache? …Well, we couldn’t hope for more, I suppose. …I miss you too. Oh, before I forget, tell your boss he’s back in my bad books. I’m ticked off he wouldn’t let you come to stay with me to recover. …Ah, well, why didn’t you tell me your squadron’s on lockdown? …No, why would I think of it?”

Penny held the handset away from her face and rubbed her free hand through her hair. The last thing she wanted was another argument with her husband. It had been bad enough when she’d tracked him down to base after he’d been spirited away from her. The whole house heard her thoughts then, and it was no wonder no one was hanging around for a second bout.

“Look, let’s stop arguing. They could pull the plug on us any second. Apart from wanting to find out how you are, I wanted to know if you’d be able to get away from base a week Saturday evening. We’ve all been invited to another hangar dance at Polebrook! …Yes, it is the same place you-know-who is at. …Yes, the handkerchief’s been found, and everyone’s happy. …It’s a kind of thank-you present. …You’ll ask, then? …No, I wouldn’t mention to your boss what I just said. …You’ll call me back? …Speak to you soon, then. …Love you too, Tom!”

Contrary to what she’d thought, both Betty and Jane popped their heads around the kitchen door. “Can he come?” Betty asked.

Leaning against the wall, Penny let herself slip down until she sat on the floor. Looking up at them, she mustered her best smile, though from the frowns on their faces, she didn’t quite manage it. “He’s got to speak to his boss.”

“Okay,” Betty said. “Did you mention you were the one who solved the mystery?”

“It didn’t come up.” Penny shrugged.

Jane and Betty shared a look before Jane nodded. “Up to you.”

“They’re on some kind of squadron lockdown, so I don’t think the chances are good,” Penny told them.

“Hmm, not so good,” Jane replied, with a shake of her head.

Penny shrugged again and began staring at the wall. She didn’t notice her friends disappearing back toward the garden. A few moments later, Mary, Doris, and Shirley appeared, each clutching a bottle of Guinness. Shirley had an extra she passed to Penny.

“Thought we’d come and keep you company,” Shirley told Penny, as they all settled down on the floor around her.

Penny took a hefty swig of her drink before telling them, “Don’t. You’ll make me cry.”

Doris put her arm around Penny’s shoulders, gently lowering her head onto her shoulder. “Come on, it’s not so bad, surely?”

Penny sniffed. “Maybe not,” she admitted. “It just seems so.”

“Betty told us what happened,” Mary added. “Did he say how long it’d be until he called back?” Penny shook her head.

Shirley opened her mouth, doubtless to point out this error, when the phone rang, making them all jump. Scrambling to her feet, Penny snatched up the handset. “Hello. …Yes? …This is Penny Alsop. …Of course I want to talk to Thomas Alsop!”

Not wishing to get up, her friends simply exchanged looks. No one had heard Penny call herself by her married name before.

“You can?” Penny gave everyone a bright, wide smile and a thumbs-up gesture. “I’m so happy. Will you be able to meet us there? …Or shall we come and pick you up? …Okay. Oh, before I forget, I found the handkerchief. …What do you mean what handkerchief? The bloody piece of cloth our Doris was accused of stealing! …Oh, I’ll tell you when I see you. …Love you too, my darling! Bye!”

“He’s coming?” Mary asked before anyone else, wisely choosing to ignore the outburst.

Slipping back down amongst her closest friends, Penny felt her body sag in relief and not a little happiness.

Doris clapped her hands together and announced, “Excellent! Everyone, we’re off to London on Saturday.”

“Why?” Mary and Shirley asked together.

“Because that’s the only day I’ve got to buy us dresses fit to knock everyone’s socks off!”