Joanna was astonished that Elizabeth had taken her near demise with such aplomb. She rather thought that she was more shaken by the incident than her mother-in-law. When Millie returned, she announced to everybody at dinner that she and Ted were getting married on Friday.
‘That’s a bit quick, Corp, you’ve only known him a few weeks.’ Phyllis said what the others were obviously thinking by their startled expressions.
‘His squadron could be sent anywhere in England or even abroad and we might not see which other for years. He could also be killed when the Germans come – any of us could be. We decided to seize the moment and make the most of what time we’ve got.’
Elizabeth frowned. ‘How extremely depressing, my dear. Going into wedlock anticipating you might only be married for a few weeks or months isn’t a good way to start your relationship. You need to be sure that after this war is over, you will still want to be with him.’
‘I am sure, my lady. We’ve talked about having children together one day, but hopefully not yet.’
Di was the only one who seemed genuinely pleased for her friend. Soon the conversation turned to the imminent move. Joanna was going to miss this lively bunch of girls and hoped they’d occasionally call in to see her if they got a few hours free.
The small sitting room was rarely used now, but she thought that in the winter it would be sensible to use it as less fuel would be needed. Also, as she and Elizabeth now got on well, she wouldn’t object to sharing her private sanctum.
They took their coffee onto the terrace and Joanna watched the sun set, thinking how peaceful it was and wondering how much longer it could last.
‘Mr Broome is coming tomorrow morning, Elizabeth, I do hope he has good news for us. It was quite embarrassing having the new vicar announce the date of David’s memorial service before we even knew ourselves.’
‘Our new solicitors are obviously highly efficient to have arranged it so soon. It’s not just David’s memorial service, remember, it’s also for the three other men who died. So difficult for those women not to have a grave to visit, to even know if the remains of their loved ones were buried or just left to rot on the beach.’
‘Thank you for sharing that thought with me, now I’ll be worrying about David. I’ve tried not to think about the actual circumstances of his death.’
Elizabeth’s lips pursed – she didn’t appreciate the sarcasm. ‘When someone is dead, Joanna, their mortal remains are of no importance. Their soul – if they had one – will have joined the Almighty in heaven.’
‘Good heavens, what a strange thing to say. If people have souls, then surely everybody has one?’
Her companion snorted inelegantly. ‘Only Christians have souls, in my opinion. Everybody is born with one, but I think the Almighty confiscates it if they don’t follow his teachings.’
There was little Joanna could think of to say after this extraordinary statement. Instead, she drained her cup and then busied herself at the table refilling it until the moment had passed.
‘I’m going to retire now, Elizabeth, and I suggest you do the same. You could well get some sort of delayed reaction after all the excitement this morning.’
‘Now that you mention it, I do feel fatigued. I don’t mind missing the visit of the solicitor but we absolutely have to go to London on Wednesday.’
‘It’s going to be a busy week, Elizabeth, so let’s hope there are no further alarms and excursions. I’m so looking forward to our jaunt to Town. I don’t suppose it’ll be very jolly with all the sandbags, taped up windows and so on – but hopefully that won’t be so noticeable at the hotel.’
Baxter appeared at her bedroom door the following morning. ‘Lady Elizabeth Harcourt asked me to inform you, my lady, that she won’t be coming down today. She is feeling the after-effects of her near fatal accident yesterday.’
‘Goodness, I’ll come and see her as soon as I’m ready. But I think I’ll ring Dr Willoughby before I do so and ask him to call in.’
The elderly maid nodded and smiled. ‘That would be my suggestion, my lady. My mistress would tell you not to do so and that she is just tired, but I’m not so sure.’
The doctor promised he would come sometime that day but couldn’t say when. ‘I have a surgery here until lunchtime and then have more than half a dozen home visits. I can assure you that I will arrive eventually. Of course, if you’re very concerned about her condition, then ring again and I’ll come at once.’
‘Thank you so much, Dr Willoughby. I think it’s just shock but I would be most appreciative if you could see her and reassure me.’
She flew back up the stairs and straight to Elizabeth’s apartment. Baxter was waiting at the door. ‘He’ll be here later this afternoon.’
‘Excellent, my lady. I’m going down to make her breakfast now. She says she doesn’t want anything but toast, but I’ll see if I can tempt her with a freshly boiled egg.’
They’d been talking quietly so there was no danger of the person being talked about overhearing and objecting to their plans. Elizabeth was an old lady and such a horrible experience could prove serious, but Joanna hoped it wouldn’t. She’d become rather attached to her these past few weeks.
Ted flew two routine reconnaissance patrols, but instead of being a piece of cake, the sortie was decidedly hairy. The Jerries had set up gun emplacements all along the coast and the ME109s were onto them the moment the squadron appeared on the horizon.
The IO – intelligence officer – wanted details of the scraps they’d had. Damned difficult to describe a dogfight without using your hands. The information given was written down, and would be taken away, sifted and analysed.
Thank god nobody went for a Burton, no kites were damaged and all returned safely. It hardly seemed possible that he was planning to be married to Millie on Friday. He’d kept it quiet and nobody else in the squadron was aware of his plans and he wanted to keep it that way.
He and Freddie had become close and it wasn’t just because of his friend’s burgeoning romance with Di – they shared the same views on the world, had a similar sense of humour and, despite the fact that Freddie was more experienced and several years older, they were now good mates.
They went in search of the NAAFI van and took their plunder to a quiet spot at the rear of one of the dispersal huts.
‘I’ve spoken to Win Co and managed to wangle you an extra day for your honeymoon. Do you still want me to be your witness?’
‘Absolutely. The more I think about it, the more insane this seems. Who in their right mind would get married and then continue to live apart as though nothing had changed?’
‘If we were based here permanently, then you could apply to live off base – however, that’s not the case. God knows where we’ll be sent next, but at least you’ll have had two nights together.’
Hearing the truth stated so baldly made Ted begin to have doubts about his marriage. Not because he didn’t love Millie or because he didn’t think the marriage would last, but because possibly it wouldn’t be fair to her. Something pertinent occurred to him.
‘Freddie, if I die, would Millie get a pension as my widow?’
‘She would. Another reason for going ahead in case you’re having second thoughts.’
‘There’s a slight problem with all this, my friend. Neither of us have got permission from our fathers so the War Office could well invalidate the marriage rather than pay Millie a pension.’
‘Bugger that! The bigwigs won’t know anything about it. Nobody here’s going to ask awkward questions. Win Co has given you his blessing and that should be enough for you.’
Ted nodded and grinned. The weight on his chest vanished and he was a new man. ‘The bishop’s coming over at lunchtime on Friday. Millie and I will be off duty by then. Let’s hope that you and Di are available.’
‘As long as I’m not in the air, I’m your man. Didn’t you say the padre was prepared to find you wherever you are?’
‘I did. Thank you, Freddie, you’re a good pal. Do you think you and Di might make a go of it?’
‘It’s on the cards. Early days, but I think she could be the one I’ve been looking for. Unfortunately, she’s not like your Millie, she’s not going to make a sudden decision. If the squadron gets moved, then that’ll be it. I’m not sure we’ll be here long enough for me to make an impression on her.’
‘Nil desperandum. Don’t give up – if it’s meant to be, then fate will take a hand. I don’t think I’ve told you how I met the pair of them.’
Just talking about the incident with the twilights restored Ted’s confidence in his plans. Freddie looked thoughtful after he’d stop laughing.
‘Maybe the same thing could apply to us. If Di hadn’t been accosted, then I wouldn’t have been able to step in and help. Let’s hope I get the same outcome as you and Millie.’
There were no calls to scramble and at ten o’clock the lorry arrived to collect them and he was delighted to see his future wife was the driver. He had already stowed his gear so hurried across to greet her.
Whilst the others clambered into the back, he travelled in the cab with her. Probably breaking all the rules, but Freddie wouldn’t say anything and the other chaps would just be envious of his good luck. There was no one in the squadron he didn’t like and he was getting to know the others in his flight. He wondered when he’d get the opportunity to be a section leader himself – Dan Lamb was a regular, a bit older than himself, but of the same rank.
Even though it was ten, the sun was only just setting as the government had brought in double British summer time. He was surprised they hadn’t extended the hours the squadrons had to be at readiness so they coincided.
As it was, they were on duty from around four in the morning until ten at night and that was more than enough. When the balloon went up, no doubt they’d be on call day and night, flying constant sorties, having to sleep in their gear on the floor as they had during Operation Dynamo. From next week, flyers would be sleeping at readiness as there was little point in going to bed if you had to be up at three.
‘Hello, my love, I’m so glad it’s you tonight.’ Ted leaned across and kissed her, pretty sure no one would be able to see them.
‘I’m so excited about Friday, but first I’ve got to make sure our transfer to our new accommodation goes smoothly.’
‘I’ve now got a forty-eight-hour pass. Can you give yourself one? I know it’s horribly extravagant, but we need to grasp every opportunity we’ve got to be together, don’t you think?’
‘How spiffing! Two whole nights in absolute luxury with you. Shall I pay for the second night as I’ve got quite a bit in my post office account?’
He immediately refused but appreciated her offer. ‘I don’t need you to pay for anything as it’s my job to take care of you, not the other way round. As I told you, I don’t have to exist on just my RAF pay.’
She reversed the lorry expertly and headed for the drop-off point. He was constantly amazed that girls, and some smaller than her, could handle these three-ton lorries. They were beasts to drive around corners and yet they managed easily enough.
‘We’re both off duty. I know you can’t leave the base but would I be allowed to come as your guest into the mess so we could sit and talk together over coffee or something?’
His stomach grumbled loud enough for her to hear, and they both laughed. ‘I need to eat first. I tell you what, sweetheart, by the time you’ve parked this monster and cycled back I’ll be waiting where the gate used to be with something for both of us.’
‘I’ll tell the girls to walk home without me.’
As soon as she said that, he realised he couldn’t keep her behind as that would mean a two-mile walk in the darkness, down country lanes, on her own.
Millie knew from his expression that Ted was going to change his mind about them spending a couple of hours together.
‘I know what you’re going to say, and please don’t. I can assure you if I can drive any vehicle on this base then I can certainly cycle home in the dark.’
‘I thought you couldn’t take that bike off the base?’
‘I don’t have to ask Sarge for permission about such trivial matters. It’s a clear night, a half-moon and I’ll be able to see perfectly well. I’ll be home in a jiffy.’
He hesitated and then smiled. ‘Okay then, as you’ve got your bicycle, I’ll let you stay and eat with me.’
‘I don’t need your permission either, Flying Officer Thorrington, I’m perfectly capable of making my own decisions about my own safety. Remember, I’ve got eleven young women under my command…’
His expression changed and his eyes narrowed. ‘And I’m merely a fighter pilot, risking my life every time I go up.’
‘What’s that got to do with anything? The fact that you have a very dangerous job doesn’t make you more able to make decisions about my safety.’
For a moment, the matter hung in the balance. Her heart was thudding uncomfortably. This was the first difference of opinion they’d had, and she really didn’t like being at odds with him.
Then he laughed, not a small chuckle, but a deep, loud bark of amusement. ‘I’m sorry, sweetheart, I’m a complete ass. This relationship malarkey is a constant surprise and a bit of a mystery to me.’
‘I forgive you, darling, and I’m sure we’ll have more differences of opinion but we’ll always sort it out.’
He jumped out of the cab and vanished, still chuckling to himself. When she got out, she could hear sounds of activity inside the hangar used as the motor pool. Doors had been fitted a couple of days ago so the men could work around the clock if necessary.
She parked her lorry next to the one already there, collected her bicycle and pedalled furiously across the strip, only slowing down when she was safely on the other side. This was silly, really, as she’d have plenty of time to get out of the way if a squadron was scrambled or an aircraft flew in unexpectedly. Nonetheless, she never felt safe when she was on the flight path.
She pedalled over the grass, almost going over the handlebars when the front wheel dropped into a rut, and around to the rear of the officers’ accommodation. An appetising smell wafted towards her as she applied the brakes.
‘Good heavens, you’ve managed to borrow two deckchairs. Very impressive – I hope the food lives up to the excellent seating.’
Ted laughed, his teeth a flash of white in the approaching darkness. ‘Not only have I got two meals, I’ve also got two puddings and two bottles of light ale. I hope you’re impressed.’
‘I certainly am. I’ve never had light ale but I’m prepared to give it a try.’
By the time they’d finished their feast, it was quite dark and, rather unwisely, she’d consumed the entire bottle of beer and was feeling just a little bit drunk. She hoped Ted didn’t notice her slight unsteadiness as he was bound to insist that he accompanied her and then he’d have to walk back and he was on duty again in a few hours.
To take his mind off things, she moved closer and, standing on tiptoe, kissed him. His response was everything it should be and a breathless and quite delightful few minutes later she wasn’t sure if it was the alcohol or joy that made her head pound.
‘I’d better get off, Ted, and you’d better get to bed. You’ve only got just over five hours before you have to be on duty again.’
‘So do you.’
‘That’s true, but I don’t have to fly a Spitfire and be shot at.’
‘Very true – take it slowly, my love, if you went into the ditch nobody would know.’
She giggled. ‘I would know. Good night. I love you and I can’t wait until Friday.’