Chapter Thirty-Two

“You’re reading The Moving Finger?” Penny nearly squeaked, as she came into the mess for dinner. “Where’ve you been hiding that?”

Carefully putting a scrap of paper inside to mark her page, Betty laid the book aside and waited for Penny to sit down. “Hands off,” she told her, as Penny’s hands crawled toward the book. “If you’re good, you can read it after me.”

Waving Mavis and her cup of tea politely away, Penny eyed the latest Miss Marple enviously. “Does Doris know?”

Betty shook her head and leant back, letting out a deep sigh. “You’re the only one that does. I suppose I’m more tired than I thought, or I wouldn’t have brought this in to work.”

Penny leaned forward and smiled the smile of a cobra hypnotizing a bird. “How did you hide it?”

Picking up the book, Betty revealed a dust jacket underneath, which she dangled in front of Penny’s nose.

“What? You put another jacket over it?”

“You didn’t think I was really taking so long to read The Body in the Library, did you?”

After a moment, Penny stood up and clapped and then sat back down. “I must be out of practice! Of course you weren’t still reading the other one.”

“Don’t feel so bad,” Betty told her. “You can read the other when we get home, if you like. You haven’t read it yet, have you?”

This brightened Penny’s face. “Excellent! Can I have a look at it?” Penny nodded toward the cherished book.

Betty pretended to think about it and was about to pass over the book—in fact, she was holding out the book to Penny—when her hand stopped in midair, her eyes locked on something over Penny’s shoulder.

Turning around, Penny saw immediately who had so riveted Betty’s attention. By the time she turned back, Betty was out of her seat, pressing the book into Penny’s hands and running toward the mess entrance. Standing in the open door, a big grin on his face, was Major Jim Fredericks of the USAAF. Cradling the book to her chest, Penny felt a surge of real joy for the first time in a while. Betty had met the American during the Clark Gable affair. He was the adjutant of the bomber squadron the film star had flown with, and the two had hit it off, though they’d kept it quiet, everyone becoming aware of it only just prior to last Christmas. She knew the two didn’t get the chance to get together very often—in fact, she didn’t know when the last time had been—though they did speak regularly on the telephone. That he’d turned up here was both a surprise and a source of obvious happiness to Betty.

Tucking the book carefully into her pocket, being very careful not to damage the cover, Penny got to her feet and finished off Betty’s last slice of bread and jam. “I’ll be in ops,” she told Betty, plonking her hat on her head as she passed the two, who were now wrapped around each other. “Don’t worry, I won’t read the book. Sorry to tell you, but taxi take-off’s in half an hour. Nice to see you, Major,” she added.

Betty and Jim stood locked together for another few minutes before Betty leant her head back and suggested, “Let’s go for a walk. I think…” She looked around. “We’re in the way here.”

They opened the door, and Betty ducked under his arm and then took it as he closed the door behind them. Ignoring the stares, Betty asked, “Don’t get me wrong, I’m delighted to see you, but why didn’t you tell me you were coming?”

“Believe me,” Jim began, dipping down and whipping off Betty’s hat, then kissing the top of her head, “I wish I could see you more often.”

“I do too, you know I do,” Betty assured him.

“As to why I’m here now? I didn’t know I would be, myself, until a few hours ago.” Walking slowly, Betty guided them back toward the ops hut. Leaning her head against his side, she waited for him to continue. “I’ve got both good and bad news, and it’s good and bad news for us both.”

“That sounds both ominous and…I don’t know what,” she finished with a slightly forced laugh. When Jim didn’t join in, she added, “Probably slightly more ominous.”

Neither said anything else until they found themselves at the foot of the steps leading up to the ops hut. Obviously they’d been observed, as Jane and Mary were waiting in the open door.

“Hey, Jim!” Jane said in greeting, as Mary stood beside her, adding a wave of hello.

“Jane, Mary,” Jim said in reply. “I won’t keep her long. I heard what Penny said about the taxi.”

“She’s plenty of time,” Jane assured her, grabbing hold of Mary’s arm. “Come on, you. Let’s give them a little privacy.”

Jim stared as Jane shut the door behind her. “I like Jane.”

“Me too,” Betty replied, wondering how Jim was going to explain his cryptic words. Sitting on the steps, Jim gently pulled Betty down next to him. “I’m glad it’s a sunny day,” she said in an effort to lighten things up.

A frown appeared upon the American’s face as he turned his head to the clear sky, then looked back into Betty’s expectant eyes. “I’ll never understand how you Brits can think this is a sunny day.” Smiling, he shook his head.

Betty dug an elbow into his ribs. “Hey! We can’t all come from California. This is England, that’s the sun, and therefore, this is a sunny day.”

Rubbing his side, Jim smiled down. “Fair enough. I won’t make fun of the English weather again.”

Betty waited a moment, decided enough was enough, and asked, “Just say whatever it is you’ve come to say, Jim. I don’t know whether to be happy or…or prepare myself for a good cry.”

In response, Jim wrapped his arms so tightly around Betty, she gasped for breath.

“Have I ever told you I love you, Betty?” His voice was so soft she had to ask him to repeat what he’d said.

Betty shook her head. “No, no, you haven’t. And now, I’m more confused. If it comes to that, I love you too.”

“I was hoping you’d say that.” Jim smiled in response.

“Was that the good news?” Betty asked.

“It definitely is now,” Jim answered.

Taking a deep breath, Betty said, “I suppose you’d better tell me the bad news, then.”

Resting his head on top of Betty’s, Jim told her, “I’m being posted back to the States.”

“Ah,” Betty said.

“Exactly.”

“When?”

Jim took another deep breath. “The end of the month.”

Betty couldn’t help it. She broke away and looked at him askance. “That’s not much notice.”

“That’s the Air Force for you.” He shrugged.

“I don’t know what to say,” Betty admitted, before blurting out the first thing to come to her mind. “You’ll still be here for Doris and Walter’s wedding.”

“That’s…good news.”

After a subjective eternity during which Betty had the time to think, she asked the only important question. “Where does this leave us?”

Though she hadn’t expected Jim to have an answer, she still found it disappointing to hear him answer, “I’m not sure,” though her heart was slightly warmed when he added, “All I do know is, I don’t want to lose you.”

Not knowing what else to do, Betty tipped her head upward, and Jim, taking the strong hint, leaned down to meet her waiting lips. Reaching around the back of his head, she grabbed hold of his hair as she put all the love she felt for this man from a strange land into the kiss. She felt herself losing all sense of time, as his lips ground against hers, both of them desperate to show the feelings they’d both kept hidden for too long, knowing the short time they had left. Stars sparkled at the edge of Betty’s vision, finding the love she’d craved all her life about to be snatched away from her, but she didn’t care and instead embraced the love they were sharing.

Who broke the moment, she didn’t know, but she came to her senses with her head on Jim’s shoulder and sniffing back tears she was determined not to show at this most precious of moments.

“God, you’re quite a lady, Betty. If I had a plane right now, I’d go off and kill Hitler myself! End this goddamn war now, so we can be together.”

Snuffling, Betty laughed. “You may not believe me, but that’s the most romantic thing anyone’s ever said to me!”

Jim swooped down for another quick kiss. “Then I’ll have to do better, won’t I!”

“I’m certainly not going to object if you try.”

Both laughed at that, before the roar of an aircraft warming up, not far away, startled them.

“You’re going to hate me, but I’ve got to get back.”

“Already?”

“I know.” Jim sighed. “I’m sorry. I knew this could only be a short trip. Is it okay to come down on Sunday?” he asked, getting to his feet and helping Betty up.

“More than okay,” she replied.

“Good.” Jim nodded. “I need to look into a few things, but I’m hoping to have something important to discuss with you by then.” At her surprised face, he said, “Walk me back to my Jeep?”

In silence, the two walked back to where Jim had left his Jeep outside the mess. Sharing one more passionate kiss, something not helped by Mavis opening a window and wolf-whistling at the pair, Jim then fired up his Jeep, jammed his hat firmly onto his head, and said, “See you Sunday morning.”

Not trusting her voice not to crack, Betty merely smiled and waved as he drove off. Once he was out of sight, she made her slow way back to the ops hut and once more sat down on the steps. How long she stared into the distance, not looking at anything in particular, she didn’t know. However, she jumped clean off the boards as a hand landed upon her shoulder. Looking up, she saw the understanding face of Jane staring down at her. “Jim couldn’t stay?”

“You could say that,” Betty replied, not bothering to stop the tears from falling.