Spitfire Ringers

by Ian Lindsey

  “It's a cousin of the martini, but instead of vodka or gin it has rye whiskey as the base. We’ve had our fair share of them actually in Manhattan during our time in school, but I’m sure the bartender here will make a splendid drink.” Payton added.

  “That sounds lovely, I’ll certainly have one.” Maggie offered. Although she and her sister weren’t twins, they might have been able to pass as such and were certainly no more than two years apart in age. They shared the same dark coffee colored eyes and auburn hair that was also swept up for the fine dining occasion. Maggie’s face seemed a little more angular than Caroline’s with her nose a touch more pointed and Caroline’s slightly more rounded. Both girls shared small creases indicating a wealth of smiles in the past but otherwise held perfect complexions. Without knowing their actual age, both boys guessed that Maggie was slightly older. Maggie wore a similar dress to Simone but in turquoise, and the so far silent Caroline wore a slightly more modern dress with a lower cut in blue. She seemed slightly more shy than the other three girls, but may just have been the younger sister tagging along. All three girls were lithe and striking in their own right and the twins hoped their minds and personalities could match their stunning appearances. It appeared that the sextet were off to a fine start to the evening. All involved seemed pleased to entertain and be entertained for those around, with only Timothy on a real mission.

  “If there are no objections then I will add to the order.” Dylan said.

  “Not me, my friend.” Timothy said. “I’ll just have a Bushmills neat.”

  “Certainly, far be it from me to change the drink of the man in the business.” Dylan joked.

  Shortly after the drinks arrived their reservation came up and all six adjourned to the dining room with glasses in hand. Again, their new friend the Maitre D had come through as promised on the best table in a place where all the tables were coveted. The waiter led the group to a large round table in a semi-private corner of the art deco inspired restaurant overlooking the River Thames. As they sat, Dylan asked a question that one of the twins had asked countless times on the trip of the new people they met along the way.

  “Ladies, tell us about yourselves.” Dylan queried after everyone had settled in to their seats. “We only know the little bit that Timothy has told us about Simone. He said your father is an Earl?”

  “Yes, of Crawford. The actual title is linked to lands about fifty miles south of Glasgow on the River Clyde. The old castle is a ruin now, and it used to be known as Lindsay tower after David deLindsay was awarded the title Earl of Crawford for helping William Wallace and Robert The Bruce during the battle for independence.” Simone said as a way of running through her standard family history lesson.

  “That’s fascinating. No one in America has such a long family history, and if they did it would probably tie back to here.” Payton said.

  “Now Crawford Castle is just a nice country house, not much of a castle. We spend most of our time in Edinburgh or London. My father is a noble, but a businessman none the less.” She finished.

  “And what about your family, Caroline?” Dylan asked in a deliberate effort to draw out the quietest of the three girls.

  “Our family isn’t quite as noble, but we did grow up here in London. Father is a banker and a minor baron who sits in the house of lords, but to be honest that is all I really know of his business. We met Simone at boarding school.” She answered quietly but confidently. “Where in America are you from?”

  “We are from Oregon, on the West Coast just above California. The biggest city is Portland, but we grew up south of there in the Willamette Valley which is named after the main river that flows south to north between the Cascade Mountains and the Coastal Mountain Range. The Valley boasts some of the most fertile soil in the world, so of course we grew up on the family farm.” Payton explained. “Once we graduated high school we went to university in New York, north of the city on the Hudson River.”

  “I know of Oregon and the Willamette Valley. Isn’t that where everyone went heading West? I believe it was called the Oregon Trail, wasn’t it?” Maggie asked, furrowing her brow a little trying to remember a trivial fact from her boarding school history.

  “Yes, that’s right.” Dylan said, pleased to hear that she knew some of the same history that he did of his home. “I didn’t think they’d teach that in history classes here.”

  “I took an American History class in school as an elective. I very much enjoyed the geography related portions. I guess it might be the explorer in me.” Maggie said.

  “I didn’t know that about you.” Simone said with mock astonishment.

  “Caroline and I used to explore all throughout the city. Father hated it because he never knew where we were.” Maggie said.

  “I always enjoyed the adventure, even when we got lost.” Caroline added.

  “The only University I know of on the Hudson is the US Military Academy at West Point, though that would explain what you said about having manhattans in New York earlier.” Simone said.

  “That’s also right.” Dylan answered. “We’re just here on a holiday after graduating in June.” He finished with a lie to keep up appearances.

  “I hope this is just a holiday, because if you two are all that the US Army sends as aid to fight the Germans then Heaven help us all!” Timothy joked.

  “Oh, we’ll see if we can find a way to help out.” Dylan deadpanned back returning the good natured barb with a sound sense of humor.

  “I’m sure they’ll make us write some kind of a report when we get back.” Payton added in jest.

  As the joking subsided the meals arrived and the six settled in to individual conversations between couples with Timothy talking to Simone, Dylan speaking with Maggie, and Payton to Caroline. Each nominal couple seemed to enjoy their company and soon enough the dessert service came and went.

  “I think the band is about to play.” Maggie said. “I haven’t been dancing in ages. Do you gentlemen know how?”

  “An Irishman always knows how to dance!” Timothy declared with a hint of triumph.

  “I’m certainly no Fred Astaire, but wouldn’t turn down a chance to dance with such beautiful company.” Dylan offered.

  “That’s okay, I’ll act like Ginger Rogers and you just follow along!” Maggie enthusiastically teased.

  So the men rose from their seats and extended a hand to each of their respective dates as the Glenn Miller Orchestra began to play its distinctive style. Eschewing the normal big band style, the Glenn Miller Orchestra became famous for organizing the melody around a clarinet and a tenor saxophone. The set started with the bands new hit “In the Mood” which got all three of the couples weaving around the dance floor to an almost foxtrot beat. A few more songs played and everyone danced in their own swing style such as the Charleston and the Lindy Hop as the girls swung and spun of the ends of their partner’s hands. Dylan and Payton kept up well enough, but only well enough to not step on their partner’s feet or drop them during a spin or dip. It was a humbling experience for such precise athletes. Finally, the band slowed down and played another of their hits “Moonlight Serenade.” The boys were able to execute a box step waltz perfectly, for once leading as they thought they should.

  “Again, I’m sorry you have to dance with such a poor excuse for a partner.” Payton said for probably the hundredth time to Caroline.

  “You are more than just passable, and how hard you try is sweet.” Caroline offered. “And your waltz is splendid. Twenty years ago you wouldn’t have had to dance any of the rest of this. At least for dancing, you were born twenty years too late.”

  “Where did you learn to dance?” Payton asked as the waltz continued.

  “At school. We had social events with some of the boys boarding schools, but mostly they taught us there. One of our finishing teachers was only a few years older than us, so she didn’t mind teaching us about swing dancing, which was new at the time. I think she used to sneak off and go out on the weeken
ds, so she wanted to teach us at school.”

  “I think you did her proud. I’ll let the generals at WestPoint know that they failed us in at least one part of our education!” Payton smiled back.

  As the music drew to a close, the sextet returned to their table, each with the glow of standing so near to someone of the opposite sex while dancing as only the young could. They all decided a walk along the river might make a fine end to the evening. So, the boys escorted the girls to the coat check room and then across the Strand to the River Thames embankment. The night stayed pleasantly warm but with a slight chill that hinted at the barest need for a jacket like only an early summer evening can. The girl’s thin shawls were enough so the boys had no need to offer their jackets.

  Timothy and Simone walked a few paces ahead of Payton and Caroline while Dylan and Maggie brought up the rear an additional few paces back. Even after only meeting him that afternoon, Dylan and Payton easily saw that Timothy continued working hard to impress Simone. They could hear his voice rise and fall as he excitedly tried explaining something or another to her, or as he reached the crescendo of some story. He laid out all his charm in a gentlemanly way that came off as sweet.

  “I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone try so hard to court a girl like that.” Dylan remarked to Maggie.

  “It’s sweet. He really likes her. She’s such a proper lady, though, that he can’t tell that she likes him back. I think she’s a little nervous about her father liking him too, but that will come in time.” Maggie observed just as sweetly. “It might be that you’ve never seen a proper courting while at an all men’s military academy, too.” She finished with a tease.

  “That may well be. I hope that I haven’t disappointed you this evening. They don’t teach chivalry like they used too, I guess.” Dylan answered. “At least it wasn’t a course that I saw offered at school.”

  “You’ve done just fine, I think. Most of the boys around here are a little bit on the dandy side, so it’s nice to have a pleasant evening and a normal conversation with someone not so concerned with themselves.” She replied. “I guess the ranks of young men still here are slim because most of them are fighting in France.”

  “I hope I’m not a stand in for someone fighting right now. That’s not a very gentlemanly thing to do.” Dylan said feeling a pang of guilt if it were true.

  “Oh, don’t worry; I don’t have a boyfriend, military or otherwise, if that is what you’re asking.” Maggie said with a slight grin.

  “My conscience is clean, then.” Dylan laughed and let the sound waft back to Payton and Caroline behind them.

  “Apparently your sister is quite funny, judging by my brother’s laugh.” Payton joked to Caroline.

  “Most people say that. She can be quite funny, which is nice to have in an older sister. I can usually just let her break the ice.” Caroline said, offering a little bit of insight in to why she may seem reserved compared to her sister.

  “Funny thing, siblings and how we compare at some points.” Payton noted. “My brother and I have been nearly inseparable since birth and couldn’t be closer. We play the same sports, have similar ambitions, but there are differences. It just takes a while to see them. I’m a shade taller but he weighs a couple pounds more. He jumps to action and I tend to think a little longer before I do something.” Payton offered as a little insight in to his brother and himself.

  “That’s interesting, but I would guess that most twins are the same.” Caroline said.

  “Not really. Just like any set of siblings it depends on who you are. I know some twins that hate each other. They don’t do anything together and may as well be strangers. It’s rarer, but I’ve seen it.” Payton said. “Maybe they have too much of a sibling rivalry.”

  “My sister and I are much closer to how you and your brother are, but it can be a strain at times.” Caroline noted.

  “We fight, too, but mostly about little stuff and it is easily forgotten. He’s the only person that I’ve ever punched in anger, but that was when we were younger. It’s much easier working as a team, and to have someone that I can trust no matter what may happen. He’ll always be there for me and I’ll always be there for him.” Payton replied easily.

  “You are lucky, then. Not many people have someone that they can trust so absolutely.” She said quietly in return.

  “I like to think so. A good family makes anyone lucky, I figure. Although, I think anyone might feel lucky walking along this river with you right now.” Payton complimented Caroline.

  “That’s very kind of you, and I’ve had a splendid evening as well.” She complimented back.

  The three couples continued strolling along the river quietly until they’d made a full circuit back to the hotel. Dylan and Payton thanked all of the girls for entertaining the wayward travelers for the evening and the ladies all agreed that the American friends of Timothy were more than welcome to dine with them again should they ever come back to London. Timothy promised to come round the boys up in the morning for their trip to Dublin, and everyone said their good-byes.

  “Not a bad evening.” Dylan noted to his brother.

  “Not bad in the least. I hope Timothy impressed Simone.” Payton said.

  “According to Maggie he should be all right. Apparently at the upper levels of society it just takes a little longer.”

  “Good for him. The sisters were pleasant as well.” Payton yawned at his brother as they walked back in to the hotel.

  “I for one will have very good memories of London. Something to remind us of what we’re fighting for, I guess.” Dylan replied.

  “That is true. We’ve met several nice young ladies on this little trip of ours so far. It won’t do us much good once we get to France, but no complaints from me.” Payton said.

  “Now we just need to get to France and figure out what Colonel Sweeney has set up for us.” Dylan continued the thoughts of his brother. “The next step is tomorrow, when we head for Dublin. There is nothing to do but sleep until then. We’ll have to bid farewell to another luxury hotel, but it’s time to move on.”

  With the thought of Dublin and then on to France looming, the boys retired to their fine suite for the evening and both quickly fell fast asleep.

  Chapter 11

  May 24th, 1940

  Timothy had kept his promise and collected the twins the next morning at the Savoy, and the arrangements he’d made for travel to London could not have been better. The three took a train directly to Holyhead, which sat directly across the Irish Sea from Dublin. The train took about six hours to travel from London to Holyhead, and the twins saw a great deal of the English countryside on the trip, including passing by the impressive Conway Castle and a beautiful stretch of the North Wales Coast. The three then stayed the night at a small local hotel before hopping on a ferry on this particular Friday morning that sailed directly to Dublin. The ferry ride was a scant three and a half hours, so they arrived in Dublin around lunchtime.

  “Ceade Mille Failte, my friends. That’s Irish for A Hundred Thousand Welcomes. I am pleased to have you in my home country.” Timothy said. A car awaited them that then whisked the three to lunch at a fine restaurant. No doubt his father’s liquor distribution serviced the establishment because it seemed that no one paid the bill when they left. Dylan and Payton both wanted to meet Timothy’s father to insure their passage on one of his boats running to France. Although Timothy had plenty of power in the family business, the final say always rested with the father in Ireland. The patriarch of the family, however, was currently engaged out of town. Timothy’s father left for a business meeting unexpectedly up in Northern Ireland while his son tarried in London, so when the three boys arrived in Dublin they found waiting one more day a necessity. So the younger Irishman repeatedly assured the Americans that he foresaw no trouble, the boat to Le Havre would sail without a hitch, and that they’d go meet his father first thing in the morning.

  Timothy took the twins from lunch down through the heart
of Dublin to show off his hometown. The name Dublin derived from the ancient term “Dubh Linn” meaning dark pool in the native tongue. The town had started around a deep, dark pool of water that had since been covered over as the city grew. The town sat at the mouth of the River Liffey, where it emptied in to the Irish Sea. Throughout its history, the town has served as an important port city for the Emerald Isle. The low hills to the South gave way to rich farmland to the North and East. The River Liffey split the town into North and South, with the north part considered working class and the southern considered middle to upper class.

  “It reminds me a lot of Portland.” Payton said. “The weather is pleasant in the summer, and you said it doesn’t get overly cold in the winter. It even has the river running right through it. The only difference is Portland doesn’t open up to the sea like this, the Willamette just pours in to the Columbia River to the north. Plus, Portland is split East/West instead of North/South.”

  “I’d imagine Portland is smaller, too.” Dylan added.

  “If it is anything like Dublin, it is a grand place.” Timothy said showing his pride hail from Ireland and from Dublin in particular. “The town stays always green, and the occasional dusting of snow just enhances the mood. Most of the year is mild and no month is particularly rainier than the next. I find the town ideal. I’m always happy to come back after traveling, and always displeased to leave.”

  Timothy seemed determined to show them all the sights in one afternoon, so the twins happily followed along. They’d already walked past the Guiness Brewery and compared notes on beer with Timothy. All agreed that when debating beer, no one actually lost. Next they walked along the outer walls of Dublin Castle which the British built in the 13th century to defend the King of England’s land, men, and treasury. It remained one of many reminders of the former British rule. Each corner of the massive stone walls held a circular tower and the whole thing looked exactly like one would think a castle should. From there they found their way down to Trinity College and its famous Long Room library, where they saw the even more famous Book of Kells. Around 800 AD Irish Monks set about crafting a beautifully illustrated and illuminated copy of the Gospels. The resulting book of Kells has survived and is the finest example of art and scripture from a time well before the printing press. An illuminated text consists of vellum, which is stretched calf skin, instead of paper giving it a slightly translucent quality allowing light to show through for the illumination. Using beautiful calligraphy for text gave the pages words. However, the true beauty of the illuminated text came from the illustrations. Each page contains exquisite borders in geometric or natural patterns, all hand drawn. Finally, several full-page illustrations interspersed in the accompanying text compared favorably to even the finest artwork of the time and showed the skill and passion the monks put in to each work of art. Each illuminated text took months if not years to finish. The four books of the Gospel never looked better than they do in the Book of Kells.