The Spitfire Girls

by Soraya M. Lane

  ‘Yes, sir, there will be more joining me, but they’ve been flying and ferrying aircraft all day, so they may be a little late. I actually have one of our guests from the United States joining us as well as another top pilot. Both of them are in consideration for our first female bomber pilot, sir.’

  ‘Well, I’ll look forward to becoming acquainted with them both,’ he enthused, as he stepped away.

  ‘Sir, before you go, I wanted to ask you . . .’

  ‘Commander Jones, excuse me a moment,’ Atlee said, touching her arm and frowning as if he didn’t really want to go. ‘Please accept my apologies, but I promise we’ll have time to talk later.’

  May opened and shut her mouth, wishing she’d taken the opportunity when she had it, but Atlee had gone and was already talking to someone no doubt more important and more influential than her. She moved to stand with the men again, frowning as she interrupted them.

  ‘Jackson, you’re absolutely certain we’re paid less?’ she asked.

  ‘I probably shouldn’t have said anything,’ he apologised. ‘Honestly, it wasn’t my information to share, but I’ve seen how hard you all work, and you’re all doing the same job, so the double standard is disappointing.’

  She was seething, but not at him. She didn’t like being taken for a fool, and she could just imagine a tableful of men sitting pleased with themselves for getting women to do the same job as men, but for so much less. Why had she never thought to investigate this before now?

  Jackson grimaced. ‘You’re paid twenty per cent less, May. It’s grossly unfair,’ he murmured. ‘But that information hasn’t come from me.’

  Her mouth went dry. A whole 20 per cent less? For the same job?

  ‘You needed to know so you could work out costings in the event your country allows women to fly. That’s why, isn’t it?’ May asked, everything falling into place. ‘Please don’t tell me the United States government will try to do the same thing if they establish a flying squadron?’ She felt foolish, stumbling over things she hadn’t even processed properly. She suddenly wished Lizzie was with her to hear all this, and she scanned the room to see if she’d arrived – Lizzie was being paid the same as the rest of them as an ATA pilot, but she’d be interested to hear about the disparity and that the same might happen in the US. ‘I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said that. Please don’t feel you have to answer.’

  Jackson nodded and looked between her and Ben. ‘You’ll be discreet?’

  May nodded, finally spotting Lizzie and waving her over. ‘Of course. But I intend to ask for equal compensation.’

  He held up his glass again. ‘And so you should.’

  ‘Jackson?’ Lizzie said as she joined them, looking Jackson slowly up and down.

  ‘Nice to see you too, Elizabeth,’ Jackson said. ‘Don’t you look stunning tonight in your dress uniform!’

  ‘Well, I . . .’ Lizzie started, her cheeks turning pink. May wasn’t surprised she was stuck for words; Jackson did look awfully handsome all dressed up in his tux with his hair slicked back. She wished she’d worn a dress, but it had seemed more appropriate for them all to wear the uniforms they were so proud of.

  ‘You might not have recognised my dashing date. Seems Ben scrubs up rather well too, don’t you think?’ May said.

  Lizzie raised a brow at Ben, still speechless, before turning back to Jackson.

  ‘Where’s Ruby?’ May asked.

  ‘She’s just powdering her nose. I said we’d meet her over there, where it’s not too busy.’

  ‘Let’s head over now,’ Jackson said. ‘Hopefully we’ll pass a waiter with drinks.’

  Lizzie seemed to regain her composure, clutching her purse as she nodded and strode off ahead of him. May stifled a laugh as the crowd parted instantly.

  ‘Would you like my advice?’ Ben asked, leaning in so close that she could smell the woody scent of his cologne. ‘Because I can tell you’re chewing over that nugget of information like a dog worrying a bone.’

  May nodded, wishing she weren’t so transparent. Or perhaps it was only because he knew her so well. ‘Of course.’

  ‘Just ask for it outright. Go for it – ask for what you deserve and don’t hold back.’ He caught her hand. ‘You deserve to be paid the same, May, because we can’t win this war without your pilots delivering those planes.’

  May took a deep breath. ‘Thank you,’ she said. She felt lighter than she had in a long time. ‘I . . . I hope you know how refreshing it is to have a man like you around.’

  ‘So you’ll ask for it?’

  ‘I promise I will. I’m not going to take this on the chin, that’s for sure.’

  Ben tugged on her hand. ‘Come on, we need to get another drink before Churchill finally arrives and wants to talk your ear off for the rest of the evening with a bunch of boring old farts. I need to enjoy your company while I can!’

  May burst out laughing, and realised she hadn’t laughed so hard since sitting around her parents’ table with Johnny and his friends before the war. The memory was sobering but she tried to push past it, clinging tighter to Ben’s arm as she fought to stay in the moment, to actually let herself have fun.

  ‘Thank you, Ben,’ she whispered. ‘I needed you here with me tonight.’

  She couldn’t breathe when Ben’s eyes met hers, his body close as his gaze dipped to her lips then moved up again.

  ‘It’s nothing,’ he said, but she heard a huskiness in his voice that hadn’t been there before. ‘We’re friends, right? That’s what friends do for one another.’

  May bit down on the inside of her mouth, relieved when he started walking again. ‘Yes,’ she murmured. ‘Friends.’

  ‘Is that Ben?’ May turned at Ruby’s shriek, and saw that her friend had joined Lizzie and Jackson. ‘Well I never!’

  ‘He’s mine,’ May quipped, clutching his arm. She meant it as a joke, but it came out sounding oddly serious and she wondered who she thought she was kidding.

  Then Jackson gathered them all together in a conspiratorial sort of way. ‘Ladies and gents, I can’t speak on behalf of my president, but I have a little secret that you might be interested in,’ he said.

  They all crowded around.

  ‘Tell us immediately,’ Lizzie demanded.

  Ben exchanged glances with May. Jackson certainly was a fountain of information tonight!

  ‘The first lady is planning a visit, and after meeting with the prime minister’s wife, they’ll be coming to tour White Waltham,’ he said. ‘I expect you’ll all want to be there on the day.’

  May watched as Lizzie gulped down her champagne.

  ‘It seems she wants to see exactly what women are doing here in Britain,’ Jackson carried on. ‘From the Women’s Land Army to the ATA and the women ferry pilots and everything in between.’

  ‘Captain Montgomery!’ Lizzie demanded, looking furious. ‘Exactly how long have you known this information? You shouldn’t be keeping secrets like that from me about our own country!’

  Jackson raised an eyebrow. ‘Perhaps I should have shared this with your British sisters only? They seem far more grateful for confidential information I pass to them.’

  ‘Honestly, Montgomery, you’re such a bore sometimes.’

  May followed the exchange, feeling sorry for Jackson. His behaviour tonight had shown that he was firmly on their side; what’s more, he had freely shared his knowledge of flying large aircraft and she respected him for that.

  ‘Perhaps I didn’t want to share classified information with the biggest loudmouth around?’ he said. ‘You haven’t exactly given me reason to confide in you, Elizabeth.’

  ‘The fact that Eleanor Roosevelt is coming here and no one told me about it until now is criminal!’ Lizzie hissed. ‘And I’m not a loudmouth!’

  ‘Perhaps if you were more of a team player you’d have been given that information before now,’ he replied, clearly unconcerned by how riled up she was.

  May could see where this was going. She wa
s about to intervene when Lizzie stepped right up to the captain, her chest puffed out.

  ‘There is no team to rely on when I’m in the sky, only me. So don’t go telling me that I need to be a team player! It’s getting tiresome, all of you!’

  May watched as Jackson stopped a waiter and took a champagne bottle from him, then attentively topped up everyone’s glass except for Lizzie’s. He placed it back on the waiter’s silver tray and held his glass up before taking a slow sip and winking at Lizzie, and May had to bite her lip to stop herself smiling.

  ‘Lovely to see you all, but I have a colleague I’d like to speak with. I trust you’ll all have a wonderful night.’

  And with that he spun around and walked away, leaving Lizzie visibly seething. Ruby put a hand to her shoulder, only to be shrugged away as Lizzie muttered under her breath.

  Then May was distracted by a light touch to her back. When she turned and came face to face with Winston Churchill, a sense of calm settled over her that she’d never experienced before.

  ‘Prime Minister Churchill, what an honour to be here tonight in such esteemed company,’ she said quickly.

  ‘Senior Commander Jones, the pleasure is all mine,’ he said. May was used to hearing his voice on the wireless, and in person he was as authoritative and appealing as he sounded there. ‘We are immensely proud of all you’re doing for the war effort. The assistance has been well received and greatly appreciated.’

  ‘Thank you, sir.’

  ‘If there’s anything we can do to assist you further . . .’

  ‘Well, actually, sir, there is one thing,’ May said, lowering her voice.

  ‘Yes?’ he asked, a frown puckering his forehead. She was certain he’d expected her to merely nod and not ask for anything.

  ‘I’m rather appalled to learn that we’re being paid twenty per cent less than our male colleagues, and it’s something I’d like to see remedied immediately,’ she told him. She’d missed one opportunity, and she was darn sure she wasn’t going to miss another; she saw no point in waiting until the morning, when the decision-maker himself was standing in front of her. ‘Obviously I’ll go down the appropriate channels to ensure this is fixed, but with my pilots on the cusp of ferrying much-needed four-engine bombers to our boys at the front . . .’ She purposely left her sentence dangling, glancing down at her drink for a moment before looking up again and smiling. ‘In fact, our first and best bomber pilots are here with me tonight.’

  Churchill’s stare was impossible to decipher.

  ‘It was lovely to make your acquaintance, Senior Commander,’ he said, abruptly ending their conversation. ‘Thank you for your service, and I trust you’ll enjoy a rare evening off.’

  May nodded and watched him go, her heart beating wildly. Then a hand touched her shoulder, and she looked straight into the eyes of Ben.

  ‘Have this,’ he whispered, passing her a fresh glass of champagne. ‘I think you deserve it. Bravo.’

  Her hand was shaking as she reached for it, but when Ruby and Lizzie started to clap, a slow smile spread across her lips as she realised they’d overheard the conversation. Ben joined in, doing a dainty little clap and making her laugh. She still couldn’t get over how clean his hands were.

  ‘First of all, let me say that your little speech there has made me actually appreciate the concept of teamwork,’ Lizzie said, slinging an arm around her. ‘And second of all, we’re getting twenty per cent less pay?’

  May blew out a breath. ‘Yes, Lizzie, we are. I just found out tonight.’

  ‘Well then, bravo, Commander. We’ll know who to thank if we get a pay rise.’

  Ruby cleared her throat and pointed to the front of the room as Churchill appeared, ready to address the crowd. ‘Here goes.’

  May glanced sideways at Ben, and her heart raced as his eyes met hers again. Churchill should have been the most interesting man in the room, but it was Ben who claimed her full attention. He’s a friend, she reminded herself. A friend and nothing more. She couldn’t survive another broken heart, that was for sure. After tonight, he was just her flight mechanic, nothing more, nothing less.

  She looked around at the packed room and wondered what would happen if an air-raid siren echoed out, how frantic the stampede of people would be. Before, she’d have never looked for an exit, never considered London to be dangerous, but the reminders of war were everywhere – in her mind, in every bang that made her jump, in every building reduced to rubble. And she wondered if she’d ever stop waiting for a bomb to land, for one of her girls not to make it back from a flight, or ever lose that trembling fear that their city, their country, could be overrun with Germans at any moment.

  Ben slipped his arm around her, and suddenly she couldn’t fight her desire to be closer to him. It was only one night, and, for some reason, when she was with him the world didn’t seem quite such a terrifying place.

  CHAPTER TEN

  HAMBLE AIRFIELD, HAMPSHIRE, ENGLAND,

  JUNE 1942

  LIZZIE

  Lizzie strode past the gathered group and grinned at Ruby, who was standing a few steps away, already waiting. They were both dressed in their flying suits and she gave her rival a wink.

  ‘May the best woman win,’ she whispered.

  Ruby had a bead of sweat shining above her top lip and all she did was nod, not saying a word, as if paralysed with fear. It was the only reason Lizzie knew she’d be able to beat her – Ruby’s nerves were definitely going to get the better of her in the air, and the Halifax required nerves of steel.

  There was a large crowd watching: other pilots, engineers and of course May and the two men who were making the decision with her. Lizzie stared at the back of Captain Montgomery, hating that an American superior to her was on base throwing his weight around. Thankfully he was still recuperating so wasn’t there all the time, but he was most definitely getting in her way. And she wished her daddy was watching her; she couldn’t wait to write him and tell him blow by blow what had happened. He’d always been proud of her, but everything she did, she did to show him that she was a chip off the old block.

  ‘Ladies, we have a Halifax waiting for each of you. Please prepare yourselves for take-off,’ May instructed, standing to attention before them. May’s own superior flanked her on one side, while Captain Montgomery in full dress uniform stood on the other. ‘First Officer Sanders, you will be flying first and we’d like you to perform your usual training drill, which will be timed and studied by all three of us.’

  ‘Yes, ma’am,’ Ruby replied.

  ‘First Officer Dunlop, you’re to wait on the runway until Ruby is safely grounded, and you’re pre-cleared for immediate take-off after that. You will perform the same drill.’

  ‘Looking forward to it,’ Lizzie said.

  ‘Commander Jones, am I to remain in my aircraft until Lizzie has landed?’ Ruby asked.

  ‘Once the runway is clear you may exit. Thank you for asking,’ May replied. ‘And ladies, we’re expecting to make a unanimous decision. However, if one cannot be reached, we will decide by a majority vote. I want to remind you that this is not a personal competition. The purpose of narrowing the process down to our two most highly trained pilots, and then to one of you, is to prove what we can do in the air, what women pilots can do, so we can step up our assistance to our fighter pilots and help win this war once and for all! The woman chosen will represent the entire women’s division of the ATA on that first official flight.’

  Lizzie headed for the magnificent airplanes waiting for them, signalling to Ruby that she was going to take the one on the right. This might be for the war effort, but she couldn’t see why there was anything wrong with wanting to take it personally.

  ‘Good luck up there,’ Ruby called out.

  ‘Honey, luck has nothing to do with it,’ Lizzie called back.

  She knew Ruby would be rolling her eyes – heck, she knew everyone would be rolling their eyes at her. But she wasn’t going to go around pretending like she
wasn’t going to win, because she always got what she wanted. And when it came to flying, it was the one thing she never had to bluff. You’ll be proud of your little girl, Daddy, she thought. He’d always been the one to believe in her, and she wasn’t ever going to let him down.

  She climbed up with Ben’s help, calmly sitting behind the controls and waiting, watching through the windscreen for Ruby. Five full minutes later, the roar of the other Halifax was unmistakable and slowly Ruby taxied away, rolling down the runway before taking off. It was a textbook take-off and Lizzie squinted as the plane ascended higher before beginning the short cross-country flight they’d been assigned. She listened to her own breath as she waited for it to reappear, the long minutes ticking past. Ruby would circle first, and then eventually come in to land.

  There she was.

  ‘Contact!’ Lizzie yelled, ready to get her engine started. Within minutes she saw the plane coming down, watched as Ruby neared her, descending slowly.

  Go! she thought, grinning as she took off just before Ruby’s wheels had hit the runway, pushing the aircraft hard and rocketing down the tarmac before pulling up and getting it into the air. She flew low and did an extra circle, showing off, before ascending to the correct altitude and following her cross-country course. She relaxed and enjoyed the flight, but she didn’t slow down, wanting to go faster and beat Ruby’s time; they’d be watching the clock. When you have a chance to prove yourself to your superiors, you seize it, Lizzie. Give it everything you have. Her father’s words echoed through her as she finally headed back down. She’d waited all this time, and she’d finally had the chance she’d been waiting for.

  Lizzie decided to show the crowd below exactly what she was made of one last time, doing a slow roll in the ginormous Halifax before bringing it down and coming to a halt close to where she’d started. It might be a beast, but it was a beast she had full control over.