A Flight of Golden Wings

by Beryl Matthews

  ‘Nope. She’s not my type – and I like to do the running.’ Knowing Jack as she did, that was amusing and she laughed. ‘What’s so funny?’

  ‘Oh, Jack, if a girl waited for you to make a move, she’d be old and grey by the time you noticed her!’

  The car screeched to a stop as he hit the brakes suddenly, making her gasp in surprise. They were on a narrow country road and it was pitch black. He’d even turned off the small amount of lights they were allowed on the car.

  ‘Meaning?’

  ‘You can’t stop here. If another car comes along they won’t be able to see us.’ She scrabbled in her bag for a torch, a necessary requirement in a country completely blacked out from dusk to dawn.

  ‘We’re not moving until you explain that last remark.’

  ‘Don’t mess about, Jack. We’ll miss the picture.’ When he didn’t speak, she sighed. ‘I only meant that you aren’t like a lot of your countrymen. Chasing girls seems to be a favourite pastime of theirs.’

  ‘They’re a long way from home and lonely, Ruth.’

  ‘I know that, and the English girls like them too.’

  ‘We’re a very likable race. Now, back to your last remark. Are you referring to you and me?’

  Oh, hell, how did she get herself into this mess? ‘Just forget I said it.’

  ‘Not a chance. Your ma and pa have been real good to me, and I wasn’t about to throw their hospitality back in their faces by hitting on their daughter, however much I want to. Get out of the car.’

  ‘Pardon?’ She found her torch and shone it on his face. The damned man was laughing at her!

  ‘It’s my blasted car! You get out!’

  She heard the car door open and then footsteps walking around the back. She craned her neck, but it was too dark to see what he was up to. Then her door opened and she was hauled out. He pinned her against the car so she couldn’t move.

  ‘Ma brought me up to be a gentleman where women are concerned, but I’m going to forget all about that now.’

  When his lips met hers, the intensity of the kiss literally took her breath away. She’d heard that expression, but had never believed it – until now.

  When she slipped her arms around him the kiss softened and she responded, pouring out the love she had kept so carefully hidden.

  When he stepped back slightly and began to run his hands up and down her arms, she held on to the car for support.

  ‘Ah, hell, honey, I knew that would happen if I ever touched you. As much as I need to carry you into those woods and make love to you, I’m not going to. You can’t afford to be distracted at the moment because you’ve been chosen, along with Gussie, to go to the flying school for your Class 4+ rating.’

  That news snapped Ruth back to the here and now. ‘How do you know this? We haven’t been told yet.’

  ‘Rob told me today. The news will be waiting for you when you get back from leave. We need more pilots cleared to fly all the twin-engine aircraft.’

  There was a different kind of excitement running through her now. Being this close to Jack had scrambled her brains for a moment, but now she was focussed again. ‘We’re making progress, aren’t we?’

  ‘You sure are.’ He kissed her firmly. ‘Now, you forget this ever happened and concentrate on what you have to do. I’ll be around, watching and waiting.’

  She gaped at him in the dark. She couldn’t believe this. He’d kissed her senseless, and now he was saying that this was the end? He couldn’t do that. She didn’t want him to do that.

  He guessed her inner turmoil. ‘Look, honey, we can’t afford to get heavily involved at this time. There’s too much to do, and the job isn’t without risk. We must wait.’

  ‘Wait? Suppose I meet someone else while you’re waiting?’

  ‘If another man gets anywhere near you, then he’ll have me to deal with.’ He reached past her and opened the door. ‘Now get in. We’ve got a film to see.’

  Very aware of the determined tone of his voice, she obeyed. She wasn’t very experienced with men, and he had her thoroughly confused. But she was sure of one thing: she loved this unusual American. How very stupid of her, but it wasn’t any good fretting; it had happened and that was that. It was something she was going to have to come to terms with.

  Ruth was sure it had been a good picture, but she couldn’t remember a thing about it. During the long sleepless night her mind cleared, and she knew Jack was right. If she was about to graduate to the twin-engine bombers, then she was going to need all her wits about her.

  She smiled when she recalled him saying that any man who came near her would have him to deal with. It showed he cared, and that would have to be enough for the moment. They were in the middle of a war, and while many were rushing into hasty romances, that wasn’t Jack’s way. Only the future would tell if their relationship was going to be permanent – or merely a fly-past.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Ruth had worked for twelve days without a break when the news arrived that they would be going to the flying school in a week’s time. Now she had a much-needed rest for three days, and wondered where Jack was. She’d hardly seen him since the weekend at her parents’ house. He was terribly busy, she knew, just like the rest of them. If a day was washed out by the weather, they had to work extra hard to clear the backlog from the factories. But the work was satisfying and they were all in their element flying so many different planes. And now she was about to add more to the list. Gussie was taking it all in her stride, but Ruth was extra excited about taking this step forward. At times like this she couldn’t help thinking of Tricia with sadness. How she would have loved the chance to be a part of this.

  She poured herself another cup of tea. She was still in the Mess waiting for Gussie to return. Perhaps they’d go to the pub tonight. The door opened and Jack strolled in. ‘Hi, there.’ He kissed her firmly. ‘What brings you here?’

  ‘Uh-oh.’ He placed his fingers under her chin and lifted her face to study it carefully. ‘Aren’t you pleased to see me?’

  ‘Of course I am.’ She pulled a face. ‘Sorry, Jack. I’m tired and was just thinking about Tricia.’

  He sat beside her. ‘I expect she’s up there urging you all on. Are you too tired to come to London with me?’

  She straightened up. ‘No. Where are we going?’

  ‘The Savoy. Lucy’s there.’

  ‘What?’ Ruth’s tiredness was immediately forgotten. ‘When did she arrive? What’s she doing in the Savoy?’

  ‘They docked yesterday. There’s five of them and they’ve been booked into the hotel for two days before being brought down here.’

  ‘Wow, lucky them! The ATA did that?’

  Jack shook his head. ‘No, it’s being paid for by the American woman in charge. I phoned Lucy and she’s got a bottle of champagne waiting for us.’

  Ruth was about to ask where they’d got champagne from, but changed her mind. These girls were obviously being treated to a bit of luxury before starting work as ferry pilots. Good luck to them. She leapt to her feet. ‘I must change.’

  ‘You’re just fine the way you are.’

  ‘You sure?’ She glanced down at her slacks. ‘I’ve got a skirt here. It won’t take me a minute to freshen up and put that on.’

  ‘OK, but hurry. I told Lucy we’d be there in an hour.’

  ‘We’ll never make that. You know how unpredictable the trains are, and I’m nearly out of petrol.’

  He looked smug. ‘I’ve borrowed Simon’s car, and I won’t mention where the gas came from.’

  ‘Petrol,’ she corrected, giving his arm a sharp tap.

  ‘Whatever.’ He shrugged and bent his head to give her another kiss. ‘Hurry.’

  It was a good job the Mess was empty, Ruth thought, as she hurried to the washroom. He was in an affectionate mood, and obviously relieved that his sister had made it safely. This could be an entertaining evening, in more ways than one.

  As soon as they walked into the bar at the
Savoy, there was a loud shriek of delight and a girl hurled herself at Jack. He lifted her off the floor and spun her round and round. ‘Hiya, big brother.’

  ‘Hi, yourself. Great digs you’ve got here.’ He placed her back on the floor and pulled Ruth forward. ‘Ruth, this noisy bundle is my sister.’

  There was no time for Ruth to say anything before she was clasped in an enthusiastic hug.

  Jack was laughing at the surprise on Ruth’s face. ‘Lucy, you don’t greet the English like that for the first time. You shake hands and say how pleased you are to meet them.’

  ‘Oh, listen to his accent!’ his sister exclaimed, dragging him towards her friends. ‘This is my big brother.’ Then she gave him a saucy glance. ‘Anyway, I don’t have to be like that with Ruth. We already know each other.’ She gave Ruth another hug for good measure. ‘I’m sure glad to see you at last, and thanks for all the letters you’ve sent. We did wonder at times if we were going to make it. Ships kept disappearing from the convoy, and no one would tell us where they’d gone. Come and meet the rest of the gang. This is Edna, Pat, Betty and Sara.’

  They took Jack at his word and, laughing, they all shook hands.

  ‘Barman!’ Lucy called. ‘You got our champagne nice and cold?’

  ‘I have, miss.’ He produced a bottle and glasses, and seemed fascinated by the ATA uniform. He spoke quietly to Jack. ‘I hope you don’t mind me asking, sir, but are you Free French?’

  ‘No, we’re Air Transport Auxiliary. I’m American and my friend is English.’

  He still looked puzzled. ‘Excuse my ignorance, sir, but what do you do?’

  ‘We fly planes from factories and deliver them wherever they’re needed.’

  ‘You’re both wearing wings, so does the lady do the same?’

  ‘Sure, there are a lot of women in the ATA. They fly anything.’

  ‘And we’ve come over to join them,’ Pat said. ‘Don’t they look great? I can’t wait to get my hands on a Spitfire.’

  The barman’s mouth dropped open, and he looked as if he wanted to ask more questions, but he had to attend to other customers.

  It turned out to be a lively evening and they gathered quite a crowd around them, including several American soldiers who had been attracted by the sound of the American accent. The drink was flowing freely, but Ruth had never been fond of too much alcohol. She noticed that Jack was also making do with one glass, refusing all attempts to buy him more.

  ‘Can you stay the night?’ Lucy asked. ‘We’ve got another day in London before we join you. I’m sure they could find you a room – rooms,’ she corrected quickly.

  Jack shook his head. ‘I’m flying in the morning.’ He glanced at Ruth. ‘You stay if you’ve got the time.’

  ‘I’m going to spend a couple of days with my parents before going on a course.’ She really needed a rest, and that wouldn’t be possible if she stayed in London with this boisterous crowd of girls. They were obviously determined to have a good time, and she knew she would probably feel the same if she found herself in New York, but gaining her new rating was the only thing on her mind at the moment. The chance to fly twin-engine bombers was an exciting one, and she was determined to pass the tests.

  ‘What course is that?’ Pat asked. She was slightly older than the others, and had a direct, intelligent way about her.

  Ruth was reluctant to go into details. ‘Oh, it’s just to upgrade my rating. We all do them from time to time.’

  Pat was about to continue with the questions when Jack stood up. ‘We must get back, but we’ll see you all in a couple of days.’

  It took them at least ten minutes to get out of the door. They’d parked the car round the back of the hotel and Jack placed an arm around Ruth as they walked along the Strand for a few yards, and then down a side street.

  When they sat in the car, Jack turned to her. ‘Overpowering in a group, aren’t they? But they’re the pick of the bunch. They’re finding it all very exciting at the moment, but they’ll settle down once they start ferrying.’

  ‘I liked them.’ Ruth touched Jack’s arm. ‘Lucy’s lovely, and I look forward to getting to know her better.’

  ‘They’ll be going to Luton first, then to White Waltham to take some tests, and they’re going to have to learn to navigate around this country.’ Jack started the car and they made their way along the Strand, heading for home.

  Ruth relaxed, content to let Jack do the driving, her tiredness returning. She would go to her parents’ and sleep for two days.

  Simon leant against the wall and watched the American girls in the room. A couple had been quite disgruntled to discover they had to take flying tests before they could start work. His gaze lingered on Jack’s sister. The sun was streaming through the window and turning her corn-coloured hair to gold. She was quite lovely and had a good temperament, just like her brother. She had taken all the tests with cheerful good humour, and now they were at White Waltham for more instruction before they could start work.

  Captain Anders was about to give them a lecture, and Simon wondered how the girls would take the news of more delays before they could start the job they came here to do.

  ‘You have all passed the flying tests, but no one doubted that. You wouldn’t have got this far if you hadn’t been competent pilots. I know some of you thought it was a waste of time, but the ATA has its rules.’ He paused, glancing at each one in turn, then continued. ‘I am now going to give you a list of dos and don’ts. For the most part you will be flying planes coming straight from the factories. They will not be fitted with radios or any navigational aids, so you must at all times keep below the clouds or you will get lost. The weather in this country can be changeable. Always check with the Met. The decision on whether to fly or not will be yours. Don’t take chances. We don’t look kindly on aircraft getting damaged.’ He paused again. ‘And we don’t like losing pilots, so don’t be reckless. We will sack you if we discover that you can’t be trusted. And that brings me to another point. Members of the ATA are not part of the military, as you already know, so there is no need to salute anyone. We wear a uniform to identify us because we fly into operational airfields. The task ahead of you now is to learn to navigate around this country. An additional hazard you will encounter is that all the factory sites are well camouflaged. These are not easy to spot from the air unless you know they are there. These are all things you must learn before you can start work.’

  Simon managed to keep a straight face with difficulty when there were several groans.

  ‘How long is that going to take?’ It was Pat who spoke.

  ‘That will be entirely up to you. Learn fast, ladies, because we need you. The instructors here will give you all the help you need. Listen to them.’ With a brief nod, he left the room.

  Betty gave a growl of frustration. ‘What’s with all these delays? We’re experienced pilots, and I thought we’d start work straight away.’

  ‘It would help to know where we’re going, though,’ Lucy pointed out. ‘We’d soon get lost if we didn’t know the landmarks, especially as some are hard to spot.’

  Ah, thought Simon, Jack’s sister has his good sense. Now it was his turn. He stepped forward. ‘Absolutely right, Miss Nelson. The sooner we start the sooner you’ll get to work.’

  At the end of the day, Jack was waiting for Simon. ‘How are they doing?’

  ‘Fine. Once we got started they soon realised the importance of what we’re trying to teach them. There are hazards in this country they have never encountered before. Like our weather, balloons, ground crews who will shoot at them if they fly too high and aren’t easy to identify – not to mention marauding Luftwaffe who won’t know they are unarmed women flying the planes.’

  ‘I guess they soon got the point.’

  ‘Very quickly.’ Simon walked beside Jack as they made their way to the Mess. ‘They’re a bright bunch, and we’ll soon be able to put them to work. Your sister seems the steady sort.’

  ‘Yeah,
she’s a darling.’ Jack grinned. ‘Come and have a drink with us tonight. I’m going to introduce Lucy to the English pub.’

  ‘I’d like that. Where are you going?’

  ‘The Stag, just down the road. See you there around eight.’

  ‘I’ll get there as soon as I can. I’ve got some paperwork to deal with first.’

  The pub was packed when Simon arrived. He pushed through the sea of uniforms – being close to Portsmouth there were quite a few sailors there. Someone was pounding away on the piano and the singing was enthusiastic. And the evening had only just begun.

  Simon found Jack, Rob and Lucy in the other bar where it was marginally quieter.

  Lucy waved when she saw him. ‘Hi, teacher. Isn’t this fun? Come and have a drink.’

  When he reached them, Jack already had a pint of bitter on the table for him. He knew Simon’s tipple and hadn’t needed to ask. He grabbed a chair from another table and sat down. ‘Didn’t the other girls want to come?’

  ‘Nah.’ Lucy gazed from one man to the other. ‘I wanted to keep you three handsome men to myself.’

  Simon had been drawn to Lucy from the moment he’d seen her and was happy to be spending an evening in her company. ‘So, what do you think of the pub?’

  She gurgled with amusement. ‘I’ve never seen or heard anything like it. I think I’m going to like it here.’

  I hope you do, Simon thought. He couldn’t remember when he’d been so attracted to a girl. He wanted to ask her out, but he’d wait for a while until she’d found her feet in the ATA. As her instructor at the moment, he wanted her whole attention focussed on what she had to learn. There would be plenty of time to get to know her better.