Chapter Two
‘You’ve got to stop doing this, Nancy. You are putting yourself through unnecessary anguish.’
‘Unnecessary? Is that what you think this is? Night after night these young men are going out never knowing if they will survive.’ Nancy shot Jean an angry look. ‘Do you think they are giving their lives for nothing?’
Jean sighed. ‘That isn’t what I mean at all. Of course it’s necessary if we are going to win this blasted war. What I meant was you are adding to your grief by scanning the sky each time and counting them as they return. It’s as if you are waiting for Dan’s plane to arrive.’
‘I know that isn’t going to happen, and don’t you dare insult me by suggesting I’m stupid. My concern is for those flying now. We know them all and have even had drinks with them at the pub. Don’t you care what happens to them?’
‘Now you are insulting me. Of course I care.’ She gestured toward the frenzy of activity going on to save the crew of the crashed plane, and there was a catch of distress in her voice when she spoke. ‘I am here now because I am on duty, but you are not. You should be in bed asleep, not watching this.’
Nancy turned her head and saw a tear trickling down Jean’s face and grasped her hand. ‘I’m sorry for snapping at you. I know you care – we all do, but it’s so bloody hard, isn’t it?’
Jean nodded. ‘I try not to watch them coming in, but can’t avoid it when I’m on duty. I don’t think you have ever missed waiting for them, though. I could understand it when Dan was flying, but why continue to put yourself through this, especially now when you are reeling from the shock of losing him?’
Nancy shrugged. ‘I feel someone should be waiting and sending up a prayer for them.’
‘I didn’t know you were religious.’
‘I’ve never been much of a church-goer, but I do it because I hope it will be of some help. What else can we do?’
‘Who knows, but one can’t help feeling powerless. Are there any more to come?’
‘Three are now overdue.’
They gazed up at the empty sky and Jean murmured, ‘Perhaps they’ve landed somewhere else.’
‘Maybe, but we won’t know for a while.’
‘This must be torture for you, Nancy, why don’t you ask for a transfer, preferably away from an airfield? We can still keep in touch and meet up from time to time.’
‘I’ve thought about it, but Dan and all these boys have never shirked their duty, and neither will I. Don’t worry about me.’
Jean placed an arm around her shoulder. ‘I can’t help it. I can only imagine what you are going through. You were so close to your brother.’
‘He was only two years older than me, but he’d always been there for me. He was very caring, and I’m not alone in my grief.’ She watched an ambulance drive away, leaving the firemen tackling the blazing plane and said softly, ‘There are many like me, and after tonight there will be more.’
‘There’s two more!’ Jean pointed to the incoming planes. ‘One is in trouble, though, and it looks as if the other has been guiding it home.’
The damaged plane came in to land first while the other gained height to come round again for landing. Both girls gasped when the damaged machine’s undercarriage collapsed and it began to swerve across the field. Emergency vehicles rushed towards the stricken plane and they held their breath until it came to a stop.
‘No fire, thank heavens, but look at that gaping hole in the fuselage, Jean. That pilot must have fought hard to get his crew back. Here comes the one who had stayed with it. That leaves one missing.’
‘One too many,’ Jean murmured, turning to her friend. ‘I know you’re not on duty, but will you join me for breakfast?’
‘Yes, of course.’
‘Dalton!’
‘Sir?’ She spun to face the commander.
‘Come with me.’ He turned on his heel and headed for his office.
‘I’ll see you later,’ she told Jean, and ran to catch up with him.
‘Close the door,’ he said as soon as they were inside.
She did so and stood to attention in front of his desk.
‘You are on compassionate leave from this moment.’
‘I am not due leave at the moment, sir, and I don’t want any.’
‘This isn’t open for discussion, Dalton, it’s an order.’ When she opened her mouth to protest, he rose to his feet and stopped her. ‘Go home to your family and grieve with them. Your brother was an excellent pilot and a fine young man. He is greatly missed by everyone who knew him. Your parents need your support at this time.’
She lowered her eyes as the pain shot through her.
‘Go home,’ he told her gently, handing her the authorisation. ‘You are needed there. And when you return, I don’t want to see you standing out there at dawn counting the planes. Is that understood?’
‘Yes, sir.’
‘Make sure you obey my orders, because if you don’t, I will have you transferred to a desk job away from any airfield. Now get some breakfast and go home.’
‘Sir.’ She saluted and left the office, heading for the dining room.
He was right, of course, her parents did need her. She should have gone to them the moment Dan was lost, but she was hurting so much and didn’t want to leave the base. She felt close to her brother here, and that had been selfish.
‘What did he want?’ Jean asked the moment Nancy joined her.
‘I’ve been ordered to go home.’
‘It’s the right thing to do.’
‘I know, but in an odd way staying on duty has helped me. Take a look at the men who have just returned. They are sitting there with empty seats around them. They’ve lost friends during the night. They feel the loss, I know, but they won’t let grief get in the way of what they have to do. Tonight they will go again, and tomorrow it might be their chairs that are empty.’
‘Where does such courage come from?’
Nancy took a gulp of tea. ‘Who knows, but their example has helped me handle the loss of my brother. Though I fear that control will crumble the moment I arrive home.’
‘No, it won’t,’ her friend assured her. ‘Your parents will need you to be strong, and you will be. You are as brave as Dan was. You have the same smile he had, and I’m sure it will comfort them to see it.’
That remark made her feel better, and for the first time in two days she smiled at Jean, though it didn’t quite reach her eyes. She glanced to where the new arrivals were sitting, looking relaxed and enjoying a cigarette. ‘They’ve been given three days’ leave to help them settle in before they go on active duty. I wonder what they will do with that time.’
‘Go exploring, I expect, and probably get into mischief by the look of them. Why don’t we go and ask if they need any help?’
‘Oh, no.’ Nancy raised her hands in protest. ‘They seem quite capable of looking after themselves. I must pack my kit and catch the first train to London.’
Ricky stubbed out his cigarette and sat back. ‘So, what are we going to do with this leave?’
There were several suggestions about visiting places they had heard about, but only Sandy had a clear idea of what he wanted to see. ‘I’ve always wanted to go to York,’ he told them. ‘What about you, Steve?’
‘I’m going to London. My parents know someone there and have asked me to look him up if I have a chance.’
‘Really?’ Luke was surprised. ‘You never told me about that.’
‘Hey, I’d like to have a look at London.’ Ricky leant forward. ‘Let’s all go. Sandy, you can visit York another time.’
‘I suppose so, and London ought to be the first place we see. Where does this man live, Steve?’
‘A place called Woolwich. I looked it up before we left home, and I think I can find it.’
‘Right, pay attention everyone.’ Luke called order. ‘Who’s for London?’
Four hands shot up.
‘That’s settled, then. All we hav
e to do now is find out how to get there. Let’s ask those two girls.’
Steve smiled wryly as the entire group got up and sauntered over to the WAAFs, and watched the girls quickly stand up as they noticed the men approach.
‘How can we help you, sirs?’ one of them asked.
‘Ow, you don’t have to call us sirs.’ Luke grinned at her. ‘What’s your name?’
‘Jean, and this is Nancy.’
After they had all introduced themselves, Luke said, ‘We’ve got three days’ leave and need advice on how to get to London.’
‘Steve’s got to look up a family friend,’ Ricky told them, glancing round and beckoning to Steve, who was standing at the back of the group. ‘Come and tell the girls where you want to go.’
He walked forward, moving with his usual fluid grace. He was tall, strongly built and there was already a look of maturity and latent power about him that made all eyes turn in his direction.
Luke pushed him towards the girls. ‘Tell them where this person you want to see lives.’
‘Where do you need to go, sir?’ Nancy asked politely.
‘Woolwich.’ He pulled a small notebook out of his pocket and opened it at the first page. ‘This is his address.’
‘I can certainly tell you how to get there, but can’t help you with the road. When you get there, it would be best to ask a policeman. He will be able to direct you to the house.’
‘Why a policeman?’
‘Well, sir, most of the road signs were removed at the beginning of the war in order to confuse the enemy if they invaded.’
‘I see, but there isn’t any danger of that now, is there?’
‘No, sir, thanks to our air force,’ she stated proudly.
‘You’re going to London today, why don’t you take the gentlemen to the station and see they catch the right train?’ Jean suggested.
Nancy gave her a withering look but nodded, turning her attention back to the pilot standing in front of her. ‘Have you got all your travel documents in order?’
‘We’ve got to collect them before we leave the base,’ Luke told her.
‘Do that now, because I will be leaving in the next half-hour. Oh, and you’ll need English money. Have you got any?’
‘Yes, we have.’ Ricky glanced at the clock and frowned. ‘Will the trains be running this early in the morning?’
‘They will, and I want to get to London as early as possible.’
‘We’ll see you by the gate, shall we? Do we need transport to get to the station?’ Sandy asked.
‘If we don’t see a bus then we can walk.’
‘Right, get a move on,’ Steve told the men. ‘We mustn’t keep Nancy waiting.’
There was a stampede to get their documents, eager to be on their way.
‘Thanks,’ Nancy said to her friend. ‘You have just lumbered me with four Canadians.’
Jean laughed. ‘It should be fun. They seem a lively crowd, and that Steve is gorgeous. Did you see those eyes? They look like the ocean on a sunny day.’
‘Now, Jean, don’t go all poetic about a pilot, or any of them. They will be going out on raids soon, and you know how painful it can be if you get too fond of them,’ she warned.
‘I know, and I do try, but I must admit I am not very good at that.’
‘It’s a bugger, isn’t it, but the war won’t last forever, and then we won’t have to keep our feelings in check. Now, I had better get going and shepherd that lot to the station. With a bit of luck, I might be able to lose them on the journey.’
‘Good luck with that. Try to relax a bit during your leave, and I’ll see you when you get back.’
After collecting her kit, Nancy walked towards the gate and groaned inwardly when she saw her travelling companions waiting. They were lounging against anything available, smoking and laughing, but the moment they saw her they all straightened up with huge grins on their faces, except for the tall one. He crushed his cigarette end with the toe of his shoe, and just nodded when she reached them. Nancy had been intrigued by this one from the moment they met, but that was dangerous territory, and she was determined to keep a detached military attitude. She saluted smartly. ‘Let’s start walking and catch a bus if we see one, but it might be a little early yet.’
Sandy stepped forward. ‘Allow me to carry your kit, Nancy.’
‘That is kind of you, sir, but I can’t let an officer do that for me.’
He smiled and bowed his head. ‘I understand, but we are all on leave now, so there is no need to be so formal and salute when you see us.’
‘When I am in uniform, I must treat you in the proper manner, sir. I can be reprimanded if I don’t.’
‘Even if we are not on the base?’ Luke asked.
‘It doesn’t make any difference. If I see an officer in the RAF anywhere then I must salute him.’
‘There will be many things we find unusual,’ Steve pointed out when he noticed that Ricky was not going to let the subject drop. ‘We might not adhere to their strict military rules, but we must respect them. Discipline and obeying orders without question are just two of the qualities that have been essential for this country to survive.’
They were all nodding, serious now.
‘We apologise if we seem too forward, but it is just our way, and we mean no harm,’ Luke told her.
‘There is no need to apologise. You have only just arrived in this country and it must all seem strange to you.’ She smiled at each one, her gaze resting on Steve. Jean was right. This one was different. He was a natural leader, although she doubted he was aware of it, but it was clear the others looked up to him.
As they walked along the road the laughter and chatter continued, all obviously excited about their trip to London. They had to move to the side to allow a lorry full of British soldiers to pass.
As it came up beside them, Ricky called out, ‘Hey, pals, what about a lift to the station?’
The men leant out and called to Nancy. ‘What you got there, darling? They sound like Yanks. Do you want any help with them?’
‘No thanks, I can manage,’ she replied. ‘Are you going by the station?’
The lorry came to a halt. ‘Hop on, we’ll take you there.’
‘Hey, we’re not Americans, we are Canadians!’ Ricky told them as they helped Nancy climb on.
It was a bit of a squeeze, but they all managed to fit in the back of the lorry.
‘Where are you off to?’ one of the soldiers asked.
‘London,’ they all said together.
‘You will have your hands full if you are going to show this bunch around London, sweetheart.’
‘I’m on my way home, and I am just seeing them safely on the right train.’
Ricky nudged her. ‘Hey, are they allowed to be so familiar with you?’
‘That was just harmless teasing. When you get to London you will find it full of military personnel from many countries, including Americans, so be prepared for remarks like that.’ She gave him an amused look. ‘We may appear reserved and not to show our feelings, but you will get used to that and our sense of humour after a while.’
‘I suspect that keeping your emotions in check has been necessary after all this country has been through.’ There was a lot of noisy chatter going on, so Steve was able to talk to Nancy, but he kept his voice low.
‘It has been a necessary requirement, sir.’ She looked him straight in the eyes. ‘And still is, as you will have witnessed early this morning.’
He nodded. ‘I understand the hesitation of getting too close to anyone who might be in danger.’
‘Exactly, sir, it is hard enough dealing with our own family losses. It isn’t easy, though. That’s the station ahead, would you ask your men to stay behind me while I see about the train?’
He raised his eyebrows. ‘They are not my men. We only met when we were sent to the same training camp. I am not in charge, but I’ll try and keep them in order for you.’
‘That would be help
ful, sir. Thank you.’
The lorry came to a stop and they all jumped off, called out their thanks, and followed Nancy into the station. Fortunately, there was a train due almost immediately and she ushered them on with a sigh of relief. It was crowded and they had to spread along the corridor. She found herself a space away from the boisterous group and closed her eyes, trying to relax. All her strength was needed if she was to be any help to her parents in their grief.
Chapter Three
The train was hot and stuffy with so many people crowded into it, so Steve pulled a window down and watched the scenery pass by. After the sea crossing, one thing had struck him as they had been driven to Lincolnshire, and that was the colour green. He liked what he’d seen so far, and couldn’t wait to explore further when he had time. This small country was lovely, and he could understand why they had fought so hard to keep the powerful enemy from invading. He had watched the news as Germany walked into France and felt dismayed, then awed by the rescue of the army from Dunkirk. A victory had been snatched from defeat, but after that the general opinion was that Britain was finished. How wrong that had been. Against all the odds they had defeated the might of the enemy air force and endured the bombing of cities. And they still hadn’t given up. He had trained and watched, longing for the day he could come here, anxious in case he was too late to get involved. He couldn’t be happier to have arrived in time. His parents had tried hard to talk him out of flying bombers, but he wouldn’t be swayed by their arguments against it. This was where he was needed, this was where he wanted to be, even if it cost him his life. Like everyone else, though, he was sure that wouldn’t happen to him. It was far better to think that way than to keep worrying about being killed.
He glanced along the corridor and saw Nancy. Her brow was creased as if struggling with some strong emotion. She had lost someone close to her, he was sure of that. He had sensed it the first time they met.
‘Hey, Steve,’ Luke and Ricky wormed their way to him through the press of bodies. ‘Can we come with you when you go to see your parents’ friend?’
‘Sure, if you want to.’
‘Thanks.’ Luke leant on the window and studied the countryside. ‘What do you think London is like after all the raids?’
Together Under the Stars Page 2