by Shirley Mann
She and Elizé fell into the belly of the aircraft.
‘That can only be Roberta Hollis. Are you OK?’ The voice was so familiar that Bobby let out a huge sigh of relief.
‘Oh Gus,’ she called to him, ‘I’ve never been more glad to see anyone in my life!’’ Gus so wished the aircraft could fly itself so he could come to the back to hold her in his arms, but he had no choice but to tightly grip the controls, his fingers hurting with the intensity of his grasp.
‘The child has to go in the bottom there. Can you see it?’ he asked. ‘It’s not comfy but it’s safer.’
Bobby looked around in the gloom as the aircraft pitched left and right to avoid the trees. She and Elizé kept falling against the side of the plane. She grabbed hold of the little girl and gently levered her down into a coffin-like space that had been moulded out of the underneath of the Lysander. Elizé gave little sniffs as she tried not to cry so Bobby smiled reassuringly at her.
‘We are going home, ma petite. Not long now. Just close your eyes if you can, and et voila, we will be in England.’
Gus was concentrating on getting them safely out of danger.
After a few minutes, Gus called back.
‘Are you all right back there?’
‘Yes, we are, well, I think we are. That was a bit hairy.’
‘Is the child all right?’
‘Yes, well, if you can manage to fly this aircraft without bobbing about,’ Bobby said in her usual commanding voice, ‘she could perhaps get some sleep.’
Gus laughed. It was so good to hear her voice.
‘That’s typical,’ he replied. ‘I come all this way, risking life and limb. I have to change the pick-up, you send me some ridiculous message and now I’m here in the middle of the night, dodging enemy flak just to take you home.’
They both laughed this time.
As they approached the north coast of France, the search lights were scanning the skies.
‘This could be a bit bumpy,’ he warned her. ‘There’s some sort of raid going on tonight, the Jerries seem to be on full alert.’
Bobby sat back, clutching her knees, thinking how ironic it would be if she got wiped out here and now, after surviving a week in enemy territory, being harboured by a family of resistance fighters.
Gus flew lower than ever, almost skimming the tops of the trees as he approached the Channel. He took a calculated risk that the searchlights would be looking higher up and not expecting an aircraft to fly directly over their heads. It was a risky strategy but once he saw the French coastline in the distance, he believed it was one that had paid off. But just as he approached the coast, he heard gunfire from below and arched upwards in an almost vertical move. Bobby fell backwards.
‘Sorry,’ he called backwards, ‘just taking some avoiding action’.
Elizé woke up and called up to Bobby. ‘Que s’est-il passé?’
‘Nothing, ma petite, go back to sleep. Gus is just showing off.’
She looked nervously towards Gus, who was doing anything but showing off, he was performing the most amazing aerial feats she had ever witnessed, avoiding flak.
She waited until the Lysander righted itself again and then spoke. ‘OK, Prince, you win. I might be better at arm-wrestling, but that was quite a manoeuvre. I’ll grant you that.’
He chuckled back to her. He just loved being Roberta Hollis’s knight in shining armour.
Chapter 26
It was still dark when they arrived back at Tempsford. Bobby uncurled her aching back and helped Elizé out of her uncomfortable cot. She stretched and yawned. Bobby hugged her and led her down the steps. For a moment, Bobby paused in the cold March air and breathed down to her stomach. England had never looked so good or so safe. To be able to walk down the streets and not be in fear of a German order being yelled or the butt of a rifle being pushed into your back was a privilege she would never take for granted again. Now she really knew what they were all fighting for.
‘Is this it? Is this England? Are we really here?’ The questions poured out from Elizé’s little rosebud mouth, which had started to quiver.
‘Yes, mon ange, we are really here and as long as we keep Mr Hitler on that side of the water, we will be safe.’
The child looked exhausted and Bobby also felt a wave of fatigue wash over her but then Gus jumped down from the aircraft behind her and ran towards her. He was about to sweep her up in his arms when he heard his commanding officer’s voice behind him.
‘All OK, Flight Lieutenant Prince?’
He saluted and stood to attention. Bobby stood up straight, suddenly remembering she was back on English soil and an ATA pilot.
‘Yessir.’
‘Dispersal now, then straight back to barracks,’ Markham said, taking a curious look at the woman who had inspired two men to heroics. He had to admit she was quite a sight for sore eyes in the cold early hours of the morning with all that glorious hair, even with a pinched, pale face that told of an anxiety-filled week, but this was not the time or place to allow a romantic huddle. Markham smiled at his efforts to enforce a professional approach, knowing that Marjorie would have accused of him of deliberately sabotaging any affection between the two adults in front of him as a mark of favouritism towards his friend, Edward. The far too attractive RAF pilot gave an apologetic look towards Bobby and reluctantly marched off.
‘You too,’ Markham said to her.
Before Bobby and Elizé had a chance to move, the drone of another aircraft came behind them. Again, a Lysander was lurching out of the dawn sky. The pilot was struggling and both Markham and Gus ran towards it as it bumped to a shaky halt on one side of the runway. Markham signalled to the ambulance and fire vehicles and then both men moved quickly out of the way to let the emergency team do its job. It would not do to be too close to an aeroplane that could burst into flames at any moment. The cockpit opened and Walter Jones half fell out. He was clutching his shoulder and blood was streaming down his uniform. From the ladder at the back came a familiar blonde girl. She did not see Gus or Markham but in contravention of all the rules, strode straight across towards Bobby as Walter was helped into the ambulance.
‘You are a bloody idiot,’ she whispered furiously to Bobby. ‘First you put the whole network at risk by landing when you shouldn’t have. Then you put my job and all my contacts in jeopardy so I have to be sent home on a night when the whole German airforce is on the lookout for Allied planes and then to top it all off, they take a pot shot at my pilot.’
With that, she marched angrily towards the cottages on the edge of the airfield. Bobby stared after her.
‘Who . . . is . . . that?’ an ambulance man next to her asked.
‘She’s an old schoolfriend of mine,’ Bobby replied.
*
Bobby followed Markham and Gus over to the cottages on the edge of the airfield holding Elizé’s hand. It felt cold and it grasped hers firmly. Bobby looked around her; had it really only been a week since she had flown over to France with Michel? It seemed like another time, another universe.
A woman with a welfare officer’s uniform came out to greet them.
‘Does the child speak English?’ she asked Bobby.
‘Yes, I do,’ Elizé piped up, indignant at being ignored.
‘Oh, I’m sorry, my dear,’ the officer said, leaning down towards Elizé. ‘I didn’t realise. That’s wonderful. Well, First Officer Hollis has to go and talk to some people now, so we’ve got a nice breakfast prepared for you. Why don’t you come with me and then you can meet up with her again later after you’ve had some sleep?’
Elizé looked scared and clung onto Bobby’s hand tighter.
‘C’est bien, ma petite.’ Bobby bent down on one knee to face the little girl. ‘I have to do this, but you are perfectly safe now and I bet they have a lovely omelette waiting for you. I won’t be long and then after a little nap, maybe we can take you home?’ She looked questioningly at the officer, who smiled blandly without commitmen
t. Elizé finally let go of her hand and glancing back at her all the way to the cottage, allowed herself to be led away.
Bobby walked behind the officer and entered the room indicated to her. When she opened the door, she gasped.
‘Edward! What are you doing here?’
For one brief second, Edward moved forward as if to hug her, but then he stopped, embarrassed. There was another officer in the room, so Bobby immediately stood up straight. It unnerved her how tempted she was to fall into his arms and sob with relief; he looked so solid and strong, like a welcoming port in a storm. She looked again – he did look terrible, however, really pale and drawn.
Edward coughed and took command. ‘I happened to be in the vicinity,’ he lied. ‘So, I thought I would check you got back safely.’ He stared at her, hardly able to believe she was there in front of him. He took a deep breath. ‘I was hoping to be in on your debrief but I’ve just heard I have to leave immediately to get to London, so I will leave you to my colleague who will do it on my behalf. You will undoubtedly have information for us that will be extremely useful, so I am going to leave you to get on with that and I will catch up with you soon.
‘It’s good to see you back, Bobby,’ he added quietly. He looked straight at her and his whole face softened. Bobby saw the depth behind his dark eyes and it occurred to her that it was because of this man that she was back on English soil again with Elizé at her side. He not only intrigued her, but every time she saw him, she was beginning to develop a need to be enfolded in his safe arms, she realised with a jolt.
Bobby looked closely at him as he brushed back his unruly fringe in embarrassment but before she could say anything, the other officer signalled her towards a hard-backed chair next to the desk. He sat, waiting for Edward to leave.
Edward closed the door behind him but then his hand reached out to grab the wall for stability. He had spent the last few hours pacing up and down outside the cottage, scanning the skies. Reports of heavy activity on the coast of France overnight had left him with a churning stomach and for the first time in his life, he had felt completely out of his depth and out of control.
This damned war, he thought angrily.
*
Bobby’s debrief took ages while Edward’s colleague took her through intensive notes. She described conditions in France, the way the network was operating and the situation with the informer. In return, she was left in no doubt of the fact that her little sojourn behind enemy lines had to remain a secret from everyone, including her family and fellow pilots. Elizé was to be explained as an orphan who had connections with her French family and needed caring for and nothing more. By the time Bobby was released to the care of the welfare officer, there was no sign of either Edward or Gus and to be honest, she was too tired to care. She asked where Elizé was and they told her she had been found a bed in the room next to hers and was tucked up fast asleep.
‘You could probably do with a rest, too,’ the small, dark-haired welfare officer said. ‘You can have a few hours here but that’s all. There is a bed here you can use. Even though you are ATA, on this occasion you will be given a rail warrant to take this child to your home, where I believe she is to be cared for and then you must return to Hamble. You have forty-eight hours.’
Bobby nodded. It all seemed so normal, but no one had really told her how she was going to explain the arrival of a small Jewish child in England.
She had just taken her boots off and was about to climb under the covers when there was a tentative knock on the door. She called ‘come in’ and there standing in the doorway was Gus. His hair was ruffled and his face anguished. Bobby rushed forward and put her hands on his shoulders.
‘Gus, whatever is it? You look in such a state.’
He didn’t speak but reached forward and put his arms around her, kicking the door closed behind him.
‘You shouldn’t be in here, Gus, what the hell are you doing?’
He took her face in his hands and looked intensely into her eyes.
‘I can’t tell you what I’ve been imagining these last days while you were stuck in France.’
She gently led him towards the bed to sit down. ‘I don’t know what to say,’ she said.
‘Don’t say a word,’ Gus muttered into her hair and then he moved his head round to kiss her. His lips were soft and Bobby tilted her head up and hesitated for a moment before kissing him back. The tension of the last week flooded through her and she found a glorious oblivion in that moment. Gus moved to gradually push her backwards onto the bed, running his hands over her body.
She murmured, welcoming his desire for her and he climbed on top of her. He started to undo her shirt, taking her breasts in his hands and then leaned down to kiss them.
Bobby’s knowledge of intimacy had been limited to some unsatisfactory fumblings in the haybarn with a rather attractive cowhand, but no one had told her how pleasurable it could all be. She moaned with delight and arched her body towards him. Gus was expertly touching various parts of her body, moving her uniform out of the way slowly to reveal her white skin. He leaned his face towards her and whispered, ‘I think I may be in love with you, Bobby Hollis.’
‘What?’ she said, suddenly sitting up and pulling away from him.
‘I don’t know; I just know you drive me mad.’ He tried to gently push her back down but Bobby wriggled out from underneath him to stand up. She rearranged her uniform and started to do up her buttons.
She needed time to think.
At the age of twenty-nine, she realised this was the first time she had actually been kissed properly. It was all happening too fast and she had a sudden need to ask Harriet what to do.
She looked up, guiltily, feeling his disappointment, but Gus’s stricken face suddenly made her laugh.
‘Oh, I’m sorry, Gus, but you do look so sorry for yourself. I really like you, but love? I’m just not sure.’
Gus turned to grab the jacket he had discarded on the floor and shuffled to his feet, avoiding her gaze.
‘I’m sorry too, I just want you so much. I was so worried something had happened to you over there.
He started to back out of the door.
‘Gus, I . . .’ Bobby started to say but he shook his head and opened the door before disappearing into the corridor.
After a moment, she turned towards the bed, and climbed in. Had she really been about to make love to Gus Prince? She was not sure what had stopped her but the last vision she saw in her mind as she drifted off into a troubled sleep was the face of Edward Turner. The next thing she heard was a knock at the door.
‘Yes?’ she said sleepily.
‘Want a cuppa, sir?’ a voice came through the closed door.
‘Oh, yes, please.’ She sat up and pulled her fingers roughly through her hair. She was still in uniform and she pulled the jacket straight under the covers. Her boots were discarded on the floor next to the bed. Bobby quickly scanned the room to check there were no signs of her earlier visitor.
An orderly came in carrying a cup and saucer. He had been told it was an ATA pilot but he had nearly dropped the tray when he heard a female voice. He put the tray down shakily on the small wooden table next to the bed.
‘It’s a bright morning, s . . . ma’am. I prefer cloud myself, less chance of any little packages from across the Channel.’ He pulled the blackout blinds back to reveal the bright morning sunshine and turned to go.
Bobby nodded. She had almost forgotten how the danger had always come from the skies in Britain, rather than the street outside your front door. She sighed. It was good to be back.
The door pushed open a little more and Elizé’s face appeared.
‘Are you awake?’ she whispered.
‘Yes. There’s no need to whisper,’ Bobby laughed. ‘Come in.’
She pulled back the covers so the little girl could climb in next to her and put her arms around her.
‘Bobbee. Bobbee . . . are we really safe here? Am I safe? Is it dange
rous here to be a Jew?’
‘No, well, some people might not like it,’ Bobby admitted, thinking of the people who had thrown insults at a Jewish family in Norwich in the early days of the war and of some of the comments Rachel had received in the market. ‘But,’ she added hurriedly, ‘they won’t do anything about it, you’re safe here.’
Elizé leaned back and thought of her mother. She looked sideways at Bobby, considering that if only this guardian angel from the skies had come just a few days earlier, Bobby might have been able to save her too.
‘Do . . . you think Maman . . . is still . . . alive?’ she said the words haltingly, as if saying them out loud might put a jinx on the possibility.
Bobby pulled her tighter towards her. ‘I don’t know,’ she admitted, ‘but if we can find her, we will.’
She had no idea how she was going to do that but she felt a need to give this child the precious gift of hope.
*
Bobby had no time to work out a strategy as she and Elizé embarked on the journey to Norwich. The child’s nervousness was palpable. Her hand gripped Bobby’s all the way to the station and when she saw the train on the platform, she froze.
The guard was waiting with his whistle poised but Elizé would not move, her eyes staring at the guard’s van with its iron-barred window. It brought back the most horrific memories for the child.
All around them there were service people pushing and shoving to get on the train but Elizé stood transfixed, her eyes staring at the guard’s van.
She suddenly turned to Bobby and screamed.
‘NON, non, je ne vais pas, je ne vais pas. I WILL NOT GO!’
Bobby went down on her knees and hugged her close.
She talked softly into her ear, ignoring the curious stares of the people around them.
‘Do you trust me, Elizé?’
The child nodded slowly.
‘I am going to take care of you. This is England, there are no Germans here. I promise you will be safe. This train is just going to take us home, home to Norwich, I will be with you.’