‘Did she write to your wife as well?’
‘No idea – but I doubt it. Charlotte will ignore any unpleasantness and pretend things are how she wants them to be. I’m expecting to hear from her solicitor that she wants a divorce.’
‘Don’t see how she can get one as she has no grounds. Mrs B wants us all to change tonight. I’d wear my suit if I still had one – I don’t own anything more respectable than a blazer so that will have to do.’
‘Good God, son, I’m not going that far. Far too hot – a wash and a clean shirt will do me.’
Jack decided he’d follow Fred’s example. He was looking forward to having the room to himself again and wouldn’t be sorry when Greg departed tomorrow morning for his base.
*
The evening was tedious but the meal worth the effort of changing. Greg was particularly charming and not just to Ellie. When he suggested the two of them went for a moonlight walk Jack was surprised that she accepted immediately. She must know a proposal was on the cards and he would have thought she’d do everything to avoid that.
His bedroom overlooked the garden and he said goodnight to Fred and dashed upstairs. The windows were already wide open – all he had to do was sit on the window seat and he’d be able to hear what was said. Eavesdropping deliberately left a sour taste in his mouth but he was curious to know how she was going to handle the tricky situation.
As expected their voices carried clearly to his position.
‘I’ve enjoyed having you here, Greg, thank you so much for helping out. I hope you’ll visit us again one day, although I expect you’ll have better things to do with your time.’
‘It’s been my absolute pleasure. And I’m rather hoping I’m going to see a great deal more of you in future.’
Here it comes – Dunlop was about to pop the question.
‘No, Greg, don’t spoil things. You know I’ve no interest in anything apart from flying and I intend to keep doing that as long as I can. As far as I’m concerned you are a friend of the family. I hope you understand.’
There was a long silence. Jack smiled in the darkness unsurprised that she’d taken the initiative.
‘I see. I suppose your father told you my intentions.’
Jack tensed. Was she going to reveal who actually informed her?
‘I’m not blind, Greg, I noticed you were treating me differently since we kissed the other night. If I’d gone to bed with you that would be different – you might feel you have to do the gentlemanly thing. But a kiss? I hope I get the opportunity to kiss quite a few attractive men before I settle down.’
Bloody hell! She wasn’t as naive as he thought. He waited to hear what the response would be. If it had been him he would have made love to her right there in the garden. There was an uncomfortable tightness in his groin at the thought. This wouldn’t do. Tomorrow he’d find himself a willing bed-mate – if he was reacting to Ellie then he must be desperate.
He’d heard quite enough and moved away from the window and switched on the light. He drew the curtains noisily letting them know he was there. If he was honest he felt a bit sorry for Dunlop, he quite liked him, but Ellie wasn’t right for him. It would be the same situation as her ma marrying Fred, but in reverse. Better that folk stuck to their own kind, in his opinion.
When the door opened shortly afterwards he pretended to be asleep. There was no need to rub salt in the poor bloke’s wounds.
‘She turned me down. Comprehensively. But, in case you’re interested, Reynolds, I’m not giving up. She’s agreed to correspond with me and I have an open invitation to visit if I get any leave.’
Jack pushed himself up on his elbows. ‘Good for you, mate, but I don’t hold out much hope for your success. She’s made it very plain marriage to you, or anyone for that matter, doesn’t feature in her plans.’
‘So she discussed it with you?’ He didn’t sound too pleased and Jack didn’t blame him.
‘Fred told me and I told her. I needn’t have bothered as she’d already guessed. You’d be better off sticking with some classy debutante, she’d fit in better with your family than Ellie would. It didn’t work out too well for her mum, marrying beneath her, did it?’ Jack heard the other bed creak.
‘You could be right. But don’t they say that, "love conquers all"?’
‘I reckon they do, and it could be right. Goodnight.’ He turned over and fell asleep immediately.
*
When Ellie came down for breakfast Greg had already left. Jack greeted her with a wave of his bacon-laden fork.
‘He left you a letter, it’s on the dresser. Will you be ready to go in twenty minutes? If not you can cycle.’
She glanced across and saw the envelope but ignored it. ‘Unlike you I don’t stuff my face every morning. It’s too hot to use my bike so I’m ready when you are.’
He nodded towards her new work outfit. ‘Much better – you can do your job just as well in slacks. I’m glad to see the back of those overalls.’
‘I’m wearing these because of the weather, not because I want to look smart. When I have my flying kit on nobody can see what’s underneath anyway.’
*
On the drive to the airfield she thought it safe to ask a question that had obviously been bothering her. ‘Have you heard from Joe?’
‘My aunt said he’s still helping police with their enquiries and she’s not been able to see him. They took away several boxes from the attic but she’s no idea what they are intending to charge him with – if anything at all.’
‘I’m finding it hard to accept that Joe isn’t the man I thought he was. I’d always wondered why he came to Glebe Farm and why my dad agreed to let him have these fields and barns. Knowing that Joe blackmailed him is horrible.’
‘I’m not exactly happy with it either. I spoke to Fred about this, asked if he wanted me to move out, but he said no. He thinks that he’s actually gained more from the arrangement than he lost. You wouldn’t be a pilot and neither would your brothers if Joe hadn’t set up here.’
‘I suppose you’re right. If Dad isn’t bothered then I’ll forget about it. Do you think your uncle was blackmailing other people as well? Was that what was in the boxes the police took?’
They bumped to a standstill in his usual parking place. This wasn’t a conversation they could continue when they might be overheard and Sid was already busy in the hangar.
‘I’d always thought he was a fence, never actually got his own hands dirty, just handled the stolen goods. Now I’m not so sure. I’m trying to figure out how he came to be in possession of that list. I can think of only one feasible explanation – he was a member and tore the page out himself. How else could he have got hold of it?’
Ellie was glad she hadn’t eaten any more than a slice of toast as her stomach lurched uncomfortably. ‘That makes sense and I don’t know why I didn’t think of that too. What doesn’t add up is why no one attempted to recover the evidence until now.’
‘It has to be something to do with the police investigation. But I agree, why wait until now to get the document back?’
Sid would wonder why they were still sitting talking in the car and not getting on with things. ‘I don’t want to think about it now. Shall we talk about it after Dad goes up tonight?’
‘Let’s forget about it. Matters have moved on and it’s out of our hands now.’
*
He was right. It was far more important to continue to train as many young men, who could afford the £2 an hour, as possible. The country would need hundreds of pilots if the truce with Germany collapsed. This way she could do something valuable and would feel less bothered about not having passed on the information to the correct authorities.
Jack was slowly becoming part of the family and he had developed an interest in farming much to her dad’s delight. Neither Neil nor George had ever expressed any interest in continuing the family business.
Simpsons had been farming this land for generations and over the year
s more land and other farms had been added. There were four farms leased to tenants and a dozen or more cottages rented out, and these didn’t include the tied cottages for the farmworkers.
They didn’t live as though they were wealthy, which was the reason Mum had been so miserable. She suspected Dad was one of the biggest landowners in the area and could easily afford to build himself a grand house if he wanted. Finding the money for the new aircraft would have been easy for him.
Now she came to think of it, she and her brothers had gone to the most expensive schools and he’d never quibbled about paying for extras. Perhaps she could have been a debutante and swished around in silk gowns if her mother had had her way.
She’d not given Greg a second thought until Mrs B gave her an envelope several days later.
‘Ellie love, didn’t you see this from Mr Dunlop? It’s been on the dresser since he left.’
‘Thanks, I’d forgotten all about it. Been far too busy at work.’
She took the letter to her bedroom where she could read it in private.
She went to the window seat to read the letter:
Ellie
I thought it best if we didn’t speak to each other this morning. I understand why you didn’t want me to propose and I respect your views.
There’s a war coming and when it does anyone flying an aircraft will be vulnerable. I thought that having you in my life would give me something tangible to fight for – a reason to stay alive.
I imagine that you’re shaking your head and frowning, thinking I’m trying to manipulate you into doing something you’re not comfortable with.
You’re wrong, sweetheart, I love you and I should have said so last night. I’m pretty sure you don’t reciprocate my feelings at the moment, but you are attracted to me, and that’s a start.
Would you do me a favour? Write to me occasionally and maybe invite me to visit? I’m not going to pressure you into doing something you don’t want. I’d love to be able to take you out to dinner or dancing in Town, introduce you to my friends, but with no strings on either side.
We enjoy each other’s company. The fact that I love you isn’t a problem. All I want is to be able to spend time with you.
Take care of yourself
She put the letter down and wiped her eyes. He was right; she was attracted to him and might enjoy being escorted to nightclubs and smart restaurants. Tomorrow she would discuss this with Dad. If he was happy for her to go out occasionally with Greg then she might actually consider it.
Sixteen
The weeks slid by and towards the end of August Ellie decided to go to London to buy herself some new clothes. Elizabeth and Anna, the only two girls she’d kept in contact with after leaving school, were going to meet her at Liverpool Street. She had more than enough in her bank, since Jack had been paying her the same rate as himself, to buy what she wanted without asking her dad for a handout.
He’d been quite happy for her to have the occasional date with Greg and so she’d written back telling him this – which was why she needed a couple of new outfits. Her first invitation was to dinner and then to a party in Mayfair. He’d suggested booking her into the Savoy, which was reasonably close to the station, but she didn’t want to stay in a grand hotel on her own. Instead she would stay at his London home.
Jack insisted on driving her to Romford station on his way to work on the Saturday morning. ‘Make sure you catch the four thirty train. I don’t want to hang about waiting for you this evening.’
‘Don’t worry – if I don’t get off that train then I’ll get a taxi home.’
‘I’ll go for a pint.’ He grinned. ‘But I warn you, I’ll not be in the sunniest of tempers.’
‘Even more reason for you not to come and let me make my own arrangements.’
‘Stop arguing, Ellie, the only taxi you’re getting in today is this one.’
‘Are you going to put up the Anderson shelter that arrived the other day?’
‘Fred’s getting a couple of blokes from the village to do it and giving them a quid each.’ His expression became grim. ‘We’ve had those bloody gas masks for months, evacuation plans for the children have been made and Mrs B has put up the blackout curtains. That bastard Hitler is about to march. I just hope we’re going to be ready.’
‘The last time I spoke to Greg he said Britain began rearming in the spring and new planes are arriving all the time. Whatever the Prime Minister is saying about peace with Germany, I don’t think he believes it any more than we do.’
The car ground to a halt outside the station and she hopped out. ‘Thank you, see you just after five o’clock.’
Although the train stopped at every station the journey was completed in half an hour. She rushed towards the barrier, ticket in hand, and was relieved to see her two friends jumping up and down waving from the other side.
‘Right on time, Ellie, we only just arrived ourselves,’ Elizabeth said after having hugged her enthusiastically. Her friend was a head shorter but in her high heels she looked almost as tall.
‘I like the new hairdo, very fashionable. In fact, the two of you make me look like a shabby provincial miss.’
Anna didn’t go in for physical signs of affection but smiled warmly. ‘Which is exactly what you are, Miss Simpson. We’ve come to render you our able assistance. I promise you, that when you go home tonight your family won’t recognise you. It’s just a pity you have your hair so short, but never mind, we’ve booked you in for a manicure and make up in the West End.’
‘I’m not glamorous like either of you and I don’t think a lot of lipstick and rouge would suit me. I just want a couple of smart outfits and an evening gown – plus all the bits and bobs that I need to go with them.’
Her friends exchanged a smile and her heart sank. She was very fond of the pair of them but, lovely as they both were, she had no desire to look like either of them. They were the epitome of what her mother thought was right for a young lady from a good home but wouldn’t suit someone who flew for a living in a man’s world.
‘We are both impressed that you’ve managed to snag such a prestigious catch as Gregory Dunlop. He’s often seen in the fashionable magazines with a beautiful young deb on his arm,’ Elizabeth said as she slipped her hand through Ellie’s arm.
‘We’re just friends, nothing else. I told you I met him through Neil and he helped out at the airfield for a bit.’
Anna was walking at her other side as if she thought Ellie might want to escape from them. ‘That’s what we thought. You’re not his type, he’d never marry someone like you. He’s just doing you a favour.’
Before she could stop herself, Ellie blurted out the truth. ‘Actually, he did ask me but I turned him down. I believe he’s hoping to persuade me to change my mind.’
Anna stopped dead and a pinstriped businessman cannoned into the back of her sending her flying in a most undignified heap. By the time the apologetic gentleman had helped her friend to her feet and brushed her down a small crowd of interested spectators had gathered.
‘I apologise again, my dear, you must allow me to pay for your shoes to be repaired.’ The man dipped into his wallet and handed over a five-pound note. Ellie was astonished Anna took it – she certainly wouldn’t have done.
‘That’s very thoughtful of you, sir. I shall get the heel repaired immediately.’
Only then did Ellie notice the heel of Anna’s shoe had snapped off leaving her strangely unbalanced. ‘There’s a cobbler’s over there. Are you going to take the other one off or try and walk the way you are?’
‘The way I am. If I hang onto your arms I won’t overbalance again. Look at this – I’ve got a big hole in the knee of my best silk stocking.’
‘Well, you’ve got more than enough to buy yourself several pairs of stockings and a pair of shoes.’ Ellie was still shocked that Anna had accepted so much money from a complete stranger. The only people who did that worked in quite a different sort of profession.
�
�Don’t be so stuffy, Ellen Simpson, why shouldn’t we have a delicious lunch paid for by someone with more money than we’ll ever have. I wouldn’t have taken it if he’d been an ordinary sort of person.’
‘Come on, let’s not hang about here anymore, I’m beginning to feel a bit conspicuous.’
‘Talking about conspicuous, don’t the shop windows look hideous now they’ve been taped up. I can’t see it making any difference if a bomb did drop on the street,’ Elizabeth said.
‘It’s supposed to prevent the glass flying out over passing pedestrians but we won’t know if it works until the Germans drop a bomb on London. I don’t want to think about that, not today, I’ve come up here to spend time with my best friends and enjoy myself.’
*
The last pupil of the day had driven away on his motorbike at two o’clock. Jack finished up in the office and locked the door. Sid and Gladys hadn’t been working today and he’d quite enjoyed being on his own for a change.
The two men from the village had finished digging out the foundations for the shelter. He would have liked to give them a hand but his arm was aching unpleasantly and he thought it would be better to give it a rest for the remainder of the weekend.
Mrs B was talking on the telephone when he walked in. She beckoned him frantically and he hurried over to take the receiver from her. She held her hand over the mouthpiece and whispered. ‘It’s someone from the Ministry – but I’m not sure which one. Will you speak to him?’
He took the phone. ‘Jack Reynolds speaking, how can I help you?’
‘Good man – just the person I wanted. I believe you’re the owner of Glebe Farm flying school, is that correct?’
‘It is. Who am I talking to?’
‘Sorry, should have introduced myself. Charlie Rotherham – attached to the Air Ministry. I’ve been hearing good things about your school. We’ve already got half a dozen pilots who trained with you. We need you to cancel your civilian clients and instruct the RAF bods instead.’
‘I’d be delighted to help out with the war effort. However, the instructor who trained most of those pilots is Ellen Simpson. You blokes okay to officially employ a girl instructor?’
Heartwarming and emotional story of one girl's courage in WW2 Page 14