The Spitfire Sisters

by Margaret Dickinson

  ‘Won’t they regard him as a wounded hero? Those other girls, I mean. Won’t they see it as all rather – romantic?’

  ‘For a while – maybe, but it takes a remarkable young woman to last the course. What my Robert would have done without Alice’s devotion, I shudder to think.’ Henrietta and Betty regarded each other, remembering the tough times Robert had been through.

  As if reading each other’s thoughts, Henrietta said, ‘And now we must see Harry through this.’

  Fifty-Six

  ‘Now Milly, dear, I know exactly what you’re going to say, but please, this time, will you find a small hotel in Reading for Jake and Kitty?’ During the middle of the week following the accident, Sam, in his nightly telephone call to the hall, had said that Harry was now allowed visitors other than his immediate family. Henrietta had felt obliged to tell Milly about Jake and Kitty’s plans. ‘We really cannot impose on your kindness any more.’

  ‘Oh, do let them come here. Please. They’ll be lost in London and I can look after them. I have three bedrooms and I’m sure Jake wouldn’t mind being gallant and sleeping on the couch.’

  Henrietta chuckled. ‘He’s slept in far worse places in his life, I can assure you, Milly.’

  ‘But, of course, if anyone else wants to come down, I will have to draw a halt.’ She giggled. ‘I can’t put the whole village up, though I’d do it gladly if I had the space.’

  ‘I know you would, dear. Very well, then. Just this time, but no more.’

  If it hadn’t been for their anxiety over Harry, Kitty and Jake would both have enjoyed the journey.

  ‘It’s exciting, isn’t it,’ she said, as fields and houses flashed by the window, but when they arrived at the huge railway station in the city, she clung to Jake’s arm, overwhelmed by the bustling crowds. When they stepped out into the busy, noisy streets, she stared about her in wonderment. ‘I thought Lincoln was big, but this . . .’

  ‘Come on, over here. We’re to find a taxi and go straight to Mrs Whittaker’s.’

  Kitty was open-mouthed as the cab weaved its way through the streets. They were lucky in having a chatty driver who, realizing they didn’t know his city, proudly pointed out all the landmarks and places of interest.

  ‘’Course, ’Itler’s trying to do his best to ruin it all, but ’ee won’t manage it. We’ll build it all again once this lot’s all over an’ we’ve beaten ’im. You’ll see.’ He paused and then asked, ‘Where’re you from, then?’

  ‘Lincolnshire,’ Jake said. ‘Near Lincoln itself.’

  ‘Oho, bomber county, eh?’

  Jake held his breath, waiting for what he thought was the inevitable question. Are you in the forces? But it didn’t come. Perhaps, he thought wryly, the man thought he looked too old.

  ‘We’ve come to see a – friend of ours. He’s a bomber pilot and he crashed. He – he’s badly injured.’

  ‘I’m sorry to hear that, mate. In hospital here, is he?’

  ‘No, in Reading, but we’re going to a friend’s home first. She’ll take us to see him.’

  ‘Right you are. We’re nearly there.’

  A few moments later, the cab drew up outside Milly’s apartment, but when Jake tried to pay the driver, the man waved aside his money. ‘Have this one on me, mate, and I hope your friend recovers. Where we’d be without the RAF lads, I don’t know.’

  As they stood on the pavement and watched him drive away Kitty murmured, ‘Aren’t people nice?’

  ‘They certainly are,’ Jake said, picking up their bags. ‘And there’s none nicer than Mrs Whittaker.’

  Moments later, Milly greeted them effusively. ‘Now, you must have something to eat and then I’ll take you to the hospital, if you’re not too tired. You must have caught a very early train to arrive here by lunchtime.’

  ‘We did, but we’re fine,’ Jake said and Kitty added, ‘We want to see him as soon as possible, even if it’s only for a few minutes. How is he? Have Mr and Mrs Nuttall said?’

  ‘Yes, they give me a daily report. He’s starting to respond to the treatment, but it’s very slow. He had a fever for a while and was often delirious, but he’s coming out of that now. You mustn’t be shocked at his appearance. The left side of his face is injured too. Did you know that?’

  Kitty nodded, unable to speak for the lump in her throat.

  ‘Has Daisy been to see him yet?’ Jake asked.

  ‘She’s coming at the weekend.’

  Jake nodded. ‘We’re only stopping two nights, if that’s all right, so we’ll be gone by then.’

  Milly only shrugged. ‘It’s no problem. Daisy and Kitty could share the room. There are two single beds in there.’

  ‘Oh, but we couldn’t—’ Jake began, but Milly flapped her hand. ‘As far as I’m concerned, you can both stay as long as you like. I mean it. We’ll manage.’ For a moment, her face crumpled. ‘I do know how much Harry means to all of you and he needs you.’

  ‘Has he – has he had lots of visitors?’ Kitty asked, holding her breath, fearing to hear the answer.

  ‘What she means is,’ Jake smiled, ‘has he had a lot of girlfriends around the bed?’

  Milly stared at her and then realization flooded through her. Kitty wasn’t just a friend; she was in love with Harry, but she obviously knew about his bevy of girlfriends.

  ‘As far as I know,’ Milly said carefully, ‘only his mother, Sam and Luke have visited. The only other person they’ve mentioned was a visit from his commanding officer, but other than that – no one.’

  Kitty smiled.

  When Milly took Jake and Kitty to the hospital, the ward sister warned them, ‘As he improves, you will have to stick to visiting hours, though I do realize you have all come a long way to see him.’ She smiled. ‘We can be tartars, but we have our patients’ best interests at heart, you see. Constant visitors can be tiring and we have to be fair to the other patients too, of course. Though in this case, I have to say, everyone has been most understanding towards a brave pilot. Here we are . . .’

  As she ushered the three of them into the ward, Sam and Peggy rose from their chairs on either side of the bed.

  ‘Hello, Jake – Kitty,’ Sam said. ‘We’ll go and get a cup of tea and maybe a sandwich whilst you talk to him. And then I think we should all go for a while and come back tomorrow. Sister has been most kind, but I think he needs a rest.’

  ‘I’ll just say “hello”,’ Milly said, ‘and then I’ll leave you to it.’

  Moments later, Peggy, Sam and Milly left. Kitty moved tentatively to the side of the bed and gazed down at the man she had adored for so many years. He was changed, of course, but to her he was still her Harry; her beloved Harry.

  ‘Kitty,’ he said in a croaky whisper. ‘It’s good to see you. Fancy you coming all this way to see me.’

  A smile hovered on her lips; she’d walk to the ends of the earth to see him, but she said nothing. As he held out his hand towards her, she took it, feeling its warm clamminess. He still had some fever, she thought, as a quiver of fear ran through her.

  ‘And Jake too.’ He turned his head on the pillow but winced as if the movement pained him.

  ‘I couldn’t let Kitty come all this way on her own, now could I? Besides, I wanted to make sure you’re behaving yarsen.’

  ‘How’s things at home? How are all the horses? I’ve missed our rides out, you know.’

  ‘We’ll do it again. Just get yourself better and come home. We’ll soon have you riding out again.’

  ‘You think so?’ Harry sounded doubtful.

  ‘I know so,’ Jake said firmly.

  Kitty sat, holding his hand, but she couldn’t think of anything to say. All the things she wanted to tell him could not be spoken. He turned his head again slightly to look at her. Half his face was still bandaged and his right eye still looked bruised and sore.

  ‘Can you – see all right?’ she asked hesitantly.

  ‘Out of this one, yes, but they’re not sure about the other one yet.�
��

  Jake talked softly, telling him all about home and life in the village until Harry drifted off to sleep.

  ‘I think we should go,’ Jake whispered. ‘Let him rest a while. Sam said we can come back tomorrow.’

  Reluctantly, Kitty nodded and eased her hand out of his grasp. Quietly, they left the ward and found their way back to Milly’s.

  ‘Dinner’s almost ready,’ Milly greeted them. ‘This is my husband, Paul. I don’t think you’ve met him, have you, Kitty?’

  ‘It’s very good of you to have us all,’ Jake said, shaking Paul’s hand.

  ‘Glad we can help and Milly likes nothing better than having a houseful. Now, can I get you a drink before we eat? Beer? Sherry?’

  Jake glanced at Sam, who was standing in front of the fireplace with a beer glass in his hand.

  ‘Beer would be very nice, thank you,’ Jake said.

  ‘And Kitty? Sherry, perhaps?’

  ‘Thank you, but I don’t drink, Mr Whittaker.’

  ‘Call me “Paul”, please. I’ll get you a soft drink, then.’

  As they all sat down to eat, Kitty was still nervous in such lavish surroundings and anxious not to make a fool of herself.

  ‘I’ve been thinking . . .’ Milly said.

  ‘Oh dear, that’s ominous,’ Paul said, rolling his eyes. They all laughed, easing the tension. Kitty suddenly found she was very hungry after the long journey and the emotion of seeing Harry and began to eat the lovely food in front of her.

  ‘I know Jake and Kitty can only stay two days,’ Milly said, ‘and I expect that you, Sam, will have to get back to work before long.’

  Sam nodded. ‘Yes, Mr Dawson’s getting on a bit now. He can’t cope with the work like he used to do. And the two young lads from the village we’ve got helping us until they’re called up aren’t exactly the world’s finest wheelwright and blacksmith, though they do their best. I have to say that the young evacuee lad, Bernard, is better than the pair of them put together.’

  ‘What about you, Peggy? Could you stay longer? I’m sure your mother – and Betty – would look after Sam.’

  ‘Well, they would, but . . .’ She hesitated, glancing at Sam.

  ‘Of course you could stay, love, but we don’t like to impose on your kindness, Mrs Whittaker.’

  Milly flapped her hand. ‘Think nothing of it. I enjoy the company and you’d be here when all the others come visiting. Daisy will be here at the weekend and I know Luke will be back again as soon as he can and then there’s Pips. She’s sure to come.’

  ‘It’ll be like Piccadilly in here,’ Paul joked, but all Milly said happily was, ‘Yes, won’t it?’

  Over the next two days whilst Kitty and Jake were still there, Harry slowly improved. On the evening before they were due to leave, Sam said over dinner, ‘He’s so much better now, Peggy, love, I think I will go back with Jake and Kitty tomorrow afternoon.’

  ‘We’ll ring the hall every night to let you all know how he is,’ Milly said.

  ‘That’s a good idea and then I can let everyone else know,’ Sam agreed. ‘Our parents are all very anxious. And the Dawsons, too, of course. They’ve always treated him almost like another grandson.’ He laughed wryly, ‘At least Mrs Dawson does.’

  ‘Well, if they want to come down . . .’ Milly began, but Sam only laughed.

  ‘It’s very kind of you, Mrs Whittaker, but I don’t think the womenfolk – Mrs Dawson and Mrs Cooper, that is – or my mother – have ever been further than Lincoln in their lives. I really don’t think they’d make the journey.’

  The following morning, when they had to say goodbye to Harry, Kitty’s tears were very close. She managed valiantly to hold them in check in front of him, but on the journey home she could no longer hold them back. Sam held her hand and talked softly to her. ‘We know how you feel about Harry, love. We’ve always known, but we don’t want you to get your hopes up. You know what a flirt he is. I don’t think he’s ever been serious about any of the girls he’s taken out. I don’t want to hurt you, Kitty, love, but I have to be honest with you.’

  Kitty sniffed and wiped her tears. ‘I know, Mr Nuttall. I don’t have any false hopes about Harry’s feelings for me, but I just had to go and see him. I love him so much – I always have – and I just needed to see for myself that he’s going to be all right.’ She smiled tremulously. ‘But please don’t worry about me. I know I don’t stand a chance with him alongside all those pretty girls, but I hope he sees me as a friend. I don’t ask for anything more.’

  Sam felt a lump in his own throat as he patted her hand, but there was really nothing else he could say. He was very much afraid that what she said was true.

  Fifty-Seven

  The Maitland family were seated round the table in the Great Hall finishing dinner.

  ‘So, did Jake say how Harry is?’ Edwin asked.

  ‘Recovering slowly,’ Robert said. ‘But it’s going to take a while.’

  ‘As soon as he’s fit to be moved, we’ll see what we can do about getting him brought to Lincoln,’ Edwin said. ‘If the RAF will agree, of course. He’ll still be their responsibility. But it would be so much easier for his family and friends. Poor Milly must feel her apartment has become a hotel.’

  ‘Don’t worry about Milly,’ Henrietta said. ‘I get the impression she’s loving it. Oh, not poor Harry being hurt, of course, but to feel she’s helping. She loves company and I expect she’ll persuade Peggy to stay for as long as she wants. Bess and Clara will look after Sam whilst she’s away.’

  Edwin’s eyes twinkled as he regarded his wife. ‘And no doubt, Hetty, my love, you’ll be asking if there’s anything you can do to help.’

  Henrietta smiled at him. ‘No doubt I will, Edwin.’

  It was several weeks before the doctors deemed Harry fit enough to be moved north. He had had a steady stream of visitors. His mother went every day, often accompanied by Milly. Daisy, Luke, Johnny, Gill, Pips and even Mitch visited him whenever they could. But to everyone’s surprise there were no pretty girls queueing along the corridors of the Royal Berkshire to visit the handsome hero, nor any pink, perfumed letters arriving for him. There were only letters from home and one, twice a week, from Kitty. ‘A chap whose face is scarred for life and who can no longer take them wining, dining and dancing is not much of a catch,’ Harry said philosophically, but strangely there was no bitterness in his tone.

  ‘Kitty will never desert you.’

  ‘Ah yes. The ever-faithful little Kitty.’ He frowned lopsidedly. ‘Tell me, Mam, did I dream it or did she come to visit me? Those early days are all a bit hazy.’

  ‘She did. Mrs Maitland arranged for Jake to bring her and they stayed with Milly.’

  ‘Good old Aunty Milly. She’s a brick, isn’t she?’ There was a pause before he said, ‘Well, Mam, I have some news. Kitty will soon be able to visit me again. The doctors have said I can be moved to Lincoln hospital. They’ve been in touch with them and they have a bed there for me. I’ll be there in time for Christmas.’

  The stitches had been taken out after two weeks and Harry had improved rapidly after that. After a month, at the end of October, he could lever himself out of bed and into a wheelchair. And now, six weeks later, even the bandages had been removed and the surgeon had agreed he was well enough to be moved nearer his family.

  ‘They will help in his recovery now, almost as much as nursing care,’ he’d remarked. And the RAF had agreed to his removal to Lincoln hospital; it was near where he was based anyway.

  ‘Oh Harry,’ Peggy said, tears of thankfulness glistening in her eyes. ‘That’s wonderful.’

  ‘Of course, I expect I’ll have to come back down here when my stump has healed well enough to have a leg fitted, but in the meantime, at least I’ll be nearer you all and then soon, I hope, they’ll let me come home, though I’ll be on crutches for a while.’

  ‘We’ll manage,’ Peggy said happily. ‘You’re alive and you’ll be out of the war.’

  ‘F
or a while – yes, but don’t forget I’m still officially in the RAF.’

  Peggy’s face was a picture. ‘But – but surely you can’t fly again.’

  Harry grinned, unable to stop himself teasing her. ‘Well, as everyone has been reminding me, look at Douglas Bader – and I’ve only lost one leg.’

  Harry was back on home turf just before Christmas and much of the festivities for the Nuttall family took place in his ward in Lincoln hospital. Now, he had a steady stream of visitors, none more frequent than the faithful Kitty.

  ‘My four-leafed clover didn’t work, did it?’ she said dismally, when she visited on Boxing Day, Harry’s birthday.

  ‘’Course it did, Kitty. I’d’ve been a goner if it hadn’t been for that.’

  But the girl didn’t seem convinced. He reached for her hand. ‘Don’t you ever think that, you silly goose. Now, tell me who’s coming in later?’

  She smiled. ‘All of ’em. The Maitlands – though Miss Pips, Daisy and Luke couldn’t get home for Christmas this year, so they’re not here. All your family, of course, and even Mrs Dawson’s coming, though I don’t know about Mr Dawson. Sister will have a fit, but I don’t think she’ll say too much. Not to a hero.’

  Harry had the grace to blush. The previous week he had received the news that he had been awarded the Distinguished Flying Medal for saving the lives of his crew by flying his Lancaster until they had all bailed out safely and, in so doing, had risked his own life. And even then, he had continued to fly it until he found an open space in which to crash-land, rather than bail out and let it crash into houses. It had been a wonderful piece of news for Bess to impart proudly to the whole village and beyond.

  ‘Sister won’t mind,’ Harry said now. ‘All the chaps in this ward are walking wounded. We won’t be disturbing anyone who’s seriously ill. Besides, a lot of ’em whose families live a distance away won’t have visitors today. Those who could, came yesterday – so we’ll share mine out.’

  Just as Harry had predicted, the four members of the Maitland family arrived mid-afternoon and, when they had greeted Harry and loaded his bed with presents, they moved around the ward to sit with the patients who had no visitors. Bess Cooper held court at his bedside with Norah alongside her.