The Spitfire Girls(27)

‘Ruby, will you marry me?’ he asked.

‘Yes!’ she squealed, holding out her finger as he slipped the ring on and leaned in for a quick kiss, before letting out a whoop and firing up the plane again. They taxied fast down the runway this time, her stomach leaping as they lifted into the air. She laughed as he swooped, showing off, tipping left and then right as they soared.

In that moment, Tom had been all she’d needed: Tom and the thrill of gliding through the sky as if nothing could ever stand in the way of their happiness. She dropped her head to the table as the memory faded, shutting her eyes and fingering the ring at her neck, still hanging from the little silver chain she’d strung it from to keep Tom near. Was it all worth it? If she lost Tom, would she wish she’d stayed at home and kept on volunteering at the post office instead of running off to ferry planes? Perhaps he was right to want to protect her; perhaps he did know what was best for her.

She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to clear her mind, wishing she could stop the voice in her head and trust her instincts instead.

‘I was told I’d find you in here.’

Ruby blinked and sat up. ‘Polly!’ She stood and threw her arms around her friend. ‘What are you doing here? When did you arrive?’

‘Oh, you know, I’ve been ferrying Spitfires. But I was dropped off here on my way home to fly another plane back to base this afternoon.’

‘It’s so good to see you. Any gossip? What’s happening back at White Waltham?’

‘Nothing really, but we are taking bets on whether it’ll be you or Lizzie to be first in the air in a bomber. It’s a nice distraction from listening to the wireless and fretting about who’s late back. We’ve been told it’s turned into quite the competition!’

Ruby groaned. Of course they all knew about it; gossip spread like wildfire between the pilots. ‘It’s not going to be me. Seriously, she’s so good it’s insane. I don’t even know why we’re competing. Why isn’t it enough that one of us, a woman from our base, is going to get it? She’s turned it into some awful kind of race.’

‘Don’t be daft,’ Polly said. ‘First of all, there’s nothing wrong with a bit of friendly competition, and second, I didn’t place the biggest bet only to lose it. You’re a sure thing!’

‘Why does everyone else have more confidence in me than I do? And I’d hardly call the competition friendly,’ Ruby grumbled. ‘As soon as May announced that the first flight was between me and Lizzie, it became very serious.’

‘Look, just beat her, would you?’ Polly asked. ‘If it’s not me up there in the sky then I want it to be you.’

Ruby stared. ‘You wanted to be in the running for it?’ she asked, guilt trickling through her as she saw the look on Polly’s face. ‘I didn’t even think. How stupid of me – of course you did!’

‘Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth, Ruby. You get up there and prove to everyone that you’re better than her. I would have loved to be transferred here, but I didn’t have enough flying hours to even be considered, so I’m living vicariously through you!’

Ruby took a deep breath. Hearing Polly say that was exactly what she’d needed. She couldn’t give up, not now, not when she was so fortunate to be training in a Halifax. ‘Did May tell you to come in here and give me a good kick up the backside?’

Polly laughed. ‘No, I did that all on my own. Now, can we get a hot cuppa? I’m dying of thirst here.’

Ruby shut her textbook and stood, linking arms with Polly. ‘Good idea. And while we’re talking about good ideas, do you have any leave this weekend?’

‘Yes, why?’

‘Because I need a night away. Can you afford a night in London with me?’

‘I’ll be there with bells on,’ Polly said with a big grin. ‘It sounds like heaven to me right now.’

They walked arm in arm towards the mess room, Ruby bursting with laughter as she told Polly all about Captain Montgomery and how he’d put Lizzie into a complete tailspin. And just like that, all the stress of flying and being the one to beat Lizzie drifted away as though it had never been there in the first place. It was so good to be with a friend. Thank God for Polly.





CHAPTER SIX

HAMBLE AIRFIELD, HAMPSHIRE,

JUNE 1942

MAY

‘I thought I’d find you here.’

May looked up, smiling before she even saw him. Benjamin often sat with her in the early morning, tucked away behind the main hangar for a few stolen moments before the day began, or she’d do his rounds with him and watch as he checked over the engines. He was nursing a mug this morning and she was doing the same, the heat from her tea warming her palms and making it almost bearable to be outside so early.

‘Do you have time to sit?’ she asked.

‘You’re the boss, Commander,’ he said with a grin. ‘Do I?’

May took a sip, the hot tea warming a trail down her throat. ‘You need to stop calling me Commander, Ben. How many times have I asked you to call me May?’

He shrugged. ‘Obviously not enough. Now, how about you tell me why you’ve got dark circles under your eyes? Aren’t you sleeping?’

She absently touched her face, wondering how he’d noticed, but not really surprised. Somehow, her flight mechanic had been the only one to actually see her let her guard down. The women she managed were like family to her – she’d fight for their safety and better training and facilities until she was blue in the face, but she always had her wall up with them. Something about Ben made her relax, as if she didn’t have to pretend, at least for the few minutes every day when they sat in the frigid air, drinking tea. Perhaps it was because he checked her engines and those of her girls, promising her hand on heart each time she flew out that he’d been over every inch of her aircraft. In a world where she looked after everyone else, he was the only one who looked after her.