The Spitfire Girls(49)

May folded her arms across her chest. ‘Well, remind them exactly who you are then, but do it the right way. They won’t forget you a second time. But watch your words.’

Lizzie clenched her hands into fists to stop them shaking. ‘Oh, I will, don’t you worry.’

‘Going back to the task at hand, though, I’ll need you to take a temporary back seat on the four-engine bombers over the next week or so – all of you, actually,’ May said. ‘It’s a logistical nightmare, but we’re in a hurry to get as many Spitfires as we can to Malta, and I’ll need all hands on deck.’

‘Including you?’

May nodded. ‘Including me. I’m actually looking forward to flying instead of being permanently buried in paperwork and training. This could be a game-changer for the war, and that means they need us to deliver every plane possible with every pilot at our disposal.’

‘Whatever you need, May, I’m here. You can count on me.’

‘Good,’ May replied. ‘We should fly out soon after the First Lady’s visit, depending on when the planes are ready.’

Lizzie looked down at her hands and fisted them when she still couldn’t stop them from shaking. ‘May, do you mind me asking how you got along with the pay disparity dispute?’ she asked, to take her mind off it. ‘Or will you be fighting that until you’re blue in the face?’

A slow, proud smile lit up May’s face. ‘Would you believe that I got it? They crumbled the moment I kicked up a fuss. It seems they weren’t prepared to face an angry woman with a female squadron behind her.’

‘Already? You got it already?’ Lizzie knew how efficient her English boss was, but this was impressive, all the same.

‘So long as they don’t go back on their word, yes.’

Lizzie stepped forward and gave her a big hug. ‘I hope you’re proud of yourself. You’ve achieved so much for so many women.’ May had gone into battle for every single female ATA pilot, to ensure they were paid fairly for the sacrifice and contribution they were making for their country, and she hoped they all knew how far she was willing to go for them.

‘It’s nothing,’ May said with a shrug. ‘Anyone else in my position would do the same.’

Lizzie shook her head, not surprised that May didn’t want a fuss. ‘Since I don’t have any flights today, would you mind if I took the next few hours off? I need to go to the post office to send a telegram.’

‘Of course. That’s fine,’ said May. ‘But promise me you’ll take some time before sending anything back home about the flying squadron?’

Lizzie grinned. ‘I’ll walk there, so it’ll give me time to think.’

‘Go then, and don’t be too hard on Montgomery when you see him. Perhaps he knows nothing about all this.’

Lizzie raised a brow. ‘I’m certain he does.’

Lizzie said goodbye to May and started to walk, pleased the sun was shining so she could wander and figure out exactly what she was going to say to General Hap Arnold about the flying squadron.

Lizzie looked skyward and sent up a prayer that Ruby was delivering the bomber safely. She put her head down and walked fast, grasping for words other than, ‘What the hell were you thinking, doing this without me?’ She doubted Hap would have a welcome party for her if she started out her telegram like that.

‘Lizzie!’

She turned to see Jackson Montgomery’s familiar outline jogging towards her from the administration building.

‘In case you’re wondering, I’ve made my apologies,’ she said, expecting him to launch straight into a lecture about her on-base behaviour. ‘Ruby knows that she has my full support, and so does May. They’re great women, it just took me a little longer to see that.’

‘It’s not that,’ he said. He looked different somehow; his eyes were soft, troubled even, and Lizzie folded her arms. Was he going to admit what was going on back home, or was he going to pretend he didn’t know anything? Right now she didn’t trust him as far as she could kick him, even if he had passed useful information to May.

‘Spit it out then,’ she said impatiently.

‘Elizabeth, I needed to see you before I leave base,’ he said, his brows furrowed. ‘And I need to talk to you about something.’

‘Leave base?’ she asked. Now she was furious – he had to have something to do with it!

He nodded. ‘I’ve been called home and I have a few days’ leave before I fly back.’

She frowned, still pretending she knew nothing. ‘Home? I thought you’d be kept here until you could fly again?’ Was he not returning to active duty?

‘Lizzie, I do hope we cross paths again, despite everything. I think under different circumstances we might have gotten along better.’

Lizzie gasped. ‘You’re going home to join this other woman pilot, aren’t you? I can’t believe it! Are you going to be running the programme with her?’

‘Lizzie, please, I . . .’

She turned away, wanting to scream that he was a spineless bastard, but managing to hold herself back.

‘Yes, I’ve been asked to go back and take over a training position, mainly of our new male pilots, but I could be overseeing the women’s flying detachment training too. I’m not going to lie to you.’