The Spitfire Girls(6)
The president laughed. ‘Miss Dunlop, my wife is a daily reminder of exactly how capable women can be. That’s not something you need to convince me of, and it’s the precise reason I’m sitting here listening to your ideas.’
‘Who is it that I need to convince then? Because I’m not afraid of telling anyone what I want or why women should be included,’ said Lizzie, as the others took their plates and slowly filled them with food. Then she shut her mouth before she said anything too bold. She could almost see her father shaking his head in disapproval. She followed Eleanor’s lead and took two small cut sandwiches, placing her plate in front of her even though the last thing she wanted to do was eat. Her mind was racing, her stomach still flipping back and forth as the enormity of what she was negotiating filled every cell of her body.
‘Me,’ General Arnold finally said, his voice deep and commanding. ‘You need to convince me, Miss Dunlop, that I’m not a fool to be considering this idea of yours. I’ve looked into your flying credentials and I’m impressed by your skills and your passion, but the question is whether I want to put my reputation on the line for such a bold change in policy. And, frankly, whether you’re the right woman for the job.’ He shifted in his seat as he considered her, his gaze steady. ‘Women have never been permitted to fly military planes, and in all honesty it might be best to keep things that way. We’d be taking jobs away from men who well need them, and I can only imagine what will be said to that effect.’
Lizzie nodded and took a delicate bite of her sandwich, forcing the mouthful down as she bided her time, a dry lump in her throat as words bubbled inside her. The last thing she wanted was him thinking she was hot-headed and incapable of taking criticism, even if most of the people who knew her well would describe her as exactly that.
‘I respectfully disagree that we’d be taking jobs from men,’ she said carefully, her heart pounding as she tried to keep her voice even. Her father wouldn’t believe she’d responded so calmly. ‘In the event of war, we’d be freeing men from those positions to allow them to fly in combat. We merely want to assist in any way we can, and put our flying skills to use. That’s all I’m asking.’
‘Gentlemen, perhaps we should eat lunch and then resume this conversation once you’ve both had time to consider the merits of Elizabeth’s proposal,’ Eleanor suggested. ‘I think we can all agree that women would be more than capable of flying any plane the military might have, but it’s a delicate subject.’
‘With respect, Eleanor, we have planes that even some of our best men are frightened of!’ General Arnold scoffed.
Lizzie bit her tongue. It took every inch of her willpower not to retaliate and argue with him, but she knew better than to cross a man in his position, who was giving her the time of day to present her case – especially when she felt she was so close to convincing him.
‘How about you tell me more about your personal experience, Miss Dunlop,’ the president said. ‘I’d like to hear about how you won the Bendix Trophy Race. If I’m honest, that was the part of your resumé that intrigued me the most.’
Lizzie nodded in relief, feeling more at ease talking about her flying. ‘It was probably the most exciting moment of my flying career, sir. It certainly made my heart race!’
Everyone seated at the table laughed.
‘I’m well aware that you beat two men who are now general officers in the air force,’ commented the general. ‘Not to mention that you were also granted the world’s most outstanding pilot award by the International League of Aviators. It’s no mean feat to achieve such things.’ He paused. ‘And that, along with your determination over the past couple of years, means I will indeed be supporting the inclusion of women pilots, despite my inner conflicts about it, should the opportunity arise.’ He smiled. ‘Although something about you tells me I could live to regret that decision.’
Lizzie took a slow, deep breath. ‘Should?’ she asked. The word continued to echo through her mind. ‘Should the opportunity arise?’ She’d been certain he was going to give her the go-ahead then and there.
He nodded, frowning slightly. ‘You heard correctly. We’re not at war yet, so I don’t see any need at this immediate stage to establish a squadron of women pilots to assist our military. But I do have a suggestion for you to ensure that we’re well prepared.’
Lizzie held her breath. Her heart started to pound again and she dug her fingernails back into her palm, fist tightly closed. ‘Oh?’ she said, trying not to sound as if she were about to burst.
‘Have you heard of the Air Transport Auxiliary in Britain? The ATA?’ asked the general, glancing at Eleanor and receiving a nod in response.
Lizzie nodded too – she knew that women were already assisting the military in England. It was one of the reasons she’d hoped she was one step closer to seeing her vision realised.
‘In short, it’s a civilian division. They ferry planes all over the place, for the same purpose you’ve suggested, and I would like you to consider travelling to England to join the women’s division for now – in an active role, of course. Primarily it will give you an understanding of their inner workings and experience of ferrying fighter planes and so forth. What do you say?’
Lizzie tried not to leap out of her skin with excitement, but it was impossible to suppress the smile that spread across her lips. ‘What do I say?’ she repeated, laughing as she traded looks with Eleanor. ‘I say that’s a brilliant idea! What plane shall I take to fly across the pond?’