The Spitfire Girls(9)
Carolyn pushed her hand away, tears in her eyes as she stood and crossed the room to stare out the window.
‘I won’t allow it,’ she said. ‘I simply will not have my boy worrying about his fiancée doing a man’s job when he’s away serving. Would you dare to humiliate him like that, Ruby?’
She didn’t answer, her eyes downcast. Her own mother had finished cleaning up the mess, and Ruby felt the warm touch of her hand on her back as she rejoined them.
‘There are things our girls would never have dreamt of doing before the war, Carolyn,’ Sally said gently. ‘But we need to respect their changing role in society at this difficult time. It’s not all about parties and flower arrangements these days, and we both know it. It’ll be different when it ends, but everyone who can must step up.’
Ruby sat there, guilt weighing heavy on her shoulders. It wasn’t in her nature to cause a fuss or upset anyone, but from the moment she’d seen the advertisement she’d known in her heart it was what she wanted to do, even if she wasn’t sure she’d be accepted. She couldn’t just sit by and listen to news of the war and do nothing! She was sick and tired of feeling so helpless, and of doing little but worry about whether Tom would ever make it home. She missed flying like she’d miss a limb, and with Tom gone it had been as if the two things she loved most in the world had been stolen from her. For years she’d flown at Stag Lane, where Tom had been her flying instructor, and the memories of being in the sky with him kept her awake at night, hoping and wishing that one day they’d be back there together. It had been the most exciting time of her life, learning to pilot a plane on her own, flirting with the handsome pilot four years her senior and eventually falling for him. When he’d first left she’d even gone on to work as an instructor for a short time, until all civilian flying had been halted.
‘Will you at least ask my son’s permission before doing anything dramatic?’ Carolyn asked. ‘Surely you need time to think about this, to at least get your father’s permission if you’re not going to seek Tom’s?’
‘She has my permission, and her father will be equally proud of her decision,’ Ruby’s mother said, her voice as soft as ever, but nevertheless filled with authority. ‘I know everyone has their opinion about our female pilots, but they’re doing our country proud and I’d be honoured for my daughter to be accepted to fly with them.’
‘Sally!’ Carolyn spun around, her eyes wide and her mouth gaping. ‘You truly want to send your daughter to her death doing a job women shouldn’t even be allowed to do? What good are women pilots when they’ll never be able to fly as well as our men? It’s ridiculous that the idea was ever entertained in the first place! And what do we do if women start getting thoughts in their head about doing men’s work? We need them here, ready and waiting, for when our boys return!’
‘Enough!’ Ruby pleaded, looking from her mother to Carolyn. ‘Please, can we just enjoy being together instead of arguing? I only wanted to share my ideas with you, not cause another war to break out.’
‘Even if it means losing your fiancé?’ Carolyn asked, her expression turning sour. ‘Because lose him you will, Ruby. Mark my words.’
Six weeks later, Ruby held her breath as the train started to slow. She looked anxiously out of the window as they pulled into Maidenhead station, the anticipation almost impossible to bear. She smiled at the other two women seated across from her, wondering if they could hear her heart trying to hammer its way from her chest.
‘Is it far from here?’ a woman asked from behind her as the train slowed, then finally halted.
Ruby shook her head, the stranger’s Australian accent taking her by surprise. ‘No, not far at all. I’m Ruby,’ she said.
‘Polly,’ the woman replied, holding out her hand.
Ruby shook hands with her and gestured towards the other two. ‘This is Evangeline and Sarah.’
‘Pleased to meet you both. I’m feeling a bit out of my depth here, so far from home.’
Before they had a chance to talk further they were signalled to disembark. Ruby collected her bag and headed for the door, her knees knocking so hard she could barely put one foot in front of the other. They were to be met by cars and taken to the ATA headquarters at White Waltham, and she looked around the station, waiting for someone to step forward and show them where to assemble.
‘Is it always so gloomy here?’ Polly asked. ‘I’ve been in the country for over a week and I haven’t seen the sun yet!’
Ruby patted her shoulder. ‘I’m afraid you’ll have to get used to it. We’re as famous for our thick grey clouds as you are for your sunshine in Australia.’
‘This way, ladies!’ A man with a clipboard gestured towards them. He called out all their names and then ushered them to three cars, lined up and waiting to ferry them away.
‘Come on,’ Ruby said to Polly. ‘Sit beside me.’
As she climbed in and the vehicle pulled away, excitement mixed with terror started to pulse through her again. The last few weeks had passed by in a blur over Christmas, from sending off her written application to the ATA to being told within weeks that she’d been accepted, based on her flying credentials and references. And now she was here, about to meet May Jones herself and the other women she’d read about but never seen in the flesh before. Her nerves were still rattling, but she was heartened by the fact that some of the other women had never even flown a plane before.