The Spitfire Girls(93)
‘Can this be our little secret?’ she whispered.
‘Yeah,’ he said, kissing her forehead. ‘It can. For now.’
‘Did you hear from Lizzie again?’ May asked the next day, pleased to be catching up with Ruby. They were sitting outside the large hangar at Hamble, after flying back from delivering bombers to Yorkshire, catching the late morning sun. When May had found out that Ruby would have a few hours off before her next flight, she’d cleared her schedule so that she could spend some time with her before she flew out again. Part of her wanted to tell her about Ben, but the other part of her was almost too scared to admit to her happiness. They were both always so busy that they didn’t often get time to sit and talk together, just the two of them.
‘She’s heartbroken about the whole thing,’ Ruby said. ‘Honestly, I can’t believe she lost support for the WASPs. Surely they still need them? She’s had a rough year, hasn’t she?’
May nodded, fingering the ring Ben had given her. She’d put it on her necklace to keep it close. ‘You know how men get when they think women are stealing their jobs,’ she said dryly. ‘It’s easy to discard us when they’re no longer desperate for our help.’
‘Do you think the same will happen here?’ Ruby asked. ‘After everything we’ve done? After everyone we’ve lost and . . .’ Her voice trailed off.
‘We’d be na?ve to think any differently,’ May replied. ‘But for now I think we’re safe. They need us too much and there’s no one to replace us – it’s not like it is for the Americans. We’re still a required commodity, as crude as that might sound.’ She sighed. ‘But part of me thinks we’re getting close, that it actually could be over soon. The Normandy landings were a huge success, we’ve taken Italy . . . It’s all looking like the Allies might win this darn thing once and for all.’ There was still a long way to go, but compared to the previous year when it had felt like the Allies were losing, things seemed to be changing; even the broadcasts from the BBC were sounding more positive. ‘How’s Tom?’ May asked. ‘Settled back into flying again?’
‘As well as can be expected. I think we’re both focusing on what we have to look forward to if the war ever ends, but he’s happy to be back with his squadron for now.’
May could understand that; she’d been doing the same when it came to Ben. She could still see the look on her mother’s face, feel the happiness of being reunited, and then the recognition that it was Ben who’d taken her there. Ben who’d been brave enough to stand up to her and make her go home.
‘Will you keep flying if you can? After the war, I mean?’ May asked. ‘Hearing that Lizzie’s wartime flying career is almost over, it’s made me start thinking about what it’ll be like for us. Trying to live normal lives is going to be weird.’
‘It’ll be downright boring, that’s what it’ll be!’ Ruby moaned. ‘It’ll be like learning to live without a limb if I can’t fly anymore.’
‘I know. Trouble is, we’ll have to fund our own flying again, and who among us will be able to afford it?’
‘Would you give it all up? To have a family or get married?’ Ruby asked, looking a little tearful. ‘When all this is over, I mean?’
‘After all we’ve done, I expect it won’t be so unusual for us to want to continue flying to some degree and be wives and mothers.’ Maybe she was hoping for too much, but Ben didn’t seem in the least bit concerned by her love of flying. ‘Surely Tom will understand that, being a pilot himself? I just don’t know if we can be expected to become homemakers and give up our role as fliers.’
‘I know, I feel the same, and I hope Tom does understand,’ Ruby said quickly. ‘But will our men still think like that when our lives go back to normal, or will they start to forget how much we’ve done? Will they just go back to their old expectations and expect us to change again, too?’
‘And be influenced by their mothers or other family members?’ May asked gently. ‘Is that what you’re worried about?’
Ruby’s face flushed. ‘Yes.’
May knew how much her friend struggled with her mother-in-law; it wasn’t an easy position to be in, although there must be many older women who held her old-fashioned views. Maybe it was simply because they couldn’t comprehend what women could do, or hadn’t been given the same opportunities.
Meanwhile, their futures rested in the hands of men, and May wasn’t certain it would come down to keeping the best for the job. More like the best man for the job. ‘I’d like to think that women will be able to apply for other aviation jobs once the war is over, like piloting commercial aircraft.’
‘And do you think that will happen?’ Ruby asked.
‘I’m hopeful, but not certain,’ May raised her eyes as an aircraft approached, watching the ungainly beast as it slowly hit the ground and taxied down the runway. ‘Perhaps, after all we’ve achieved here, I’m starting to let my dreams run away with me.’
‘Well, I hope you’re bloody right,’ Ruby muttered.
‘One thing’s for sure,’ May said with a grin. ‘Our mothers and sweethearts are going to be shocked to hear us swearing and carrying on like a bunch of men when we return home!’