Chapter 39
The next day was Sunday, when the WAAFs were expected to attend a service at the camp chapel straight after breakfast. In deference to the fact there had been a dance the evening before, however, both breakfast and church were scheduled for half an hour later than usual.
Nevertheless, there were many groans that spoke of sore heads when the bugle blared to wake them up.
Bobby had already visited the ablutions block, and she was dressed and ready by the time her friends showed a leg.
The party had done her one favour. It had tired her out, which meant she had managed to get some sleep in spite of how miserable she was feeling.
She had left the NAAFI after her dance with Ernie to nurse a head throbbing from too many tears, and must have been fast asleep by the time her friends had rolled in.
But when she had woken around four a.m., she had found herself unable to drift off again.
‘Morning, traitor,’ Carol said, glaring at her. ‘Have fun last night, did you? You certainly got over that Charlie lad quickly.’
Bobby flinched at the mention of his name. ‘It wasn’t like that. Ernie and I are friends, that’s all.’
Carol rolled her eyes, then winced as the action hurt her aching head. ‘Oh, right, sure you are.’
‘Honestly, you should have heard him on the subject,’ Bobby said, summoning a smile. ‘He thinks I’m “a swell kid”, as he puts it, but about as sexually appetising as overboiled cabbage.’
Carol blinked. ‘Did he really say that? He only seemed to want to talk to you all night.’
‘Yes, about old times. We were swapping stories of mutual friends and talking about home. I mean, you heard us. I can promise the conversation didn’t take any passionate turn after you went to dance.’
Carol seemed to perk up at this, although she groaned as she sat up straight. ‘So I’ve still got a chance?’
Bobby grimaced. ‘Honestly? I’m not sure you have. Like I said, Ernie can be terribly stuffy about certain things. He has strong views about drunken women, for one.’
‘Oh Lord. Why did I touch that gin?’ Carol moaned, burying her head in her hands. ‘If it wasn’t for Mike saving my bacon, that airman would’ve had it all his own way with me. Greasy little oik he was. My arse is black and blue from being pinched.’
‘I liked my one,’ Mike said. ‘Alfie and I made a date to go to the pictures tonight, if I can get a late leave pass.’ She grinned. ‘You know, where it’s good and dark.’
‘Does he know about David?’ Dilys asked.
‘Oh, yes. I’m always honest. He doesn’t mind a jot, as long as David doesn’t. Most men don’t.’
‘I’ve got good news too,’ Dilys said, flushing a little. ‘I got up in the night to visit Aunty, and what do you think had decided to put in an appearance? I actually cried with relief.’
‘Oh, darling.’ Mike beamed at her. ‘That’s wonderful news. Now, you and I will have a little talk later and make sure you’re ready for the next time, all right?’
‘I’m not going to hurry into any “next time”. I’ve learnt my lesson.’ She smiled shyly. ‘But I wouldn’t mind seeing some more of that Danny Carter.’
‘I’m so glad for you, Dil.’ Bobby stretched across the gap between their bunks to press her friend’s hand. ‘Did you send that letter to Richie?’
‘No, thank God, but you can bet I’ll be sending him one today. A letter to break it off.’
‘Good for you, lass.’ Carol crawled painfully down the ladder from her bunk. ‘We ought to get ready for breakfast, although I’m sure I’ll throw up if I try to eat anything. Mike, Dil, are you coming?’
‘I am.’ Mike climbed down too, and they headed for the door.
‘Dil, wait.’ Bobby stood up as Dilys prepared to follow. ‘I wanted to say thanks. Last night, when you spilled your beer to stop the men noticing I was upset. You were a real brick.’
‘Well, that’s what friends are for.’ She narrowed one eye. ‘Is that true, what you said to Carol about the Yank she fancies? He certainly looked like he was after you.’
‘Canadian,’ Bobby said, smiling. ‘Yes, it’s true.
He was waxing very eloquent about how much he doesn’t and wouldn’t ever see me in any romantic light.
I suppose my pride ought to be hurt by that, but to be honest I was just relieved.
I hate it when romance gets in the way of a perfectly good platonic friendship. ’
Dilys smiled. ‘You do talk strangely.’
‘Do I?’
‘I don’t know many girls who’d get told they were ugly by a good-looking man and say they were happy about it. Every WAAF in the camp’s dying to get their hands on that Ernie King, you know.’
Bobby laughed. ‘Well, he didn’t actually say I was ugly, although I’m sure it was only his natural gallantry that restrained him. But yes, I’m glad to know we’re just friends and nothing more.’
‘I suppose you must really love this Charlie, if even someone as good-looking as Ernie King can’t tempt you,’ Dilys said with a sad smile.
‘Yes.’ Bobby bit her lip. ‘I wish I didn’t,’ she said in a quavering voice. ‘I wish I could make the feelings stop just as quickly as Charlie was able to, and then the pain would go away. But I can’t. I don’t know if I ever will be able to.’
‘Do you think he ever loved you, really? Plenty of them say it, if they think it’ll get them into your knickers.’
‘Charlie never tried anything like that,’ Bobby whispered.
‘And… honestly, I don’t know. Sometimes I think he couldn’t have, really, because how could that just stop?
But then I remember how he used to hold me like he couldn’t bear to let me go, and his voice whispering that he loved me with so much tender earnestness…
’ She swallowed a sob. ‘That had to be real. It had to be. I couldn’t have just imagined it. ’
‘Perhaps you shouldn’t give up on him,’ Dilys said softly.
‘How can I not, when there’s been no word for so long?’
‘I just feel like if it was me… I’ve never had a love like that.
You know, one that felt real and forever and all that.
When I was with Rich, I stopped believing such a thing could even exist. But you’ve had that, so it must be able to, mustn’t it?
And if I had it, I feel like I wouldn’t ever give up on it. ’
Later that day, Bobby went to meet Ernie in one of the hangars. She had no worries, now, that he might intend more than she was comfortable with. She only felt grateful to have a pleasant experience to look forward to, and a friend who cared enough to want to take her mind off things.
There were assorted aircraft in the hangar: a number of smaller planes, and three large bombers Bobby recognised as Vickers Wellingtons.
Ernie was standing beside one of them with a young erk, the white flash on his cap indicating he was aircrew in training.
Both wore battledress and leather flying jackets. Ground crew milled around behind them.
‘Slacks. Hey.’ Ernie greeted her as usual, with a nickname and a grin.
‘Sir,’ she said, saluting. Since there were others present, she thought she ought to keep things formal.
‘Put these on.’ Ernie handed her a helmet and flying jacket. Bobby did so, leaving her cap on a table full of flying kit. The two men strapped on helmets too.
‘You won’t be able to wear a parachute over your skirt, but it doesn’t matter, we won’t be flying high enough today for you to use one,’ Ernie said.
‘All right.’
‘This young man is Aircraftman Alistair Harper,’ he told her, nodding to the recruit, who grinned chummily.
‘He doesn’t need the additional flying hours, to be honest. He’s doing me a favour because I wanted to get one last flight in before I went on leave.
Funny how you miss it. Harper, have you got the book? ’
‘Right you are, sir,’ Harper said jovially. He produced a book and pencil and handed them to Bobby.
‘What is it?’ she asked.
‘We call it the Blood Book,’ Ernie told her. ‘Everyone has to sign it before they go up. It’s just to say that you absolve the RAF of responsibility in the event of your death.’
She blinked at it. ‘Oh.’
‘Is that OK?’
‘Of course. Do I have to sign it in actual blood?’
Ernie laughed. ‘No, pencil will do fine.’
She opened the book and, after hesitating a moment, signed her name.
Ernie climbed the stepladder and opened the cockpit door. ‘Shall we?’
‘After you,’ the young erk said politely to Bobby, but her gaze had been arrested by the enormous bulk of the Wellington.
She had seen so many silhouetted against the sky, and never thought about what monsters they must be close up.
It was incredible they could stay in the air.
This was probably the closest she had ever been to one – apart from one other occasion.
‘The last time I saw one of these up close, it was on fire,’ she murmured.
Harper frowned. ‘Sorry, miss?’
‘That’s Aircraftwoman, not miss,’ Ernie reminded him. ‘You need to stop thinking like a civilian, Harper.’ He came back down the ladder. ‘Get in and take the controls.’
Harper saluted. ‘Yessir.’
‘Sorry,’ Ernie said in a low voice to Bobby. ‘It hadn’t occurred to me, when I asked you to come up… I’d forgotten about the crash. Are you going to be OK?’
‘Yes.’ She summoned a smile. ‘I couldn’t help thinking of it, that’s all. Let’s go.’
‘It’s going to be rather snug, I’m afraid,’ Ernie said as he mounted the ladder behind her. ‘These cockpits weren’t designed for three.’
Once inside, Ernie gave her a quick tour while a ground crew WAAF took the ladder away. It was indeed very small, and Bobby had to bend her knees to fit in. Ernie, who was over six feet tall, was bent almost double beside her.
‘Ryland Moor mostly uses Ansons and Oxfords for flight training, but since the occasional OTU is posted here, it’s lucky enough to have three Mark IC Wellingtons at its disposal as well,’ he told her. ‘Pilot sits here, of course.’
He nodded to Harper at the control wheel. Numerous dials indicating goodness knew what were before him on the dashboard. Bobby couldn’t help thinking of Charlie, sitting in that very spot in his own cockpit.