A Flight of Golden Wings (22 page)

Simon gave Jack a studied look. ‘I know. Want a job?’

Razor poised in the air, Jack turned to look at him. ‘You serious?’

‘Completely. Think about it, Jack, we could go into partnership. We’d make a good team.’

‘I sure will give it serious thought.’ And he would. That was something he would really like to do, but he had a lot to sort out before he could make a decision. This wasn’t just about him; there were other people to consider.

‘Good, now, do you want something to eat before we go to the airfield?’

‘Not just at the moment, but how about a meal after I’ve spoken to Ma?’

‘We’ll see what we can get.’

It took some time to make the connection and Jack had begun to worry they wouldn’t be able to get through. He knew his ma would be worrying, and he wanted to let her know he was safe. A phone call would be the quickest way. Finally, Simon gave him a thumbs-up sign. ‘Hello, Mrs Nelson, this is Simon from England. I’ve got someone here who wants to talk to you.’

Jack took the phone. ‘Hi, Ma.’ He listened for a few seconds. ‘Yes, it’s me and I’m fine. Now don’t take on so, Ma. I haven’t got a scratch on me. I’ll tell you all about it in a letter … you still there, Ma?’

He handed the phone back to Simon. ‘We got cut off, but she knows I’m OK. Thanks a lot. Now I’m hungry.’

It was eight o’clock before Ruth arrived home, and the first thing she saw was Jack’s little car outside the house. She found him in the kitchen writing industriously.

He looked up and smiled. ‘Hi, honey, I’m just doing a letter to Ma. Is Lucy with you?’

‘She’ll be about another hour, we think.’

‘Ah, in that case …’ He stood up and wrapped her in his arms, kissing her like a hungry man. Breaking off the embrace, he sighed. ‘Hell, but it’s great to be home.’

A warm glow ran through Ruth. That was the first time she had ever heard him refer to England as home. ‘It’s wonderful to have you back. You scared us, Jack.’

He gave a dry laugh. ‘I scared myself, but I couldn’t get back any sooner. If I’d been caught I could have ended up as a prisoner or dead, and I didn’t fancy either. I doubted if a retreating army would bother with prisoners. I was surrounded by them and it was damned difficult to move without being seen.’

Just then the front door burst open and Lucy erupted into the room with Simon right behind her. ‘Jack, you spoke to Mom. What did she say?’

‘Not much, we got cut off, but there was just enough time to let her know I was all in one piece and back here safely.’

‘I bet she cried.’

He chuckled. ‘Not enough to stop her asking what the hell I thought I was doing, frightening everyone like this.’

Brother and sister grinned at each other. ‘That’s Mom,’ Lucy said, ‘but I bet she had a good cry when she got back home.’

It was interesting to see the rapport between them, and Ruth gave Simon an amused glance. ‘Want a cup of cocoa?’ she asked him.

‘No, thanks, I’ve come to remind Jack about the report, and to take you all out for a drink. That’s if Jack feels up to it?’

‘Sure, I’m great now.’ He shuffled through the papers on the table and handed Simon a single sheet. ‘I’ve done the report.’

Simon read it and then shook his head in disbelief. ‘This is it?’

‘Yep.’

‘Jack, you were missing for ten days, and all you’ve said is that you got caught in a sudden storm, ran out of fuel and had to bail out. You were behind enemy lines and had to find the allies.’

‘Well?’

‘Couldn’t you give a few more details?’

‘Why?’

By now Ruth and Lucy were almost bursting with suppressed laughter at the puzzled expression on Jack’s face. He obviously considered that his report was adequate.

‘Simon,’ Lucy took the paper from out of his hands, folded it neatly and tucked it in his top pocket, ‘you’re wasting your breath. I know my brother and that’s all you’re going to get. Once his sentences get down to one word you can forget it. He isn’t going to budge.’

‘All right, but do you think that if we get him drunk he’ll tell us what really happened in France?’

‘Not a chance.’ She slipped her hand through Simon’s arm. ‘You said something about a drink?’

‘Do you think we can get something to eat, as well?’ Jack closed the front door behind them. ‘I’m ravenous.’

‘We’ll get the girls to smile nicely at the landlord.’

‘Great idea, Simon. Who can resist a woman in uniform? Especially when they’re wearing golden wings.’

‘Oh, this brother of yours is smooth, isn’t he?’ Ruth said, giving Jack a teasing glance. There had been a chance that she would never see him again, but here he was, walking beside her, and still the same man she loved. She couldn’t stop smiling with happiness.

‘Yep, back home he had the girls dropping at his feet in an effort to gain his attention.’

Jack looked up at the sky in mock despair. ‘Let’s get that drink before my reputation’s in shreds. There’s something you don’t know about my sister, Simon: she exaggerates like hell.’

They were in luck at the pub. The landlord’s wife had just finished baking a batch of vegetable pies for the next day, and quite happily agreed to give them a meal. They were regulars at the pub and always received the best service. There was huge admiration throughout the country for what the pilots had done, and were still doing. And although the ATA weren’t
RAF, they still flew planes and kept the RAF supplied with aircraft, and that counted for a lot with many people.

‘Gosh, this is great,’ Jack said as he demolished the pie, mashed potatoes and carrots. ‘I’ve got a few missed meals to make up for.’

It was noticeable that he was thinner so Ruth slipped half of her pie on to his plate, which quickly disappeared. He hadn’t been very hungry when he’d first arrived back, but now he had rested he seemed to need the food.

The landlady bustled over to their table. ‘Come back hungry, has he?’ she asked Ruth, well aware that Jack had been reported missing for some days.

‘I’m afraid so.’

‘You look half starved. What have you been up to, young man?’

Jack gave her one of his engaging smiles. ‘Got lost in France – without food,’ he added, pointedly looking at his empty plate.

She picked up the plate, muttering about the young people doing dangerous things, and walked back to the kitchen. She soon returned with another portion of pie and mash. Placing it in front of him, she tapped his hand. ‘You eat that now, there’s a lot of you to fill up.’

‘Why thank you, ma’am.’

The landlady chuckled. ‘He’s a right charmer, isn’t he? Don’t you go getting lost again.’

‘I’ll sure be careful not to.’

As she walked away, Lucy punched her brother on the arm. ‘You’re shameless, Jack Nelson. Fancy playing on her sympathy to get another meal!’

His only reply was a wide grin before making short work of his extra portion.

‘I don’t know how you can eat that much.’ Simon handed Jack a cigarette when the second plate was empty. ‘You had half of Ruth’s as well.’

Drawing on the cigarette, Jack blew the smoke towards the ceiling, and then pulled Ruth close to him. ‘She knows how to look after me.’

This outward show of affection came as a surprise to Ruth. He had always been careful to make it appear that their relationship was platonic, but it was as if he didn’t care what people thought any more. This change made her think that he’d had a very bad time in France. Perhaps he had doubted that he would survive. Whatever his reasons, she was happy about it, and so was Lucy, by the look on her face.

They stayed until closing time and walked back to the house.

‘Are you staying tonight?’ Ruth asked, worried that he was doing too much too soon.

‘Not tonight, honey.’ He bent and brushed his lips over hers. ‘I’d never be able to stay out of your bed, and with Lucy there it could be awkward.’

‘You’ve got a few days’ leave, so why don’t you go and stay with my parents? They’d love to have you, and you’ll be able to rest there. It might be better if you get away from planes for a few days. If you don’t, I know you’ll be back at work far too soon.’ She looked up at him, not wanting to let him out of her sight, but she was just being silly: he was alive and back with them, and that was all that mattered.

‘That would be great. If you’re sure they wouldn’t mind?’

‘Positive. You’re always welcome there, Jack, and you don’t need an invitation.’

‘I’ll drive over and see them in the morning.’

Ruth’s parents had always made Jack so welcome that he felt like part of the family. He’d readily accepted Ruth’s suggestion. Not only did he need space to recover, but he also needed time to think. And this was just the place to do it.

‘Jack!’ Alice greeted him with obvious relief. ‘Ruth told us you were safe, and we’re so pleased to see you.’

George shook his hand. ‘Welcome back, son.’

‘Thank you, sir, it’s good to be back. Would you mind if I stayed for a couple of days? Please say no if it’s not convenient.’

‘Of course you can stay.’ Alice studied him carefully. ‘My dear, you’ve lost weight. You can rest here for as long as you like.’

He kissed her cheek. ‘I can see where Ruth gets her kindness from. They won’t let me fly again until I’ve had a medical, and that’s scheduled for the end of the week.’

‘Have you brought a bag with you?’

‘It’s in my car. I’ll go and fetch it.’

‘No, you sit yourself down.’ George urged him into a chair. ‘I’ll go and get it.’

‘Take it straight up to Jack’s usual room, George. I always keep it ready.’

George was soon back. ‘What on earth have you got in here, Jack? It weighs a ton.’

‘Something from Ma to help out with the food. She sends us regular parcels, though we don’t always receive
them. Some get lost on the way over.’ Jack opened the bag and gave Alice several tins of various meats.

‘Oh, that’s very generous of her,’ she said as she examined the tins. ‘Anything we don’t use you must take back with you.’

Jack shook his head. ‘We don’t need them. I’m sure you can make good use of them.’

Alice accepted with a smile. ‘We know you need rest so we won’t get in your way, but join us for meals.’

They were very perceptive. He needed some time to himself to relax. ‘It’s a nice day so I’ll just go and enjoy the peace of your beautiful garden, if I may?’

‘Of course, my boy,’ George said. ‘We’ll call you when lunch is ready.’

Jack wandered down the garden to an old wooden seat he always used when he came here, sat down and gazed around him. The sun was pleasantly warm on his face. Alice really loved her flowers but, like everyone else, a section at the end had been dug over to grow vegetables. It seemed as if this whole country had been turned into a market garden in an effort to feed itself.

He closed his eyes, allowing his thoughts to drift back to his time in France. That storm had come out of nowhere. If he’d been in this country he would have turned back, but he didn’t have enough fuel for a return trip to England, and coming down in the Channel was not an option. He’d tried everything to get out of it – up, down, sideways – but before he’d been able to find the edge of the storm he had run out of fuel. The Spit was being buffeted about and he’d had a hell of a job getting out of the cockpit, but somehow he’d managed it and tumbled down. He’d just missed some trees and landed in a field of cabbages. After rolling up his parachute and stowing it out of sight in some
bushes, he’d started walking. The rain was still pouring down, and after about fifteen minutes, soaked to the skin, the sound of voices reached him. There were tanks ahead and he’d been about to call out when he realised they were Germans.

Diving for cover he’d waited for them to move off, which they hadn’t done until morning. During the night the rain had stopped and his clothes dried on him. He’d been chilled to the bone and very hungry. He’d moved cautiously after that and it wasn’t long before he came across more German troops. The rest of the day was spent in a ditch, giving him plenty of time to curse his bad luck for coming down in the middle of the enemy.

He’d soon discovered that the only time he could move with any safety was at night. The journey had been slow, but he’d been determined not to get caught. Neither had he been prepared to risk revealing himself to any civilians, so he’d lived on raw vegetables from the fields and water from any stream he could find. He’d known the allies were somewhere near Paris, so he’d headed in what he hoped was the right direction. He always carried a compass with him in his pocket, but it must have fallen out as he’d struggled to free himself from the cockpit, and he’d cursed the loss. Fortunately he still had the silk map and the lucky dollar he always carried with him. He wasn’t normally a superstitious man, but this dollar had been given to him by a veteran of the First World War, and was a treasured possession. Day followed day, and he’d lost all sense of time, but he knew the allies must be close when the area was bombarded with shells …

Jack ran a hand over his eyes, opened them and gazed at the tranquil garden, absorbing the peace of this lovely spot.

As the shells had screamed around him, he’d begun to feel that his efforts to reach safety might have been in vain. He could still feel the great sadness that had engulfed him. Was he ever going to see Ma and Lucy again, or any of the friends he’d made in the ATA? And what about Ruth? The thought of leaving her caused him so much distress that he’d groaned out loud as he’d covered his head with his hands. The ground had rocked beneath him as one shell had fallen far too close.

Then, mercifully there had been silence, broken some minutes later by the sound of tanks and familiar American accents shouting orders. He’d crawled out of his hiding place – and the rest was a blur. He could remember asking them to take him to the nearest airfield. The next thing he knew Simon was there. He’d wept in relief and wasn’t ashamed to admit it.

‘Jack.’ George came up to him. ‘Lunch is ready. You can have it out here if you like.’

‘Thanks, George, but I’ll eat with you and Alice. I’m looking forward to hearing what you’ve been up to since I was last here.’ He stood up, feeling refreshed already. He’d needed this time alone to clear his mind and think over what had happened to him. He could see now just how damned lucky he had been. He had survived and now he could put it behind him. And another thing he couldn’t deny – life was now much sweeter for the experience.