Beauty Chorus, The (21 page)

Jack led her up the creaking wooden staircase to the attic rooms. Gradually the noise of the pub diminished beneath them. He held her hand tight, fingers interlocked, his thumb
impatiently caressing hers. As they reached his door, he took her in his arms. His kiss took her breath away, the hunger and desire. They stumbled against the wall.

‘Jack … I can’t.’ Evie’s head swam as he pressed his lips to hers, his hand at the nape of her neck.

‘Why? Evie, baby … Is this your first time? Is that it?’

‘Yes, I’ve never …’

He looked deep into her eyes. ‘Me too,’ he said.

She threw back her head, her neck arching up to his lips. ‘I don’t believe you for a moment,’ she said, laughing softly.

‘Well, maybe not the first. But it’s the first time it feels like this.’

‘You shoot a good line, Jack Whitman.’ She cupped his cheek in her hand.

Jack placed his hand flat against the wall, rested his head on hers as he caught his breath. ‘Damn, you’re beautiful. Will you marry me?’

‘Are you mad?’ Evie’s eyes flew open. ‘We only met a few hours ago.’

‘Madly in love with you,’ he murmured, kissing the arch of her brow, her eyelids, her mouth. ‘Marry me,’ he insisted. He took her face in his hands. ‘I’m
serious. I fell for you the moment I saw you step out of that Puss Moth.’ He pulled her closer to him. ‘Then when I saw you in your underwear …’

She raised an eyebrow. ‘You thought I’d fall into bed with you?’

‘Hell no.’ He grinned. ‘But I thought it was worth a shot.’ He kissed her quickly, and unlocked the door. ‘Stay here a minute.’ He disappeared into the room,
and Evie could hear him tidying up. Jack reappeared and waved an old blue toothbrush before he slipped it into his pocket. ‘All yours.’

‘Where will you sleep?’

‘I’ll bunk down with one of the guys. Don’t worry about me.’ He pressed her fingers to his lips, backed away, holding her hand for as long as he could. ‘Marry
me.’ He said it like a dare.

‘Good night, Jack.’

‘Marry me!’

‘Ask me in the morning.’ She shook her head, smiling, as he whooped with laughter and ran downstairs. Evie closed the bedroom door behind her, and leant against it, listening to the
beat of her heart.

*

‘Hey, Evie!’ Jack ran over as she walked out of the airfield offices. ‘Where did you get to? I was going to treat you to breakfast this morning.’

‘I wanted to see if the Magister was ready.’

‘So you would have just run out without saying goodbye?’ He looked crestfallen.

Evie glanced around. No one was looking. ‘Of course I would have said goodbye.’ She kissed him softly on the cheek, their lips drifting close to one another for a moment.

‘Did you sleep well?’

‘Thank you. It was kind of you to let me have your room. I paid George on the way out.’

‘You didn’t need to do that.’

‘It was the least I could do after making you sleep with your friend.’

‘I didn’t. Red snored all night, and I couldn’t sleep anyway for thinking of you.’ The office door banged open, and Evie stepped away.

‘Do you really have to go?’ Jack asked her as he followed her across the airfield.

‘Yes. I’d love to stay, but this old girl was supposed to be back at White Waltham yesterday.’

‘Will I see you again?’ He gave her a hand up into the cockpit.

‘You can count on it.’ Evie pulled on her leather flying helmet and waved goodbye as Jack stepped back. She felt light, giddy with happiness. Her body ached and hummed with life.
Concentrate, Evie
, she thought, and waved again as he turned to look at her. She flooded the carburettor.
OK, ignition switches on …

Nothing happened, just a dull clud, clud, clud.
That’s odd
, she thought, and tried to start the engine again.

‘Everything OK, baby?’ Jack strolled over, one hand in his pocket.

‘I don’t understand.’ Evie’s brow furrowed. ‘I know it needs repairs but they wouldn’t send me out to ferry a plane that won’t start, surely?’

‘Why don’t you jump out and we’ll get one of the guys to take a look.’ Jack whistled, waved his arm towards the hangar, where a group of engineers were brewing a pot of
tea. ‘Hey, Taff, would you take a look at Miss Chase’s plane?’

Evie stood beside the Magister, listening as the engineer tried again to turn the engine over. It caught, thud, thud, clump. He shook his head.

‘Sorry, Miss, looks like you’re stuck here.’

‘What do you think it is, Taff?’ Jack leant against the hangar.

‘Don’t know, sir, but we’ll have a shufti,’ he said with his head in the engine. ‘The old girl must like it here.’

‘Well, do your best. If you have any luck, give the pub a call, Taff – Miss Chase has a room there.’ He glanced at Evie. ‘It’s my day off today. I don’t have
to be back at Kirton just yet.’ He guided her towards the offices. ‘How about I show you round the place?’

‘I’d like that,’ she said. ‘But what about the—’

‘I’ll ask the Duty Pilot to put a call in to White Waltham Ops Room, tell them you’re tied up down here.’

Evie could tell from the Duty Pilot’s reaction on the phone that Teddy was annoyed but she didn’t care.

‘Listen, Parker,’ he said, calmly chewing the stalk of his pipe. ‘Our chaps are doing their best ...’

Jack was standing just behind her. It felt as if the air between them was charged. Evie was sure the Duty Pilot had to notice something, but he just carried on talking to Teddy.

Jack leant forward, his eyes on the other man. ‘Let’s get out of here,’ he whispered to her, his lips brushing her ear. Casually she clasped her hands behind her back. The Duty
Pilot slammed the phone down.

‘Right, they’re not happy, but I’ve explained the engineers are on the job.’

‘Thank you, sir.’

He puffed on his pipe, looked from Evie to Jack. ‘Where are you staying, Miss Chase, if I need to get hold of you?’

‘She’s staying at the pub, sir,’ Jack cut in. ‘I gave her my room and bunked down with the guys.’

‘Very chivalrous of you, Whitman,’ he said drily. ‘Well I can see you’re in good hands.’ He waved them away.

‘Taff’s lent me his bike,’ Jack said as they walked across the car park. ‘I can pick you up around the corner if you don’t want everyone
gossiping?’ He zipped up his flying jacket. Evie walked on, flashing him a quick smile over her shoulder.

It was a beautiful morning. The world seemed newly minted, and as she strolled down the lane Evie whistled a tune. At the roar of a motorbike, she turned and stuck out her thumb.

Jack pulled up beside her. ‘Morning, Miss. Can I give you a ride?’

‘I don’t know. My father always told me not to go with strangers.’

He pulled her to him. ‘I’m not a stranger so your father can rest easy. I’m your fiancé.’

‘Since when?’ she said, laughing.

‘Since we fell madly in love.’

‘I told you to ask me again in the morning.’ She pressed her palm flat against his chest, the firm leather of his jacket warm against her skin.

‘I’m asking,’ he said.

‘Maybe.’

Jack revved the engine. ‘Maybe? Jeez, woman, what have I got to do to convince you?’

‘It’s crazy, I hardly know you.’

‘What’s that got to do with anything? I knew you were the one for me the moment I saw you.’ He hunkered down, eye to eye with her. ‘Marry me.’

Evie jumped on the bike behind him. ‘I said, maybe.’ As she wrapped her arms around him, she tickled him.

‘Hey! Stop it,’ Jack was soon helpless with laughter.

Evie caught her breath, and grinned. ‘Come on. Let’s have some fun.’

They rode for miles through the countryside, and as Evie clung to Jack, the wind whipping her face, she thought she hadn’t felt so alive for months. At midday, Jack
waited in the pub downstairs as Evie tidied up. She dressed quickly and joined him in the empty bar. He was on the telephone.

‘No luck, Taff?’ he said. ‘OK, well we’ve done the scenic route so now I’m going to take Miss Chase out for the grand tour in town. Speak to you later.’

He hung up and took her hand. ‘Sorry, they’re still working on the Magister. Looks like you’ll be stuck with me for a while.’

‘What a shame.’ She pulled a face.

‘Are you hungry?’

‘Famished.’

He offered her his arm. ‘George doesn’t do lunches so we’ll go into town.’

The motorbike sped along the clear roads into Clifton, past the elegant rows of stucco-fronted houses and out to the edge of the gorge. Jack parked up near a pub with a
breathtaking view of the suspension bridge.

‘This is beautiful.’ Evie shielded her eyes from the sun. Jack noticed several men turn admiringly in her direction, and he put his arm around her, proud and protective.

‘Let’s find a quiet table,’ he said. ‘It’s not safe to leave you out here while I get the drinks.’

They chose a spot far from the other diners. The light inside the pub was dim, and the good food made Evie drowsy. She would have liked to curl up on the old velvet sofa and sleep in his arms.
They talked for hours, filling in all the spaces and questions – families, first loves, heartbreaks and dreams.

‘When I go back to America, I’m going to run the ranch,’ he said.

‘You’re a cowboy?’ Evie laughed. ‘I’m in love with a real American cowboy.’

Jack raised an eyebrow, leant closer to her. ‘In love?’

‘I didn’t mean …’ Evie blushed.

‘You said it! You love me!’ Jack smiled broadly as he took her hand.

‘It just slipped out.’

‘It’s too late, you’ve done it now.’ He kissed her softly. ‘Well, it’s just as well because I’m sure in love with you.’

‘Are all cowboys as mad as you?’

‘Yep, most of them. It’s all that sun on our heads out riding all day.’ He pulled a crazy face. ‘We raise cattle in Montana – it’s the most beautiful place on
earth, you’ll love it.’ As Evie listened, he talked to her of vast green plains, of family land that stretched as far as the eye could see. ‘It’s not like you’re cut
off either. With the airstrip and planes, we can fly in and out whenever we want. We can go to New York, Chicago …’

Visions of cities Evie had only heard about and seen on newsreels danced in her imagination. It was exhilarating to think of the future when recently so much of her life had been caught up in
the moment. It felt daring.

‘Shall we take a walk?’ Jack said.

‘Yes, let’s.’ Evie raised her head from his shoulder. ‘I’ll fall asleep if we stay here.’

‘I’m sorry.’ His face fell. ‘I’m boring you, yacking away.’

‘No!’ She laughed. ‘I’m just tired for some reason.’

‘Didn’t get much sleep, huh?’

She nudged him playfully. ‘I can sleep when I get home.’

Hand in hand they strolled out onto the street, browsing the windows of the old shops. Jack paused outside an antiques store, looked at the tray of diamond rings in the window. Evie caught their
reflection in the old, dimpled glass, Jack’s handsome face close to hers as he studied the rings. She felt as if she were in a dream – how could happiness arrive so suddenly, so
unexpectedly?

‘That’s beautiful.’ He pointed at a large sapphire.

‘They’re all lovely,’ Evie said.

‘Pick one.’ He slipped his arm around her.

‘Jack. It’s all too fast …’

‘The world won’t wait for us, Evie. You have to take every chance of happiness you get these days.’ Jack’s eyes were uncertain, full of pain as he turned to her.
‘I’ve seen too many good guys killed before they have a chance to—’

‘Don’t.’ She placed her fingertips on his lips. ‘We have a whole lifetime ahead of us. There’s no hurry. We can get to know one another better.’

Jack shook his head. ‘I know you. I know what I feel in here.’ He balled her hand in his fist and placed it against his heart. ‘I’ve waited my whole life for you.’
He kissed her then. ‘I love you, Evelyn Maud.’

‘Don’t remind me of my ghastly middle name!’ she said, giggling.

‘It’s beautiful! Everything about you is beautiful, Evelyn Maud.’ Jack doubled over laughing as Evie poked him in the ribs. ‘I bet you by the time you go home
you’ll have agreed to marry me, and when you do I want a ring to put on your finger so every other guy knows we’re together.’ He pulled her, laughing, into the store.

A grey-haired woman in a heather tweed suit rose stiffly from the stool behind the counter.

‘Good afternoon,’ Jack said as he tucked his cap under his arm. He put his arm around Evie, and she looked up at him. ‘May we look at the rings you have in the
window?’

The woman smiled. It made her feel young again to see a couple so obviously in love. She unlocked the display and put the black velvet tray of rings on the counter. ‘What price were you
looking for, sir?’

‘Doesn’t matter,’ he said, gazing at Evie. ‘Nothing is too good for my girl.’

That night as they danced in the bar to a Frank Sinatra record, Jack had the sapphire ring in a leather box in his pocket. They knew time was running out for them. If Taff
couldn’t get the plane working in the morning, White Waltham would be sure to send an Anson to pick Evie up and get her back to base.

‘Let’s go to bed,’ he murmured. When she looked at him, her eyes were heavy lidded, sated, tired. They leant against one another as they walked upstairs. Jack threw open the
windows to a star-filled sky, Sinatra drifting up from the bar below. Evie wrapped her arms around him, leant her head against his back.

‘I don’t want this night to end,’ she said.

He turned to her. ‘This is just the beginning.’ Jack kissed her, his lips, his tongue urgent, his hands in her hair. ‘Stay with me.’

‘Jack, I can’t …’

He caught his breath. ‘Please, baby. Can’t you tell how much I love you?’

‘Jack, it’s not that.’ She stroked his face. ‘I just always imagined my first time would be perfect. I always promised myself I’d wait until I was
married.’

Jack sighed. ‘I respect that.’ He held her tightly, buried his face in her hair. ‘Let me stay though. I won’t try anything on. Just let me sleep on the sofa here. Who
knows when I’ll be able to get over to see you again, and I can’t stand the thought of another night alone knowing you’re so close.’