Beauty Chorus, The (26 page)

‘That must have been hard.’

‘I should have known better. I knew what she was like when I asked her to marry me.’

‘Why did you then?’

‘Because she was beautiful, and impulsive. Because she drove me mad.’ He hesitated. ‘But if she truly loved me, she would have stood by me, wouldn’t she?’

Evie’s heart filled with compassion. ‘Yes, sir, she would.’

‘She doesn’t love me, not really. She loves the prestige, and the title, and all the rubbish I couldn’t give a damn about.’

As he broke down, Evie instinctively clambered up onto the bench beside him, put her arms around him, held him close as he wept.
And the pure children
, she thought angrily,
don’t
forget about them.

After a time, he caught his breath. ‘Christ, I’m sorry. I don’t know what’s got into me. It really threw me that she could have been injured, or
killed.’

‘Never apologise, never explain.’ Evie smiled. ‘So what will you do?’

‘I don’t know. Break it off as cleanly as I can. She’s not the girl I thought she was.’ He shook his head. ‘The stupid thing is, as soon as she heard I’d
recovered, that I wasn’t some kind of a monster under those bandages …’

‘Hardly.’ Evie gently wiped away the tears from his cheek with her thumb.

‘She’s been trying to get me to take her back for months now. Maybe if I had, she’d have been here last night instead. Christ, she could have been killed.’

‘Shh. You can’t blame yourself.’ She soothed him like a child, stroking his thick blonde hair. ‘It’s madness at the moment.’ She sighed, gazed out across the
fields. ‘I can’t make any sense of the world. There’s as much chance of getting bumped off here as in town.’ It grew darker, dusk falling as she held him. Gradually, she
felt him relax, his breath slowing as he composed himself. ‘All we can do is live for the day. God knows, each one could be our last,’ Evie said. As she turned to him, his jaw brushed
her cheek.

‘Evie—’ he said, his voice low.

‘I must go,’ she said. ‘It’s getting dark.’ She stood quickly, started to walk away. ‘I’m sorry. I hope you sort it all out.’

‘Wait, let me walk you to the door.’ He rose unsteadily.

‘Why don’t I take you to bed?’ She walked back.

‘That’s the best offer I’ve had in a long time.’

‘You’re drunk, sir.’ She hooked her arm around him and guided him indoors.

‘Did you walk here?’

‘No, I was out for a ride, and I saw your motorbike.’

Beau looked through the front door and saw Monty tethered to the front fence. ‘You ride that horse too hard,’ he said. ‘He’ll catch a chill.’ Monty whinnied and
tossed his head.

‘I think he’s agreeing with you.’

‘Go on.’ Beau clutched the banister. ‘I’ll be fine. Take care of him.’

‘If you’re sure?’

In the silence, the record looped around on the gramophone and the long-case clock on the landing ticked on. Beau’s head rested against hers for a moment. ‘Thank you, Miss
Chase,’ he said. As he turned to walk upstairs, he stumbled.

Evie sighed. ‘Come on.’ She tucked her arm around his waist and helped him to his room. He collapsed on the bed.

‘I’m sorry,’ he said.

‘I told you, never apologise, never explain.’

He laughed softly. ‘You do come out with the strangest things. I don’t normally drink like this. It’s just I haven’t slept for forty-eight hours, then this
…’

Evie poured Beau a glass of water and pulled the blanket over him. ‘Sleep well, sir.’ She turned out the light.

‘Thank you,’ he said. ‘Wait. You never told me why you’re here.’

She paused at the door. ‘It can wait.’

26

The days and weeks flew by as Evie and the girls worked flat out. Their paths rarely crossed now they were so busy, but Evie had made friends with some of the other pilots at
the pool and was happy enough to spend her leave nights in town or at the Coach and Horses with the ATA crew. With the arrival of April, at last the weather began to improve, and as she flew she
imagined the summer to come – lazy days in the sunshine with Jack, swimming in the Thames, boating. There had been a few letters, but she hadn’t managed to see him since his last visit.
Somehow their leave days never worked out. She missed him, but she threw herself into work. She was conscious that Stella had already done the conversion course for flying complex single-engine
aircraft and she wanted to do the same. When the Spitfires came, Evie wanted to be ready.

First thing one morning, Jim Mollison flew Evie and several other pilots to Langley to clear some Hawker Harts. As they soared over White Waltham, the cherry orchards along the road were ablaze
with blossom. Evie stepped up to the cockpit to keep Jim company.

‘I met your fiancé a few weeks ago,’ he said.

‘Jack mentioned he had bumped into you.’

‘Nice guy. We had quite a party.’

‘Did you indeed?’

The Anson hit some turbulence, and Jim checked his instruments. ‘This old girl almost didn’t get going this morning. Reg and Sheila found a nest in the cowling of this one when they
were running their checks.’

‘Is it right you’re being posted to another pool?’

‘No, I’ve just got a bit of work to do for a few months. I’ll be back though, I like it here.’ Jim winked at her. ‘How’s that guardian angel of
yours?’

‘Busy,’ Evie said, laughing. ‘Very busy.’

Having made her first delivery to a fighter squadron in East Anglia, Evie took a break at the station’s mess and spotted Joy over by the fireplace chatting to a couple of
RAF pilots.

‘Hello, darling!’ Joy called. ‘Glorious day, isn’t it?’

‘Makes you remember why we all fell for flying in the first place,’ Evie said as she gulped down her scalding tea.

‘Where are you off next?’

‘Miles Master to Debden. I must dash.’ She checked her watch. ‘Perhaps I’ll see you later?’

‘Definitely. Last one home gets the Martinis.’ Joy’s face danced with amusement. ‘Oh, by the way, I saw Olivia at a party a few nights ago. She was asking an awful lot of
questions about you.’

Evie shifted her parachute onto her shoulder. ‘Me?’

Joy laughed. ‘Yes, darling. I’d watch my back if I were you. She’s got it into her head that you and Beau are having some grand passion and you’re the reason he
won’t take her back!’

‘How ridiculous!’ Evie said indignantly. ‘I hope you told her I’m happily engaged to another man?’

‘Well, that’s never stopped some people.’

As Evie clambered into her plane she was seething. She recalled her last run-in with Olivia and thought how it must have looked. She decided to put the record straight the next
time she saw her.
As if I’d even look at another man when I have Jack.
Waiting to take off, she sighed as she thought of him.
Oh God, what I wouldn’t give to see him.

Evie checked her charts and decided on impulse to take a detour past Martlesham Heath.
Maybe I’ll land, just for a minute or two
, she thought
. I know I shouldn’t, but I
have to see him.
It was a clear day, sunlight sparkling on the breakers along the coast. Somehow just knowing she was close to him made her happy. In her mind she pictured herself walking
across the runway towards him, Jack taking her in his arms and spinning her round and round. She hummed happily to herself as she banked inland, down towards the airfield. She could see people
milling around the hangars, and wondered if one of the figures was Jack. Evie checked her watch. She was running late. As she circled the base, she battled with the temptation to see him. She
longed to hold him, see his face, just for a moment. Evie shook her head. She knew what she had to do. ‘Come on, old girl,’ she said as she straightened up and set the course for
Debden.

When Evie’s Anson taxi landed in White Waltham that evening, she exhaled loudly, glad to be safely down. She had dozed a little on the trip back and she stretched as she
got out of the plane. The light was failing now, and as everyone trooped off to the coaches and cars Evie was looking forward to meeting up with Joy and the start of her day’s leave. She
wandered over towards the offices and handed in her chits.

Captain Bailey opened his office door. ‘Evie, can I have a word?’

‘Yes, sir,’ she said.
Oh God
, she thought,
what have I done this time?

‘Close the door,’ he said. ‘Do sit down.’ He looked uncomfortable. ‘I’m sorry, my dear, I have some bad news for you.’

‘Who is it?’ she said uneasily. She knew Stella and Megan were out ferrying planes from Prestwick and Ratcliffe.

‘Your fiancé …’

‘Jack?’ The breath caught in her throat.

‘As you may know, he was flying a mission the other night.’

‘No. I didn’t know.’

‘He was shot down, along with another of his squadron.’

She shook her head, numb with shock. ‘Not Jack …’

‘My dear, I shouldn’t be telling you this. The information is classified, but I asked Captain Bradbrooke for permission, and in the circumstances he agreed. As a friend of your
father’s, I thought—’

‘Thank you, sir,’ she said briskly. ‘I do appreciate you telling me.’ She stumbled slightly as she stood, caught the arm of the chair to balance herself.

Evie walked blindly through the corridors; people’s conversations became a white noise that merged with the blood singing in her ears. It felt as if the world was falling
away around her. The floor swayed beneath her feet. She clutched her mouth, ran to the cloakroom. It was empty, and she pushed open the cubicle door just in time. She threw up, her body convulsing
again and again, then slumped on the cubicle floor, her head resting against the cool wall tiles. ‘No, no, no,’ she whispered under her breath. The tears came and she pressed her hand
to her face.

She had no idea how long she sat there. People wandered to and fro in the corridor beyond. As if at a great distance, she heard muffled voices, the sound of the last planes landing and taxiing
to the edge of the airfield for the night. The cloakroom door opened, feet marched across the lino floor. Someone tried to push open the cubicle door. They knocked, tried again.

‘I don’t know,’ a girl’s voice said. ‘I can’t get it open.’

‘Is someone in there? Maybe there’s a key?’ From the voices gathering in the cloakroom, there was quite a crowd. She couldn’t stay there. Evie staggered to her feet, and
tried desperately to tidy herself up.

‘Who’s in the bog?’ Teddy said impatiently. ‘Come on! You may have a gippy tummy but there’s a queue forming.’

Evie wiped away her tears with a trembling hand, flushed the loo.

‘Miss Chase?’ His face contorted as she opened the door. ‘It smells of vomit in here. Not pregnant are you?’

She pushed past him. ‘Belt up, Teddy.’

‘What? No threat of a slap this time? Are we taming our little tigress?’

He’s not worth it
, she thought to herself as she staggered outside. Then she remembered he had beaten up Jack. What if he was responsible? What if Jack had flown badly because of
it? She walked on, the wind lifting her hair. How could she still be here, feel the breeze on her cheek, when he could not?

Beau handed in his chits for the day, and lit a cigarette as he strolled towards the mess. The atmosphere was subdued.

‘Beaufort!’ Teddy barked on his way past.

‘What’s going on?’

‘Bit of a dicey-do. That Yank Miss Chase has been seeing bought it. Seems he has a few friends here.’ He strode off, the metal tips of his shoes tapping on the lino. ‘Good
riddance to bad rubbish if you ask me,’ he said under his breath.

Beau froze in his tracks. ‘What did you say?’

Teddy stopped and turned slowly towards him. ‘Damn Yank was half animal, as they all are from what I’ve seen.’ He pointed to the remains of his black eye, now an unpleasant
jaundiced yellow.

Beau sauntered over to him. ‘Would you like the matching pair, Parker?’

‘Anyone would think you had a thing for Miss Chase yourself,’ Teddy leered, ‘the way you’re always watching out for her.’

‘She was my student.’

‘Of course, of course.’ Teddy folded his arms and tucked his chin in. ‘And she evidently likes pretty boys. What a shame you didn’t meet her before this happened.’
He circled Beau’s face with his forefinger.

‘Why you—’ Beau grabbed him by the collar.

‘Beaufort, Parker, that’s enough.’ Badger broke them apart. ‘Commander Gower told me to keep my eye on you two. This is no way for officers to behave. What’s this
all about?’

‘I was just expressing my condolences about Miss Chase’s loss,’ Teddy said.

Badger chewed the stem of his pipe. ‘I’m not sure I like the cut of your jib, Parker. Don’t you have some filing to do?’

Beau tried not to smile.

‘Beaufort, perhaps you’d see that Miss Chase gets home safely? I believe she has some leave coming up. A day’s rest might do her some good.’

‘Is she still here?’

‘Yes, I believe I just saw her heading outside. She’s had something of a shock—’ he began to say, but Beau was already running after her.

‘Evie!’ someone called, but she didn’t stop. Beau ran over to her, grabbed her arm. ‘I just heard.’

She was going to be sick again. He held her, took her weight as she retched.

‘I’m sorry …’ she said.

‘Someone once told me never apologise, never explain.’ He put his arm firmly around her shoulder and guided her towards the car park. ‘Let’s get you home,’ he said.
‘It’s the least I can do after the last time I saw you. I can’t remember the last time I had to be put to bed.’

‘I could do with a whisky or two myself right now.’ She took a deep, shuddering breath.

‘I’m sorry,’ he said quietly.

Evie glanced at him, saw the genuine sorrow in his eyes. She nodded, unable to talk about Jack, not yet. ‘I’ve hardly seen you lately.’ She wiped her mouth with the back of her
shaking hand. ‘I thought you might be avoiding me.’

‘I’ve just been busy. I asked Ops to give me as much work as they can.’ He glanced around. ‘Do you have your car?’

‘No, it’s being serviced at Hammants.’

‘We’ll take my bike then.’