Some Lucky Day (13 page)

‘How many ops is that?’ asked Peggy quietly.

‘Thirty in a tour, so thirty-four,’ he replied, ‘which is quite miraculous considering the odds against him.’ His smile was wan. ‘The others have begun to regard him as their lucky mascot, for his squadron has had the least amount of fatalities so far – but it’s an added responsibility that he really doesn’t need.’

Martin smoked his cigarette, his expression solemn. ‘Squadron Leader Pargeter has always been level-headed and dependable, but within the past two weeks I’ve noticed his mind isn’t on his work, and although his wingman Roger Makepeace is a steadying and reliable influence, there have been some serious lapses in Freddy’s concentration. He had a very close shave the other day, and I could see that it had shaken him up badly, but he shrugged off my concern with his usual devil-may-care grin, and went off with Roger to get roaring drunk.’

‘He was probably exhausted,’ said Peggy, ‘and no wonder after such a gruelling schedule.’

‘I knew it was more than that, so when he’d sobered up, I hauled him into my office for a man-to-man chat. After a great deal of cajoling he finally admitted that he was worried sick about his young sister, Kitty.’

He took a long drink of the gin and tonic. ‘Kitty’s a ferry pilot with the ATA and had a very nasty prang in an Oxford she was taking down to Kidlington. The surgeon saved her life but he couldn’t save her leg, and she’s only just twenty-one.’

‘No wonder he couldn’t concentrate. How simply awful for both of them – especially for that poor little girl.’

‘Yes,’ he sighed. ‘She was evidently a real tomboy and extremely athletic.’

Peggy listened silently as he gave a short summary of the young Pargeters’ upbringing in Argentina.

‘So they only have each other over here, and that must be hard for both of them,’ he finished. He gave a snort of amusement. ‘She came third on a monster of a motorbike at one of Rita’s races only a few weeks ago. I believe all her male competitors were most put out.’

‘Oh, but I think I remember her,’ gasped Peggy. ‘She had a boyish figure and short curly blonde hair, and was wearing one of those blue overalls. Rita pointed her out because she was the only other girl competing.’ Her spirits sank further. ‘She looked so young, so full of life and energy – how will she cope without a leg?’

‘Apparently she’s not coping at all well,’ he replied as he finished his drink and crushed out his cigarette. ‘Freddy said she was extremely depressed and would hardly talk to him or Roger when they last visited her.’

‘But it can’t be long since the accident,’ Peggy protested. ‘Of course she’s depressed – any young girl would be.’

She stubbed out her own cigarette and put her hand on Martin’s arm. ‘Girls set great store on how they look, and by the sound of it, she’s used to being up and doing and in the thick of things. She probably thinks it’s the end of the world at the moment – and who could blame her? She needs time to come to terms with things, Martin.’

‘I agree,’ he replied on a sigh. ‘I’ve seen the same depression in some of my injured pilots. But they soon come to realise there is a future out there even if they have a limb missing, and although the ATA might not seem as glamorous after the RAF, they hardly turn anyone away, and the boys can still use their flying skills and do their bit.’

‘Well, of course there’s the famous Douglas Bader who has two false legs. He was flying with the RAF back in 1941.’

Martin smiled. ‘He’s unique, and although he’s now a POW in Germany, I understand he’s made himself a regular nuisance by constantly trying to escape. But returning to the subject of Kitty and her brother, I accept she will find it extremely hard to come to terms with what has happened to her. And Freddy will have to as well. I’ve kept him grounded since his close shave, but I can’t do so for much longer. I need every man I have in the air – and I need them to fly with clear minds.’

‘I’m sure there must be some way to get Kitty to see that there is a future for her other than sitting in a dull office every day. Let me have a think about it, and if I come up with any ideas I’ll give you a ring.’

Martin patted her hand and then poured her another gin and tonic. ‘You’ll come up with something, Peggy,’ he said affectionately. ‘You always do.’

Martin ended up staying for tea, which turned out to be quite a jolly occasion, for Jane, Sarah and Rita returned from their day out and fell with delight on the remains of the gin and tonic. As Peggy listened to the chatter going on around her, she wanted to feel as contented and happy as her girls, but the absence of Fran at the table made her fret.

And yet she didn’t want to spoil the evening for the others, so she said nothing as she dished out the slices of spam and homegrown salad and placed the bottles of last year’s pickles on the table. The last jar of preserved blackberries she’d been keeping for a special occasion had been dressed with the top of the milk to provide a pudding.

‘That was quite a feast,’ said Martin, as he sat back and lit cigarettes for both of them. ‘Thank you, Peggy.’

‘You’re welcome,’ she said lightly as the girls cleared the table and Rita tackled the washing-up. She glanced up at the clock on the mantelpiece. It was nearly seven o’clock and there was still no sign of Fran.

‘Have you got plans for the evening, Peggy?’ he asked worriedly. ‘I’m not keeping you, am I?’

‘Good heavens, no,’ she hurried to reassure him. ‘I don’t go out much in the evenings since Jim was called up, and I’m enjoying having you here. It makes a lovely change.’

‘Have you heard from Jim lately?’

Peggy smiled. ‘He writes regularly, but the letters come in higgledy-piggledy order, so we’ve started to number them so we know if there’s one missing.’

‘How’s he getting on with army life? It can’t be easy for him after going through the last war.’

‘Jim always lands on his feet,’ she chuckled. ‘He fixed a colonel’s car and made such a good impression on the man that he’s now his permanent driver, which gets him out of doing the dirty work in the maintenance sheds.’

Her smile was soft with affection. ‘He’s not lost his skill at keeping his eye on the main chance, because he’s also done a couple of favours for the cook in charge of the Officers’ Mess, so he often gets given choice tidbits to liven up the rather stodgy diet in the canteen. I think he’s quite enjoying himself.’

‘No sign of him being sent abroad then?’

‘Not yet, but something’s in the wind, because his last letter mentioned a training course they were all about to go on. Of course the censor blanked out most of what he’d written, but I got the distinct feeling Jim wasn’t looking forward to it.’

Martin smoked his cigarette in silence and Peggy wondered suddenly if he knew more than he was letting on. ‘I don’t suppose you could guess what he might be training for?’ she asked hopefully.

‘It could be for anything,’ he said. ‘What the army is doing is a complete mystery to us in the RAF.’ He smiled at Peggy. ‘I shouldn’t worry too much,’ he said comfortably. ‘Jim seems to be fairly settled and useful where he is, and I doubt that at his age he’ll be sent anywhere abroad.’

‘That’s what I’m hoping,’ she replied fervently. ‘He did his bit in the first one – as did his brother, Frank.’ She gave a sigh. ‘At least Frank is of the age when he definitely won’t be sent abroad. He’ll be fifty early next year, so he’ll get discharged and sent home.’

Martin nodded and then smiled up at Sarah as she put the teapot on the table. ‘And how are you and Jane getting along? Still enjoying being a Lumberjill?’

Sarah laughed as she twisted her silky blonde hair back from her face and tethered it with several hairpins. ‘It’s great fun until I have to help load the lorries,’ she replied. ‘Even with thick gloves, I manage to break all my fingernails. But the girls are a great bunch, and the Americans certainly liven things up on the estate.’

‘And I’m really enjoying working at the dairy,’ piped up her younger sister Jane, whose fair hair lay across her shoulder in a thick plait. ‘The horses are absolute darlings, and there are times when I wish I could stay with them all day. But of course the pay is really low, so I have the part-time bookkeeping job at the uniform factory now.’

‘Mr Goldman, her boss, has asked her to do more hours,’ said Sarah proudly.

Jane fidgeted with the hem of her cardigan. ‘Yes, well, I’ll see. I don’t really want to give up my job at the dairy.’

Sarah rolled her eyes and gave a sigh. ‘I have never understood the passion some people have for horses. It seems to rule their lives.’

Jane shrugged and grinned. ‘That’s because you’ve never tried to get to know them,’ she said.

‘Where has that girl got to?’ said Cordelia as she placed the tray of teacups on the table and sat down. ‘She went out very early this morning, and now it’s almost eight o’clock.’

‘I’m sure she’ll be back soon,’ soothed Peggy, trying to mask her own anxiety. ‘She has an early shift tomorrow.’

‘So have I,’ said Rita, whose olive skin had darkened in the summer sun. ‘John Hicks has ordered a complete audit of every last bit of equipment at the fire station, and I’ve also got a motor to fix on the winding gear of the big fire engine. I’d better get to bed.’

She kissed Peggy and Cordelia and was halfway out the door when she turned back. ‘Oh, I almost forgot. Ruby’s had more letters from her handsome Canadian. He’s still very keen on their getting together after he’s finished his training course, and I think she’s quite taken with the idea too.’

‘Oh, I’m so glad,’ said Peggy in delight. ‘He was such a nice young man.’

‘There you go, matchmaking again,’ muttered Cordelia with a glint of humour in her eyes. ‘Honestly, Peggy, will you never learn?’

Peggy grinned. ‘Probably not,’ she admitted contentedly.

‘Well, as pleasant as this is, I have to get back to Cliffe,’ said Martin, and he stood and reached for his jacket.

He fastened the buttons and picked up his hat, then bent to kiss the back of Cordelia’s hand. ‘Keep smiling through,’ he murmured, ‘and I’ll see you again as soon as I can.’

Peggy followed him out into the hall after he’d said goodbye to everyone else, and watched from her bedroom doorway as he bent to softly feather his finger over the sleeping baby’s hair. His yearning for his own baby was etched in his face, and Peggy felt again the squeeze on her heart.

‘Keep in mind what I told you about young Freddy and his sister,’ he said quietly as they stood on the doorstep. ‘And if you have any suggestions, I’ll be glad to hear them, for Freddy needs to be clear of his worries the next time he climbs into that Spitfire.’

Peggy nodded and stepped into his embrace, the top of her head barely reaching the winged badge above his breast pocket. She held him tightly, hoping that he understood how much he meant to them all, and then let him go with a silent prayer that he stay safe.

She stood on the doorstep to wave as he drove the borrowed car down the cul-de-sac and around the corner. Her heart was heavy despite the pleasant day they’d spent, for there were no certainties any more.

KITTY WANTED HER
mother with such longing that it hurt, and as the nurse gently removed the bandages from her head, she could feel the tears gather in a great lump in her throat. She felt so weak and alone, more helpless than she could ever have imagined, and simply didn’t have the will to do anything about it.

‘Now, I’m just going to take out the rest of your stitches, Kitty,’ murmured the doctor. ‘Everything seems to have healed beautifully, and once your hair grows back, you won’t see the scarring at all.’

Kitty kept her eyes closed. The fact that her hair had been shaved off was simply another item in the long catalogue of horrors she’d been presented with since waking up from her induced sleep, and she wanted to be left alone to curl into her misery.

‘That’s very good,’ he continued as he leaned over her and snipped away the stitches. ‘Now, let’s have a look at your cheek. It was a minor laceration, and I used the finest needle and thread, so I’m hoping the scarring has been kept to a minimum.’

She felt the padded dressing being eased away from her cheek, and his gentle fingers probing the flesh before once again she heard the clip of the scissors and felt the slight sting of the stitches being drawn out. ‘It doesn’t matter one way or the other,’ she said almost wearily. ‘No one’s going to look at me now, anyway.’

‘That’s defeatist talk, Kitty, and I won’t stand for it,’ he said firmly. ‘Even though I say so myself, that is an excellent piece of sewing. Open your eyes, Kitty, and take a look.’

She shook her head. ‘I don’t want to look. What’s the point?’

‘The point, my dear, is that you are still the pretty girl you were before the accident.’ He paused. ‘All the bruising and swelling has gone down, and although you don’t have a lot of hair left, it is starting to grow back, and I wouldn’t mind betting that in another few days you’ll be asking for a brush and comb.’

Kitty kept her eyes closed as she rolled her head away from him. She didn’t want to see herself – didn’t want to see the doctor, or the world outside the surrounding curtain. She simply wanted her mother – to hear her voice and feel her arms about her – and to go back to sleep so she didn’t have to face the cruel reality of her situation.

‘All right,’ the doctor said on a sigh. ‘I’ll let it go today, but sooner or later you are going to have to start fighting back, Kitty. I know you feel very down at the moment, but you’re young and strong, and despite the dark thoughts going round in your head, you are a very lucky young woman.’

She opened her eyes and glared at him. ‘Lucky?’ she rasped.

He smiled down at her. ‘You survived a crash that should have killed you. I’d call that lucky, wouldn’t you?’

‘Survived for what?’ she asked bitterly. ‘To live the rest of my life as a useless cripple?’

‘You’ll certainly have to adapt to using a prosthesis,’ he replied quietly. ‘But that doesn’t mean your life can’t be fulfilling.’ He perched on the side of the bed, the brass buttons on his uniform jacket glinting in the shaft of sunlight that came through the ward window. ‘You can still fall in love and have children – still do a great many of the things you used to do before the accident. You just have to adapt, Kitty. And from what your brother tells me, you’ve never been one to turn down a challenge, so why change the habits of a lifetime now?’