Читать книгу A Sister’s Courage - Molly Green - Страница 15

To Raine’s astonishment her mother was actually amenable to the idea of her two daughters going to a dance together.

‘How will you come home?’ Simone asked.

‘Same way we go – on the bus,’ Raine answered.

‘Well, you may go if you promise not to lose the last bus.’

‘We promise, Maman,’ Suzanne said.

‘And to look after your sister at all times, Lorraine.’

‘I will.’

Ronnie’s face was a picture when Raine and Suzanne waltzed down the stairs on the evening of the dance.

‘Look at you two – dressed up like a dog’s dinner.’

Raine gently pulled one of Ronnie’s pigtails. ‘You’re still a baby. I’m sure in a few years’ time you’ll have given up being a tomboy and will be just as excited to go off to a dance as we are.’

‘I’m hardly a baby at fourteen,’ Ronnie protested, ‘but I just hate all that girl–boy stuff. Waiting on the edge of the floor to be asked to dance by some pimply boy with greasy hair. Ugh.’ She made an ugly face.

‘We don’t intend to dance with pimply boys,’ Suzanne said, laughing. ‘There should be a few slightly more mature ones around, being so close to the aerodrome – if they’re not all away fighting the Germans, that is. If there’s no one we fancy we’ll have a dance together, won’t we, Raine?’

‘Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that,’ Raine chuckled. ‘Come on, Suzy, we don’t want to be late and miss all the fun.’

The dance hall was packed as the two sisters entered. Raine swiftly glanced around, wondering if there was anyone she knew from Biggin Hill, but it was difficult to see the faces clearly because of so much smoke. And as many of them were in uniform it was even harder to differentiate between them. She suddenly thought of Foxy and hoped to God he wouldn’t be here or suddenly turn up.

The floor was already crowded with couples dancing to the small orchestra playing ‘Crazy Rhythm’ and Raine found herself tapping her foot to the infectious beat. She glanced at Suzanne, who was staring at the small stage, eyes half closed, mesmerised. Suzanne looked delightful in her new dress, Raine thought. Her sister had made it out of a length of bright flowered cotton that one of Maman’s housewives had given her, saying she didn’t have any spare saucepans but hoped the material would help the war effort.

Suzanne had altered one of Maman’s gowns for Raine – a bright red silky affair with a short full skirt that flew above Raine’s knees when she’d twirled in the mirror and a halterneck top. What a marvel her sister was with a sewing machine.

‘I’ll get a drink for us at the bar,’ Raine said, ‘if you can find a table.’

Even though she was tall, and wearing her eye-catching red dress, Raine could not catch the barman’s eye. Men who should have been behind her somehow edged their way in front and were served. Chewing her lip in frustration she finally elbowed her way forward and stood directly in front of one of the bartenders, then opened her mouth to give her order. Ignoring her, he nodded to the tall man who had suddenly appeared on her right. Raine sucked in a breath of irritation. What was so special about him?

She gave him a sideways glance. He was in RAF uniform, as were many of the other men – three or four years older than her, she decided. His fair hair was swept back from his forehead to show the world what a very good-looking bloke he was. He knew it, too, she thought scornfully, by the cocksure way he’d managed to get served before her. He had no manners. He jolly well knew she was at the bar before him.

As though he felt her staring, he turned to her. His eyes, the green of a blade of grass, held hers. And then he smiled. She gave a start. She’d seen that smile before. It lit up his face. But where? At this moment he was regarding her with open admiration, but it did nothing to thwart her temper.

‘Excuse me, but I’ve been standing here for ten minutes.’ She flashed him an angry look. ‘But I realise I must be invisible.’

‘Oh, no,’ he chuckled. ‘Believe me, you are extremely visible – particularly in that vampire’s dress.’

‘In that case, I’d like to put my order in before you,’ she snapped.

‘Be my guest.’

He shifted no more than an inch or two, supposedly giving her the impression he was letting her go in front. She noticed his wings and the two bars on the cuffs of his tunic. He was a pilot – and an officer. He wouldn’t have had any trouble joining up. The RAF would have welcomed him with open arms. And because she was a woman she was not only denied getting into the ATA to do something worthwhile for the war effort through lack of solo air miles, but it was also as though this cocky pilot was rubbing her nose in it at the same time.

Common sense finally came to the rescue and aware that the bartender was enjoying the little scene, she said in as cool a tone as she could muster, ‘Two lemonades, please.’

‘Coming right up,’ the barman said, and she saw a wink pass between the two of them.

They were laughing at her! In a split second she’d turned on her heel, but the pilot was too fast. He grabbed her arm.

‘Hey, what’s the matter? You’ve made your point. You’re being served now.’

She shook his arm off. ‘The trouble with you men in uniform,’ she began, her voice trembling with anger, ‘is that you all think you’re God’s gift. All I asked was for good manners, which I would’ve thought they’d have taught you in the RAF, even if your parents didn’t, which doesn’t mean sharing a joke at my expense with the bartender just because I made a point, as you call it.’

She stopped abruptly to take a breath, inwardly seething.

‘I’m sorry,’ he said, looking like a contrite schoolboy who didn’t really mean it. ‘I admit, it was rude of me. Come on back and I’ll buy those drinks. Who are you with, anyway – a boyfriend who drinks lemonade?’

‘You can’t help the sarcasm, can you?’ she said scathingly. ‘If you must know, the other one’s for my sister.’

‘Ah, a sister. And is she as bad-tempered as you?’

How dare he!

And then he threw back his head and laughed. ‘Sorry, I’m teasing you. Honest. Name’s Alec … Alec Marshall.’ He stuck out his hand. ‘What’s yours?’

Marshall? She hadn’t forgotten that name. He was one of the six pilots who’d brought in the new Hurricanes that time. The one who’d smiled at her. Who’d begun walking towards her … until one of his mates had called him away. So his name was Alec. She needed to get away before he recognised her.

‘I must get back to my sister,’ she said, disregarding his outstretched hand.

‘She’ll be disappointed if you go back to her without her drink.’

Ignoring him, she quickly made her way over to the other side of the room, near the orchestra. Suzanne was bound to have grabbed somewhere close to the musicians so she could watch them playing.

‘I was beginning to wonder where you were,’ Suzanne said as Raine sat down at the table for four, across from a couple who couldn’t keep their hands off one another.

Raine jerked her head towards them and rolled her eyes. Suzanne giggled.

‘You didn’t bring any drinks. Was the queue at the bar too long?’

‘I got waylaid,’ Raine said.

‘By me!’ A man’s shadow fell over the table.

Oh, no. Raine parted her lips and blew out an exaggerated sigh. He’d followed her. And he was carrying a tray holding three drinks.

‘May I join you?’

‘There’s no spare chair,’ Raine said in an icy tone.

‘Sorry, I didn’t catch that.’ Alec Marshall hunkered down by her chair, his face close to hers. ‘The band’s a bit loud.’

She knew he’d heard her. Not drawing back an inch, she said slowly and clearly, a few decibels louder, ‘There’s no chair.’

‘Take this one,’ an older woman from the table nearest called. She nudged an empty chair towards their table.

The pilot thanked her charmingly and squeezed in between the two girls.

He turned to look at Suzanne. ‘I think you must be the lady’s sister,’ he said, ‘though I haven’t yet had the pleasure of knowing her name even though I’ve told her mine. I’m Alec Marshall.’

‘That’s easy,’ Suzanne said immediately, ignoring Raine’s glare. ‘This is Lorraine, my sister, but she goes by the name of Raine. And I’m Suzanne.’

To Raine’s intense irritation Suzanne put her hand out and shook Alec’s hand.

‘Pleased to meet you, Mr Marshall.’

‘Do call me Alec.’

Suzanne smiled and nodded.

Alec Marshall turned to Raine. ‘I must say I wouldn’t have put you down as sisters … and it’s not just the hair colour.’

Raine sucked in her breath. She knew he was having a dig at her.

Without pausing, he added, ‘So now we’ve been officially introduced, perhaps I’ll have the pleasure of a dance with both of you.’ A smile hovered over his lips, then became a delighted grin. ‘You know something, Raine? I’ve seen you before.’

‘I can’t imagine where.’ She glared at him. ‘And by the way, only people close to me use my nickname.’

She felt Suzanne give her a sly kick under the table but took no notice. How dare he be so familiar.

‘Oh, so-rry,’ he said, bowing his head in mock subservience. He looked up. ‘I completely forgot my manners. Do forgive me, Miss Crosspatch.’

She wouldn’t lower herself to answer, though she kept her eyes on him. He was too attractive for his own good. He held her gaze, causing her pulse to quicken. Why was she being so prickly with him? After all, he was right. She’d seen him, too. Well, she wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction that she’d realised who he was.

He suddenly tapped his head. ‘I’ve got it! You were the kid at Biggin Hill. You caused quite a stir with the chaps when one of them told us you were learning to fly.’

She shook her head, pretending to recollect when and where it could possibly have been.

‘How soon we forget.’ He gave her a half-mocking smile. ‘It was when we delivered the new Hurricanes that time – before the war even started. It was you, I’m sure, and if you gave me a little smile now as you did then, I’d know definitely.’

Yes, she had smiled back at him that day. Now, she would die before she gave him another.

‘You saw me coming over to talk to you, but the chaps called me back. And it wasn’t anything that couldn’t have waited. But by the time I came to look for you, you’d vanished. I asked who you were, but no one knew your name, only that they thought you were one of the clerks. I kept hoping we might run into each other one day – and here we are.’ He grinned then took a deep swallow of his beer without taking his eyes off her.

She hesitated as though she was thinking. ‘Yes, I do remember the Hurricanes being delivered,’ she said after some deliberation, ‘but I can’t say any one of the pilots caught my attention.’

Alec Marshall drained his glass. ‘You know, if you weren’t so prickly, Lorraine, I’d ask you to dance. But if I did, I’d be worried you’d pierce my heart with one of your barbs.’

‘That is, if you have a heart.’ She sent him a steely look.

‘Raine, stop being so horrible,’ Suzanne said, tapping her sister’s arm. ‘It’s not like you.’

At that moment, the music changed from another jazzy piece to a slow foxtrot. It was ‘Moonlight Serenade’ – one Raine particularly loved. If she hadn’t been so cutting with Alec he might have—

‘May I have the pleasure?’

A well-built boy about her own age in a smart suit stood in front of Raine with a hesitant smile. Without a backward glance she nodded and rose, following him onto the floor, feeling Alec’s eyes boring into her back. Her partner put an arm around her waist and took her hand in his.

A minute later she wished she hadn’t been so keen. His hand became sweaty as he lowered his head, watching his feet and muttering in her ear, ‘Slow, slow, quick, quick, slow.’

Raine knew she was a good dancer. She’d enjoyed learning at school and nothing would have given her greater pleasure than to glide around the dance floor with a partner who knew what he was doing. Unfortunately, this poor boy didn’t.

‘I’m sorry,’ he said as he stepped on her foot for the second time.

‘It’s all right,’ she said, not wanting to make him even more nervous.

After the band finished that particular piece, she made her excuses and walked back to her seat. The lovey-dovey couple had vanished and the two other chairs were empty. Presumably, Suzy was dancing with Alec Marshall. Well, her sister was welcome to his charms.

She picked up her glass and took a few sips of lemonade, irritated that he’d bought the drinks. The liquid soothed her hot, dry throat. She drank some more while scanning the dance floor. Yes, there they were, making a striking couple with Suzanne’s gleaming blonde head resting on his shoulder. She could tell he was an accomplished dancer by the way he was holding her, taking the lead, his movements fluid and practised. She felt a trickle of envy as he bent his head to say something. Suzanne laughed and Raine cringed at the thought they were laughing at her. Then she told herself off. Of course they weren’t. Suzanne would never do that. But the thought didn’t make her feel any better towards Alec Marshall. He was a conceited oaf and she hoped to God she wouldn’t bump into him again.

‘May I have this dance?’

A smiling man in uniform stood in front of her.

‘You may.’

Raine rose to her feet and soon she was on the dance floor again, chatting to this very pleasant officer. But her thoughts were elsewhere. And she couldn’t help looking over his shoulder every few moments – just to check her sister was all right, she told herself.

‘Is anything wrong?’ Suzanne asked as she and Raine were on the last bus back to Downe.

‘What on earth makes you say that?’ Raine said, inwardly battling with her annoyance at the whole evening.

It hadn’t been as much fun as she’d thought. None of her partners had been good dancers.

‘Because you’ve barely spoken since I danced with Alec.’

‘I don’t know what you’re talking about.’

‘Oh, I think you do.’ Suzanne looked serious. ‘And something else. I think you have met him before but won’t admit it.’

‘What makes you think that?’

‘Because underneath it all you find him attractive but you won’t admit that either, so you’re trying to have the upper hand and put him in his place. But you’ve picked the wrong one. He’s more than a match for you.’

Raine was silent.

‘And when I happened to mention you were a qualified pilot—’

‘You didn’t!’ Raine interrupted. ‘I don’t want him to know my business.’

‘Why? He’s really nice when you get to know him.’

‘Well, you should know. You had enough dances with him.’

Suzanne’s eyes clouded. ‘Don’t be so dog-in-the-manger, Raine. You made it clear you wanted nothing to do with him, so why shouldn’t he ask me?’

Immediately, Raine felt guilty. Her sister had done nothing wrong and she was being perfectly horrible to her, spoiling her evening. She put her hand on Suzanne’s arm.

‘I’m sorry, Suzy. Don’t take any notice of me. I expect it’s the time of the month.’

‘It’s all right. I get irritable myself then.’

‘I’ve never noticed.’ Raine smiled. Then her smile faded. ‘What did he say when you told him I was a pilot?’

‘Tickets, please.’ The bus conductress held out her hand.

The sisters gave her their tickets. She clipped them and handed them back, nodding her thanks.

‘Where were we?’ Raine said casually, as though any continuing conversation about Alec Marshall was of no consequence. ‘Oh, yes … about being a pilot.’

‘He was most impressed. He said again how you were watching the new Hurricanes land at Biggin Hill and that he’d immediately wanted to get to know you. He said he never forgot your face and regretted that you didn’t properly meet.’ Suzanne turned her head to Raine. ‘They’re the exact words he said.’

‘Is he stationed at Biggin Hill, then?’

‘No, he’s usually stationed near Maidenhead, but he happened to be at Biggin Hill today with some friends, so they thought they’d go into Bromley – have a look in the Palais. Normally, we wouldn’t have met him at all.’

‘It would’ve been just as well,’ Raine said shortly.

‘He said for me to tell you that you should join the ATA,’ Suzanne went on, ignoring the comment. ‘It would be right up your street, he said. I told him you’d tried and hadn’t got in because they were only taking a certain number of women at present. He said he would put in a word for you to that lady you wrote to – Miss … what was her name?’

‘Miss Gower.’

‘Oh, yes, that’s the one. He knows her.’

He would. Prickles of irritation ran up Raine’s spine.

‘I don’t want that man to put in any good word for me,’ she said. ‘I don’t want to be beholden to anyone, least of all him. If I ever get into the ATA it will be from my own effort – not some cocky pilot’s.’

‘I think he really likes you.’

‘If he does, he’s got a strange way of showing it,’ was all Raine said.

As far as she was concerned, the subject was closed.