Heartwarming and emotional story of one girl's courage in WW2 by Fenella Miller (top 10 ebook reader txt) 📗

American version. It’s the one thing I missed when I was over there – that and the fish and chips.’

They sat in a strangely companionable silence for a while and then she spoilt the moment.

*

‘What’s going on with Joe? Has he been arrested and if so what for?’ Ellie watched him slop his beer onto his trousers and immediately regretted having asked, even though she was entitled to know what was going on.

‘He’s "helping police with their enquiries" at the moment. How much do you know about how he came to be your boss?’

‘Nothing at all. To tell you the truth I’ve always been curious as to how someone from the East End ended up with a flying club. Not the sort of thing you’d expect from someone with his background.’

‘Too common do you mean?’

She was about to apologise when he laughed. ‘I’m surprised you hadn’t asked him yourself – not backward at coming forward, are you?’ He swallowed a third of his beer with obvious relish before continuing. ‘My aunt, like your mother, married beneath herself. However, unlike your grandparents, her family were all right with it. My aunt’s old man had an ancient kite left over from the last lot and he taught Uncle Joe to fly in it. He was hooked and spent as much time as he could in the old plane until it became too decrepit to get off the ground.

‘When things got too hot for him in the Smoke he upped sticks and moved to Romford. Then a few years ago he cashed in his assets and decided to start his own club.’

‘Well that’s one mystery solved.’ She hesitated, not sure she wanted to know how Joe had made his ill-gotten gains. She wasn’t comfortable with the fact that she’d been working for a criminal for the past few years. ‘What did he do? You still haven’t told me why the police are involved after so long.’

‘He’s not violent, if that’s what you’re worried about. He had a pawn shop – dealt with things that fell off the back of a lorry, if you know what I mean.’

‘I see. You do realise I’d never have been working there if I’d known. My parents…’

‘Your dad does know. Uncle Joe explained it all to him when the arrangement was made to lease the fields and barns.’

‘Dad would never condone dishonesty of any sort. I don’t understand. Why would he agree to work with a criminal? It just doesn’t make sense.’

‘I’m equally puzzled. My uncle refused to tell me. You’ll have to ask him yourself. Why don’t you do it now?’

She was about to tell him she wasn’t that stupid when she realised he was teasing. Something else occurred to her. ‘Has the airfield always been in your name?’

‘Yes. I thought Uncle Joe was just setting up something by way of an inheritance but now I’m not so sure. I think it’s only in my name to keep the police away.’

‘You don’t seem especially bothered that you own a business bought with stolen money. I suppose you’ve always known Joe was a bad lot.’

‘Not when I was a nipper. I realised when he gave me the money to go to America that there was something up. We’d always been close and now he wanted to pack me off to the other side of the world. It didn’t make sense, but I didn’t argue as I was desperate to make flying my livelihood and there was no way of doing it over here.’

‘I don’t blame you really. If I got the chance to spend all my life in the air I’d be off like a shot. I know once the war starts civilian flying will have to stop. I suppose I’ll stay here and help my dad run the farm as he’s going to lose at least one of his workers. The other two are too ancient to be called up.’

She sipped her lemonade while she decided if she should do the right thing and hand in her notice or do what she wanted and stay.

‘It’s a hard one isn’t it, Ellie? Before you make your decision there’s something I want to tell you, but you mustn’t breathe a word to anyone else. I’ve had an enquiry from some bigwig in the Government and it seems likely we’re going to be put on the list of suitable places to train RAF pilots once the war starts. This would mean you could carry on flying and be doing your bit for the country.’

‘That makes it easier, thank you for telling me. I’ll stay. If my dad isn’t bothered about where the money came from then I’m not going to worry either.’

The sun slid below the horizon leaving the sky bathed in a glorious red light. If she’d been a religious person she might have taken this as a sign from above. Then the dusk was filled with the lovely sound of violins. The trio had started to play.

‘Isn’t that beautiful. There’s going to be dancing later in the marquee.’

In her elegant evening gown, sitting next to a handsome young man, surrounded by the flickering light from dozens of lanterns, she felt like a princess from a fairy tale.

‘I hope you’re not suggesting that I dance with you? I can do the polka and jitterbug and that’s about my limit. I doubt that either of those will be on the cards tonight.’

‘Jitterbug? I’ve never heard of that – is it some Yankee craze?’

He put his empty glass down with a thump and surged to his feet. ‘If you can ignore that wailing and scraping and imagine you’re listening to something lively by Glenn Miller, I’ll teach you how to do it.’

‘No chance. I can just about waltz, I had to learn the basics at school, but doubt I could do even that dressed as I am. You can show me when I’ve got my dungarees on – they often have Glenn Miller on the wireless and Sid has that