all day, every day.
She had another reason for wanting to stay in Norfolk and that was Tony. He seemed to have taken a liking to her and she to him. He had been born and brought up in Essex, the only son of a builder. ‘I wanted to do a bit more than just build houses,’ he told her. ‘So I went to technical college and qualified as a surveyor. That’s how I came to be working on the airfields.’
‘What will you do when the airfield is finished?’ They were strolling back to the pub from the bus stop on the main road after a visit to the cinema. He had hold of her hand. She thought that was greatly daring, but did not take her hand away.
‘I’ve done it already. I decided not to wait for call-up. I’ve enlisted in the air force.’
‘Oh, Tony, you didn’t say.’
‘I’m saying now. I’ve always wanted to fly ever since I was a boy. There was a chap with a Tiger Moth came to an airfield near us when I was about fifteen. He was giving people half-hour trips and Dad paid for me to go up. I loved it. The ground was all spreadout below me like a map: roads, rivers, buildings. I was so excited I forgot to be afraid.’
‘A bit different from flying in wartime, though, isn’t it?’
‘Yes, but if I’m going to do my bit, then that’s the way I want to do it. It’s better than going into the army or the navy, poor devils.’ The navy was the only service that had been in serious combat and had suffered significant losses. Nothing much was happening on land.
‘Then you’ll be leaving Cottlesham soon?’
‘That was always on the cards. But we’ll keep in touch, won’t we?’
‘Yes, if you want to.’
‘Of course I want to. I’ve grown very fond of you. In fact …’ He hesitated then rushed on. ‘I was thinking of asking you to marry me.’
‘Marry you?’
‘Yes. Oh, I know it’s a bit sudden and you might want some time to think about it, but I had to tell you what’s on my mind. It’s been on my mind since Christmas.’ He chuckled suddenly. ‘When we kissed under the mistletoe in the bar parlour, you remember …’
‘I remember.’ How could she forget? There had been a crowd in the pub and they had all laughed and clapped and made her blush to the roots of her hair.
‘That’s when I knew I’d fallen for you, hook, line and sinker and nothing would please me more than if you felt the same way.’
‘You’ve bowled me over.’
He laughed. ‘That was the general idea.’
‘Oh, Tony, I don’t know what to say.’
‘You could say yes.’
She stopped to turn and face him. ‘It’s a big step and I don’t know what my parents will say.’
‘I’m not asking to marry your parents, just you, my darling.’
She put a hand up to touch his face. He grabbed it and kissed the palm. The feel of his lips on the inside of her wrist sent shivers down her spine. ‘Well?’ he queried. ‘How long do you need to make up your mind?’
She laughed. ‘Will ten seconds do?’
Solemnly he counted to ten and ended. ‘So what is it to be?’
‘Yes,’ she said. ‘Yes, Tony, I will marry you.’
He picked her up from the ground and swung her round and round until they were both giddy. ‘I promise you will never regret it,’ he said, setting her on her feet, then kissing her as she had never been kissed before. ‘We are going to be so, so happy.’
With their arms round each other, they continued on their way. ‘I’ll have to tell my parents,’ she said.
‘And I’ll have to tell mine.’
‘What do you think they’ll say?’
‘Mine will be happy for me. We’ll go down at the weekend and tell them, shall we? We could call in on your mum and dad afterwards. And I’ll buy you a ring, make it official.’
‘Hang on, you’re going a bit fast for me.’
‘Oh, do you want to wait?’
He sounded so disappointed, she laughed. ‘No, no, let’s get it over with – telling my parents, I mean.’
Mr and Mrs Walsh lived in a substantial four-bedroomed house next to the
She had another reason for wanting to stay in Norfolk and that was Tony. He seemed to have taken a liking to her and she to him. He had been born and brought up in Essex, the only son of a builder. ‘I wanted to do a bit more than just build houses,’ he told her. ‘So I went to technical college and qualified as a surveyor. That’s how I came to be working on the airfields.’
‘What will you do when the airfield is finished?’ They were strolling back to the pub from the bus stop on the main road after a visit to the cinema. He had hold of her hand. She thought that was greatly daring, but did not take her hand away.
‘I’ve done it already. I decided not to wait for call-up. I’ve enlisted in the air force.’
‘Oh, Tony, you didn’t say.’
‘I’m saying now. I’ve always wanted to fly ever since I was a boy. There was a chap with a Tiger Moth came to an airfield near us when I was about fifteen. He was giving people half-hour trips and Dad paid for me to go up. I loved it. The ground was all spreadout below me like a map: roads, rivers, buildings. I was so excited I forgot to be afraid.’
‘A bit different from flying in wartime, though, isn’t it?’
‘Yes, but if I’m going to do my bit, then that’s the way I want to do it. It’s better than going into the army or the navy, poor devils.’ The navy was the only service that had been in serious combat and had suffered significant losses. Nothing much was happening on land.
‘Then you’ll be leaving Cottlesham soon?’
‘That was always on the cards. But we’ll keep in touch, won’t we?’
‘Yes, if you want to.’
‘Of course I want to. I’ve grown very fond of you. In fact …’ He hesitated then rushed on. ‘I was thinking of asking you to marry me.’
‘Marry you?’
‘Yes. Oh, I know it’s a bit sudden and you might want some time to think about it, but I had to tell you what’s on my mind. It’s been on my mind since Christmas.’ He chuckled suddenly. ‘When we kissed under the mistletoe in the bar parlour, you remember …’
‘I remember.’ How could she forget? There had been a crowd in the pub and they had all laughed and clapped and made her blush to the roots of her hair.
‘That’s when I knew I’d fallen for you, hook, line and sinker and nothing would please me more than if you felt the same way.’
‘You’ve bowled me over.’
He laughed. ‘That was the general idea.’
‘Oh, Tony, I don’t know what to say.’
‘You could say yes.’
She stopped to turn and face him. ‘It’s a big step and I don’t know what my parents will say.’
‘I’m not asking to marry your parents, just you, my darling.’
She put a hand up to touch his face. He grabbed it and kissed the palm. The feel of his lips on the inside of her wrist sent shivers down her spine. ‘Well?’ he queried. ‘How long do you need to make up your mind?’
She laughed. ‘Will ten seconds do?’
Solemnly he counted to ten and ended. ‘So what is it to be?’
‘Yes,’ she said. ‘Yes, Tony, I will marry you.’
He picked her up from the ground and swung her round and round until they were both giddy. ‘I promise you will never regret it,’ he said, setting her on her feet, then kissing her as she had never been kissed before. ‘We are going to be so, so happy.’
With their arms round each other, they continued on their way. ‘I’ll have to tell my parents,’ she said.
‘And I’ll have to tell mine.’
‘What do you think they’ll say?’
‘Mine will be happy for me. We’ll go down at the weekend and tell them, shall we? We could call in on your mum and dad afterwards. And I’ll buy you a ring, make it official.’
‘Hang on, you’re going a bit fast for me.’
‘Oh, do you want to wait?’
He sounded so disappointed, she laughed. ‘No, no, let’s get it over with – telling my parents, I mean.’
Mr and Mrs Walsh lived in a substantial four-bedroomed house next to the
Similar Books
