you. Bet you’re hungry. Come far, have you?’ She hardly paused for breath as she sat down again. ‘I’m Ruth Morrison, by the way, and you’ll be with me. We’re billeted in the village. Most of the girls are.’ She nudged Fleur and winked. ‘Don’t reckon they trust us to stay on the camp with the fellers.’
‘It’s nothing of the sort,’ a fair-haired girl sitting opposite retorted. ‘Don’t listen to her. I’m Peggy Marshall.’ She held out her hand across the table and Fleur took it.
‘Fleur Bosley. Hello.’
‘And don’t believe a word our Ruth tells you. Truth is, they haven’t got the sleeping quarters finished yet, so most of us are billeted out …’
‘Not all of us.’ A dark-haired girl further down the table remarked. There was a distinct note of resentment in her tone, though, as Fleur glanced at her, the girl winked. ‘Some of us,’ she went on dryly, ‘have to put up with sleeping in a draughty hut on hard biscuit beds and eat forces’ fare whilst the rest of you languish in feather beds and are plied with delicious home cooking by the locals.’
There were cries of derision and someone threw a dry biscuit at her, but the girl just smiled, her dark eyes sparkling with mischief.
‘That’s Kay Fullerton, by the way. As you can see, she’s a corporal,’ Ruth said. ‘The rest of us are just lowly ACWs.’
Fleur nodded. ‘Me too.’
Ruth nodded towards Kay as she added, ‘She doesn’t mean it – about the sleeping arrangements, I mean.’
‘Oh yes I do. Why should all the newcomers get the best billets, I’d like to know?’
Fleur looked up and met the girl’s belligerent expression. ‘Well, I don’t mind sleeping here if you want to swap,’ she offered.
Kay stared at her for a moment until someone else put in, ‘Kay’s all talk. She’ll not leave camp – she’s already got her eye on one of the new pilots that’s just arrived.’
The remark was greeted by loud guffaws and even Kay smiled sheepishly. ‘No, you’re OK, but – thanks for the offer.’
As there was a general movement to get up from the table, Kay came up to Fleur and held out her hand. ‘You’re the first one to do that.’
Closer now, Fleur could see that the girl had the most unusual dark blue eyes – so dark they were almost violet. Her skin was smooth and flawless, and her black hair was so shiny it seemed to glint in the light as she moved. She was really very pretty.
‘She gives all the new ones a hard time over it,’ Ruth explained, ‘just to see how they react.’
Kay laughed. ‘Most of them go all red and embarrassed, but none of them have ever offered to swap. You’re all right, Fleur Bosley. In my book anyway.’
Now it was Fleur’s turn to look a little embarrassed at the unexpected compliment.
‘Not one to hold back is our Kay. You’ll get it straight John Bull from her,’ Ruth said. ‘If she likes you, she’ll tell you so. And if she doesn’t – well, she’ll tell you that an’ all.’
‘What job will you be doing? Do you know?’ Kay asked.
‘R/T operator.’
Kay’s eyes lit up. ‘Oh, then you’ll be with me in Control. That’s good. Welcome aboard, Fleur.’ Then she spun on her heel, adding, ‘Must go. Things to do, people to see. See you tomorrow.’ And before Fleur could say a word, she had marched down the long room and out of the door.
Ruth spluttered with laughter. ‘She’s a caution, that one, as my mother would say.’
Fleur smiled. She was feeling very much at home already. She liked Ruth and had taken to the girl she now knew would be working with her. She wondered if she’d be working with Ruth too. ‘What do you do, Ruth?’
‘I’m in intelligence. I help at briefings and then debrief the crews when they come back from a raid.’
‘That must be tough,’ Fleur murmured sympathetically.
Ruth’s hazel eyes clouded for a moment. ‘It is a bit. An RAF intelligence officer usually asks the questions and I write down
‘It’s nothing of the sort,’ a fair-haired girl sitting opposite retorted. ‘Don’t listen to her. I’m Peggy Marshall.’ She held out her hand across the table and Fleur took it.
‘Fleur Bosley. Hello.’
‘And don’t believe a word our Ruth tells you. Truth is, they haven’t got the sleeping quarters finished yet, so most of us are billeted out …’
‘Not all of us.’ A dark-haired girl further down the table remarked. There was a distinct note of resentment in her tone, though, as Fleur glanced at her, the girl winked. ‘Some of us,’ she went on dryly, ‘have to put up with sleeping in a draughty hut on hard biscuit beds and eat forces’ fare whilst the rest of you languish in feather beds and are plied with delicious home cooking by the locals.’
There were cries of derision and someone threw a dry biscuit at her, but the girl just smiled, her dark eyes sparkling with mischief.
‘That’s Kay Fullerton, by the way. As you can see, she’s a corporal,’ Ruth said. ‘The rest of us are just lowly ACWs.’
Fleur nodded. ‘Me too.’
Ruth nodded towards Kay as she added, ‘She doesn’t mean it – about the sleeping arrangements, I mean.’
‘Oh yes I do. Why should all the newcomers get the best billets, I’d like to know?’
Fleur looked up and met the girl’s belligerent expression. ‘Well, I don’t mind sleeping here if you want to swap,’ she offered.
Kay stared at her for a moment until someone else put in, ‘Kay’s all talk. She’ll not leave camp – she’s already got her eye on one of the new pilots that’s just arrived.’
The remark was greeted by loud guffaws and even Kay smiled sheepishly. ‘No, you’re OK, but – thanks for the offer.’
As there was a general movement to get up from the table, Kay came up to Fleur and held out her hand. ‘You’re the first one to do that.’
Closer now, Fleur could see that the girl had the most unusual dark blue eyes – so dark they were almost violet. Her skin was smooth and flawless, and her black hair was so shiny it seemed to glint in the light as she moved. She was really very pretty.
‘She gives all the new ones a hard time over it,’ Ruth explained, ‘just to see how they react.’
Kay laughed. ‘Most of them go all red and embarrassed, but none of them have ever offered to swap. You’re all right, Fleur Bosley. In my book anyway.’
Now it was Fleur’s turn to look a little embarrassed at the unexpected compliment.
‘Not one to hold back is our Kay. You’ll get it straight John Bull from her,’ Ruth said. ‘If she likes you, she’ll tell you so. And if she doesn’t – well, she’ll tell you that an’ all.’
‘What job will you be doing? Do you know?’ Kay asked.
‘R/T operator.’
Kay’s eyes lit up. ‘Oh, then you’ll be with me in Control. That’s good. Welcome aboard, Fleur.’ Then she spun on her heel, adding, ‘Must go. Things to do, people to see. See you tomorrow.’ And before Fleur could say a word, she had marched down the long room and out of the door.
Ruth spluttered with laughter. ‘She’s a caution, that one, as my mother would say.’
Fleur smiled. She was feeling very much at home already. She liked Ruth and had taken to the girl she now knew would be working with her. She wondered if she’d be working with Ruth too. ‘What do you do, Ruth?’
‘I’m in intelligence. I help at briefings and then debrief the crews when they come back from a raid.’
‘That must be tough,’ Fleur murmured sympathetically.
Ruth’s hazel eyes clouded for a moment. ‘It is a bit. An RAF intelligence officer usually asks the questions and I write down
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