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.
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