Molly Green - A Sister’s Courage

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.

Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».

Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.

Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.