‘He also went to Cambridge,’ added someone else from the other side of the room. ‘Quite the golden boy, aren’t you, Carter?’
‘Someone has to be,’ replied Sam.
Another ripple of laughter rang around the room. Fitz got the feeling that Sam was popular amongst his contemporaries. The ribbing was gentle and she could sense the ease among the men.
‘What made you swap a boat for a plane?’ she asked.
‘It sounded like good fun,’ replied Sam.
Fitz had the impression there was more to it than that, but Sam didn’t want to talk about it.
‘And why did you want to join the ATA?’ asked Sam.
Fitz held his gaze for a moment. ‘It sounded like good fun,’ she replied.
Sam laughed and lifted his teacup up to her. ‘Touché.’
‘So, what’s Tangmere like?’ asked Betty. ‘Seeing as it is the Millionaire’s Club.’
‘Oh, Tangmere is pretty quiet,’ said Sam.
‘Yeah, most of the village has been seconded by the military,’ said Bob. ‘Only a handful of villagers left. The houses and everything are needed for the likes of us. Well, mostly the officers.’
‘Not much nightlife,’ said Sam. ‘There’s the pub and the church. A few more pubs in Chichester. That’s three miles down the road but that’s about it.’
‘There’s a satellite airfield nearby, if I remember rightly,’ said Fitz. ‘Westhampnett.’
‘Someone’s been doing their homework,’ said Sam.
‘She’s not top of the class for no reason,’ said Betty with a motherly pride. ‘Our Fitz here is one of the best pilots in our group.’
‘I’ve only had clearance for class one aircraft at the moment,’ said Fitz. ‘Hoping to get onto the twin-engined planes soon.’
‘Those Spits are pretty good fun, though, I imagine,’ said Sam.
‘Oh, absolutely,’ gushed Fitz. ‘We love flying them. They are super fast.’
They chatted for about another twenty minutes or so, mostly about the aircraft and the war. Fitz thoroughly enjoyed talking to Sam, who seemed to take an interest in her personally. Asking where she was from and what it was like growing up with a governess.
‘Ghastly,’ confessed Fitz. ‘Although I think rather more ghastly for the governesses than for me. I did manage to go through seven of them in ten years.’
‘That’s quite an achievement,’ said Sam.
‘Probably not one I should boast about,’ said Fitz. ‘My father would be horrified.’
‘Gosh, we’d better get a move on,’ said Betty looking at her watch. ‘We’ve got to get around three more airfields today.’
It was with a great reluctance that Fitz said her goodbyes to RAF Tangmere, Sam in particular.
‘It’s been great talking to you,’ she said.
‘Likewise,’ said Sam, holding the door open for her and stepping out into the hallway. ‘If you’re ever here again, let me know.’
‘I’ll be sure to do that,’ replied Fitz.
She couldn’t help grinning to herself as she crossed the tarmac to her Spitfire.
‘Gosh you look like the cat who got the cream,’ said Betty.
