‘Bloody hell,’ muttered Marjorie. She gave Fitz a spontaneous hug. ‘Gosh, what a brave stick you are.’
‘I’m not sure I’m that,’ said Fitz. ‘Now, I’m sorry but I’m going to have to shoot off. I want to get to Goodwood House. I’ve got an American to find.’
‘Yes you bloody well have,’ said Marjorie. ‘Come on, no time to lose.’ She hooked Fitz’s arm one side and Elsie grabbed the other and they all ran along the path back towards the train station.
Fitz’s train arrived back in Barnham station nearly two hours later. She’d had to wait at Southampton for over thirty minutes for the next train and now she was standing at the bus stop, waiting to be taken to Tangmere. It was all she could do to stand still.
When she had landed back in Tangmere, two nights ago, she had totally forgotten about the letter from Sam she had left withBob. She needed to know what it said before she hot-footed it up to Goodwood House. Although, she also knew that no matter what it said, whether Sam didn’t want to see her again or not, she was going to see him. She needed to see him. She needed to tell him she’d made a mistake. It had taken nearly losing him and losing her own life to realise this.
Eventually, the bus turned up and it was another thirty minutes before she reached Tangmere.
Flashing her ATA pass at the guard, she hurried through the gates and headed towards the hangars, where she hoped to find Bob.
She breathed a sigh of relief as she spotted him. She called out to him and he turned. After a moment’s hesitation as if he couldn’t quite believe what he was seeing, he broke into a broad smile.
‘Well, Fitz, I didn’t expect to see you,’ he said, wiping his hands on a grubby looking cloth. ‘When did you get back?’
‘Hello, Bob,’ said Fitz with a smile, genuinely pleased to see the engineer. ‘Got back the night before last.’
Bob frowned. ‘That was you? I thought it was a woman and child. That’s what I heard anyway.’
‘You heard right. It was me. And a child.’
‘Righty-o.’ He took a longer look at her. ‘They said you were …’ He flicked his fingers to his face.
‘Bruised and battered?’ supplied Fitz. ‘Yes. I’m all right, though. Nothing serious.’
‘Glad to hear it.’ He wiped his hands again and Fitz could tell he was deciding what to say next.
She saved him the trouble. ‘I know about Sam.’
‘Ah, right.’ Bob shifted on his feet. ‘He’s not in a good way.’
‘I know about his leg.’
‘I meant in his head. Me and a couple of the lads went up to see him. He’s taking it badly.’
‘I can imagine,’ replied Fitz, thinking how devastated Sam would be, especially if it meant he was grounded. ‘I’ve actually come here to get that letter. You know, the one Sam wanted you to give to me?’
‘Oh, yes. Of course. Wait there. I’ll be back in a minute.’
Ten minutes later, Fitz was walking out of RAF Tangmere with Sam’s letter in her pocket. She didn’t want to stay at the airfield in case she got caught in a conversation with anyone. She walked down the road towards the duck pond and despite the coldness of the January day, she sat down on the bench, before opening the envelope.
Darling Fitz, my girl,
I don’t know when you’ll read this, but boy I hope it’s soon. I miss you more than I ever thought would be possible.
When I told you I loved you, I meant it. I hoped you would find a way to trust yourself to love me back and let me into your life fully. You don’t have to give up anything to be with me. You know I would never clip your wings. Hell, we could fly as high as we damn well like together. There would be no stopping us!
I’ve never felt like this about anyone before, Fitz. Never.
You’re one in a million. I don’t wanna lose you.
I know you’re scared but you gotta believe it when I say you can trust me.
Come talk to me. Please.
Always yours
