Bluebirds Read Online Free PDF Page B

vehicle whined past outside, its tyres swishing on the wet road. The sound died away and it was quiet again. It was a long while, though, before Felicity slept.
    More than sixty miles away from RAF Colston, Virginia Stratton was also lying awake in her back bedroom in a downstairs flat in Wimbledon, South London. She was still badly upset by the scene with her mother. She had arrived home from work much later than usual that evening and had let herself in very quietly, stopping tohang up her hat and coat in the hall and to peer at herself in the mirror on the stand. It had been raining hard and she had tried to put her hair to rights, re-fixing the combs that held it back on each side of her head. Then she had stood for a moment in the dim hallway, hands clasped, trying to steady herself.
    â€˜Is that you, Virginia? You’re very late.’
    Mother’s voice had sounded querulous and she had gone quickly into the kitchen. Cooking always tired Mother. She wasn’t used to having to do it at all, as she frequently pointed out, but she would always insist on preparing a three-course meal in the evenings. And the table had to be properly laid and the food formally served, as though they were dining in company, not just the two of them, sitting in a corner of the front room. It was all part of what Mother referred to as keeping up appearances. She had been stirring a saucepan of soup on the stove.
    â€˜I was worried, Virginia. Quite upset. Something might have happened to you. They really shouldn’t keep you so late. It’s most inconsiderate.’
    â€˜I’m sorry, Mother.’
    â€˜Your hair’s very wet. Didn’t you use your umbrella?’
    â€˜I forgot to take it this morning.’
    â€˜You’ll forget your head one of these days. I hope you don’t forget things at the office.’
    â€˜No, I don’t . . .’
    â€˜Just as well. Good posts are hard to come by these days. You can dry those things now that you’re here. It would have been nice if you’d been here earlier to help more.’
    She had picked up the tea cloth and begun to dry a mixing bowl from the draining board. Mother had bent to open the oven door and there had been a piece of haddock baking inside, curled up at the edges. She had wondered how she was going to find the appetite to eat it. She had finished the bowl, started on some spoons and dropped one of them with a clatter.
    â€˜You’re so clumsy, Virginia. It’s high time you grew out of it. It gives such a bad impression.’
    The oven door had shut on the dried-up haddock and Mother had lifted the lid on a saucepan of boiling cabbage.
    â€˜What were you doing so late at the office? It must have been something important.’
    She had had to speak up then. Then, or never.
    â€˜Actually, I wasn’t at the office, Mother –’
    Mother had turned to stare, the saucepan lid in one hand. ‘Where were you then? Not with some man, I hope. You know my views on that. You’re far too young and they’re not to be trusted. As I should know.’
    â€˜I – I went to the recruiting office. It’s very near. Just round the corner, in fact. I’ve been past it often at lunchtimes and seen the queues . . .’
    â€˜What
are
you talking about, Virginia? What recruiting office? What queues? What do you mean?’
    â€˜For the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force, Mother.’
    â€˜For
what
?’
    â€˜The Women’s Air Force . . . I’ve applied to join them. It’s quite a new thing and they’ve been asking for volunteers. It’s to help the Royal Air Force . . .’
    Mother’s face had gone frighteningly white. ‘Have you gone mad! I hope you’re not serious.’
    She had held onto the spoons tightly. ‘Yes, I am, Mother. I’ve been thinking about it . . . Every time I saw the queues, I felt I wanted to do something