Beauty Chorus, The (38 page)

‘Cigarette?’ Beau asked Evie.

‘Yes please.’ Her arm slipped from Stella’s. ‘It was a lovely service, wasn’t it?’

Beau took two Player’s from his silver case, lit them and passed her one. ‘That’s the kind of thing people always say at funerals.’ He exhaled as they walked on. ‘A
lovely service. It’s like “you must be very proud” at weddings and christenings.’

‘I was only trying to make small talk.’ Evie blew smoke sharply away.

‘Well don’t,’ he said. ‘It’s one thing I like about you. You don’t chatter on like most women.’

Evie looked up to where Stella and Michael were talking as they walked across the field ahead.

‘Is that a compliment, sir?’

‘Perhaps.’ He slipped his hand into his pocket. ‘And for God’s sake call me Alex. I’m not your instructor any more and you’re not in the Service.’

The wind lifted her hair as she turned to him. He had grown more tanned since she saw him last, his hair bleached golden white in the sun. ‘Mmm … no.’

‘What do you mean, no?’

‘It reminds me of Olivia.’ Evie thought of her flickering eyes, the thin, insistent whine of her voice:
Aaaalex
. ‘I shall call you Beau whether you like it or not,
because that is what you will always be to me.’

He laughed and shook his head. ‘Very well.’

‘And no more Miss Chase ever again, thank you. It always makes me feel like you’re about to tell me off.’

‘Someone has to keep you in line.’

Evie put her hand on her hip. ‘Maybe I don’t like being kept in line.’

‘Maybe you do.’ Beau half smiled. ‘I shall call you Eve. It suits you better than Evie.’

‘Oh really?’

He stepped closer to her. ‘Or possibly Evelyn if you’re very naughty.’

She nudged him playfully, and walked on. ‘It is good to see you, you know.’

‘And you.’ He fell into step easily beside her. ‘When I heard one of the girls had come down, I thought …’

‘You assumed it was me?’

‘I must admit it was a relief to see you at the 400. You do fly like a maniac.’

‘I learnt from the best.’ She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye.

‘I realised …’ He paused. ‘I realised how I would have felt if it was you. How much I would have missed you.’

‘I’ve missed you too.’ Evie found the words escaping her lips before she could stop herself.

He turned to her, began to say something.

‘It’s over here!’ Stella interrupted, waving her arm in the direction of the hangar. They walked faster to catch them up.

Beau and Michael heaved open the hangar doors. Ace rushed in, chasing something that scuttled into the shadows.

‘Rhodri said the RAF has taken their old Moth,’ Stella said. She stepped into the half light, looking around the empty hangar. She turned, gazed out across the sea. ‘This
really is the most glorious place in the world,’ she said as she joined Michael in the sun outside.

Evie took the champagne from her inside coat pocket.

‘You could always be a poacher after the war with a coat like that,’ Beau said as she handed him the bottle to open. ‘I don’t suppose you have any glasses hidden in
there?’ He eased the cork out, sending it flying into the sky. ‘To Megan,’ he said, and passed it to Evie.

Evie lowered her eyes. ‘We’ll never forget you, Meggie.’ Her voice broke as she remembered watching Megan walking towards the Tomahawk, the sun shining down on her lovely dark
hair as she turned and waved.
Cheerio
, she thought. She remembered how Megan’s face had lit up with relief when she jumped up on the wing and handed her the notes.
You’re a
star.
Evie laughed sadly as a tear rolled down her cheek. She could picture her here, soaring out across the sea in her old Tiger Moth. The thought of all Megan’s plans – the
airfield, marriage – broke her heart. ‘I can’t believe she’s gone. Everywhere I look, I’m reminded of her. The garden at home, all her flowers …’

‘Her precious chickens,’ Stella smiled, her breath shuddering as she broke down. ‘Oh, Meggie,’ she said. ‘I am going to miss you.’ Michael put his arm around
her, and she buried her head in his shoulder.

‘What are we going to do? She made all of it bearable somehow. Even on the toughest days, she kept us all going,’ Evie said as she wept. ‘How can she be gone? I keep on
expecting her to come breezing through the door, full of news. It’s so terribly quiet without her.’ She looked up at Beau, saw the compassion in his face. She wondered how many friends
he had lost. Gently, he reached out and dried the tears on her cheeks with his thumb. Evie took a deep breath. ‘To Megan.’ Her hand shook as she raised the champagne to the sky.
‘To our beautiful Meggie.’ She took a sip, then handed it to Stella.

‘To Megan,’ they toasted in turn. When Michael passed the bottle to Beau, he looked out to sea.

‘The beauty chorus has lost a true beauty,’ Beau said quietly. He felt in his pocket and handed Evie a clean handkerchief.

‘Thank you,’ she said, and blew her nose.

‘Do keep it,’ he said.

‘I didn’t imagine for a moment you would want it back after that.’ Evie laughed through her tears. She looked out across Barafundle Bay. ‘Oh, Meggie, what a damn shame.
She so wanted to come back to all this, to make a life for her and Bill.’

‘I can see why. It’s beautiful,’ Beau said. ‘Shall we go down to the beach? There must be a path here somewhere.’

They strolled through the long grass to the cliff edge, only the sound of keening gulls and the surf breaking the silence. Ace bounded ahead as they followed an old sheep trail
that led to a steep path down to the bay. Michael went first, nimbly picking out a way down. His feet skidded on loose earth. ‘Here, let me help you.’ He reached up, took Stella in his
arms and swung her down safely.

‘Thank you,’ she said, her hand resting against his chest.

‘Well, aren’t you going to help me?’ Evie called as Beau jumped down ahead.

‘Since when did you need help, Miss Chase … Eve?’ he corrected, flashing a smile back at her. She stood, hands on hips, until he returned and offered her his hand.

‘You told me once a chap likes to feel needed,’ she said as she leapt easily down into his arms. The sun beat down on them, warming her hair and skin, bringing the colour to her
cheeks. Stella and Michael walked on ahead, an awkward distance between them again. She felt light-headed suddenly. ‘Beau …’ she said, her lips close to his.

‘Not here.’ His breath was shallow, like hers. They walked on, hands drifting reluctantly apart.

They sat together on the deserted beach, watching the birds wheeling and turning overhead. The view to Caldey Island was dazzling, only faint mare’s tail wisps of cloud
in the sky.

‘This is wonderful,’ Michael said as he tugged off his dog collar and slipped it into his pocket. His black shirt fell open, blowing like the sails of a ship in the breeze. Stella
glimpsed the smooth muscles of his chest, longed to touch the indentation of his collar bone. He kicked off his shoes, rolled up his dark wool trousers. ‘Anyone coming in?’

‘Why not?’ Stella said. Discreetly she slipped out of her stockings, and tucked up her skirt.

Evie caught Beau eyeing her legs as she walked out to sea. ‘Hey,’ she kicked sand at him.

‘Sorry,’ he said, smiling. ‘Bet yours are better.’

‘You think so do you?’ Evie rolled onto her stomach, took another swig of champagne.

Beau brushed a strand of hair from her eyes. ‘I’d like to find out.’ He checked Stella and Michael were looking out to sea. As he leant forward and kissed her, cupping her jaw
in his hand, Evie closed her eyes. Sunlight danced through her eyelids, red and gold, luminous and hot like the touch of his lips. The sound of the surf washed over her. It felt as if she was
disintegrating into the warm air.

‘I’ve wanted you to do that for a long time,’ she said. ‘I liked it. Do it again.’

‘Do your men generally follow orders?’

‘Yes.’ She smiled. ‘Normally I get away with it.’

‘You could have kissed me, you know,’ Beau said. ‘You strike me as the emancipated sort.’

‘I thought you loathed me.’

‘I do, can’t you tell.’

‘You told me I reminded you of Olivia.’

‘You did, at first. I loathed her too, once.’ He kissed her again. ‘But I loathe you more, if that means you drive me crazy. I can’t stop thinking about you.’

Evie dipped her head as she laughed, looked up at him through her lashes. ‘I loathe you too.’ She ran her index finger along his wrist, looping a slow figure eight. ‘How long
have you loathed me?’

He shifted closer to her, their legs resting gently against one another. ‘Since you turned up in that ridiculous fur coat and got your heels stuck in the mud. I’ve never seen anyone
attempt to fly a Moth barefoot before.’

Evie bit her lip. ‘That long?’

‘It annoyed me at first, that I was so attracted to you. I thought you were everything I didn’t need.’

‘You thought I was too like Olivia?’

‘Yes.’ He ran his hand through her hair, pulled her closer to him. ‘But you’re not at all.’

‘You told me I was spoilt, headstrong …’ She placed the palm of her hand flat against his chest, felt the lean, hard rise of his ribs as he breathed, the beat of his
heart.

‘You’re still headstrong.’ He gazed deeply into her eyes. ‘But you’ve surprised me time and time again. I never want that to change.’ Beau kissed her, gently.
‘When you became engaged to the American chap, I thought I’d lost my chance.’

‘You could have fought for me. I had no idea how you felt.’

‘Perhaps I didn’t, until I thought I’d lost you. Then when I saw you holding hands with Peter in the club the other night—’

‘Peter? Is that why you were so off with me?’ Evie slid her hand upwards, her thumb arcing out to caress his neck, his jaw, as she kissed him. ‘No one has ever made me feel the
way you do,’ she said quietly. She thought of her doubts, the dreadful things Olivia had said. When he looked into her eyes, she could not believe it of him.

Beau settled back on his elbows, smiled at her. ‘So what are we going to do about it?’

‘We could get married,’ she said recklessly.

‘With our track record? I don’t fancy our chances much as fiancées.’

Evie tried to hide her disappointment. ‘Well, I agree never to marry you,’ she shot back.

‘I didn’t mean—’

‘Come on you two!’ Stella called. ‘This is wonderful!’

Evie scrambled to her feet, and pulled her dress over her head. The breeze lifted the thin silk of her camisole. ‘What are you waiting for?’ she said over her shoulder.

Beau stood up and kicked off his shoes, loosened his belt. ‘I was right,’ he said, holding her gaze as he stripped off his shirt. ‘You do have good legs.’

‘Well, if you want a closer look, you’ll have to catch me first,’ Evie called as she ran down the golden sand to the sea, gasping as she dived into the surf.

Michael watched as Beau purposefully stripped off to his boxer shorts and strode down the beach into the water. The shore fell away steeply, and Beau plunged in after Evie, his
powerful crawl stroke cutting through the surf.

Michael shielded his eyes and stared out to sea. He spotted Evie doing an elegant backstroke, some way out towards Stackpole Head, but Beau was gaining on her fast. ‘What’s the story
with those two?’ he asked Stella as they walked in the surf.

‘I saw it coming months ago.’ Stella brushed her windswept hair from her face. ‘They’ve been fighting like cats and dogs ever since they laid eyes on one
another.’

‘Is that how it is with your husband?’ Michael asked.

‘Richard? No.’ She didn’t want to think of him now, didn’t want the moment to be spoilt. ‘Michael, I …’

‘It’s alright,’ he said. ‘I understand now why you said we couldn’t be together. I’ve, well, I’ve talked it all through with my vicar. He helped me see
things from your point of view. I’ve come to accept things the way they are.’ His face gave away his true emotions. ‘I forgive you.’

‘No, you don’t understand,’ she stepped closer to him, the cool water eddying around her feet, sand trickling away between her toes. ‘Richard was having an
affair.’

Michael looked at her. ‘He must be a fool.’

‘No,’ she shook her head. ‘I was the fool. A stupid, trusting, naïve fool.’

‘How any man could …’ He reached out to touch her, his fingers close to her cheek. His hand dropped. ‘You’re married. I can’t …’

‘I know. I knew we could never be together. That’s what’s been tearing me apart. It’s so unfair. Megan, you, this damn war …’ she said helplessly. He took
her in his arms. ‘I love you,’ she said, her voice muffled as her head lay against his chest. They clung to one another as the wind and surf danced around them.

‘I love you too.’

‘But it’s impossible.’

He kissed her hair, turned her face to his. ‘Now that I know you love me, nothing is impossible.’

‘Are you planning to swim to Ireland?’ Beau called, fighting to keep up with Evie as she swam ahead. Once they were around the headland and out of sight, she swam
towards the coast, trod water in the shallows, waiting for him to catch up with her. Her hair fanned out around her, undulating in the water. Beau didn’t hesitate, pulled her to him. In the
cool water, there was nothing between them. He ran his hand over her breast, brushed his thumb over her hard nipple. She gasped, wrapped her legs around his waist as he kissed her, his tongue in
her mouth. The sea lifted them, saltwater washing their kisses. ‘Where are you staying tonight?’ he asked.

‘With Megan’s parents.’

‘Can’t you get away? I have a room at the hotel in town.’

Evie shook her head. ‘I want to, Beau.’ Her lips brushed his, tasted salt water on his skin. ‘But I can’t, not tonight. The least we can do is spend some time with them.
We both feel responsible.’

‘No. Every pilot is responsible for him …’

‘Or her …’

‘… self.’ Beau groaned as Evie’s fingers splayed out at the base of his spine. He kissed her neck, her chest, hungrily as a wave lifted them in one another’s arms.
‘When am I going to get you alone?’

‘Soon.’ She released him, arching gracefully back in the water. He ran his hand down the slender, strong curve of her ribcage, across her stomach. Time stood still for them as they
floated in the cool water together, the hot sun caressing their skin. All the weeks and months of longing contracted to a single point in time. As they kissed, a huge breaker washed over them. Evie
held fast to Beau, laughing.