Beauty Chorus, The (39 page)

‘We may drown if we make love here,’ he said, sluicing the seawater from his hair.

‘It would be worth it.’ She stroked his face. ‘Anyway, what makes you think I want to make love with you quite yet?’

He pulled her to him, and Beau’s hand drifted underwater. ‘This.’ Evie’s head fell slowly back in the lapping water, sunlight blinding her eyes, the breath catching in
her throat.

‘Beau …’

He was breathing hard as he took her in his arms. ‘There’s no hurry. I’ve waited months for you. I can wait a while longer if that’s what you want.’

She shook her head. ‘This feels right, for the first time, with you. Unlike most people we may not have all the time in the world.’

‘I have a feeling the angels are on our side.’

‘Do you think so?’

‘I hope so. I don’t want to lose you, Eve.’ The way he said her name it was like a sigh full of longing.

‘The tide is turning, we should swim back.’

As he held her close, she wrapped her arms around his neck, kissed him one last time. He groaned softly as she released her hold. ‘You’re killing me.’ He smiled slowly.
‘You go ahead. There’s no way I’m walking out of the water like this.’

By the time Beau reached the shore, the girls had dressed, and they sat finishing off the champagne as the sunset washed the beach.

‘Good swim?’ Michael asked.

‘Invigorating,’ he said, shaking the water from his hair. He lay on the warm sand next to Evie to dry off. He was weary, his strong muscles aching. All he wanted to do was be with
her somewhere far away from the world. He thought of the night at Leo’s house, of Evie’s bed, imagined making love to her there.

‘We’ve been hatching a plan while you were having fun,’ Evie said. Her skin was flushed and radiant from the sun.

‘Really?’ He casually brushed some sand from her ankle.

‘You know Megan’s parents were counting on her to run this place after the war?’

‘No, I didn’t. Doesn’t she have any brothers or sisters?’

Stella shook her head. ‘Her elder brother was killed at Dunkirk.’

‘I’m sorry. Her parents seem like good people.’

‘That’s why I’d like to do something for them, for Megan,’ Evie said. ‘Daddy may have stopped my allowance, but I’m twenty-one in November, and there’s
nothing Virginia can do to deny me my trust fund.’

‘You’re going to buy this place?’ Beau’s face softened. ‘I can’t picture you as a farmer.’

‘Neither can I. That’s where Stella comes in.’

‘Stella?’

‘And me.’ Michael took Stella’s hand. ‘Hopefully.’

‘I’m sorry, how long was I out there swimming?’ Beau took a swig of the warm champagne.

‘We’re going to run this place for Evie, if Megan’s parents agree to sell. Hopefully Bill will stay on.’

‘It’s too early to talk about it with Rhodri and Nia, I’ll wait a while, but Megan always said she couldn’t bear to let the farm go to the horrible cousins,’ Evie
said. ‘This way I get to make two of my dearest friends happy.’

‘Sorry to be a wet blanket, but how can you practise your ministry from here?’ Beau asked Michael.

‘I’ve just decided I’m leaving the Church,’ he said. ‘Not because of that. Because they wouldn’t let me marry a divorcée.’

Beau shook his head. ‘Divorcée? I thought you were a widow.’

‘No … For various reasons it was easier to pretend Richard was dead. I’m going to divorce him, and we can be together.’ She settled back into Michael’s arms.
‘You always wanted to be an artist, didn’t you? There are few better places than this to paint,’ she said, looking out across the luminous sky. ‘This is how I always
imagined Britain to be – whitewashed cottages, green fields. I want to bring David up here, far away from everything.’

‘Happily ever after?’ Michael kissed the top of her head. He smiled but there was an uncertainty there.

‘I hope so.’

Beau built a fire from scrub and driftwood as the sky darkened. ‘Do you believe in all that?’

Evie leant on her elbow, watching the flames cast shadows on his face. ‘The fairytale? I’d like to. I haven’t really had the best role models.’

‘Your parents?’

‘Leo is a romantic. He’s like a big child, really, all the horses, the cars and pretty girls.’

‘What about your mother?’

‘She was a ski champion. She rescued Leo when they were stuck on a black ski run. I think it was the first time he’d ever met a woman who was a match for him.’

‘Now I see where you get it from.’ He settled down beside her.

‘I should have smuggled out two bottles.’ Evie stuck the neck of the champagne bottle down in the sand.

‘No, that was perfect. I want to remember everything about tonight.’ Beau took off his jacket, draped it over her shoulders. ‘Here, it’s getting chilly.’

‘Thank you.’ She nestled into his side as they watched Stella and Michael walking along the shoreline. ‘So what do you think of our grand plan?’

‘It seems like a good investment,’ he said. ‘And there’s the airfield.’

‘That’s where I come in,’ she said. ‘It could be a thriving little business after the war.’ She traced her finger in the sand. ‘Though of course it’s a
lot of work for one woman. I’d need a partner …’

Beau turned his face to hers, firelight illuminating his eyes. ‘You think I’d go into business with a pilot like you?’

‘Have you got any better ideas?’

‘Commercial flying is very different, you know. Not so many risks, rather dull in some ways.’ He stroked her cheek. ‘Though I can’t imagine ever being bored with you
around.’

‘I’m a damn good pilot, and you know it.’ Her eyes were heavy with desire and tiredness. ‘We could have a string of airfields, from Britain to France …’

‘You have a lot to learn.’

‘So teach me.’ She leant forward, kissed him softly.

Beau fought the overwhelming desire to make love to her there and then. He tried to push his thoughts to the back of his mind. ‘Instruments,’ he said suddenly. ‘What do you
know about flying blind?’ She closed her eyes, her hand running across his hip bone, pulling him closer to her.

‘I can do most things with my eyes closed.’

Beau glanced at Stella and Michael. They were too close. ‘I’m serious.’ He caught Evie’s hand. ‘I don’t want you slamming into some hillside now.’ Beau
rolled onto his stomach and sketched out a rough instrument panel in the sand. She sighed and rested her chin on her hand as he explained the basics.

‘I know all this,’ she said. ‘I was just about to take my instrument rating when I had to stop my lessons. I did all the theory and had several hours’ practice. I’m
bored. Kiss me.’

‘It never hurts to refresh your memory.’ As he went to take her in his arms, he noticed Stella and Michael approaching, and he moved away.

‘What are you two up to?’ Stella asked as she sat down by the fire.

‘Instrument flying 101,’ Evie yawned.

‘Wake up,’ Beau said. ‘This could save both your lives.’

41

At first light, Evie woke. Her dreams had been full of fire and water. She saw the faces of Baldwin’s fire and crash team, black with soot as they battled to save Megan.
She saw the grim expressions of the engineers and staff back at the base when they returned. She dreamt of sea water eddying around her ankles, rushing through the ferry pool offices, rising higher
and higher until the place was like an aquarium, fish swimming from room to room as everyone went about their work. Only she could see there was something wrong, and as she fought, trying to swim
her way out of there, she woke. She lay tangled in the hot sheets, thinking about Megan. Evie sat up in the bed and looked around her friend’s childhood room – the old stuffed bear with
his fur worn from cuddling, the faded rosettes from farm shows and peeling posters of Clark Gable and Gary Cooper. ‘Oh, Meggie …’ she whispered. She nudged Stella as she glanced
at the clock. ‘Are you awake?’

‘Hmm?’ Stella rubbed her eyes. ‘What time is it?’

Evie swung her bare feet down to the floor. ‘We have to go.’ She picked up an old Enid Blyton from the
bedside table, thumbed through it. Inside the front cover, she saw ‘Megan Jones, Age 12’ written in neat, girlish handwriting. ‘I can’t believe we’re going home
without her.’

‘I know what you mean. Some part of me hopes she’ll be there, waiting for us …’

Evie thought again of the last time she had seen Megan. She had seemed like a doll, dwarfed by the huge old warplane. ‘Do you really believe that was a mechanical failure? Surely someone
would have noticed something was wrong.’

‘You think someone did that deliberately?’ Stella propped herself up. ‘If they did, it was meant for me.’

‘I think we need to keep our eyes and ears open,’ Evie said as she dressed. ‘Not everyone thinks we’re the queens of the air like your artist friend. To a lot of the men
we’re just a pain in the neck and have no right to be there.’ Evie chewed her lip. ‘We owe Megan the truth.’

‘Don’t make any waves, Evie,’ Stella warned her.

‘I won’t!’ she held up her hands.

‘Morning, girls,’ Nia said as they appeared downstairs, carrying their overnight bags. ‘I hope you slept well?’

‘Thank you, Mrs Jones.’ Evie said. ‘And yourself?’

‘Oh, you know …’ Her eyes were red and swollen from lack of sleep. ‘You will have some breakfast before you go?’

‘I’m afraid we have to be on our way, the car is waiting,’ Stella said.

‘You girls, no wonder you’re all skin and bones.’ Nia reached for a basket at her side. ‘I’ve packed you a little something for the journey, and there’s a
bone in there to keep your friend’s dog happy.’

‘You’re very kind.’ Evie took it from her.

‘I wanted you to have this as well.’ She took a letter from her pocket. ‘Megan wrote to me last week. I know,’ she said, tears pooling her eyes, ‘I know she thought
she might be having a baby ...’

Evie took her hand. ‘She wasn’t pregnant,’ she said gently. ‘But she had decided to come home, she wanted to be closer to you, and to marry Bill.’

‘Oh, thank God.’ Nia wiped at the corner of her eye with a hand pink and soft from washing up. ‘The thought of her … She was so young, and if there had been a baby
too.’ She squeezed Evie’s hand. ‘I won’t tell Bill. He’s heartbroken as it is.’

‘I’ll keep in touch with you, if I may?’ Evie said. ‘Megan told me about her plans to run the farm and airfield, and I’d like to help if I can.’

‘Megan and her plans …’ Nia shook her head. ‘First Huw, now my little girl.’ Tears welled in her eyes. ‘No, Rhodri will give it all to the cousins now
I’m sure.’

‘Don’t rush into anything,’ Evie said. ‘I mean it, if you can persuade Bill to stay on, I’d like to help.’ Nia raised her eyes to Evie’s, and
understood.

‘You’re a good girl, Evie,’ she said as the women embraced.

‘I’ll leave you my address. When you’re ready, let’s see if we can’t keep Megan’s dream alive.’

As Nia waved them off, Evie looked around at the farm. ‘We can make a go of this.’ She linked her arm through Stella’s. ‘We can do it, for Megan. It may
be the first sensible thing I’ve ever done in my life, deciding to go into business with you.’

‘What’s in the letter?’ Stella asked as they walked down the misty farm track towards the main road.

Evie pulled the envelope from her pocket and quickly read the note. ‘I can’t … You read it.’ She choked up as she handed the piece of paper over, filled with
Megan’s familiar looping handwriting.

Stella’s vision blurred. ‘She thought she was pregnant?’ As she looked up, she saw Evie running on down the hill towards Beau. He stood smoking a cigarette against the bonnet
of the Jaguar, and Evie flung her arms around him.

‘That’s what I call a welcome,’ he said.

‘Miss me?’ she whispered, burying her head in his neck.

‘Worst night’s sleep I’ve ever had.’

There was no time to be together. Beau drove against the clock, and dropped the girls at the cottage before midday.

‘Take care, Stella,’ he said as he carried their bags inside.

Evie stood stroking Ace’s head, waiting for Beau.

‘I’ll ferry down on my next leave, I promise,’ he said as he took her in his arms. ‘I must go now.’

‘Is it soon? I have a couple of days off in two weeks.’

‘I don’t know.’

‘Now is not the time to play hard to get.’ Her eyes fell. ‘I don’t even know where your squadron is based.’

He raised her chin. ‘Trust me. If I could tell you, I would.’

‘You’re so evasive it’s easy to believe you really are a bally spy,’ Evie said, frowning.

‘You always did have a vivid imagination.’

She felt him slipping away from her already. She saw the old, closed look in his eyes. ‘Take care won’t you, Beau?’

He winked at her. ‘Same back at you.’

As Evie walked inside, the cottage felt cold and damp, even on such a beautiful summer’s day. It was empty without Megan. Everywhere she looked she saw reminders –
the sticker albums on the coffee table, the jam jars on the draining board in the kitchen, washed and ready for Megan to make pickles and chutneys for the winter.

Stalin wound himself around her legs chirruping a greeting before sulking under the stairs, punishing them for leaving him alone. As Evie dragged a brush through her hair, she called up to
Stella. ‘I’m just going to check on Monty and the chickens.’

Stella poked her head over the banister. ‘OK, but be quick. There was a note on the mat when I came in – we’re needed at the airfield.’

‘So much for a day off,’ Evie muttered as she unlocked the back door. She pushed through the swaying branches of the apple trees lining the path to the back garden. Wasps muzzed
around the fallen fruit in the grass. Montgomery trotted over in the paddock, tossing his head. ‘Hello, old boy,’ she said. ‘Has the farmer taken good care of you?’ She
suddenly realised how quiet it was, and turned her head slowly towards the chicken coop. ‘Oh no, the fox,’ she said under her breath. ‘Stella!’ she cried.