Of course, all the flyers were regulars. Those that had volunteered last September wouldn’t be arriving at any base for months. It had taken two years for him to be ready for active service. Somehow he doubted, when things got going, if the poor sods joining the RAF would get a fraction of that experience before being sent to fight.

  Being a flyer was a high-risk occupation but he was more than ready to fight for king and country – even more so now he had Sarah in his life. Hitler had to be stopped and being at war with Germany was the only way to do this.

  He parked the bike each night on its stand outside the admin block. The only protection from the elements was half a tarpaulin chucked over it. So far it had kicked into life every time. He was heading for the far end of the base, to the building where the flight controllers worked, when he swerved, put his foot down and just avoided going over the handlebars.

  To the right of him, where the base bordered the extensive grounds of Goodwill House, a massive horse flew over the six-foot hedge and, scarcely checking its stride, galloped towards him. It had to be Sarah. He’d known she could ride but this was the first time he’d seen her in action.

  His mouth was dry and his heart was still thudding uncomfortably. He wasn’t sure of the etiquette when it came to motorbikes and equines but to be on the safe side he turned off the engine and kicked it onto its stand. She was in full control of the beast and without her seeming to do anything at all it settled into a canter. By the time she was close enough to hear him, it was walking.

  ‘That’s a magnificent horse, and you’re an excellent rider. I take it you’ve jumped that hedge before.’

  She leaned over and patted the sweating neck of the gelding, kicked her feet out of the stirrup irons and dropped smoothly to the ground before answering. ‘Actually, I haven’t. It was what you might call a leap of faith. Don’t look so horrified, I did know it was grass and not concrete. I thought you would be a rider as you come from a similar background to mine.’

  ‘I do ride, but reluctantly. Not something I’m good at or enjoy.’

  She looped the reins over her arm. ‘I need to walk him until he’s cool. I don’t expect you to keep me company. I just rode this way on impulse. I’ve got two more horses to exercise, so can’t hang about too long.’

  ‘I’ll walk with you for a bit. The bike will be safe enough here. I’m assuming you had your stitches out or you wouldn’t be riding.’

  ‘This morning. I really wanted to tell you that I sent my application in the day before yesterday. Did you manage to speak to your uncle?’

  ‘Christ, I completely forgot. I’m so sorry. I’ll telephone him when I get back to the office later. I don’t suppose your letter will have reached his desk yet.’

  ‘I don’t suppose it’ll reach his desk at all. He’s head of surgery, isn’t he? I shouldn’t think he has anything to do with medical students.’

  ‘Only when they begin to specialise. However, he is on the board of the hospital and any bursary recipients are decided by all of them.’

  ‘Then please do speak to him when you get a moment.’

  ‘Are you quite sure your horse won’t bolt when a kite comes in? We’re expecting a couple of Ansons any minute.’

  ‘He’s bombproof. I wouldn’t bring my mare here as she’s a bit skittish.’ They were walking along the grass towards the new blocks that were almost complete. ‘It all looks very splendid. When do you think you’ll be moving into your new accommodation?’

  ‘As you can see, the windows are just being glazed and the interior’s being finished. No more than a couple of weeks, I should think.’ He pointed to the other large new building. ‘That’s the extra overnight accommodation and so on for any squadrons that are temporarily based here.’

  She looked suitably impressed. Even with a mud-splattered face, she was still lovely. ‘I can’t get away until the weekend. I thought we could go to London. Take in a show, or failing that, the cinema. We don’t have to stay overnight if your mother would disapprove.’

  ‘I’d absolutely love to but I’m going to be frantically busy as the new paying guests start arriving from tomorrow. Could we go to Hastings instead? That would be an adventure for me and it wouldn’t mean staying away.’

  ‘Then that’s what we’ll do. I’m sorry, sweetheart, but I’d better get on. Can’t be seen to be shirking now I’m in charge. The place doesn’t seem the same without Tony even though he did bugger all.’ She laughed as he’d hoped.

  ‘I liked him and so did Mummy. She’s rather disappointed that another older officer hasn’t replaced him.’

  ‘Tony had a bit of a reputation with the ladies so good thing he’s not here.’

  ‘Will you give me a leg-up? Be easier than letting down the stirrup leather.’ She turned her back, bent her leg, and he hoisted her into the saddle.

  ‘What time can I collect you on Saturday?’

  ‘Late morning – I need to do the horses and so on first. Bye.’

  He’d been going to suggest that this time she use the gate to leave but she was off, heading straight for the hedge. He held his breath as the horse soared over the barrier with a foot to spare. There was a spontaneous round of applause from behind him and he only then became aware that they’d gathered quite an audience in the short time she’d been on the base.

  He would have loved to take her to a smart hotel, to the theatre, but was relieved she wasn’t able to go. The hotel bill from their last excursion had made a serious dent in his wallet. If he didn’t have a small annuity from a long-defunct aunt, he wouldn’t be able to take her out at all this month. Things should improve after his promotion as it had included a substantial increase in pay.

  As he returned to his mundane duties, his mind often drifted to Sarah. He was forced to admit that she now meant a great deal to him and he was in serious danger of falling in love with her. He hadn’t intended to get so involved and her being so young just made things more difficult.

  His mouth curved. To hell with it, there was a war on, he’d see her as often as he could whilst he was still stationed here and see where it went.

  Sarah rode out on the other hunter for an hour and a half and then got her mare into the shafts of the gig. The harness had needed a lot of elbow grease and saddle soap to restore it but, although old, she was confident it wouldn’t fall apart at an inopportune moment.

  So far, she’d only driven around the estate, not wanting to risk meeting motorised traffic until she was sure Starlight wouldn’t shy and misbehave and tip them both into a ditch. She was about to clamber onto the seat when Betty called her.

  ‘Can I come with you, Miss Sarah? I’ve got errands to run for your mother and it’ll be a lot quicker in that carriage.’

  ‘I’m not sure how Starlight will react when we meet other vehicles. She won’t bolt, but she might be a bit lively.’

  ‘You know I like horses, and I trust you to keep me safe. I’ve been watching you driving the gig about the place and I’ve been waiting for an opportunity to get a ride in it with you.’

  ‘Here we go then. Literally, Betty, hang on to your hat.’

  After releasing the brake, she clicked her tongue and snapped the whip above Starlight’s ears. Her horse responded immediately and threw her weight into the collar. The gig rolled forward smoothly. She kept her to a brisk walk until they were safely onto the road and then pushed the mare into a trot.

  ‘My word, this is fun. The last time I was in an open carriage was when I was helping with the harvest years ago and we used to go to the fields in the back of the hay cart.’

  ‘Once I’m certain Starlight is safe, I want to teach my mother to drive her. It would make her life so much easier being able to get to the village and back in this.’

  ‘I shouldn’t bother, Miss Sarah. Even if you persuaded her to take the reins, she wouldn’t harness your mare. Why don’t you teach me instead? I’ll be here even when you go in September – or whenever it is – and I was thinking I’d like to look after the horses and the poultry.’

  ‘I was going to say you wouldn’t have time but if we’re taking on some extra help in the house then you probably would. Your Bert wasn’t very helpful about the girls coming tomorrow. In fact, I don’t think he knows anything about them apart from their names and he didn’t even give me those.’

  ‘He certainly hasn’t said anything to me. I have a nasty feeling none of them are country girls, so I doubt they’ll be able to help with exercising the horses. Anybody can muck out and feed once they know what’s what.’

  Whilst Betty went to the post office, the ironmonger and the butcher, Sarah had time to find somewhere she could turn the carriage. It had taken a fraction of the time to reach the village in the gig, but the disadvantages soon became apparent. There was nowhere safe to leave the vehicle unattended as even the High Street was too narrow to allow a lorry to pass without terrifying the mare.

  What they needed were usable bicycles for coming here and then the gig could possibly be used by the land girls so they didn’t have to walk. There would be plenty of places to put Starlight whilst they were working. She was pretty sure that one of the farms still used horses and the others definitely had stables and barns.

  Tomorrow she’d take the girls to see where they’d be working and make sure there’d be no objection to them arriving in the gig, rather than on foot. On the return journey, a lorry full of noisy soldiers approached. The driver, seeing her, slowed down immediately and with a cheerful wave drove past, somehow managing not even to change gear whilst he did so.

  ‘Good girl, Starlight, that wasn’t so terrifying, was it? As long as other road users are as polite as that soldier, I don’t think they’ll be any problems with her.’

  She looked around with interest, enjoying seeing the minor road that led to the village from a different angle. Betty interrupted her thoughts.

  ‘My Bert doesn’t want the first girls starting until they’ve all arrived. He said he’s not going to go through the basics more than once.’

  ‘Then that should give me time to show them how to look after the horses, harness Starlight and drive the gig. I just hope at least two of them are happy to work with her.’

  ‘If they’ve signed on for the Land Army, they must be interested in animals and such, don’t you think?’

  ‘Good point. Forgive me for saying so, Betty, but I’m really glad they won’t be working with your husband all the time. Why has he been put in charge of them, do you know?’

  Fortunately, Betty didn’t take offence at her criticism of her husband.

  ‘It was his idea to apply so he got lumbered with the job. We could have had two of them staying with us, but he wouldn’t hear of it. The lady who’s in charge was ever so delighted to have them stay all together. There’ll be other teams, but these will just be for his lordship’s farms.’

  ‘That’s what I thought. I’m going to have to rush if I’m going to get Star put away and get cleaned up for the meetings.’

  ‘Joan and Val are hoping to be taken on here. They can’t manage on the pittance the War Office gives them now their hubbies are with the BEF in France.’

  ‘That would be ideal as Mummy knows them already.’

  Sarah slipped into the drawing room just as the first meeting, the WI, was starting. Mrs Thomas was in charge, which meant Mummy was sitting with the others ready to be told what was happening and what they were supposed to be doing. As always, the ladies had brought with them the knitting, sewing or crocheting they were doing for the war effort. No idle hands allowed at a WI meeting.

  ‘You are late, Sarah Harcourt. I would expect someone from your background to understand the importance of punctuality,’ Mrs Thomas said scathingly.

  Several of the women murmured their agreement but she did get some sympathetic looks from the younger members. ‘I apologise for my tardiness, Mrs Thomas.’ She should have left it there but the woman’s sneer prompted her to continue to speak. ‘I can assure you I haven’t been sitting around twiddling my thumbs. I have three horses to exercise and take care of as well as other duties here. I’m also not an official member…’

  ‘Sarah, please sit down. You’re holding up the meeting and we’ve a lot to discuss today,’ her mother said sternly.

  Sarah felt her cheeks turning red and hid her face from the other women. Why was her mother so different when she was in charge of the WVS?

  The ladies of the WI decided they would help the Red Cross and St John pack comfort parcels for the soldiers serving overseas. This was something she was already involved with and therefore volunteered to be the go-between as she was already an active member of St John. There was also discussion about the cleaning rota at the church, which wasn’t anything to do with the WI. As all those involved were actually present it seemed sensible to deal with that important problem before they took a break for tea and biscuits.

  Sarah and Betty left the ladies chatting. Mummy moved to the far end of the drawing room to have an informal interview with the two ladies who wanted to work here. Neither of them had babies but they had three children each at the village school. Presumably there was a neighbour on hand to let them in when they returned, as their mothers wouldn’t be back when school finished in half an hour.

  Not every woman – despite being urged to by the vicar, Mrs Thomas and Mummy – had joined the WVS, but all of them were members of the WI. Sarah was pretty sure that when the meetings were held in the village there was a much bigger turnout. Tea over, all the biscuits consumed, the second meeting began. She thought also the fact that those not in the WVS would have been obliged to stay might have had something to do with it.

  ‘Ladies, I’m pleased to tell you that we now have an excellent selection of clean, mended, ready-to-wear clothes to be donated to families in need. We also have boxes of toys, books and even some essential items for new mothers. I know the war started six months ago and, apart from many of our menfolk being away from home either in the Royal or Merchant Navy, the army or RAF, so far, thank the Lord, no civilian has died.’

  ‘Excuse me, my lady, I beg to differ,’ Mrs Thomas interrupted officiously. ‘My sister lives in London and said that there have been hundreds of fatalities caused by the blackout. I believe we can consider them war casualties, don’t you?’

  ‘Very true, Mrs Thomas, thank you so much for pointing it out. However, what I was about to mention was the fact that as our village and Ramsgate are so close to Manston and the Channel that it’s inevitable that we’ll be targeted by the Luftwaffe eventually. I want to know if everybody has somewhere safe to go when the air raid siren sounds?’

  Sarah was now paying full attention and realised that these meetings weren’t as boring as she’d thought. This was a useful discussion as it soon became apparent that the Anderson shelters provided by the government to those who could afford to pay for them hadn’t been, in every case, successfully fitted out. Others who had no private shelter would have to use the public shelters, little better than sheds, provided by the parish council. Several of the ladies said that they had no intention of going down into theirs as it was damp and smelly. They intended to hide under the stairs.

  Today she was going to insist that Mummy came down to the shelter in the cellar and that she knew where everything was.

  15

  Joanna made copious notes and by the end of the meeting knew exactly who needed help to make their shelters safe. Some had opted for Morrison shelters – a large metal table under which children could sleep and be protected if a bomb fell on the house.

  Joan and Valerie, both sensible and reliable women, were now part of the staff. They were prepared to do whatever was needed as long as their work schedule fitted around the children’s school attendance.

  It was almost dark by the time everyone had gone home. ‘That went well, don’t you think, darling?’

  ‘Yes, it did. Pity Lazzy interrupted the meeting and then disgraced himself on the rug. Mrs Thomas was horrified.’ Sarah was laughing as she recalled the incident.

  ‘Naughty boy, you aren’t allowed in the drawing room again until you can control your bladder.’ The puppy rolled on his back in a most undignified fashion and waved his legs in the air. She reached down and rubbed his belly. ‘I have three letters as yet unread from your father. I’m rather dreading opening them.’

  ‘It doesn’t matter what he says or wants as he’s not in a position to know if we follow his orders.’

  ‘Sarah, I don’t know why you’re speaking so disrespectfully. He is Lord Harcourt, whose lineage goes back for hundreds of years…’

  ‘I know that, Mummy, but can’t you see the war has changed everything? I’m an adult now, both physically and mentally, if not legally, and have my own opinions. He would be horrified that we have a dog in the house, are taking in paying guests and that I have a squadron leader for a boyfriend.’ Sarah continued even more forcefully. ‘I’m proud of the changes we’ve made and we couldn’t have continued to pay our bills if we hadn’t decided to be a boarding house.’

  Joanna smiled. ‘Good heavens, my dear, there’s no need to be so cross. I agree that we’ve done what we had to. However, I’m not sure which your father would object to most – the fact that we’ve taken in lodgers or that you’ve actually got a boyfriend of any sort. Did you see him this morning when you went on your ride?’

  ‘I did and we’re going to Hastings for the day on Saturday.’

  Joanna was sad that her daughter no longer felt she needed to ask permission or approval for her actions. Things would be so different if David was here. He would make her listen and there wouldn’t be this gadding about all over the place in a car with a young man considerably older than her. Squadron Leader Trent was a gentleman and she was almost certain he wouldn’t expect Sarah to do anything she shouldn’t.