“I’ll be perfectly fine,” Eileen said. “You saw me on VE-Day, remember?”

I saw you, not Binnie and not Alf, Polly thought, and, as if she’d said his name aloud, Alf came pelting up the aisle toward them, pulling on his coat and cap as he ran.

“Why aren’t you helping Sir Godfrey?” Eileen said sternly.

“ ’E sent me to look for the carpenter,” he said, starting past them.

“You can’t go outside in this,” Eileen said, blocking his way. “There’s a raid on.”

“I won’t get killed,” Alf said, trying to get past Eileen. “I been out in lots of raids.”

“Not this one,” Eileen said, putting her hands on his shoulders and turning him firmly around. “Go tell Sir Godfrey I’ll let him know as soon as the carpenter arrives.”

She gave him a push to start him down the aisle, but instead he went over to Colin and said, “Are you sure you ain’t ’im?”

“Perfectly sure,” Eileen said. “I told you, he’s Polly’s fiancé. He’s home on leave.”

“On leave from where?” Alf said suspiciously.

“He’s a pilot,” Polly said hastily because Colin clearly wouldn’t have had time to research troop movements and raids. “In the RAF.”

“What sort of plane did you fly?” Alf asked.

Out of the frying pan into the fire, Polly thought, but she had underestimated Colin.

“A Spitfire now,” he said. “A Blenheim before I was shot down.”

“You were shot down?” Alf said, awed.

“Twice. I had to ditch in the Channel the second time.”

“Are you a hero, then?”

Yes, Polly thought.

“Course ’e’s a hero, you dunderhead,” Binnie said, coming up the aisle in her spangled fairy gown and wings, one of which dangled brokenly behind her. She was carrying Polly’s costume, green hose trailing, the scabbard dragging behind on the aisle carpet. “All RAF pilots are heroes. Mr. Churchill said so.”

“You’re the dunderhead!” Alf shouted, and charged head down at her midsection like a bull. Binnie began flailing at him with the scabbard.

“You’re certain you don’t want to change your mind and come with us?” Polly whispered.

Eileen grinned. “It’s a tempting offer,” she whispered back, and grabbed Alf by the scruff of the neck. “Alf, Binnie, stop that.” She snatched the scabbard from Binnie.

“She started it,” Alf said.

“I don’t care who started it. Look what you’ve done to Binnie’s wings. Binnie, go to the dressing room and take them off before you do any more damage. Alf, fetch the glue.”

Binnie shook her head vehemently. “Miss Laburnum said I was to make you come try on your doublet for ’er so’s she can shorten it.”

“Tell her I will as soon as I’ve said goodbye to Polly. Now go along,” she said, and gave them a push to get them moving, but Binnie resisted.

“I want to say goodbye to them, too,” Binnie said.

And make absolutely certain we don’t take Eileen with us, Polly thought, looking at her standing there like a determined angel, broken wings dangling, arms folded belligerently across her chest, as if she would prevent them with brute force if necessary.