Everybody looked at me all at once for a moment.

Then they went back to work.

Louisa:

It was late when the Tilly pulled up at the Limehouse again with its gears screaming, and a few minutes later Ellen pounded up the stairs. She saw our light on under the door and didn’t knock.

“Louisa, come and give us a hand. Oh—you’re in your night things!” She looked me up and down. “We need another bod and you might have to go outside. Do you have boots? I’ll get you Nan’s wellies.”

I pulled on a sweater and tucked my nightgown into a skirt. If 648 Squadron could do it, so could I. I already had on wool stockings because my legs were always cold, but thinking of Nan Campbell’s wellies, which she kept in the lean-to outside the kitchen door, I pulled on another pair of socks.

“Windyedge is the most exciting place I have ever lived, which is saying something,” Jane said, watching me jealously.

“Please, please don’t go downstairs till I come back. Please. Here’s the torch, make sure you take it if you need the loo.” I kissed the top of her head.

“Take care,” Jane called after me.

“You take care!”

Morag was washing up, her head lowered over the glasses.

Chip Wingate was still there.

He was snoring by the dead fire in Jane’s comfortable chair. Nan stood there, nervously holding a jug of water in one hand and twisting her pinny with the other. Jamie Beaufort-Stuart, dressed for flying, slapped his rear gunner back and forth across the face with a wet dishcloth.

“Come on, mate—come on—”

Chip shifted in Jane’s chair, trying to dodge the wet smacks.

“You’re going to get the full jug in a moment,” Jamie growled.

“Aw, take a hike, Scotty, lemme alone!” moaned his gunner.

Jamie looked up at me and Ellen. “He’s still blind drunk and we’re flying in an hour.”

“Where’s Silver?” I asked, pulling on Nan’s boots.

“Doing his job putting together tonight’s flight plan, and doing mine and checking out the kite, and making sure nobody notices Tex isn’t around to do his. If we get him on his feet maybe we can shoogle him out to the Tilly with me on one side and you two on the other—”

Chip roused himself and said, “The gorgeous redhead’s gonna give me a hand? Miracles do happen! An’ the cute li’l darkie?”

Did either of us need to help this good-for-nothing?

Of course we needed to help Jamie.

“One more wisecrack and I’m pinning today’s punch-up on you, Sergeant Chester Wingate,” Jamie threatened.