Resistance

Chapter Twelve

Harry thought back to the days when Richard and himself went out around London with their other friends before Richard had been declared missing in action.

“I remember that one day after we had all made it safely back from a mission we decided that we would drive into to celebrate. We must have been in several different pubs and we were all already fairly past it except Richard, he never did drink much but we changed that, and these birds came over to us and started flirting.”

“Birds?”

Angelique was quite perplexed.

“Birds, you know girls. Well anyway in this pub with these women was first time we got him drunk. When we got back after this night out we were all sat about in one of the hangers drinking more. We heard the sound of footsteps, it was an officer in our squadron but a right bastard he was, excuse my language miss. Anyway he strolls into the hanger and us lot are all lounging around looking worse for wear and Richard stands up giving us a chance to sneak out and without a by your leave proceeds to tell the officer that the state of security outside the hangers was an absolute disgrace and any Nazis wouldn’t have any trouble sabotaging our planes, then walks out of the hanger bold as brass. We all thought the auld bastard was going to have a heart attack; he turned several different shades of purple. We all collapsed laughing every time we saw that officer after that night. Old Rich was a legend; there will never be anyone like him again. Then he got transferred, must have been at least six months since I saw him last. He wanted to fly Spits you see, be a dashing Spitfire pilot, and he did it, he was a tremendous flyer.”

 “Would you like to come with me? It will be another long journey in a Jeep but I think that it would be good for you to come and meet the family of your late husband. You can explain to them the events of the past few weeks.”

Angelique nodded and walked over to where Fabienne and the others were waiting for her.

“Dear friends. Thank you so much for staying by me all this time. It has been a great honour, fighting and working alongside you all and I hope very much that someday we will again. However for the moment you have your duties and I have mine and unfortunately they lead us in separate directions. You are the best friends that anybody could hope to have and I will miss you all greatly. Goodbye.”

She hugged each of them in turn and then she joined Harry in the Jeep and they drove out of the air base. They drove down a very long country lane.

“It is beautiful here; there is not much difference between here and France.”

“Just you wait until we get into the city, now that is something to see, very different to France I’ll wager.”

They continued down the road. Harry’s arm was rested on the back of Angelique’s seat and she felt oddly comforted by its presence.

“So just how old are you Miss?”

“Sixteen, I shall be seventeen this summer. And yourself?”

“”Well I’m old enough.”

He paused and thought about it.

“I’m twenty-one; I am considered quite an old man in my squadron.”

Angelique laughed.

“Old, you’re not old. When did you enlist?”

“Hmmm. Well now let’s see. It would have been about, nearly three years ago.”