The clouds were low and if she was being sensible she would have remained below them, but today caution and common sense were going to be ignored. The man sitting rigidly in front of her had known he couldn’t be chucked out of the plane. However, she was going to make his journey as unpleasant as possible.
She opened the throttle and sent the aircraft speeding into the thick cloud. She continued to climb until she was in bright sunshine. The compass was between her knees and difficult to see if you weren’t experienced. She would be perfectly safe flying above the cumulous if she kept heading south south west. She peered down and a cold chill ran down her spine. The compass wasn’t working.
For a moment she froze – unable to register the catastrophe. This must have been why Reynolds hadn’t been able to return and she’d not allowed him to explain. Then she relaxed and allowed her flying experience to take over. They were on a course away from the sea so there was no chance of doing the same thing he had.
She would climb another five hundred feet and then dive as if she’d lost control. She hoped he didn’t try to interfere. As they plunged at maximum speed through the clouds she forgot her anger as the sheer joy of flying took over.
Her passenger had turned in his seat and she was delighted to see his face was white and he was yelling something at her. She laughed and allowed the aircraft to continue its apparently deadly descent until they shot out of the greyness and she throttled back, lifted the nose and sped along beneath the clouds in full control.
She recognised the countryside beneath her and adjusted her course so she was heading in the right direction again. When they arrived at the airfield she circled a couple of times allowing Greg to taxi out of the way so she could go in safely.
Sid was waiting alongside her brother and they greeted her with a wave. As soon as they were stationary she clicked her harness and jumped out – but not quickly enough. When she was unbalanced, with one foot raised, Reynolds leaned out and shoved her in the small of the back. She went sailing through the air to land painfully on hands and knees on the grass.
She scrambled up and this time had no intention of interfering if either her brother or Greg intended to thump Reynolds. She was hoisted to her feet by Neil.
‘Up you come, little sister. What did you do to yank his chain?’
Before she could answer, the nasty blighter who’d pushed her arrived at their side. ‘This bloody stupid girl did her best to kill us both.’
She ignored him and spoke to her brother. ‘I told him he’d have to find his own way home but he got into the plane anyway. I just showed him the error of his ways.’ She nodded at Sid. ‘Make sure that man pays for the extra fuel and hours before he leaves.’
Greg was waiting in the car and this time she travelled in the back and allowed her brother to take the passenger seat in the front. She was in no mood for conversation, even if she could have been heard over the noise of the engine and the sound of the air rushing by.
The car skidded to a halt outside the farmhouse and she was out before either of the others. She had no wish to discuss what had happened. No one had ever treated her so badly. She hoped Joe had the sense not to let him fly with them again.
Once she was safely in the sanctuary of her bedroom she flung herself on the slippery, satin covered eiderdown. She hadn’t removed her boots, which was a major sin in this house. She didn’t have time for such niceties – and not for the first time she wished she’d been born a boy and wasn’t hemmed in by petty restrictions.
She closed her eyes and reviewed the events of the past couple of hours. What had she learned from this experience? That not all pilots were gentlemen and some were also stupid. Greg was from the top drawer, was charming, handsome and a friend of her favourite brother – he had stood up for her. Her lips curved – had she found herself a boyfriend?
Jack Reynolds had red hair – not a favourite of hers – and was certainly not a gentleman. He had also pushed her out of the plane. Mum would be horrified if she knew what her dear daughter was thinking at this very moment.
My God! The compass hadn’t worked in the new aircraft. If she’d allowed him to get a word in edgeways he would have told her himself. This was why he’d been unable to return to land. It didn’t explain why he’d been out there in the first place but she had a horrible sinking feeling that she’d misjudged him.
She jumped off the bed and rushed downstairs to the telephone. A murmur of voices was coming from the sitting room so she would be safe to use it without being overheard.
When the operator answered she gave Joe’s number and waited to be connected. She hoped it wouldn’t be his wife who picked up the receiver. When her boss answered she dispensed with the formalities and launched immediately into her reason for ringing so late.
‘Joe, I think I might have made a dreadful mistake. Do you have a number for Mr Reynolds? I must speak to him immediately.’
She heard what she thought was a chuckle but couldn’t be sure. ‘I’ll get him – he’s staying with us – he’s my nephew.’
There was a clatter as the receiver was put down and then a lengthy pause – so long that she thought Reynolds wasn’t coming to the phone. Then there were footsteps and he was there.
‘Well, Miss Simpson, what do
