Jemima gingerly pulled her skirt down from around her waist throwing reproachful glances at Sally who returned them with an impudent grin that clearly said that Jemima had had exactly what she asked for. ‘How do I compare with your Doctor Higgins then?’ she teased.

‘Well she never once kissed it better afterwards’ Jemima aid in a mildly hurt tone.

‘Your doctor might know all about talking proper but she obviously knows nothing about how to treat lovely bums’. Sally caught Jemima around the waist pulling her closer ‘give us a kiss and get your fags out or I’ll give you a Chinese burn’. Jemima barely had time for a squeal before Sally’s lips were pressed to hers.

‘You’re a strange one Jemima’ thought Sally ‘but then so am I’. It was hard for her to remember if her girlfriend was a boy or her boyfriend was a girl; Jemima was not however a lisping sissy like her cousin Albert mincing about in his mum’s frocks. Jemima looked and acted more like a woman than Sally did, it was uncanny, and had prompted Sally’s investigative fumblings (those had finally convinced her that Jemima was physically a boy). Then there was the spanking; Sally did not understand why Jemima liked it so but loved the intimacy and trust it built between them. Not that she enjoyed hurting the little pilot though it was fun to see how far she could go.

‘Do you ever get homesick?’ Jemima asked between puffs. The wind had driven them around the corner where their matches were not immediately snuffed out.

‘It’ll be strange being away over Christmas’ Sally replied ‘at least I won’t have mum tying ribbons in my hair and trying to get me into party frocks all the time’.

‘Mine did that too’ sighed Jemima. Seeing Sally’s quizzical look she carried on ‘I have three older brothers and no sisters so I suppose she just wanted a daughter. I was always dressed as a girl before I started school, had my hair in ringlets too’.

‘I bet you loved that!’ Sally laughed. It was so easy to imagine Jemima as a little girl.

‘Not really ‘Jemima answered ‘my brothers made fun of me and Dad never liked it. I just wanted to be a boy like them…’ she lit another cigarette. ‘Some of the dresses were nice though’ she added wistfully.

Jemima looked so sad that Sally felt she had to change the subject, ‘Are your brothers in the forces too?’

‘Shouldn’t expect so, they were all in reserved occupations when I left. Dad made sure of that’. It took a few seconds for Sally to understand all the implications of what Jemima had said.

‘And you’ve not been back home since. Oh sweetie’ she hugged her friend tight to her ‘they should be so proud of you’.

‘Right chaps’ began Mike apparently oblivious to the fact that of the six people in the crewroom he alone looked remotely like a chap, a fellow or indeed a bloke. Even bundled up in their Irving suits the pilots managed to effect at least a hint of femininity with a brightly coloured scarf or more elaborate make up than usual (after all they were off out for the night). ‘We’ve been doing this for a few weeks now so you know the score. Get upstairs, beetle about for a bit and make a bit of noise’

‘But don’t get too chatty’ interjected Polly directing a stern look at Anthea and Verity.

‘…and although we haven’t been lucky enough to receive a visit yet remember our rules of engagement’ he continued.

‘Especially you Rodriguez’ put in Polly for Hannah Rodriguez’s benefit. Despite her surname Hannah was as English as any of those present it being acquired in Spain. Though women stunt flyers were fairly thin on the ground in thirties Britain she had been among the very best before leaving to join the fight against Franco. Her intention was to join the Republican Air Force to fly against the Nationalists, but she found that revolutionary egalitarianism did not extend into the skies. She had instead become part of a militia that was happy to welcome fighters whatever their gender. There she met a rather dashing comrade, married him and been promptly widowed. Back home eager to get back into the fray her ambition had been frustrated by official suspicion of her political leanings as well as male prejudice. Once back in a plane she had been among the most vocal about the women pilots being allowed to engage enemy aircraft too. This tended to show off her other latin acquisition, a temper that could only come from Iberia.

‘Was there anything else Polly?’ Mike threw her a sidelong glance. She was a good officer he though but did she really need to nag the other pilots?

‘Oh just that the met boys have cleared us but there could be ground fog rolling in later’ she said ‘so if the weather starts to get a little dicey get down as soon as you can’. She made a point of making eye contact with each of the four pilots.