The Serial: The Pepper Girls At War Day 51

Her heart calmed down and a sense of ‘knowing the future absolutely’ swept over her as she turned the ring round and round on her finger

The door banged shut as her father left and all Nancy’s plans for happiness went with him. Two sleepy voices called through from the back room. “What’s all the noise?” yelled wee Billy. “Sssshhhh,” hushed Mary Anne. “Go back to sleep,” she said, too wise for her years, “mum’s busy.”

But Mary Anne had heard everything and although she didn’t understand it all, she knew something was very wrong.

She closed her eyes and silently prayed. ‘Please God, bring dad home soon, mum needs him.’

Bo watched as Lexie’s medal was pinned on her uniform. He couldn’t stop smiling – his Lexie, he thought, a heroine. She’d told him the story of the ditched Wellington Bomber, saying anyone would have done the same, but Bo knew different.

He’d been piloting bombers while crewmen had been vomiting with fear and who would have ran a mile away from the action if they could.

Once the ceremony was over, the couple walked hand in hand to Waverley Station. Bo had another couple of days R&R before he had to return to Montrose, but Lexie was expected back on the earliest train out of Edinburgh. Tiny package She told Bo about the link between Lossiemouth and Montrose. “So, I’ll know if you’re safe,” she said, “and God willing you will be.”

Bo’s arms tightened around her. He knew that the odds of surviving the war, especially as a pilot, shortened after each successful sortie.

He tilted her face up so he could see her eyes, glowing with love. “Nothing will stop me coming back to you,” he said, hoarsely, “just remember that I love you and once this war is over, we’ll be together for the rest of our lives.”

The guard’s whistle and the slamming of the carriage doors signalled that it was time to part. Bo kissed Lexie soundly and helped her board the train. “I love you,” Lexie mouthed, her voice drowned out by the steam engine rushing into life.

Bo reached for her hand and placed a tiny package into it, folding her fingers around it. “Never forget I love you,” he shouted above the noise, before stepping back from the train.

Lexie waved from the carriage door window till the platform and Bo were out of sight, her chin quivering with emotion and already missing him.

She gathered up her things and found a seat on the crowded train, the little package still held tightly in her hand. Her heart beating rapidly, she gently unfolded the tissue paper. Inside was a small blue silk bag and in the bag was a beautifully carved ring.

Lexie looked at it closely, it was made of what looked like ebony and intricately carved with tiny leaves and flowers. It was the most beautiful thing Lexie had ever seen and she slipped it on the ring finger of her left hand. It fitted perfectly.

Lexie closed her eyes and summoned up the picture of Bo blowing her kisses as the train pulled out and now, there was his ring.

Her heart calmed down and a sense of ‘knowing the future absolutely’ swept over her as she turned the ring round and round on her finger.

Nothing and no one, not even Hitler, was going to keep her and Bo apart and one day, when they were married and living in Moose Jaw, she’d tell their children about how they’d met. Seed of doubt Then, she remembered her mother, now a widow with no one but Lexie and Ian to turn to. Almost imperceptibly, the picture of the future wobbled.

Going to Canada with Bo would mean leaving her mother forever. Lexie wished she hadn’t let the thought enter her head, but it was too late, it had already sown the seed of doubt.

The rest of the journey dragged by and again, it was late before the steam train from Perth puffed into Inverness Station.

The RAF truck was waiting with Jennifer McKenzie at the wheel. “The snow’s eased,” she said, briskly, opening the door of the vehicle for Lexie, “so we should make good time back to camp.”

Lexie nodded. The last thing she wanted was another conversation with Jenny.

“If you don’t mind,” Lexie said, “I’ve got a terrible headache, so wake me up when we get there ACW McKenzie,” and with that, Lexie feigned sleep for the rest of the journey.

The snow had stopped the day Lexie had left for Edinburgh and although it wasn’t melting, it didn’t require any further shovelling.

Lexie breathed in the cold air as she made her way to the Comms Room to report for duty the next day. She’d taken off Bo’s ring and returned it, carefully, to its silk resting place vowing that the next time she wore it would be on her wedding day.

“Reporting for duty Sergeant,” Lexie said, saluting Sgt Brady.

“Where is it then?” Sgt Brady asked, smiling broadly.

Lexie blushed. How did he know about Bo’s ring? she asked herself, before realising it was the Empire Medal he wanted to see.

“Oh, the medal!” she said, “it’s not something I’m going to be wearing every day, but I’ll bring it with me tomorrow if you like.”

Sgt Brady nodded and they got back to the business of the day.

“Just to update you,” he said, “the first flight went out from the base late yesterday, so if the snow stays off, we’ll be fully operational again by the end of the week.” Deflated mood Lexie’s heart quickened. “Does that mean that the crews who transferred to Montrose will be coming back?”

“Not yet,” the sergeant said, “the Norwegian coast is closer to Montrose than we are and easier to target from there, so you’ll need to continue liaising with them to keep tabs on what’s happening to our boys.”

Lexie’s mood deflated, but at least she would still have contact with Winnie and find out what was happening to Bo and with the first flight out yesterday, there was a good chance he would get her belated letter.

That night, she wrote again to her mum saying she was well but making no mention of the medal or of Bo.

Again, she asked how Nancy was and if she was visiting, hoping there would be more news about the pregnancy and if Nancy had told her husband yet.

Christmas was only a month away and Lexie suggested her mum should spend it with Isabella and John Anderson.

She knew she wouldn’t be home for Christmas, nor would Ian. It was going to be hard for her mum to cope with her first Christmas alone, but with the war on, there was nothing Lexie could do. (More tomorrow.)