The Last Letter from Juliet - Melanie Hudson Page 0,102

of an airbase in mid-Devon and then, when you’re ready, I need you to fly for me, doing secret pick-up and drop offs – from here, most likely. The Lysander will be your own aircraft and no one will be party to your trips but me. You’ll have a small team of trusted engineers staying here and working on the aircraft with you but they won’t know where you’re going, or why. You’re familiar with the Lysander?’

It was a fairly straightforward, high wing, monoplane.

‘Yes, but—’

‘The aircraft will be painted black. You’ll fly covertly to France at night, into secret locations hidden from the Germans, often retrieving or dropping agents, that kind of thing. A fixed ladder has been added to the rear cockpit on the port side, to get the agents out and in quickly. You’ll be in and out in minutes.’

The ladder wasn’t a concern. The destination, however, was.

‘Fly directly into France? But that’s crazy. A blacked-out aircraft can be heard, if not seen. The whole thing sounds utterly suicidal.’

He scratched an eyebrow.

‘We’d give you the same training we give to RAF pilots who are already doing the same job, and we’d give you the skills you’d need to escape and evade, although it would be very unlikely that you’d be required to put these skills into action, of course.’

I began to shake my head.

‘Take a day to think about it and come and see me tomorrow.’

‘I’m sorry,’ I said, pushing my file back across the desk towards him. ‘And I know you must be desperate for suitable pilots, but what you’re offering isn’t for me. I’m afraid you’ve been given an overly-inflated opinion of my flying skills. Doing a few loops and rolls in a flying circus does not qualify me for this. I may not even have the stomach for flying when I get back. I’m not sure how I’ll feel.’

I stood to leave.

‘Is that because of the crash at Predannack,’ he asked. ‘Or because of your friend, Anna.’

I refused to be ruffled, even though the thought of Anna’s death ripped apart the inner workings of my heart.

‘The answer is no, Mr Wilkins. I am not the man for you.’

He stubbed out the remainder of his cigarette and also stood.

‘But I didn’t want a man, Juliet. I wanted you.’

I headed towards the door.

‘Well, it’s your decision. All things considered, I suppose it’s perhaps best you’re weren’t allowed to fulfil your dream after all.’

I stopped with my hand on the door handle.

‘Dream? What do you mean?’

‘To fly in combat. Isn’t that what you always wanted to do? RAF pilots do not have the luxury of choosing their missions, Miss Caron, they fly when and where is necessary. Whatever the danger. Go back to the ATA or stop flying completely and sit the war out at Lanyon. I’m sorry to have wasted your time.’

I knew this barbed comment was aimed to rile me but it didn’t work. My flying with the ATA had been treacherous at times and I had lost too many friends to worry about taking his words about my failed RAF dream to heart.

‘You’re probably right,’ I said with a saccharine smile while turning the door handle. ‘I would have been useless in the RAF. I may have chipped a nail.’

He shot from behind the desk to stand in the open door. He was grinning now.

‘Are you always so unrufflable?’

I smiled.

‘Only on Tuesdays.’

He laughed. His eyes danced. ‘But my God, Juliet. Can’t you see. This is exactly why you would be perfect for our operation. Please – please – reconsider.’

I shook my head.

‘I’m sorry. I would help if I could, but it’s not for me.’

He bowed as if defeated and stepped away from the door, but as I turned to leave saw that he had saved his most powerful ammunition till last.

‘I understand that you’re a close personal friend of Edward Nancarrow …’

I stopped in the doorway and looked at him.

‘Yes, I am.’

‘Do you understand the importance of his work, Juliet?’

‘He’s never really told me what he does. But now I’ve learnt about your operation, I’m guessing he’s an agent.’

‘I mention him because he would also be coming back from France that way – by Lysander. It’s becoming increasingly dangerous to get agents back by boat. Edward is a hunted man in Europe. The Nazis have had a price on his head for some time.’

‘Why are you telling me this?’

‘To sway you, clearly. Because I have a feeling that although you won’t do this for King