Ruth approached Jimmie. She adjusted a blanket, wrapped around her shoulders, and sat down beside him.
“Is something wrong?” he asked.
“No. I wanted to talk to you about some things.”
“By all means,” he said.
“Lucette and I were discussing which direction we should go in the morning.” She tightened the blanket around her shoulders. “We think the best choice is Paris.”
Jimmie straightened his spine. “That’s a lengthy journey from here—much farther than the other air bases. Finding enough fuel will be a challenge.”
“Getting petrol will be difficult no matter which direction we go.”
He nodded. “Why Paris?”
“Two reasons. First, Lucette and I were reviewing the map. From Paris, we’ll have more route options to get us to our post in Dunkirk. And if there is no viable road to the Channel, the French Army’s ambulance corps headquarters in Paris can redeploy us to where we are most needed.”
Jimmie rubbed his chin. “I see.”
“Second, I have family in Paris. My uncle is a doctor and my aunt is a nurse. Pierre and Aline will have a place to stay and will be well cared for.”
“I’m glad. It is very kind of you and your family to take them in.” He plucked a blade of grass and rubbed it between his fingers. “Have you considered the risk of the German tanks changing their direction to Paris?”
“We have—it’s a chance that Lucette and I are willing to take. We’ve spoken to Pierre and he’s agreeable to going with us.” She raised her head and peered at the night sky. “Hitler’s military appears invincible, but I’m counting on the French Army to muster enough troops to stop them from reaching the city.”
“It’s a long way to Paris,” he said, “but I think it’s a safer bet for you and the others to go there. The city will also provide numerous routes to flee, should the Germans change their course.”
She fiddled with the end of her blanket. “There’s one more thing I want to talk about.”
“What’s that?”
“We think you should come with us.”
He dropped the blade of grass. “I appreciate your invitation, but I’m required to report back to the RAF. I need to go to the airfield in Vertus to see if my squadron is there.”
“What happens if the RAF is not in Vertus?”
“Then I’ll continue on to the airfield in Gaye.”
“And what if that base has been evacuated, like this one?”
His neck muscles tensed.
“Even if you do find your squadron, you’re in no condition to fly.” She gently placed a hand on his arm. “It’s best for us to stick together.”
“I don’t want to split from the group,” he said. “But, like you, I have a duty to return to my post.”
“There’s no need to make the decision tonight,” she said, her voice soft. “All I ask is that you give it some thought.”
“I will.”
She slipped her hand away.
They quietly remained sitting, and Jimmie was surprised yet glad that she decided to stay a little longer. Despite their opposing views on what he should do, he felt relaxed and comforted by her presence.
“It must have been difficult to see Benny’s plane,” she said, breaking the silence. “Are you worried about the pilots in your squadron?”
“I am. They are like brothers to me.” He drew a deep breath. “My friend Fanny was shot down minutes before me. I saw his parachute open after he bailed out, and I’m hoping he made it back to the squadron.”
“I’m sorry. I’ll keep him in my thoughts.”
“Thanks.” For several minutes, he told her about his fellow pilots Cobber, Fanny, Benny, and his fitter, Horace.
“They sound like grand friends.”
An image of playing rugby with Cobber in the rain flashed in his mind. “The best.”
She turned to him. “Back at the water mill, you didn’t get a chance to finish telling me about your sister, Nora. You mentioned that she endured a rough time in her life. I’d like to know more about her.”
“Of course.” He leaned his back to the tree. “Nora and I are quite close. She’s sixteen years old, clever, plucky, and a voracious reader. She’s planning to leave home to go to university to become a librarian.” He looked up through the silhouette of branches against the night sky. “When she was a child, she was stricken with polio.”
“Oh, my.”
“She nearly died. Her diaphragm was paralyzed and she spent two weeks in an iron lung.”
Ruth placed a hand to her mouth.
“When I first saw her at the hospital, I was fearful that she might not survive. She was sealed—except for her head—in a large, horizontal cylinder that helped her to breathe.” He rubbed his swollen fingers. “I remember Nora, looking at me through a mirror on the top of the machine, and telling me not to worry and that she’d be all right. Then she asked if I brought her Piglet and her favorite book.”
