Silver Wings by H. P. Munro Read Free Book Online

watch you butchering this patch any longer, I may be forced to kill you!”
    Helen's eyes widened and her lips tugged into a smile as she popped her bleeding finger back into her mouth, “Fankyou.”
    Twenty minutes later and Lily had unpicked Helen's handiwork and attached the patch neatly.
    “All done. I think I may head back to the bunk,” she smiled wearily; now that the excitement from the day had calmed down she felt a tiredness start to overwhelm her.
    Helen accepted her jacket and stood up shrugging it onto her slender shoulders, “I'll come back too, I don't know about you but I'm ready to trip over my eye lids.”
    Lily nodded silently and gathered her things together. As they prepared to leave the other occupants of Bay Four noticed their departure and by silent agreement rose to leave.
    They practically fell over themselves apologizing for getting in the way as they each tried to get ready for bed, waiting patiently to brush their teeth while someone used the toilet, moving aside to allow each access to the mirror. Finally, they were all dressed in their pajamas and one by one slipped into their small army bunks pulling the sheets and blankets over them.
    Helen lay in her cot and stared up at the ceiling processing all that had happened during the day when she heard a snort behind her.
     “It's eight o’clock.”
    She turned onto her stomach and looked over the small walking space between their beds towards Marjorie who was lying on her front her elbows propped on her pillow while she looked at her watch, “I'm in bed and it’s eight o’clock!”
    Soon all the Bay Four residents had turned onto their front and were looking at each other in amusement.
    “I don't think I've ever been in my bed at eight o’clock,” Adrienne mused. “At least not alone,” she added which received a burst of laughter from the other women. She turned onto her side and rested her head onto her hand.
    “We have two hours before lights out. How about we find out a bit more about each other. Adele?” Adrienne looked over towards the small brunette, “We know you're from Tennessee. Are you married?”
    Adele gave a shy smile, “Engaged. My fiancé is over in England at the moment…we're gonna get married when he gets back.”
    Adrienne smiled, “What's his name?”
    “Mathew,” Adele couldn't help the grin that spread across her face as she thought about her sweetheart. “Mathew Winchester the Third. I've known him since we weren't much more off the ground than a cricket’s belly.”
    The women smiled as Adele shuffled under blankets to get comfortable.
    “Okay, now for the good stuff,” Adrienne grinned rolling back onto her front. She narrowed her eyes and looked across at Adele, “First time?”
    “We were fifteen in my daddy's barn, was over before I even got started,” Adele pursed her lips together at the memory.
    Adrienne's eyebrows shot up and she rose up onto her knees. “Oh God Adele, sorry no… I meant first time flying! How you knew you wanted to…,” she stuttered in embarrassment. “I meant first time flying solo.”
     The other women roared with laughter as both Adrienne and Adele blushed at the misunderstanding.
    “I don't know, I love flying but I'm more interested in hearing about the barn,” Marjorie smiled mischievously.
    Adele's color darkened even further in embarrassment, “Believe me the flying was better! I was sixteen when I first flew solo; I became obsessed when I was little. My grandma died when I was six and someone told me she was up in the sky. Ever since, I wanted to go up into the sky to be close to her. My Pa, he had an old beat up 75 Kaydet for crop dusting an’ I learnt in that.” Adele chewed on her lips and, taking a deep breath, put a smile back onto her face, “An’ that's that! How ‘bout you Adrienne? You married and when was your first?”
    Adrienne's fingers automatically went to her neck where a simple wedding band hung around her neck, “Nope, not