Morina & the Switching Spell Ch. 08

"No, she didn't. Why, do you think there may be something going on between the two of them?" I asked.

"I couldn't say for sure, they really haven't spent that much time together, but there was something about the way they looked at each other," she began.

"I could see how my brother would be attracted to her. All of his girlfriends in high school were athletic. Even his coming-of-age witch, Rebecca Wickham, was captain of the girls' gymnastics team... Oh my god! Didn't you say Amanda had been preparing for the Olympic gymnastics team!" I exclaimed.

"Let's not jump to conclusions. As I said, I can't be sure there's anything going on between the two of them. They haven't spent much time together," Agatha reminded me.

"Maybe we should get them together. If you think there may be some sparks between the two of them, it might be fun to see if they start a fire," I said laughing.

"I know Mandy could use a steady relationship. The problem is that even if there is something going on between the two of them, there's not much they can do about it with this bloody war going on," she contemplated.

"All the more reason to get them together. After all, a little romantic respite from this war is better than nothing at all," I replied.

"Hm. Let me see what I can do," Agatha said.

***

It was 1330 or 1:30 PM civilian time, when we finally arrived at Ashford Airfield. Agatha delivered her dispatches, and I handed the sealed letter to Lois, Colonel Drummond's secretary.

Lois was one of the few other women stationed at Ashford. Besides Lois, there were three other women, all of them working as secretaries in administration, both British and American, and they shared an Army tent set up apart from the rest of the squadrons. A separate latrine was dug for them, along with an enclosed area that had a hook-up for cold showers.

The squadrons themselves were away on reconnaissance missions but were expected back in a few hours. Agatha and I had lunch in the mess tent and toured the airfield, especially the communications tent near the control tower. While we were there, messages came in from the squadron commanders that the planes were returning from their mission.

We headed for the airfield where the ground crews were preparing for their return with refueling tanks at one end of the runway and emergency equipment, including fire trucks at the other. Seeing the fire trucks parked there made nervous and a shiver ran down my spine.

"Are you okay?" Agatha asked.

She was standing next to me, waiting for the pilots to return. She must have seen me shiver.

"I'm fine. Just a bit of a chill, but it's gone now," I replied as casually as I could.

We didn't have much longer to wait. Within 15 minutes, the planes started coming in. There were so many that it took more than half an hour to land them all. Fortunately, there were no casualties.

Even after the planes were all on the ground, there were no breaks. The pilots had to look over their planes and review check lists to address any abnormal noises or mechanical behaviors they experienced in the air that might result in a fatal disaster on the next flight. After that, they met for a debriefing session.

It was well past 1730 and closer to 1800 hours when the pilots finally broke for supper. Agatha and I met up with Lee and chatted for a bit in the chow line before Agatha excused herself to look for Squadron Leader Porter. I watched her take a deep breath before setting her jaw to look for him.

"Lee! How did everything go up there?" I asked excitedly.

"Pretty routine. Sometimes we encounter the Luftwaffe and some days we don't. This was one of the don't days," he replied.

"Does that mean we're winning the air war?" I asked.

"Not necessarily. The Nazis are conserving their fuel. Now that we've cut off their access to African oil, most of their fuel goes into their ground war in Russia and their U-boats in the Atlantic. They're saving the fuel for the Luftwaffe for sorties into Southern England and against our bombing missions," he explained.

I wanted to ask him more personal questions and tell him about my visit with Agatha and Amanda, but we were surrounded by his whole squadron, and I suspected pilots from other squadrons, too. Judging from the whistles and catcalls, I was the reason for the crowd.

"Hey fellas! Cut out the lewd stuff. This is my sister and I'd appreciate a little consideration!" Lee yelled after a couple of rank comments.

To my amazement, the whistles and catcalls stopped. There were a few lingering comments near the back of the crowd, but that stopped after the word was passed back. The crowd also thinned slightly, giving Lee and me a little more room to breathe and talk.

"Wow, you must carry a lot of weight around here," I commented to Lee, looking at him admiringly.

"Your brother is a legend. Best damned pilot - I beg your pardon, Miss, best darned pilot in the Army!" one of the men near us boasted.

"Yeah, we'd follow Lee anywhere. If anyone gives you a hard time, Miss, just let us know. We'll take care of them," another guy said. I recognized him from the other day.

"Nice to see you again, Captain Browning," I said, remembering his name.

His face positively beamed when I spoke his name.

"Thanks, guys. I appreciate it. Morina, this is Mike Martin," Lee said, indicating the first guy, "And you've already met Jim Browning. These are two of my closest friends in the squadron."

Of course, that set off a crush of the rest of the squadron to be introduced to me. I did my best to smile and shake hands, but after the first six or eight guys, I couldn't remember which name went to which face.

The one face and name I did remember was Major Locke, Lee's squadron commander. He came over shortly after we sat with our trays to eat.

"Major, it's nice to see you again, and thank you for your help the other day in finding Lee," I said, standing and offering my hand.

"Oh, that was my pleasure, Miss," the Major said.

"Please call me Morina," I said, smiling.

He bashfully cracked a smile in return, which brought whoops and jeers from the rest of the squadron. I got the impression that he didn't smile very often.

The whoops were just dying down when a loud voice rang out from the entrance of the mess tent.

"ATTEN-HUT!"

Everyone immediately stopped talking and stood at attention.

"As you were!" A burly man with a deep voice called out as he strode in our direction. He wound his way between the rows of picnic tables full of GIs eating until he came to our table.

Everyone at our table stood up, including me.

"Major," he said, saluting.

"Colonel," Major Locke saluted back.

"Miss Spellman, I'm sorry I couldn't meet you earlier when you checked in with my secretary. I've read the letter you brought from Lord Ayresdon, and I've checked on your security clearance with the Army and your WASP commander and I want to officially inform you that your security clearance has been approved," he said, smiling.

Muted cheers and applause broke out from the nearby GIs who were listening in. Since the only thing any of these men knew about me was the fact that I was an attractive woman, I knew they weren't cheering because of my skills or qualifications.

"However, since we have no vacancies at that position, I'm afraid we cannot formally hire you for the position at this time, I am sorry," he said.

There was a low murmur from some of the men within hearing distance.

"Thank you, Colonel. I appreciate you letting me know about this personally," I replied.

"Not at all," he said before he left.

After we finished eating, Agatha came over accompanied by a blond British officer in a blue RAF uniform.

"Morina, this is Squadron Leader Nigel Porter, whom I've told you about. Nigel, this is Morina Spellman," she said, smiling.

"Nice to meet you, Squadron Leader. Or should I call you Nigel?" I asked, smiling as pleasantly as I could.

"As your brother is at times under my command and since there is a possibility that you'll be working here in the communications office, Miss Spellman, it would only be appropriate for you to address me as Squadron Leader," he said, stiffly.

"Of course, thank you, Squadron Leader," I replied in a stifled, mock-formal tone.

"Squadron Leader," Lee greeted Nigel Porter formally. Lee seemed to be interested in the Squadron Leader's hands.

"Captain," Sqn. Ldr. Porter replied. He saw Lee looking at his hands and quickly put them in his pockets.

"Morina, it's getting late, and we need to get back to London. We should wrap things up and depart soon," Agatha advised.

"Please give me a minute alone with my brother and I'll be right with you," I said.

Lee excused us from the rest of his squadron, and we went outside far enough away from the mess tent to have a private conversation.

"Reena, you never told me you applied for the radio and communications position here," he said with a hint of anxiety in his voice.

"I thought that if there was an opening, it would give us a chance to see each other. I hope you're not mad at me," I replied.

"No, I'm not mad, but are you sure you want to be around all these guys? They're pretty crude most of the time," he noted.

"Oh that," I commented dismissively, "You know I can handle myself around guys like that. No, after what Agatha and Amanda told me about Nigel Porter and what you're up against, I thought I could hang around and give you some support. But it looks like I might not get the chance," I replied.

"I'm okay for now. Porter doesn't know I'm a warlock, although I think he's getting a little suspicious by the way I keep surviving these magical mishaps," Lee responded.

"Magical mishaps! Lee, that's not what I've been hearing. That guy's trying to kill you. You need me here," I insisted.

"In any case, it's a moot point since there are no openings. What does Agatha think about you working here?" he asked.

"She's been helping me. Both she and Amanda think it's a good idea," I replied.

"Amanda? Her too?" Lee asked. There seemed to be an added interest in his voice.

"Especially her. She seemed to be very interested in your welfare. I suspect that if she could be here herself, she would. Is there something going on between the two of you?" I asked.

I knew I was stretching things a bit, but after what Agatha told me about Amanda this morning, I was curious to see how my brother would react.

"Are you sure Amanda was interested in me? I mean we didn't have a chance to spend much time together, so I doubt there's anything going on between us," he replied.

"She is pretty cute, and I know she's your type. Did you know she was going to be on the British 1940 Olympic Women's Gymnastics Team?" I asked smiling.

"Did Amanda tell you that?" Lee asked.

"No, Agatha did. She suspects Amanda might have a thing for you," I said, studying Lee's face carefully. I wanted to see his reaction.

"She--" Lee began before looking at me watching for his reaction, "Are you trying to set me up with her?"

"Possibly. Are you interested?" I asked, smiling.

He smiled back.

"Let's just say I won't do anything to stop you," he replied, giving me a conspirative wink.

"If it means anything, I like her, too. I better catch up with Agatha. Take care, Lee" I said as I reached up and kissed him lightly on the lips.

"You too, Reena," he replied.

On the way back to London, I told Agatha about my conversation with Lee.

"He didn't come right out and say it, but I'm sure he has feelings for Amanda," I said to Agatha.

"We've definitely got to find a way of getting those two together," Agatha replied.

"That's exactly what I've been thinking. Do you have anything in mind?" I asked.

"Nothing definite, but maybe we can find a way to get your brother to come back to London," she said, thinking out loud.

"I'm not sure how you're going to be able to do that with the squadron flying every day. Maybe we should find a way to give Amanda security clearance and have her go to the airfield," I suggested.

"The security clearance won't be an issue. The problem is that we need Amanda at the liaison office to screen for Nazi spies on weekdays. She's free on weekends, but there's no privacy at the airfield," Agatha pointed out.

"What about your meeting tent? Couldn't they meet in there and use a warding spell for privacy?" I asked.

"That might work. We'll work on that for now until we can come up with something better," she agreed.

"Just to change the subject, from my brief conversation with Squadron Leader Porter, you must have told him I'm applying for a communications coordinator position at the airfield," I noted.

"I did. I hope you're okay with that," she replied.

"If I ever get the job, he's going to find out anyway. I was just wondering how he reacted when you told him," I replied.

Agatha hesitated briefly before answering.

"He had a strange reaction, like he was trying to make up his mind about it. At first, he didn't say anything, like he was thinking about it. Then, he seemed upset, almost angry, but after thinking about it more, he seemed okay with it, even welcoming," Agatha recalled.

The rest of the trip back to London was quiet. I think all that time in the car was making us tired.

Before driving back to the apartment building and Agatha's flat, we stopped at London Headquarters to drop off dispatches from Ashford and Kingsnorth airfields. I waited in the car while Agatha was inside. When she came out, she had a strange expression on her face.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

"I'm fine, but I have a letter for you," she said, giving me a sealed envelope.

"For me? At Allied Headquarters?" I asked, taking the envelope.

The envelope itself was different in size and shape from the usual 10.5 x 24.1 cm military correspondence. Instead, it was square and made of a thicker and more expensive linen paper. It was too dark to read the delicate handwriting on the envelope, but the wax seal on the back felt ornate and important.

"That's Lord Ayresdon's seal on the back of that envelope," Agatha said, watching me feel the hardened wax.

"Let's get back to your flat and open it and read what he says," I suggested.

It was well after 9 PM when we got back to the flat. Amanda was sitting at the table near the lamp, reading a romance novel when we walked in.

"How did everything go?" she asked.

We sat around the table while Agatha proceeded to relate the events of the day, beginning with our trip to Ayresdon Manor, while I took a closer look at the envelope. It was indeed from John, and I hesitated before opening it.

"Well, go on!" Agatha urged, interrupting her narrative to Amanda.

I broke the seal and pulled out the letter. His handwriting was neat with perfectly rounded letters:

My dear Morina,

It would give me great pleasure to have you join me at Ayresdon Manor tomorrow for an afternoon of horseback riding followed by a four-o'clock tea. Later, I am hoping you would accompany me for a private dinner where my chef promises a delightful meal that she assures me will please your palate.

My chauffeur will meet you outside your current residence precisely at 10 AM to escort you to my home. He will, of course, return you when you are ready to leave. If you have more pressing plans already scheduled, simply notify my chauffeur when he arrives, and I will understand.

Your devoted admirer,

John

I read the letter twice.

"Oh my god!" I barely whispered.

"What does it say?" Agatha and Amanda asked excitedly.

"He's invited me to visit him tomorrow," I said, handing them the letter.

Agatha and Amanda read the letter together.

"This is so sudden and unexpected. I only just met him this morning," I replied.

"Morina, you must have made quite an impression on him to get a private invitation to spend the day with him so quickly," Amanda noted.

Inside, I was nothing but butterflies. Lord Ayresdon, John, was about the handsomest man I had ever met. On top of that, he was a powerful warlock and a wealthy English Lord with a huge manor and beautifully cultivated lawns and gardens. Getting this invitation so quickly after having just met him could only mean one thing: he must be as enamored with me as I was with him. Once again, I felt like a princess in a fairy tale.

"You're going of course?" Agatha asked.

I knew my answer, but I hesitated to say it.

"Morina, tell us!" Amanda said, anxiously.

I wanted to appear cool and collected, but the excitement was building up inside me and I felt like a bottle of champagne about to pop my cork.

"Yes! Of course, I'll go!" I said excitedly, unable to contain myself.

The two of them hugged me and congratulated me.

When the excitement was over, the three of us sat together on the sofa and Agatha and I took turns telling Amanda about our adventures. She listened sleepily to our narrations until I recalled my conversation with Lee. At the mention of his name, she perked up.

"Agatha and I wanted to set you up on a date with Lee. Would you be interested?" I asked.

Amanda was sitting between me and Agatha. She turned her head, looking at first one and then the other of us, apparently checking to see if we were serious. By the expression on her face, I could see that she was struggling to keep her cool, just like I had been doing earlier. But like me, she couldn't keep the excitement bottled up inside her.

"Oh, yes! I'd love it," she answered enthusiastically.

"It's settled then, except for one condition. You are to tell no one about the switching spell, agreed?" I asked.

Amanda hesitated.

"Fine. I agree," she replied.

"I'll look for a way of getting you two together. It might be easier to get Lee here, because there is no privacy at the airfield," Agatha noted.

"All this is wonderful. We should do something to celebrate," Amanda beamed.

"What did you have in mind?" I asked.

"Let's go back to the pub for another game of darts!" Amanda suggested.

"Not me. I drank way too much last night. Besides, now that I know the dart routine, I don't think I could keep a straight face," I replied.

"I agree with Morina. We just did that last night, if we try it again tonight, people will get suspicious, and we might get caught. Besides, it's nearly 10 o'clock and the curfew. We should probably get some sleep," Agatha added.

"But I can't possibly sleep now, I'm too excited," Amanda protested.

"Let me make you a calming tea, or better yet, how about a mild sleeping potion?" Agatha suggested.

"No potion for me, but a cup of herbal tea would be nice," I said.

"Me too. I'll fetch some water from down the hall," Amanda volunteered. She sprang from the sofa and grabbed the tea kettle and headed out the door.

"Oh, speaking of potions. I have a little present for you, Morina," Agatha said, getting up.

She walked towards the cabinets on the other side of the room and pulled out the jar containing the amber-pink, contraception potion. There was only a little left in the jar and she poured it into a glass and handed it to me.

"Here, drink this. It's good for a little more than 24 hours just in case horses aren't the only thing you want to ride tomorrow. Just remember no sex after 10 PM tomorrow," she said, handing me the glass.

"Agatha, please. I don't need your contraception potion. I hardly know the man and I don't jump into bed with a guy I've just met," I replied.

"Not even a rich and handsome warlock Lord? Morina, it wouldn't hurt to take the potion as an added precaution, unless you think you're going to have your period," she insisted.

"My periods begin on the full moons. Those couple of days in the B17 on my way over here were miserable. B-17 cockpits were never meant to be flown by women having their periods," I said, taking the glass and examining the amber-pink liquid.