The Grafton Girls - Annie Groves [43]
He was turning away before Jess could retaliate, leaving her to shout down the street after him, ‘Well, Walter isn’t like that. He’s a gentleman…and…he’d never say anything to a girl about her drawers.
‘Oh, blast you, Billy Spencer,’ she muttered angrily under her breath as he continued to walk away from her without turning round.
NINE
‘Group Captain wants to see you. She said you were to report to her the moment you came on duty.’
Diane tried not to look as worried as she felt as Susan delivered the message in a clipped and very cool voice. Even so, she couldn’t help asking anxiously, ‘Did she say what it was about?’
‘No, but I doubt there’s many people working in the Dungeon who haven’t heard about Saturday night.’
Diane could feel her face burning.
‘I must say that you fooled me. I didn’t have you down as that type at all.’
‘I’m not,’ Diane protested. ‘Someone must have put something in my drink.’
Susan’s eyebrows rose.
‘It’s the truth,’ Diane persisted.
‘Well, you’d better hope that Group Captain Barker believes you, and if I were you I wouldn’t keep her waiting.’
‘No. I’d better cut along now,’ Diane agreed.
Her heart was thumping as she walked down the corridor that led to the Group Captain’s office. Thank heavens she had taken the time to polish her shoes last night and iron her tie. She knocked briefly on the door and then smoothed her hands nervously over her skirt as she waited for permission to enter.
‘Ah, Wilson.’ Group Captain Barker’s voice was as cool as Susan’s had been. She didn’t invite Diane to sit down, or even to stand at ease, and Diane was acutely aware of the warrant officer standing beside the captain.
‘Stand up straight when the captain speaks to you,’ the warrant officer bawled out, ‘and straighten that tie.’
‘You will be aware, I am sure, of the reason you are here,’ Group Captain Barker began coldly.
Willing her voice not to betray her, Diane said quietly, ‘If it’s about what happened at the Grafton on Saturday night, ma’am…’
Group Captain Barker reached for her glasses and put them on before looking down at her desk.
‘On Saturday night you visited a dance hall where you were seen in the company of several American soldiers. Certain insulting remarks were made about our own servicemen, and you, it seems, were so drunk that you were unable to stand up properly. Furthermore, you accosted an RAF officer whilst he was dancing with his wife, and…’
Listening to the allegations read out by Group Captain Barker, Diane bit down so hard on her bottom lip that she could taste blood. She was desperate to put her side of the story and defend herself but at the same time she was very aware of Warrant Officer Whiteley’s coldly disapproving presence and her own training, so instead of rushing impetuously in she managed to request formally, ‘Permission to speak, please, Ma’am.’
‘And your behaviour was such as to bring discredit not just on yourself but on the uniform you wear,’ the captain continued, ignoring her request.
Diane was nearly in tears. Nothing, not even losing Kit, had reduced her to such shamed misery.
‘So,’ Group Captain Barker demanded, ‘what have you to say for yourself?’
Diane took a deep breath and prayed that she would remain calm enough to tell her side of things properly.
‘I was drinking shandy, that’s all. I believe that something stronger must have been added to my drink without my knowledge. I know that doesn’t excuse my behaviour. I should have been on my guard and realised—’
‘Indeed you should. If spirits of some sort had been added to your drink surely you should have noticed this?’
Under normal circumstances Diane knew that she was right, but Myra had practically forced her to empty her glass at speed so that she hadn’t had a chance to taste it properly.
However, an unwritten code she refused to break made it impossible for her to involve Myra in the trouble she was now in.
‘I was hot…I assumed it was shandy in the glass and I drank it so quickly that by the time I realised it was too late