“But I’ve already done that.”
“You have?” Pohlman looked impressed. Apparently anything Darcy said impressed him. “She helped disassemble a motor and had nothing to do with reassembling it,” Jack clarified. “Motor disassembly is where we’ll start.”
“Can’t we do that once the weather turns? There’s so little time before winter.”
Her reasonable request put him in the gun sight.
“She has a point,” said Pohlman.
Jack gave his friend a “don’t interfere” look. “It’s too windy today.”
Darcy looked to Pohlman, hoping for more support, but this time the man backed him. “I’m afraid Jack is right. No student flying at ten knots or higher.” As her smile fell, he added, “but it could die down. I’ll keep an eye on it for you.”
“You do that,” Jack said. At least that would get one troublesome person out of the way.
Pohlman laughed. “I know when I’m not wanted.”
Jack waited until Pohlman walked into his office before addressing Darcy. “What on earth are you doing here?”
“Taking flight lessons.” She stuck out that determined little chin again. “And you?”
“That wasn’t what I meant, and you know it. I didn’t expect to see you here.”
“And I didn’t expect to see you. The last I knew, you were on Long Island. Of course that was ages ago, and I never heard from you in between.”
Jack recognized an accusation when he heard one. “I didn’t hear from you, either.”
“How was I supposed to write when I didn’t even know what city you lived in? Long Island is rather large.”
Jack crossed his arms and headed for safer ground. “I meant, other than flying, what brought you to Buffalo?”
Her expression softened a bit. “I’m visiting my aunt. And you?”
“A job. As you see.”
“You said you were from here. I thought you might have family.”
“Just a sister.” He wished he hadn’t said that. It would only lead to more questions.
“Where does she live?”
Jack needed to change the topic and quick. He knew only one way. “There’s enough time to show you the aeroplane controls.”
She bit off whatever retort she was going to toss at him, and said gently, “I’d like that.”
Demands could make a man do things he must, but a soft voice led him to do things he resisted. Jack took her to the nearest trainer, an older model with minimal horsepower and tremendous gliding ability. He started students on these. They couldn’t climb far, and forgave many errors.
“Unlike the prototype you saw, this model has stick controls.”
“And the cockpit is different,” she observed.
“Tandem, so the instructor can work beside the student.” He helped her into the cockpit. “Take that seat, and I’ll familiarize you with each control.”
It didn’t take long for the old banter to return. By the time he was demonstrating how to move the ailerons, she’d made him forget that he didn’t want to teach her.
“How are ailerons used?” she asked.
“For turns, in conjunction with the rudder,” he patiently explained, and when she screwed up her face in puzzlement, he asked for her pad and pencil and drew pictures demonstrating the airflow for the various maneuvers.
“But the best way to learn is to do it.” He regretted the words the minute they left his mouth. “Sorry. I forgot about the wind.”
“It’ll calm down.” Her eyes glowed the way they had when she talked of that crazy North Pole flight, and for a moment he thought she was going to grab him the way she did just before he left Pearlman. “If the wind calms,” he said stiffly.
She must have recognized his discomfort, for the soft reticence returned. “I’m so glad you’re teaching here.”
Her words sucker-punched him. He didn’t want to teach her. He couldn’t let her take the controls. With her impulsive nature, it would end badly. He should have taken Burrows’s offer: stay on Long Island and hope to make the transatlantic team, if there was still room for him.
“I might not stay,” he cautioned.
“Why not?” A shadow crept across her face.
Though it hurt to crush her hopes, he had to do it. “I have a chance at the transatlantic attempt.”
She gasped, eyes widening. “Where? When?”
“I can’t give details.”
“Do it.” She grabbed his hand with unexpected fervor. “Whatever it takes, be on that flight.”
“It’s a bit more complicated than—”
“Why? Anything is possible if you try hard enough.” She bubbled with excitement. “Oh, Jack. God brought us back together for a reason. I know it.”
God had nothing to do with it. Fate, maybe, but not God.
God had abandoned him long ago. Jack reiterated the part she seemed to be forgetting, “I might not stay.”
Her smile never wavered. “I know.”
It took a moment, but Jack was no fool. He saw clear through her. She thought she was going, too. Never. He shook his head, ready to correct that misunderstanding, when Pohlman interrupted.