The inspection part 2
(Thank you for all being so patient whilst I wrote this!)
"It was incredibly fortunate that your inspection fell around now, and that you agreed to come here." Ms Rachett, the sour faced, middle-aged inspector remarked to Carolyn.
"Oh, well no request is too difficult at MJN Air." Carolyn said graciously. She had to jog a little to keep up with Ms Rachett's long strides. "May I inquire to the nature of you being here?"
"Ski-ing holiday. Some friends of mine have a lodge not far from here." Ms Rachett said, briskly.
"And did you have a pleasant time?"
"Not really, I detest ski-ing."
"Oh."
"But the atmosphere was nice enough." Ms Rachett let out a sigh, stopping suddenly. "Is that your plane over there?" Carolyn looked to where she was pointing,
"No, I am afraid not. You see that little plane over there? That's Gertie."
"Gertie?" Ms Rachett repeated. Carolyn nodded,
"Yes, that's right. Gertie. As in Golf, Echo, Romeo, Tango, India. We call her Gertie as a gesture of affection." Ms Rachett looked at Carolyn, lips pinched tightly together.
"Well, okay then. Let us board, er, Gertie and see your crew. I assume they are ready for my arrival." She said, and started to stride over to Gertie.
"It would be a sheer miracle." Muttered Carolyn, before jogging after Ms Rachett once again.
Carolyn found the crew all hiding in the cockpit, "Right you lot, out and meet the inspector. She seems very keen to meet you all, heaven knows why."
"She?" Inquired Douglas.
"Yes, she. But there's no use trying to charm your way to passing the inspection Douglas, she's icier than the weather outside." Carolyn said. She flattened Arthur's hair down a little, causing him to wriggle away.
"Mum!" He said indignantly. "I'm an adult!"
"Contrary to public knowledge." Douglas quipped.
"Shut up Douglas." Carolyn said flatly. "Martin, you go first, you are the Captain after all. And... Martin? Are you standing on your toes?" Martin gave an indignant snort, but sank a couple of inches anyway. "Out, come on. Let's get this over with."
Douglas still managed to get in front of Martin, much to his annoyance, and extended a hand to Ms Rachett. "First Officer Douglas Richardson. Pleasure to meet you." Ms Rachett looked him over, lips pinched tightly together.
"You too." She said, and shook his hand. Ms Rachett narrowed her eyes at him a little, "You were at Air England, were you not?"
"I was indeed."
"And you were a Captain then."
"Correct." Douglas nodded.
"Until you got fired for smuggling." Ms Rachett gave a slight smile, "What a blow it must be to be back in the First Officers seat, not the Captains."
"Yes." Douglas said, forcing a polite smile. Martin quickly stepped forward,
"I-I am the Captain." He said, offering his trembling hand to her. "Captain M-Martin Crieff." Ms Rachett wrung his hand limply, obviously feeling the poor Captain's tremors.
"Ah yes. I read up on you before I came. What was it; seven goes to pass your CPL?" She asked, "What dedication you show Captain Crieff. Most people would have quit after failing once, but some are stubborn." Martin didn't quite know how to respond to this so just gave a weak chuckle and slid back next to Douglas with his head bowed like a scolded child. Carolyn gave Arthur a nudge and he stepped forward,
"Hello, I'm Arthur!" He said, enthusiastically shaking Ms Rachett's hand. She smiled and pulled her hand from his grasp.
"Well you certainly are very cheery!" She said.
"Thank you!" Arthur beamed.
"This doesn't quite make up for your ineptitude as a Steward from what I've seen of reviews from passengers." Ms Rachett said coldly, "But, no one is perfect." Arthur opened his mouth, trying to think of a reply.
"I don't know what to say." He managed, blinking like a rabbit caught in headlights. Ms Rachett adjusted her jacket,
"Then don't say anything at all." She said, quickly. Her gaze fell on Gloria, and she double took. "Gloria?" She asked. Gloria had been almost hidden behind Douglas; she inched around with a nervous smile on her face.
"Er, hello Ms Rachett. What a surprise to see you." She said, shuffling her feet on the matted carpet.
"And you too!" Ms Rachett said, "Are you quite well?"
"Perfectly well."
"But, why are you here?" Ms Rachett asked, brow furrowing. Gloria waved a hand airily,
"Oh, Carolyn is my Aunt and I sometimes help out here." She replied, "It's good to have an experience of charter airlines and that sort of thing."
"Right." Ms Rachett nodded, looking between Gloria and Carolyn, "I see." She gave a sharp intake of breath and reinstated her smile, "How is Captain DeVilliers? Is he well?" Gloria gave a slight squeak,
"Uh, y-yes." She stammered.
"He's a handsome boy, you did well there." Ms Rachett said. Gloria was slowly starting to flush pink,
"Yeah." She said quietly, "He is. He's very handsome."
"You are getting on well?"
"Hm." Gloria had a rather manic smile on her lips, eyes wide. She was nodding fervently, "Better than expect actually..." The rest of the crew were staring at her with a mixture of amusement and disbelief.
"I am glad to hear it! He didn't seem your type really, but often opposites attract." Ms Rachett said with a dismissive air. Gloria still had the manic grin plastered on her face,
"Indeed." Gloria squeaked. She cleared her throat a little, "Indeed." She repeated weakly. Ms Rachett didn't seem to notice Gloria's unease, and started to flick through an assortment of official looking papers.
"Introductions over, shall we get on our way?" She said to Carolyn.
"Yes." Carolyn exhaled, "Martin and Douglas, back to your little hideaway. Arthur, get Ms Rachett a drink. Gloria." She fixed Gloria with a steely gaze, "Come with me a moment." Gloria nodded and followed her Aunt in the direction of the toilet.
Why Carolyn had chosen to speak to her in the toilet was beyond Gloria, and yet she had allowed herself to cram into the cubicle with her Aunt, perching awkwardly in the sink. "What is it Aunty?" She inquired sweetly.
"See here madam." Carolyn said sternly, "I do not give a flying fig what is happening in your personal life with this Captain fellow."
"Oh." Gloria said, "B-"
"But Ms Rachett seems to like you, and that may work in our favour. I'm not asking for you to suck up to her, just do all her stewardessing from herein. That way idiot boy is less likely to say something incriminating." Carolyn cut across her. Gloria squirmed on her uncomfortable perch.
"Will do Aunty." She assured her.
"Good. You go and see to Ms Rachett, I shall find a way of incapacitating Arthur." Carolyn said, and squeezed out of the cubicle, leaving Gloria to untangle herself from the taps.
"Of course it had to be a Captain." Martin remarked for the umpteenth to Douglas. "An airline Captain. Not a First Officer, a CAPTAIN."
"You do know he could be in the Navy..." Douglas offered. Martin scoffed,
"She knows him Douglas, he's a bloody pilot!" He said, voice raising a few octaves. Douglas shushed him,
"Can we just try and leave this subject now and concentrate on flying the plane?" He suggested. "And if it is any consolation, I don't think it would have worked between you." Martin gave a small groan,
"Oh thanks!" He sighed. "Too good for the likes of me, eh?"
"No. I think she would make a better friend to you. And friends are what you need Martin, in life. Love is just an added bonus. That too if you did date her, the fall out wouldn't be so messy. Or awkward. Friends are more permanent." Douglas said wisely. Martin considered this for a moment.
"You- you have a point there Douglas." He admitted. "You're a prime example of love not being permanent."
"Charming." Douglas muttered. "But I am glad I helped in some way."
"Hi chaps!" Arthur bustled in with a tray of drinks, and a strange assortment of cakes. "Mum said I have to stay with you or in the galley for this trip. Gloria is doing all Ms Rachett's stewardessing."
"A wise precaution." Douglas said, "What are those? Have you turned your hand to patisserie now Arthur?"
"Oh these?" Arthur pointed to the cakes. "It was Gloria's idea. She and Mum bought them in the shop, they're proper Swedish cakes these are. They taste brilliant! Want one?"
"Not for a moment." Douglas declined. Arthur shrugged and helped himself to one.
"Tha' Ms Rachett is a bi' mean, innshee?" He said, spitting crumbs everywhere. Martin brushed them off his shoulder,
"A bit?" Martin said, "She's downright cruel."
"Mmrph." Arthur nodded, mouth still full. "Did yoo shee 'ow she made Gloria go? She looked like yoo Shkip!"
"Thanks." Martin said. Arthur swallowed his mouthful,
"I have never seen her look so scared before." He announced. "She once chased a huge spider out of the room. Massive it was." He gave a shudder. "Gloria didn't scream, unlike me."
"How brave of her." Douglas said. "Tell me Arthur, did you know about this Captain DeVilliers?" Arthur rolled his eyes back, thinking.
"No." He said, eventually. "Do you think it's her boyfriend? I think it could be." He took another bite of the cake. "Bu' if it was, why didn' she tell me? She tells me ev'rytfing."
"Everything?" Douglas echoed. "Absolutely everything?"
"Well. Some stuff..." Arthur admitted. "Wond'r what he's like?" He swallowed, then helped himself to another cake.
"I don't know, but let's see what we can find out." Douglas pulled out Gloria's phone from his jacket pocket. Arthur gasped,
"Douglas! That's her phone!"
"Well observed Arthur." Douglas said, "I pick pocketed her mainly to prevent her from showing Carolyn those pictures, and because I thought it would be a bit of fun." He pressed a few buttons on it, brow furrowing. "Damn."
"What? What is it?" Martin asked, craning his neck to look.
"It's locked." Douglas said. "You need a password to get in." Arthur was chewing thoughtfully on his mouthful of cake.
"She doesn't want you to see it then." He said, "And besides, you should probably give it back to her. It's not nice to steal things."
"Borrowing." Douglas said, turning the phone over in his hands. "I had every intention of giving it back. May we have a cake before you eat them all Arthur?"
Ms Rachett was looking over the interior of Gertie, glasses perched perilously on the end of her nose. She made little tutting noises every so often, marking something down on her clipboard. Carolyn hovered around her, occasionally offering explanations or trying to make conversation with her. "Is this gaffer tape?" Ms Rachett asked Carolyn, pointing to a hastily mended armrest.
"Carpet tape actually." Carolyn said, lightly. "It is stronger. We have ordered a new armrest, I assure you." Ms Rachett pursed her lips together, and marked something down.
"We have Ms Rachett; I can show you the order forms. We brought some of the paper work with us." Gloria said, stood behind Carolyn. "Would you like to see?"
"No, no I do believe you." Ms Rachett said, sharply. "Is that supposed to rattle?" The window fitting had started to shake, making a loud vibrating noise.
"No." Carolyn gave it a thump with her hand and it stopped immediately. Ms Rachett made a small disapproving noise, and wrote something down. She looked to the folding tables in the back of the seats, examining them closely.
"Crayon." She said, disgusted. "There is crayon on this one."
"It is incredibly difficult to shift." Gloria said, quickly. "But it is fading, slowly." Ms Rachett was rubbing at it with her fingertip.
"You know what children are like. They get bored easily on long journeys." Carolyn said.
"I do not have children." Ms Rachett announced. "I have cats."
"No surprise." Carolyn muttered, under her breath. Ms Rachett frowned,
"Pardon?"
"Nothing!" Carolyn smiled sweetly. "Gloria, fetch Ms Rachett something to eat. Quickly now." Gloria nodded, and slipped off to the galley.
Whilst there, she popped her head around the cockpit door to see how they were getting on. "Hi guys." She said, brightly. There was a mumbled greeting from them all. "Oh. What's with the sour faces? Did she get to you?"
"A little." Arthur muttered. Gloria patted his shoulder,
"Don't mind her; she's just a bit nasty. She's like it with everyone. I think you're a brilliant steward."
"Really?" Arthur's usual smile grew on his face. "You think so?"
"I do." Gloria said, nodding fervently.
"You certainly kept this DeVilliers chap a secret." Douglas said, "When would we get to meet him?"
"Capt-" Gloria started, then Carolyn called her name from within the plane. Gloria sighed, and started her sentence again, "Captain-"
"GLORIA!" Carolyn bellowed, "Do hurry up!"
"Coming!" Gloria said, irritably, and stomped off back into the cabin to a flustered Carolyn and an unimpressed Ms Rachett.
Luck had been smiling kindly on the crew of MJN Air, and they passed the inspection. Carolyn had been left with a list of improvements as thick as a phonebook, though utterly relieved MJN was still allowed to fly. Even Douglas seemed pleased they had passed, admitting he would miss MJN slightly if they had failed. This was probably as close as Douglas would ever get to admitting he liked it at MJN. Martin remained sour though, sulking in a sullen silence as they had a 'debrief' in the portacabin. His foul mood had not gone unnoticed by Carolyn. "Martin." She said, "Why are you sulking in the corner like a moody teenager? Do you not have an input on this?"
"I do." He said, curtly. "I cannot help but feel we may have only passed because Ms Rachett knows and, dare I say, likes Gloria and her boyfriend, Captain DeVilliers."
"H-" Gloria started, only to be interrupted by Carolyn.
"Martin, Gloria did not in any way try to influence her during the inspection." She said, "I was there the whole time. She never tried to try and cajole her into letting us pass."
"But still she may have had affection towards the two of them." Martin interjected. "Maybe she felt bad about failing us since Gloria is here. Her friendship with them was clear the whole time!"
"Act-" Gloria said, only to once more be interrupted.
"What does it matter now Martin?" Carolyn said, "We passed. Are you not pleased?"
"Well, yes!" Martin said. "But I still have this nagging doubt we only passed because she likes Gloria and Captain DeVilliers!" Carolyn snorted,
"For heavens sake Martin! This is no way as bad as anything we have done in the past to sa-"
"I HATE THE WOMAN." Gloria yelled. The portacabin fell silent, all staring at Gloria. She sighed, "I find her to be incredibly cold, cruel and completely aggravating."
"But still she seemed to like..." Martin trailed off as Gloria gave him an icy glare.
"I also despise Captain DeVilliers." She added.
"But, you said you liked him?" Arthur said, confused. "So, you lied to her?" Gloria nodded her head,
"I kept trying to tell you, but no one would listen." She sighed, "I was lying to Ms Rachett, okay? He is a stuck up ponce, who spends all day preening and posing."
"Most do." Douglas said. "Captain's often have inflated views on themselves, think themselves grand and above all." Martin harrumphed indignantly. Gloria looked a little bemused, but then started to giggle.
"He isn't actually a Captain. That is his name." She said. "Or to give him his full name, Captain Rolando DeVilliers of Avacroft. He's a pedigree Persian me and my flatmates, Lola and Bonnie, bought off Ms Rachett two years ago. I hate him, stupid bloody useless furball. I like cats, but he just sits around all day, sleeping and posing. That isn't a cat, that's an elegant ornament!"
"OH." The rest of the crew said, "Why didn't you say so!" Carolyn said.
"As I said, I tried, but no one would listen!" Gloria said. "Now THAT has been explained, I will take THIS." She leant over and grabbed her phone out of Douglas's pocket. "I have, on here, pictures of Douglas frozen to the side of Gertie, for your amusement Aunty."
"Young lady, have some respect for your elders! Morally, I refuse to look at them." Carolyn said, indignantly. "However, since it is Douglas, my morals are some what lax, pass it here Gloria."
"I don't think your morals were ever particularly strong Carolyn." Douglas grumbled.