Scarred Beginnings (7 page)

David’s mouth fell open as
he untangled the plane from his fringe and the rest of the scraps of paper landed in his lap. He picked them up gingerly as though they might crumble into dust in his fingers.

He blinked away the sudden
and unexpected irritation in his eyes as he unfolded the pieces of paper and flattened them against his thigh.

“When did you get this lot? She gave you all this info willingly? You didn’t have to
force it out of her?” the questions tumbled from his lips. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing, couldn’t believe what his friends had done for him. He leafed through the pages, examining them carefully, already memorising numbers.

Gemma raised an eyebrow
as she leaned forwards and rested her chin on David’s wide shoulder.

“As a general rule we don’t
go in for torturing information out of people, you know.” She smiled wickedly. “Though we can make exceptions for beautiful women who aren’t interested in our team mates at all…” She laughed as David’s head shot up.

“You did
force this lot out of her! Shit!” He was aghast at the thought that they might have pressured Geraldine in any way.

James rolled his eyes.

“Prat! She couldn’t wait to give it all to us. Practically forced it on us last night after you went to your room. I think she was rather hoping you would ask but as you slunk off to bed and didn’t bother,” he added pointedly, “we thought we had best help you out and take control of the situation. Just as well we did by the sounds of it. You can thank us all properly another time.”

David frowned.

“I would have rung Ellen and asked for it all anyway. She would tell me.” He read each number again and then folded the pieces of paper carefully before slipping them into the zipped compartment of his wallet. He looked back at his friends and then smiled widely. “Thanks. Ellen may have decided to play tough and actually not let me have the info. She can be a stubborn moo at times and she might have thought it served me right for not asking Geraldine for her details myself.”

He was silent for a few seconds and then he spoke in bitter tones. “It’s all this crap
’s fault! I would have asked her myself if I had any balls!” He waved his hand about the car at them all. “Time was, if I wanted to go out with a girl, I would have marched right up to her and just told her I’d be picking her up at seven. Look at us all.” He waved his hand expansively and they all knew he was referring to their various injuries. “We’re all in exactly the same situation. All this shit knocks your confidence to hell and back. Ellen is so right. I’m still the same bloke I always was but my own self-doubt has me faltering at the first hurdle. I am so pathetic. I think I’ve been feeling sorry for myself, making up stupid excuses.” His expression suddenly changed, filling with determination. “Well no more. It’s time for action. Genuine people won’t give a stuff if we have a limb or two missing. From now on I’m going for it big time. Geraldine’s beautiful, funny, incredibly sexy and exactly my type of woman. I want her and I’m going to try my best to win her.”

James led the general whoops of agreement
and encouragement.

“I almost pity
the poor woman,” he said as they drove onwards towards the coast. “She doesn’t stand a chance. With you on a charm offensive she won’t have a clue what’s hit her.”

Chapter Seven

How much longer was this going to take?

He tried to relax as his Commander signed his release papers so slowly he could hear the pen scratching over the paper. The man dated the bottom, blotted his signature and then folded the sheets carefully before sliding them into an envelope. He held onto the envelope a moment longer as he looked up at David thoughtfully.

“You’re sure about this
Phillips? That promotion is still on the cards, you know. We’d be happy to have you for another five at the very least.” He tapped the side of the envelope on his desk and stared hard as David looked right back at him.

David shook his head.

“No thanks. I’ve made up my mind. Not even the offer of promotion could sway me.” His fingers twitched as his eyes locked on the paperwork that would release him from his service.

C
ommander Richards caught his look and laughed as he reluctantly handed the envelope over. He was losing one of his best men and although he wasn’t happy about it he accepted that Captain Phillips had special reasons for his departure.

“I’ll be sorry to see you go but I h
ope to see you soon.” He grinned at David’s quizzical frown. “You didn’t think I wasn’t going to try out your new hotel, did you? I’ve booked the wife and I in for the New Year’s Eve dinner and dance. A few of the other men are coming with their wives too. We’ve hired out a cottage just down the road from the château so we don’t interfere with your needier guests.”

David nearly choked.

“You’re kidding me, Sir. I didn’t even know that you knew about the venture.”

Richards leaned back in his chair
and raised his eyebrows.

“There’s not a lot goes on around here without me hearing
about it but as it happens, the rumours have been rife since your last leave. It’s a brilliant and very generous gesture that you and your sister are making. I’m sure all our lads will be more than appreciative. I can’t wait to see the place. The hog roast sounds mouth-watering. It had better be as good as Joe has been telling everyone. My wife has spent a small fortune on a new dress and accessories just for the occasion.”

David groaned audibly.

“No pressure then. Flipping heck, Ellen is going to do her nut. There’s still a load to do. She hadn’t even found a chef the last time I called her. She’s doing the cooking herself with the help of a couple of staff. We were hoping to find someone in time for the ball but it’s getting a bit tight for time now. We’re doing a hog roast but I’m not sure that Ellen knows one end of a pig from another, she mostly served it as sausages at home. ” He rubbed his hand over his brow.

Richards raised his eyebrows.

“From what I’ve seen of her, your sister is an exceedingly determined young woman Dave. She’ll have it all under control by the time you get there. When are you going?”

David looked down at his watch.

“As soon as possible. I have to be at Portsmouth in about an hour and a half to catch the night ferry.”

His commander sat forwards again.

“Well, I’d best not detain you any longer. We’re sorry to see you go but I completely understand. The wife and I look forward to seeing you for New Year.” He stood up and held out his hand.

David shook it warmly and then turned to leave the room but Richards moved
around his desk and towards the door with him. He spoke again as they reached the threshold.

“
You’re going to miss your own leaving party. I think the boys have a bit of a drink up planned. This quick leave taking wouldn’t have anything to do with a certain young lady would it? Joe has been regaling us with all your adventures in France and describing a young French woman with vivid clarity. She sounds utterly charming.”

David’s face suddenly became exceedingly warm.

“I’ll bloody kill him when I see him. He was meant to keep it quiet. He’s lucky he’s on duty or I’d punch him,” his words sounded hard but his smile betrayed his true feelings. He nodded at Richards. “He’s right though. She is lovely. I think I may have lost my heart to her.”

His commander beamed back at him confidently.

“Ha! Nothing to be ashamed of young man. Nothing quite like having the love of your life to come home to. All this stuff we do…It’s not real life you know. Not the way the public see it at any rate. A woman worries about bills and kids and if the milk gets delivered on time…not all the crap we deal with. A partner keeps you grounded. She’ll be the making of you.”

David rolled his eyes.

“I don’t even know if she’ll have me yet. I haven’t seen her since the summer. It’s all just chat over the internet and a few emails.”

Richards shook his head.

“Well, Joe seems to be pretty sure about you and her. He’s running a book on what date you set for the wedding. My wife chose her New Year’s frock on the premise that it is going to be pretty soon and the outfit could be reused for your nuptials. Doesn’t do to let her down Phillips…think of your poor Commander having to put up with an extremely unhappy Mrs Richards. Doesn’t bear thinking about. I expect the invites to be given out at the ball.” He smiled widely as he slapped a stunned David on the back and propelled him towards the outside doors.

David marched to his car.
He’d already told the guys that he wouldn’t be able to attend his leaving party. It scarcely mattered anyway seeing that he had already been to three of them the previous week and the varying shifts meant that he had seen all of his team mates at one party or another.

He checked that his passport was in his pocket before he waved at the gate guards as he exited the base for the last time and then whistled happily as he drove towards Portsmouth.

It took only moments for his car to be cleared through border control.
He’d already sent nearly everything he wanted over to the château. He didn’t have that many belongings anyway and his car was virtually empty. Being in the Army taught you to travel light in all forms of life.

He was looking forward to choosing his own colour scheme for his rooms, something he’d never had the chance to do before.
Ellen had fixed him up a temporary room on the guest floor while they decorated and they were hoping to have his top floor suite finished by Christmas.

The last few months couldn’t have passed quickly enough for him. Once
his decision had been made, he wanted to act upon it but he couldn’t help the nerves that gripped his stomach. He knew that he might have thought twice about leaving the services if a certain beautiful French woman hadn’t been at the château to tempt him beyond all normal reason.

He breathed in deeply, his whole body thrilling at the thought of seeing her.

He pulled up into the queue of cars waiting to be guided onto the ferry and turned off the engine. He wound down his window and listened to the weather report for the crossing. Nothing too serious, not that he expected to be seasick but it was nice to know how wavy it may be. He was fine on solid ground but he wasn’t too sure about walking on a rolling boat. The crossing during the summer had been more than calm. He had barely known that he was on water but the winter was a different thing altogether. The Channel could be exceedingly rough. He didn’t want to make an idiot of himself by falling flat on his face. He glanced out of the window and caught the eye of a fellow passenger in the car next to him. The man stared for a few seconds more and then suddenly turned away to tell his friends about the freak next door. David could see the other passengers craning their necks to take a look at his ruined face. He rewound the window up hoping that the tinted glass would give him some privacy as doubt suddenly clouded his vision and fear twisted in his gut.

What if Geraldine was just humouring him? What if she was laughing behind his back?
Or even worse, what if she felt sorry for him! God!
The thought that she was flirting with him out of pity didn’t bear thinking about. He gulped back the lump that suddenly seemed to block his throat and wiped his hand across his brow as beads of perspiration formed.

Their online
flirting had been outrageous but emails and texts were hardly the same thing as being face to face. She may well have wiped the fact that he had no legs and not much of a face to speak of, from her mind.

He
had to know how she felt. He had to know now. His hands shook on the steering wheel. He couldn’t imagine how he would handle it if she rejected him. His heart staggered in his chest and nearly tore in two at the mere thought. If it really happened he wasn’t sure that he’d survive it.

He
put his hand in his pocket ready to pull out his phone to call her. There was still time to go back. Richards wouldn’t have sent in the papers yet. There was still time to get his old job back.

A dock worker suddenly
appeared at the front of the queue of cars and began beckoning the travellers through to board the ferry. David let go of the phone, closed his eyes for one last brief second and sent a quick prayer up to heaven.

He
set his jaw with grim determination. He was being completely ridiculous, his fears irrational. He’d faced far more frightening things during his ten years in the army with barely a flicker of an eyelid. He’d be like a nervous school boy if he didn’t get a grip on himself. He had to work with Geraldine regardless of his feelings for her and whatever happened he couldn’t let Ellen down now. Ellen had employed the woman to be their live in nurse, someone they could rely on to be on hand for any problems that may arise and given the injuries their prospective clients had sustained there were bound to be no shortage of small emergencies arising. She had already proven her worth when tending to Adam during their week away.

David took a few deep breaths as his car rattled over the gangway and into the bowels of the huge vessel.

While his heart may be broken he didn’t seriously think it would kill him if she rejected him and in any case the future of the hotel was far more important than a few of his tender feelings.

He would have to keep his emotions under wraps until he was sure of hers. It would cost him another few day
’s agony but he thought he could stand it if only to keep his own heart protected.

He parked his car where directed and picked up his overnight bag from the seat beside him. He made his way up the steep flights of stairs to the cabin deck and dropped his bag on the narrow bunk. He lay down and stared at the ceiling as the ferry’s engine began to whir beneath him. Only a few hours longer and all his questions would be answered.