The Herriott’s and the
Issacs’s had lived in Nettlefield for many generations and both families had
been well represented in the Downshire Light Infantry over the years, and the
latest were Sgt Martin Herriot and Lance Corporal Emma Issacs.
The pair were not
entirely unknown to each other, even though they were in different battalions
and there were more than four years difference in their ages, because Martin
had briefly dated her older sister, who was also in the Downshire’s, but Martin
and Emma hadn’t seen each other since they broke up, until the day of the
Queen’s Birthday Parade.
The parade was held on
the same day as the Trooping of the Colour by the Household Guards.
It was performed with
less pageantry and was less grand than its London cousin, but was nonetheless
as important, especially to the Downshire’s.
He was part of the Honour Guard and she was a flag bearer and right out
of the blue she kissed him just before the Parade but never got the chance to
revisit it as she went off on a training exercise with the 3rd
Battalion while he remained at Regimental HQ.
In the time that elapsed he endowed the kiss with immense importance but
was riddled with self-doubt and wondered if she was secretly glad that they
hadn’t followed up and even wished it had never happened.
It didn’t help him that he had no means of contacting her except through
official channels, which of course was a non-starter.
He just hoped that when she returned to Nettlefield he would find out
straight from the horse’s mouth and put him out of his misery.
However four days before she and the 3rd Battalion arrived
back in Nettlefield the 1st Battalion were deployed at short notice
to cover ports and airports due to a major security alert.
By the time the crisis was over and Martin was back at HQ Emma was gone
again, on a special weapons training course.
As the months went by and they kept missing each other Martin convinced
himself that whatever it was that prompted the kiss back in June was an
aberration, nice obviously, surprising undoubtedly, but in the scheme of things
it was just an anomaly.
In November he was part of the Remembrance Day proceedings at
Abbottsford Cathedral and was walking through Cathedral Park to the rallying
point with about an hour to spare and stopped by the boating lake to look out
across the water when he a voice said
“Nothing better to do Sergeant?”
He vaguely recognised the voice but wasn’t sure so he slowly turned
around.
“Emma” he said, “I thought you were away weapons training”
“I was”
“When did you get back?” he asked unsure whether he should kiss her
cheek or not, so didn’t
“A couple of days ago” she replied
“It’s great to see you” Martin said
There was an indeterminate period when they just stood looking at each
other as they remembered the last time they were together and he wanted to say
how tortuous the last few months had been, but he didn’t know if she’d even
given him a second thought in that time, so the words wouldn’t come.
There was a quiet cough from behind her and when she turned around she
saw it was another soldier.
“I have to go” she said
“Oh ok, urm…” He began
“I’m flag bearer at the Parade” She said
“Will I see you afterwards?” he asked
She just smiled and nodded and then walked smartly away, and he tried to
read something into the smile, but he was still none the wiser, but then she
reappeared.
“I’ll meet you back hear after the service” she said and with a sideways
glance left and right she kissed him
“They’ll be more of that later” Emma said and trotted away at the double
and he finally had his answer.
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