Emma
Harding had enjoyed a successful career in the Downshire Constabulary, due to
her diligence and hard work and she had reached the rank of Detective Sergeant.
And she had done so
largely without regrets, but she had arrived in the middle of her thirties with her
integrity, looks and figure intact, but she still lived the existence of a
singleton.
She
had friends a plenty and an abundance of family whom by and large she adored
but the one thing that had eluded her was a lasting romantic attachment.
It
certainly wasn’t by design or for the want of trying but it had eluded her
regardless, although there was a man she was very attracted to, who she met on
a recent investigation, but as he was a Major in the Downshire Light Infantry
and moved in very different circles, so she was unlikely to come across him
again.
So,
she resigned herself to the fact that she was never going to realise any of the
romantic expectations she may once have had.
As a
result, it was for the love of her family that had her on the road to Millmoor
in late January.
Millmoor was in the northeast corner of Downshire and
was once a Military town, well actually it was always an army town, until the
defence cuts tore out its heart.
Now the quarters had been refurbished and sold to
eager would be home owner’s, the old parade grounds had been dug up and
replaced with new shoe-box like dwellings in the modern style and the garages,
workshops, barracks and stores buildings were now occupied by small business’s.
Millmoor had however retained the Aerospace Britannia
Company which was a huge employer in the area, but the town missed the
peripheral business which a military establishment brings to a town so
consequently the town of Millmoor was not as prosperous as it had once been,
their former Football League club had gone bankrupt and now languished two
divisions below their former rivals Abbottsford Town.
Having said all that it was not an unpleasant place to
be and the people did not live in abject poverty and it had attracted an influx
of newcomers including a sizable community of Australians, and that was why
Emma was headed there because she and the rest of the Harding clan were from
Australia and it was a big clan.
But family was only part of the reason she was on the
road to Millmoor with a car full of relatives, and the other being Australia
Day.
Emma was a fiery character and her tall slender frame
in full flight with her flame red trailing behind her with her sparkling green
eyes was an exhilarating site and the only thing more exhilarating was her
driving, although in truth for everyone else it was more terrifying than
exhilarating.
Her Cousin Gary was in the passenger side and he had
his left hand on the door handle and his right hand was gripping the underside
of his seat, and his eyes were screwed tight shut.
Gary’s father in law Al was in the middle of the back
seat and had braced himself with one hand on each of the front seats and his
eyes were wide open and filled with terror as this was his first experience of
his nieces driving having just landed in England.
The only passenger not being terrorized was Emma’s
sister Donna and that was because she was asleep but then she was immune to her
sisters driving because she was worse.
Emma turned the wheel violently to the left and shot
across both lanes of the dual carriage way and onto the slip road, sign posted
Millmoor; and Al suppressed a scream, it was a dangerous manoeuvre to attempt
at the best of times but when she did it, it was lashing down and visibility
was poor.
After several more stomach-churning manoeuvres Emma
indicated and turned into Montgomery road and then right into Churchill Court,
where the small neat houses were arranged in tidy formations like platoons of
soldiers on a parade ground and then she screeched the car to a halt, half on
the pavement, in front of a small parade of seven shops, the middle one being
an Indian takeaway.
“Donna!” she called “Time to get your girlfriend”
“She’s not my girlfriend, she’s just my friend” she
retorted as she got out of the car and strode towards the Indian.
Emma smiled to herself as she watched her go inside,
thinking that nobody had noticed she and Claire and how she was blissfully
unaware that everyone in the family knew they were a couple.
Al and Gary struggled out of the car, once the latter
had regained the use of his legs he turned to Al.
“You know I think she’s getting better.” He said
encouragingly patting Al on the back.
“Definitely”
And then the two of then leant against the car
oblivious to the fact they were getting wet.
When Donna and Claire reappeared, they got in the car
and Gary and his father in law reluctantly did the same and then Emma drove
them to the party.
The Australia Day celebrations were being held at the
Millmoor Country Club for the Australian expat community of the town and its
environs.
It was always a busy affair, well organized, but very
informal, no dress code, no structured dining, just turn up, eat drink and have
fun.
Emma was wearing jeans and a sweater that suited her
figure beautifully and her red hair blazed about her neck as she mingled among
the crowd, catching up with friends and family.
After a couple of hours, she had made steady progress
around the room when someone she wasn’t expecting to see there approached.
“Hello” he said, “its Detective Sergeant
Harding isn’t it?"
“Yes” she replied “Emma”
Despite the fact she had only met him on a
handful of occasions, and brief ones at that, she recognized him instantly even
though he was out of uniform.
“Hello Major”
“Call me Marcus” he said “or Marc”
“No uniform tonight Marc?” she asked and
then thought
“I loved you in the uniform”
And she inexplicably blushed like a
schoolgirl.
“Are you here with someone?” she asked
“Yes” he replied, and she was very
disappointed.
“I’m here with my Captain” he continued.
“Oh, I see" Emma said and hoped his
Captain was man, then she panicked and thought “I hope he’s not gay”
She put that thought out of her head it
wasn’t important, the Major was "alone" and that was.
“I was sorry that you had to leave before
the end of the investigation” she said
“Yes, me too” he agreed “But I had to get
back to HQ”
“It was rather unexpected” she said
“Was it to do with the helicopter crash in
Afghanistan?”
“It was” he replied sadly
“I’m sorry” She said, “is the regiment
back in Nettlefield now?”
“It is”
“So, you won’t have to rush off again
before you’ve eaten something” Emma said
“Well I’m good for a couple of hours” he
replied
“Why? Is the Regiment deploying again?”
she asked
"No" he replied “Manoeuvres”
“When?"
“Tomorrow” he said, and she was
disappointed
“You can’t say where I suppose?”
“No, I’m afraid not” he agreed
A comfortable silence settled around them
and then he asked
“Would you like to dance?”
“Love to” she replied
Marc took her hand and led her to the
dance floor and they danced through a selection of slow standards, the titles
were unimportant to them and to be honest they weren’t listening, they were
just enjoying holding each other and they would have continued indefinitely but
Marc was tapped on the shoulder.
He reluctantly relinquished his hold on
Emma and turned around
“Sorry sir” a man said “it’s time to go”
“Ok Captain” he said “I’ll be right there”
The man nodded and walked towards the door
and Marc said
“I’m afraid I need to go”
“I understand”
“I’m so glad we ran in to each other, it
was so nice seeing you again” he said, “Perhaps when I return from manoeuvres I
could call you?”
“Yes” Emma said enthusiastically “I’d like
that very much”
The music stopped, and they smiled at each
other briefly and then he was gone.
But he was going to call her.
“Result” she said out loud and continued
her mingling.
