A Friendly Demonstration
Chapter 59
Harm sat back on the couch, Gill beside him and looked across at Heather, sitting in one of the armchairs, and at Mattie who had parked her wheelchair halfway between them. "So that's settled. We'll start off with a week's trial, just to make sure that you and Mattie can survive each other's company without resorting to murder. You'll be here Monday to Friday from zero seven hundred until eighteen hundred. During that time you will drive Mattie to her physical therapy sessions on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and you will supervise any at home exercises she is given to do. And of course, you will be responsible for her safety and well-being during those hours. I… we…" he hastily corrected himself with a guilty, apologetic glance at Gill, "will ensure that there is sufficient food on hand to provide both of you with lunch and an afternoon snack. Gill and I will make sure Mattie has a proper breakfast at the start of each day. Other than that your normal nursing duties should cover most of Mattie's other needs, except maybe giving her a hand to dress, at least until she has better control over her legs. Fair enough?"
Heather leaned forward and carefully placed her now empty mug on the coaster on the end table next to her chair and nodded, "Seems fair to me Mister Rabb. I take it that after the week's trial the agreement can be terminated by either side? After all, it may just be the case that while Mattie can put up with me, I might not be able to, for any number of reasons, to fulfil the duties you have just described."
"Now that seems fair to me," Harm nodded, "I would expect a little friction as you both settle down, but if you are having real difficulties adjusting to each other, let me know, please. It may be that a little negotiation could go a long way to soothing troubled waters. But I'm not expecting the mother of all storm cells!" He cast an admonitory look at Mattie.
The teenager caught the glancing reference to Harm's unscheduled mid-Atlantic swim and suppressed a shudder while she shook her head, "Nuh-huh, I'm not fixing to cause any trouble, no matter how much Heather bullies and blackmails me!"
"Heather?" Harm queried with a frown, disapproving of such familiarity on such short notice.
"Bullies? Blackmail?" Gill asked in surprise.
"Oh, 'taint nothing I can't handle!" Mattie grinned, "And yeah, Heather," she added as she turned to Harm, "I mean that's her name, and she did say to use it!"
"Yes, it's fine by me, Mister Rabb," Heather confirmed with a smile, and Harm relaxed again. It was early days yet, of course, but it seemed that the sunny-natured girl he had taken into his heart had, after a few prickly, not to say frosty moments when they had first met, adjusted remarkably well to yet another authority figure in her life.
"Well… If that's the case there's not much more to be said. Unless you want to add anything?" he asked Heather.
The nurse shook her head, "No, that just about covers everything from my side, so I'll leave you alone now to enjoy what's left of the evening!"
"I'll walk you out," Harm said firmly as Heather stood, "And we look forward to seeing you at zero seven hundred on Monday!"
"That you will, Mister Rabb, that you will!" Heather promised.
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While Harm and Gill prepared dinner, Mattie unpacked and took the opportunity to grab a shower and then in t-shirt and sweat pants she wheeled herself into the kitchen, appreciatively inhaling the aroma coming from the oven and exclaiming happily, "Hey! Is that pizza I can smell?"
"Pizza? Did you put a pizza in the oven?" a straight-faced Harm asked Gill.
"No… I thought you did," Gill answered, equally poker-faced.
Mattie glared up at the two of them, "Cut the clowning, please! Is that or is that not a pizza I can smell?"
"Yep, it's a pizza," Harm relented, "One of my sea-food specials. It's been in the freezer a while, but since this is a sort of homecoming for you, I thought I'd get it out. There's garlic bread and salad to go with it, too."
"You guys are spoiling me!" Mattie protested, but only half-heartedly.
"Yeah, well today is a special occasion, so don't get too used to it," Harm cautioned her gently. "Now, come on up to the table and dinner will be before you in the next five minutes."
Harm and Gill watched, trying to hide their anxiety, as Mattie manoeuvred her wheelchair next to the table and mostly pushing with her arms rose to a standing position and then holding on o one of the kitchen chairs, took two shuffling steps to the side and carefully lowered herself onto the adjacent chair. She looked up at Ham and Gill and recognised the worry they were trying to conceal, "Huh, nothing to it!" she crowed triumphantly.
"Well, maybe not," Gill conceded while Harm just shook his head, "But you will allow us to be just a little concerned?"
"Does it help?" Mattie wisecracked.
"Uh… yeah, yeah it does help a little," Harm replied.
"Oh, well…" Mattie gave a little shrug and a wicked grin, "then knock yourselves out!"
Harm shared a despairing glance with Gill, who returned it, and then said, "Hey, Mattie, play nice!"
"Yessir!" Mattie's reply was accompanied by a widening of her grin.
Harm shook his head and turned back to his chef's duties and in less than five minutes there were three plates of piping hot pizza on the table, together with a garlic baguette and a bowl of mixed salad, crisp from the fridge.
For the next few minutes there was only the occasional word exchanged until plates were cleared and Gill and Harm sat back and looked across the table at Mattie, who was chewing on the last morsel of garlic bread and reaching for her glass of mineral water at the same time.
Feeling their eyes on her the teenager hastily swallowed and sent a challenging look across the table in return, "What?" she demanded.
"Well, I was just wondering how you felt about Nurse MacLauchlan," Harm said.
Mattie looked somewhat surprised, "Heather? Oh… she's okay I guess. I was afraid she'd be some kind of dragon lady – you remember my English teach from DC? But Heather… well, she's not too old that she doesn't appreciate good, modern music, and she has got a sense of humour. She didn't waste any time in teasing me…"
Harm nodded, that particular teacher had not been one of his favourite people either. "So, you think you are going to get on?" Gill asked.
Mattie gave another small shrug, "Well, it's too soon to say for sure, but yeah, I reckon we'll be okay."
Harm breathed a silent sigh of relief. He too had taken to Heather for her competence and her cheerful willingness to expand the role that her agency had briefed her for.
"Anyway, why the third degree?" Mattie demanded, fixing Harm with a penetrating stare.
"Well, it's just for the foreseeable future, you're going to be spending more time with Heather than you are with me or Gill," Harm explained.
"Yeah, that kinda sucks… but look at it this way, it gives me another reason to hurry up and get better and get rid of this chair and those crutches!"
"Well how about this for another reason? You head on into the lounge and get the scrabble board set up, while Gill and I police the kitchen… Or… we could try it the other way around?"
"Uh… no, no, that's fine. You-all go right ahead and I'll go set up the Scrabble."
"H'mm… this is going to be interesting," Gill commented after she and Harm had watched Mattie painstakingly transfer herself back to her wheelchair.
"How so?" Harm asked, raising his eyebrows.
"Well… you Americans can't spell!" Gill gurgled.
"We do spell some words differently, I admit. I guess we'll just have to hammer out some ground rules!" Harm said with a laugh.
"Negotiations? With an attorney? Me and my big mouth!" Gill laughingly complained as she turned her attention to the sink full of dirty dishes.
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Johnny Walker pulled the Vauxhall to a halt and glanced up at the two storey building. "Well, according to the address you gave me, and to the SatNav, this is the place!" he said to Julia.
Julia nodded, "And I think that's First Sergeant Galindez' car parked on the drive." Although as she said it she realised that 'drive' wasn't really appropriate for the few square yards of gravel between the gate posts and the garage alongside the house.
"Yeah… what's he like, this First Sergeant? I mean that's like a Battery Sergeant Major in our lot!"
"Well, he's a Marine, and they're usually pretty… oh… I don't know… full on Marine Corps gung ho…"
"What, khaki-brained?" Jonny asked. His tone of dismay clearly telling Julia that this was not a quality to be desired.
"I'm not quite sure what that means," Julia demurred, "But there's only one sure way to find out!"
"I guess," Johnny admitted. "Ready?"
"As I'll ever be!" Julia affirmed.
Johnny slid out from behind the wheel, making sure that the bottle of wine was securely wrapped and in his hand, and waited until Julia had debussed before locking the car and reaching for her hand. "Once more into the breach, dear friends…" he muttered.
"Shakespeare?" Julia asked in surprise.
"Well, yeah, but that's about all I know of it… oh… except 'to be or not be'…"
"Philistine!" Julia crowed and reaching out with her free hand she pressed the doorbell. Five seconds later a familiar, to Julia, voice came from the grid in the wall-mounted speaker.
"Yes?"
"Jen, it's Julia and Johnny."
Thirty seconds later Johnny and Julia emerged from the stairway onto the upper storey landing, where a smiling Jen held the flat door open for them. "Come on in you two, dinner won't be too long!"
Standing back she allowed her guests to enter the flat, looking over Johnny with unabashed curiosity. She rather liked what she saw: a guy a couple of years younger than herself, casually but well dressed in a lightweight tan windcheater, a light blue cotton shirt and grey slacks, the latter two both showing the unmistakable signs of close and recent acquaintance with the iron and ironing board, his black shoes were well polished without being ostentatiously spit-shone. He had an open and honest look to his face which was, for the moment, slightly marred by an expression of faint anxiety.
"Good evening," Johnny greeted his hostess with a fair degree of formality and presented her with the tissue wrapped bottle of wine, "I thought this might make a welcome contribution to the evening…"
"Why, of course it will! But come on in properly and take your jacket off. Victor! Come and say hello to our guests!"
Victor walked out from behind the kitchen counter a smile of welcome on his normally stern face, "Julia, hi. We haven't spoken, but I have seen you in the office!"
"Oh… I didn't think you had eyes for anyone but Jen!" Julia gasped, too taken aback to fully realise what she was saying to a senior NCO of the Marines.
To Jen's relief, Victor didn't take offence, "That's a fair comment. And you must be Johnny?" he extended a hand in welcome.
Johnny stiffened even as he took the proffered hand, "Yessir!" he snapped.
Victor nodded pleased with the firmness of Johnny's grip and then smiled, "Well… technically I suppose I rate a 'sir' in the British Army, but in the Corps we tend to say, 'don't call me 'sir'…"
"I work for a living?" Johnny ventured.
Victor's eyebrows rose in mild surprise, "You've heard?"
Johnny grinned, "We use the same mantra if needed," he explained.
"In that case, while we're here and off duty, you'd best get used to calling me Victor!"
"I'll give it a whirl!" Johnny promised, heartily relieved that the older man was prepared to be so informal. There weren't many BSMs that Johnny could think of who would be prepared to relax the formalities to that degree.
"Well, now you boys have finished playing, welcome, Johnny. I'm Jennifer – Jen. We haven't actually spoken before, but I owe you a huge debt of thanks!"
"Uh… how come?" Johnny asked in bewilderment.
"Come and sit down, and I'll pour some wine, and I'll tell you all about the SOFA scandal, and how you put me on the right track to find out some of the details!"
"I did?" Johnny asked as he allowed Jen to lead him and Julia to the couch.
"You did!" Jen confirmed, gathering glasses, a corkscrew and a bottle of red wine before dropping onto one of the chairs. "Red wine, okay? It's just that we have steaks to go under the grill and white just doesn't cut it!"
Johnny shuddered, "Certainly not. Yeah, red's fine, thank you!"
There was a silent pause as Jen poured and the three took a sip from their glasses before Johnny asked, "What was that about a SOFA scandal?"
"Well, do you remember Julia asking you how to get hold of regional TV and radio stations?"
Johnny nodded.
"That was the start of it." Jen explained and then went to recount as much as she could of the result of her investigations. She deliberately down-played the possible serious consequences and delivered her tale in such a dry, droll manner that even Julia, who was well aware of the dangers Captain Rabb's report had produced was forced to smile, and Johnny, completely in the dark to the political ramifications of the case was openly chuckling. By the time she had finished, a smiling Victor, who had overheard much of Jen's story, called out from the kitchen that dinner was served, and the quartet, all formality and any signs of awkwardness abandoned by now, sat down to their steak, baked potatoes and salad.
Halfway through the meal and at a natural break in the conversation, Victor nodded at Julia's finger, "That's a pretty nice ring, and I understand the wedding is next month?"
"Certainly is!" Julia responded, "and Jen and you will be getting an invitation just as soon as they get to us from the printer."
Victor nodded and then turned to Johnny, "And how about the formalities?"
"Right… I understand that getting Julia's CO's approval isn't a problem. I've met Captain Rabb, and he seemed okay."
"Bribing him with egg mayo sandwiches isn't going to work!" Julia quipped, her eyes brimming over with laughter.
Victor looked at her in surprise. "You'll have to tell me about that later, but in the meantime?" he re-directed his attention to Johnny.
"I've had a couple of guys from the US Embassy come down to the regiment and had me fill in a couple of forms, and then they asked various questions. It was like going through a PV interview, so the only thing outstanding as far as I know is passing a medical exam, just to make sure that I'm not importing any exotic diseases into the USA!"
"Sounds reasonable," Victor said and the two women nodded their endorsement of his statement.
"Oh, I'm not worried about that!" Johnny grinned, "I'm a clean liver, I don't smoke, and I don't drink all that much. I can't afford to with a wedding peeking over the horizon!"
"What sort of wedding is it going to?" Jen asked.
"My best man and I are going to be in Number One dress, with medals, and I did mention to Julia that she should be in her best service dress…" Johnny chuckled at the fulminating glance his fiancée threw him, "But you should have heard the howls of protest from my family. They were even louder than Julia's! But for everyone else, civilian suits and ties and weather suitable outfits for the ladies, so no bare shoulders, thank you very much. I don't really want to take the blame if half of the female guests go down with bronchitis, pleurisy or pneumonia! And talking of the wedding, that reminds me. Julia give me a call on Monday and remind me to book a room… or two rooms… at the Owl for Jen and Victor. It's a comfortable village pub in Dinton, about five minutes' walk from the church, and has four rooms available, and they know Julia and me, and the rest of my family. But if we don't book now, then it might be difficult finding anywhere near enough so that you won't have to drive. I figure that Jen needs to come down on the Friday, she is Julia's maid of honour, and then the wedding breakfast is in the Owl's dining room, so that means you can all have a couple of drinks without having to worry about transport."
"Sounds like a plan!" Jen agreed with a happy smile, "and I think that one room will be okay, don't you, Victor?"
Victor gave a dubious look at Jen, "I dunno…"
"What are you ashamed of me?" Jen asked laughingly.
"No, of course not!" Victor replied with a touch of impatience, "But I'm not sure whether or not I'm ready to go public with us!"
Jen grinned, "I hate to bust your bubble, but I think Captain Rabb already has a pretty good idea of where we are – not that he's said anything, and I wouldn't care if he did. And Johnny and Julia can't be dumb enough not to realise that this is only a two-bedroom apartment, and they've got one of the rooms tonight!"
"Well… when you put it like that…" Victor admitted defeat.
Jen turned to Johnny, "So! One room then!"
"Yes, ma'am!" Johnny grinned.
"Now… if everyone's finished, there's fresh fruit salad and natural yoghurt for dessert!" Jen announced.
Julia laughed, "That sounds like something the Captain would serve up!"
"It is. I mean he gave me the idea when I was sharing an apartment with Mattie – that's the Captain's adopted daughter," Jen added for Johnny's sake.
"You were sharing an apartment with the Captain's daughter?" Johnny asked.
"M'mm…" Jen nodded as she spooned out four bowls of fruit salad, "There's yoghurt in that jug, so help yourselves."
Once everyone was served, Jen kept her promise to Julia and explained, between mouthfuls, how she, Mattie and the Captain had come to be almost a family during the months that Mattie had spent in DC. Victor, of course, had already had the full story from Jen, but Johnny, and even more so Julia, who had a finer appreciation of just how close the Captain and Legalman had come to crossing the line between what was acceptable, and what was not, sat in silence, their dessert practically forgotten as they listened to Jen's story.
Later, in the darkness of the guest room, Julia rolled over on the double airbed that Johnny and Victor had brought up from the car and whispered mischievously, "That was so bad of you!"
"What was?" Johnny asked in all innocence.
"You know exactly what I mean, Johnny Walker!" Julia insisted, giving him a dig in the ribs with her finger.
"Ouch! That hurt! And no, I still don't know what you're talking about!" Johnny insisted his voice taking a certain grouchy quality.
"When you put Victor and Jen on the spot, asking them if they wanted one or two rooms when they come down for the wedding!"
"Well… it was something we needed to know!" Johnny insisted.
"Maybe, but I could tell that Victor wasn't quite ready to go public – and he said so himself - and you pushed him into it!"
"Not fair!" Johnny complained, "As I recall it, it was Jen who made the decision!"
"Maybe so," Julia conceded but then rallied, "But Victor still wasn't happy with the idea!"
Johnny turned on his side and propped himself on his elbow so that he could look down at Julia, "Well, that's for Jen and Victor to sort out. So now, how about we try to get some sleep. We've got a long day ahead of us tomorrow! Don't forget you're supposed to be going to Aylesbury with my sister, to check up on your dress!"
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By the time Harm returned from his morning run – a short one this morning, the airfield perimeter track was closed to allow safe flying operations – Gill was up and about, having showered and dressed in jeans and a sweat shirt and was busying herself in the kitchen. Harm, hearing the clatter of utensils, paused at the kitchen door and gave Gill an appreciative look, those jeans really did hug her butt and legs and looked devastating.
"Hey, you," he said softly.
"And you!" Gill threw back over her shoulder with a smile that Harm found to be nearly as wicked as the jeans.
"What's up?" he asked.
"I've got Mattie up and into the shower; she's getting dressed now. I've got a bowl of eggs ready for scrambling, and the percolator just needs turning on. So if you want any breakfast before we go to the supermarket, I suggest you shower, change and get back here sometime within the next twenty minutes!"
"What's the rush?" Harm asked with a furrowed brow.
"Well, after we've done the shopping, I still need to get back to the Wood and collect the rest of my gear. A hand wouldn't come amiss, either!" she added meaningfully.
"So… I guess that's my Saturday organised for me?" Harm asked.
"Of course it is!" Gill smiled, "Any complaints?"
"No, not really, but with Julia and Jennifer organising my weekdays, and you organising my weekends…." His voice trailed off and he shook his head in a mournful manner, belied by his grin, "It's just that I thought that once I'd made O-6, then I would, at last, be the one making all the decisions!"
Gill turned to face him, her grin widening, "Well that just goes to show just how dependent you are on the women with whom you have surrounded yourself!"
"Ouch! I think I'll go and wash off the sting of that one!"
"Good thinking, Batman!" Gill returned, "And don't forget, twenty minutes!"
"Aye, aye, ma'am!"
Mattie obviously hadn't got the message Harm thought as he returned to the kitchen, freshly showered and dressed, in just under the twenty minutes, as she hadn't yet emerged from her room. That was okay, for the moment anyway, Harm thought as he stepped up behind Gill and wrapping his arms around her waist he bent his head and dropped a soft kiss on her neck, just where it joined her shoulder.
Gill shuddered with pleasure, and twisted in Harm's embrace to face him, allowing them to exchange the first proper kiss of the day. "Good morning, you," she smiled.
"Good morning to you, too," Harm murmured.
Gill dropped her head onto Harm's shoulder and they both stayed still for a few moments until Gill, with the air of someone making a major effort released Harm and sighed, "Well, this isn't buying baby a new bonnet!"
Harm had not heard the expression before but he almost instantly picked up its meaning and regretfully shook his head, "Nope, nice as this is, it's not very productive, but talking about babies, no Mattie yet?"
Gill shook her head, "No, I was just about to go and see if she's all right, but if you want to…"
"No, I'll leave it to you. If she's having difficulty getting dressed then you'll be… Oh, no need!" he suddenly exclaimed as he turned his head, to see Mattie making unsteady progress across the lounge with the aid of her crutches.
"Mattie! Are you okay?" he called out anxiously, ready to move in a split second to her assistance.
"I'm… fine!" Mattie puffed with the unaccustomed exercise as she placed one wobbly leg in front of the other and then repeated the step.
Both Gill and Harm watched anxiously as the teenager weaved her way across the lounge and into the kitchen, almost collapsing onto one of the kitchen chairs with a puff of relief, but a grin on her face. "Hey, it'll get easier! This is my first attempt!"
Much as Harm knew that Mattie needed to progress from wheelchair to crutches, he couldn't help feeling that maybe she was rushing things a little, but before he could raise any coherent objection the teenager sat back in her chair and with a broad grin said, "There, ain't I a clever girl? And…" her eyes lit up with mischief, "I'm also a hungry girl. Any chance of any breakfast around here?"
Harm grinned, "The more things change the more they stay the same," he confided to Gill in a stage whisper. "I never knew a morning when Mattie wasn't ready for her breakfast!"
"And I never met a breakfast I didn't like!" the irrepressible girl shot back.
"Peace you two, peace!" Gill laughed, "Eggs, toast and mushrooms coming right up!"
"Along with OJ!" Harm added pouring a glass from the jug on the table.
"And coffee?" Mattie asked hopefully.
"And coffee," Harm confirmed. "But Gill made it, so no guarantees!"
Mattie eyed Gill cautiously, "I'll make a bargain with you," she offered, "You teach me how to make tea, and I'll teach you to make coffee. Deal?"
Gill narrowed her eyes, "H'mm… I'll think about it, but for now eat your eggs before they get cold!"
"Yes'm!" Mattie grinned cheekily and dug her fork into the pile of scrambled eggs sitting on her two slices of toast.
"Okay, enough fooling you two!" Harm said sternly, in an effort, or so he hoped, to exert some domestic authority, "Now…" he looked at Mattie, "Gill and I are going to be heading to the stores for grocery shopping… do you want to come along?"
Mattie looked horrified. "Grocery stores? Eww! No-way!"
"That's what I thought," Harm grinned, "So while we're out, what do you intend to do?"
"Well, I've got that history book that Gill's dad loaned me," Mattie said thoughtfully, "And I'd really like to get into that, and maybe give Jen a call and see if she and Victor have any free time over the weekend, and maybe then I could grab a coffee with them…"
"Don't go bothering Jen and Victor every free minute of the day, Squirt," Harm warned Mattie.
"No, no I won't. But she did say to call her once I was out of hospital," Mattie objected.
"As I seem to remember that part of the conversation, it was you said that you would call her on Friday, that is, yesterday," Harm said in gentle reproof.
Mattie nodded, "Coulda been that way 'round," she conceded, "But with Heather here, and getting everything sorted out, and then a late dinner… well…"
"Okay, the prosecution accepts your plea in mitigation, but remember what we agreed about Jen deserving a life of her own!"
"Oh, won't forget… but I can't help feeling just a little bit… Oh… I dunno, sad, maybe? Jealous maybe?"
"Perhaps it won't feel quite so bad, once you start school and start making some new friends," Gill suggested quietly.
"Yeah, I've got that to look forward to," Mattie agreed, and even Harm who knew her so well couldn't tell whether she was pleased or depressed by the prospect.
"You're going to have to work hard at school, Mats," he reminded her, "You've missed a lot. I know you had help while you were at Blacksburg, but you've done practically no studying since you left hospital."
Mattie's shoulder drooped a little, "I know… but it's all been such a whirl… the court hearing, my release from hospital, the appeal and then getting ready to come over here, I haven't had much time to study."
"That's true. So… how about I get on to the American School in London, and find out what their curriculum is, and maybe you could do some studying here, at home."
"I guess…" Mattie mumbled.
"Hey, Squirt! You'll need those grades just as much as you'll need those legs if you're going to get into the academy!" Harm reminded her.
"I know, I know. It's just that I hate playing catch-up!"
"Everyone does!" Harm said as he stood and started gathering the dirty plates and mugs and piling them next to the sink.
"M'mm, that's true," Gill agreed as she pulled on a pair of rubber gloves and reached for the faucet, "And that's what we're going to be doing all weekend if we don't get a move on!" she told Harm.
"So… I'll leave you two to it!" Mattie declared as she lurched to her feet and grabbed her crutches that were leaning against the end of the table. Harm and Gill watched anxiously as the teenager made her unsteady way back across the lounge towards her room and as she disappeared from sight they exchanged a troubled look.
"She's not normally this down," Harm said thoughtfully.
Gill slipped a still rubber glove clad hand into his and gave him a comforting squeeze, "She's got an awful lot to put up with right now, and not having anyone around who is remotely near her own age is going to make it difficult for her." Gill chewed on her bottom lip for a few moments and the seemingly came to a decision, "Look, I know Mattie has expressed a dislike for horses, but some of the NCOs at the Troop help out with an organisation called Riding for the Disabled. Some of the kids who go there are very badly challenged, but some are not quite so bad, and there's a few around Mattie's age…"
Harm shook his head doubtfully, "I dunno… it's not only Mattie's dislike for horses, but there's also the risk of falling and doing more damage to herself."
"The guys at Riding for the Disabled are very good at making sure the kids don't fall off, Harm."
"Well, pretty much like you said about the coffee and tea deal with Mattie, I'll think about, and please don't mention it to Mattie until we've spoken about it again."
"That's fair enough," Gill agreed "Now… I've got the gloves, so I'll wash and you dry!"
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Harm heaved open the rear hatch on the Forester and gloomily surveyed what appeared to be the massed ranks of plastic carrier bags. "Are you sure we've got enough here?" he demanded of Gill, "There only seems to be enough for a regiment for a month…"
Gill, well aware that Harm's grouchiness was the result of over an hour in the local supermarket, most of spent in the queue for the check-out, merely grinned at him at said, "Well if you want to eat up to and including next Friday, then yes, I think we have just about got enough. Don't forget, you've got Mattie, the perpetually hungry teenager, at home now, and we'll be providing lunch for the nurse… what was her name? Oh, yes, Heather. So you see, the potential amount of food to be consumed has doubled since I moved in, and quadrupled since you were here in solitary state!"
Harm was forced to agree with Gill's summing up, and at least, as he had been involved in the buying, he could be sure that what was in the bags was at least healthier than the vast array of foodstuffs on display. A cursory glance at some of the ingredients listed on the packaging of some items had sent shivers of horror racing each other up and down his spine.
"Well, come on," Gill said. "This stuff isn't going to find its own way to the kitchen!"
Harm grunted and grabbing hold of two bags in each hand he turned, took the few necessary steps along the path and stepped up onto the ramp. Gill followed, also with four bags of shopping in hand, and her keys between her teeth. A few seconds' worth of juggling bags and keys saw the door opening and Harm and Gill stepping into the hall where they stopped, and stared in consternation at each other as the unmistakeable sound of multiple female teenage voices giggling emanated from the lounge. Hurrying into the kitchen, Harm and Gill dropped the bags they were carrying onto the kitchen table and as one, made for the door into the lounge.
Mattie was sitting in one of the armchairs, the couch was occupied by a pair of obvious twins, slightly younger than Mattie, while the other armchair was taken up by a third girl, slightly older than Mattie and whom Harm had a vague feeling he had seen before.
Blinking slightly, and moderating, he hoped, his voice to a non-accusatory tone, he said, "Hello everyone, what's happening?"
Matte's face lit up in a smile, "Oh, hi Harm, Gill. These are…" she thought for a moment and continued, indicating the twins in turn, "Gemma and Rowan…"
"That's Rowan and Gemma!" the twins smilingly interrupted, drawing a slight frown from Mattie and a grin from Gill, where she lounged against the door frame.
"And this is Karen!" Mattie added "Sorry, you two. But I will get it right!" she added to the twins.
"Yes, someday!" Karen smiled and then turned to Harm. "Good afternoon, Mister Rabb. We're the Davenports, from across the street. You came to dinner with our parents a little while ago…."
"Yes, yes, of course. If I remember correctly, you were the chef that evening!"
"Yes… well… kind of, Mum did most the work, I just had to watch the oven and make sure nothing burned!"
"And nothing did!" a smiling Harm replied, "But what are you doing over here?"
"Oh… Dad told us that Mattie was coming home from hospital yesterday, and we guessed that she wouldn't know anyone else anywhere near her own age, so we just popped over to say hello," Karen replied, obviously having appointed herself the spokeswoman for the trio, "And now we've done that, we really ought to be going…"
"Well, it looks to me like Mattie's been a little remiss in her duties as a hostess, so won't you stay and have a cup of tea, and a cookie… uh… biscuit?" Harm suggested and at the look of alarm on Mattie's face he grinned, "Don't worry, I'll get Gill to make the tea, while I finish unpacking the car!"
The three Davenport girls exchanged glances, and then Karen turned back to Harm, "Yes, thank you Mister Rabb, that would great!"
Harm turned and caught a grimace of mock displeasure and a theatrical sigh as Gill turned back to the kitchen. Harm followed her and slipping an arm around her waist he dropped a soft kiss on her cheek. "Look at this way, It'll take me longer to unload the supplies than it will for you to brew a pot of tea!"
"Well, that's probably true," Gill agreed, "So once I've delivered the tea, I'll come and give you a hand."
"No, no need for that, you go and have a cup of tea with the girls."
Gill gave a sharp bark of laughter, "What? Be a management spy? No, no thanks, I'll have a cup of tea all right, but I'll have it with you in the kitchen!"
The groceries unloaded and stowed away, Harm and Gill sat down at the kitchen table to drink their own mugs of tea, Harm showing signs of enjoyment as he did so. Gill quirked an eyebrow at Harm as he drank, "Not wishing I'd brewed a pot of coffee instead?" she teased him.
Harm shook his head. "No, I'll admit, British style tea was a shock to my system when I first tasted it, but I think I'm becoming immune to it now!"
Harm and Gill were still sipping their tea when a slight increase in the level of noise from the lounge attracted their attention, but before either could rise to investigate the cause of the disturbance, Karen Davenport, her hands full of plates and mugs hesitated at the kitchen door, "I… uh… I've just come to say thank you for the tea and biscuits, and to drop this stuff off… We're leaving now, got to go and give Mum a hand around the house."
"You're more than welcome to the refreshments," Gill smiled.
"And you're more than welcome to drop in at any time to keep Mattie company," Harm added genially, "And please remind your mother that she too is welcome to come by any evening for a coffee – or tea – and some adult company!"
xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx
Victor dropped onto the couch alongside Jen and draped an arm over her shoulder, giving her the opportunity, of which she took full advantage, to drop her head on to his chest and listen to the powerful beat of his heart, even while she toed her shoes from her feet and gave a gentle sigh.
"What was that for?" Victor asked lazily.
"Oh… well… Um… it was great to have Julia and Johnny over last night, but I can't help feeling more… oh, I don't know…maybe relaxed now that they've left… I know that sounds crazy, I mean, it was me who invited them…"
"Yeah, they were a great couple…"
"M'mm… so good together," Jen smiled. "Do you think that's how we'll be?"
"I like to think that's where we are now, only we've got a little more control than a couple of kids, so we don't make it so obvious," Victor argued.
"Kids?" Jen asked in surprise, "Hardly kids, Johnny's about thirty, and Julia is maybe three years younger than that!"
"Maybe so," Victor allowed, "But he seemed kind of… I'm not sure, I don't want to say soft, but he's definitely not a Marine, and it makes him seem younger!"
"I'm not so sure about that," Jen argued, "The Brits aren't anywhere near as generous with their medal awards as we are, and he did earn himself a Military Cross the last time he was in Iraq, and that's pretty high on their register of gallantry awards. So maybe you're being just a little hard on him?"
"Could be, I s'pose. But, now that they've gone, can we find something a little different to talk about?"
Jen shrugged, "Okay, choose your topic!"
"Well… how about what we're going to do for the rest of the day and tomorrow?"
"For today, I don't feel much like going out," Jen cast a jaundiced glance out of the window where the slate grey clouds promised more rain. "There's uniforms to be got ready for Monday, and I promised I'd give Mattie a call…"
"Mattie?" Victor queried.
"M'mm… she met her new nurse on Friday, if everything went according to the Captain's schedule, and she starts therapy on Monday, I think, and I kind of half-promised that we'd head out and do something tomorrow."
"Yeah, I remember you half-arranging something when we to see her in hospital, and I'm fine with that… I like Mattie, she's got fire, she'd make a good Marine!" Victor grinned.
"And that's your yardstick for liking someone, but you've got no chance!" Jen told him with a laugh. "She's got her sights set on Annapolis and Naval Aviation!"
"So… That's settled then, uniform preparation today and Mattie tomorrow… but what are we going to do after we've sorted out our gear for Monday?"
"Oh, I thought we could just snuggle up here on the couch, watch a DVD, have a light dinner and an early night…" Jen whispered throatily.
"Sometimes, I like the way you think!" Victor turned his head and smiled down into Jen's dark eyes.
"And is this one of those times?" Jen asked innocently.
"You bet your sweet six it is!"
xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx
"Are you sure you don't want me to come with you?" Johnny asked Julia, very much tongue in cheek, as his fiancée ducked into Zoe's Ford Fiesta.
Julia said nothing but grinned and poked her tongue out at him, while Zoe, craning over her passenger's shoulder fixed him with a glare of basilisk-like intensity, the only result of which was to set Johnny laughing.
Mrs Walker, standing at the front door waited until her son walked back up the garden path and then reached up to pinch his cheek, "You are a very naughty boy!" she smiled.
"Yes, Ma," her agreed with a widening of his grin.
"Now… let's go and sit down and you can tell me what your plans for the rest of the weekend are!"
"Oh, it's quite simple, Ma," he insisted as he stood back to let her precede him into the kitchen.
"What is?" Mrs Walker asked as she took her accustomed place at the table.
"Well, primarily, Julia and I are down to hear the second lot of bans being read tomorrow – no, don't worry Ma, we've booked a room at the Owl, and as Julia and Zoe will likely be gone for the entire afternoon, I am completely at your disposal, that is if there are any jobs you want doing:"
"Oh… I was going to try to clear the shower drain. It's the girls' hair you see. They will insist on washing their hair in the shower and after a while, the loose hairs get matted and half block the plughole…"
"Well that shouldn't take more than ten minutes. I take it that all the tools are in the shed?"
"No, dear, I brought them in last night, they're in the tray under the sink."
"Okay, once I've had a cuppa I'll get on to that for you. Are you sure there's nothing else?"
"Oh, I'm sorry, love!" Mrs Walker exclaimed and made as if to get up from her chair.
"No, no, you sit still Ma, I'll get the brew going!" Johnny smiled as he grabbed the kettle and turned towards the sink.
While the kettle was boiling, Johnny turned back towards his mother and said, "Now… once I've fixed the shower – and like I said, that's a ten minute job – are you sure that there's nothing else that needs doing?"
Mrs Walker looked out of the window and saw that the threatening clouds had started to release their burden of rain and sighed, "Well, the guttering might need a poke with a sharp stick, but you can't go out in that!" she gestured to the window.
Johnny, as a soldier, was more than used to being cold and wet, but he could quite happily enjoy life without undergoing either of those sensations, especially when he had just been given an out, so he nodded, "I'd as soon as not get too wet! I've only got these and a spare t-shirt and my suit with me, he explained."
Mrs Walker gratefully accepted the mug of tea he slid gently across the table to her, and then, her expression becoming a little more serious, she said, "Sit down, son, I have a question or two for you."
"Ma, if this is about me getting married…"
"No, no, nothing like that… well… yes, it is, in a way, but don't worry," she grinned, a grin that was remarkably similar to Johnny's, "I've got over the shock, and Julia's a lovely girl, you just make sure that you don't let her down."
"Of course not, Ma!" Johnny protested, shocked by the very suggestion.
Mrs Walker took a sip of her tea and nodded wisely, "Easy to say, Timothy, but there's more to a marriage than four legs in a bed!"
"I know that, Ma," Johnny said with great patience.
"And don't take that tone with me, young man!" his mother scolded him sharply. "For a start, have you given any thought as to where you'll be living once you're married."
"Yes, we've given it some thought. And no, carrying on living in single accommodation doesn't appeal to either of us. The problem is, if there are any married quarters at Julia's station, it would mean a minimum three hours commute for me, every day. The reverse applies if I get quarters at Tidworth, so Julia would have make the return journey each day into central London. That, apart from everything else is a lot of time and a lot petrol, and don't even think about train tickets – they cost the earth these days!"
"And?" his mother insisted.
"Well, we're looking into renting somewhere half-way between Tidworth and London, maybe around the Basingstoke area…"
"I see," Mrs Walker said non-committally, "And what happens if one of you gets posted?"
"If I get posted within the UK, and I will get a posting if I pass the Sergeants' selection board, then we'll think again."
"And if Julia gets a posting back to the USA?"
"Well… she's fixed here for another three years, so I guess we'll just have to face that hurdle when we come to it," Johnny admitted uncomfortably.
"Not much of a plan, is it?" Mrs Walker asked pointedly.
Johnny sighed, "No, Ma, it's not, but we can't make fixed plans until we know what the army and the Yankee navy have got in store for us."
"Well…" Mrs Walker stood, and gathered up the two now empty mugs, "you just remember what I said about letting that down that girl of yours!"
"I will, Mum, and I swear that's not going to happen!"
"Just make sure of that!"
xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx
Harm swallowed the last of his sandwich, washing it down with a mouthful of mineral water and looked across the table at Mattie, "So… what did the Davenport girls have to say?"
"Not much," Mattie shrugged, "They really just came across to say welcome to the neighbourhood."
"And that was the cause of all the giggling we heard?" Gill asked sardonically.
"Oh… no… um… that was because the twins are horse mad, and usually on a Saturday their dad takes them to the stables for their horseback riding lessons, but now he's deployed again…"
"And that made you giggle?" Harm asked with a severe edge to his tone.
"No, of course not! What had us all giggling was Rowan's description of the way she investigated what turned out to be a very muddy creek!"
"Oh what happened?" Gill asked, although as a horsewoman herself, she had a pretty shrewd idea.
"Uh.. it seems that there were a few of them all riding out together and they had to cross this tiny little creek, so they formed a line and as they came up to the creek they jumped it… well, Gemma was in front of Rowan, and she got over okay, but as Rowan approached, her horse looked like it was ready for the jump but suddenly decided that it wasn't going to try it, so it came to a sudden stop. Rowan didn't, and sailed over the horse's head, straight into the creek!"
"And that set you all laughing?" Harm asked, while Gill tried not too successfully to smother a smile. As a rider she had suffered similar experiences herself, and a muddy stream wasn't the hardest of surfaces to land on.
"No what set us… well the other girls laughing was me, when I quoted that line from Conan-Doyle about horses being dangerous at both ends."
"So, you don't fancy the idea of riding yourself?" Harm asked with a quick sideways glance at Gill.
Quick the glance may have been, but it wasn't quick enough to escape Mattie's sharp eyes. "What have you two been up to?" she demanded. "You can't have fixed me up with horseback riding lessons, not with my legs the way they are!" she finished challengingly.
"Not fixed you up, no," Harm agreed, "But Gill has an inside line to an organisation called Riding for the Disabled. She reckons it's a good form of therapy, and if it helps…"
"No! No way! There's no way I am ever getting up onto the back of one of those things!"
"Mattie!" Harm growled, disliking her tone and the way her voice had risen in pitch and volume.
Mattie blushed slightly and in a less belligerent voice she turned to Gill, "I'm sorry Gill. I know you're trying to help, but you have no idea how much I totally hate horses! They're smelly, unpredictable, and downright dangerous!"
Gill smiled at Mattie, "That's okay, if you're that set against the idea, then it's obviously a non-starter. But we haven't done anything sneaky behind your back, it was just an idea I had – and obviously not one of my better ones," she finished wryly.
"Well, now that's settled, what are your plans for the rest of the day?" Harm asked Mattie, his voice still a little stiff.
"Well… I was thinking to call Jen, and then I really do want to get stuck into that history book…"
"Okay… but you don't ask Jen to take you anywhere. If she offers, well, that's all well and good, but remember what we said about her needing her own life. She and Victor seem to be good together, and both of them could do a damned sight worse!"
Mattie nodded glumly and said in a resigned voice, "I know, I know, and I won't pester her, but the weekends are the only time we've got. It's not like we were sharing an apartment, or even that she's just down the hall."
"I know," Harm said in a more sympathetic voice, "And it can't be much fun being copped up with all us oldies. But you've met the Davenport kids, and I'm sure that's not the last we'll see of them, and when you start therapy on Monday, then I'm pretty sure you'll make friends there. I mean, that young girl you shared the room with… Oh, yeah, Ginny, she's still there, isn't she?"
Mattie brightened a little, "Yeah, she's still there… we did have a little bit of fun," she finished dreamily and with a grin just beginning to show.
"And there's no reason that you shouldn't still have fun, but no more wheelchair racing!" Harm added sternly, but his admonition was betrayed by the gleam of amusement in his eye.
"Oh, we wouldn't dream of it!" Mattie said in a voice that was totally innocent, and totally mendacious.
"Just remember!" Harm warned her, without specifying exactly what it was that Mattie was not to forget.
"Sure thing, Cap'n!" Mattie grinned pushing herself to her feet and wobbling uncertainly while she rendered a sloppy salute before grabbing her crutches from where they rested against the empty chair at the end of the table.
"Pain!" Harm commented with a smile as he started to gather the lunch dishes.
Mattie carefully stumped out of the kitchen and across the lounge to her room, where, with a look of loathing she dropped her crutches alongside her bed and collapsed onto it, flexing her fingers and wincing at the pain in her hands. After a few moments she reached across to her nightstand and rescued her cell phone from where it was charging and with no hesitation, she went to speed dial and selected the first number on the list, waiting impatiently for Jen to pick up.
"Coates."
"Hi, Jen, it's me!"
"Hey, Mats, how're things going?"
"Pretty crap. Harm and Gill are so wrapped up in each other that I feel like I'm a fifth wheel, and Harm and Gill came up with this brilliant idea that I should go horseback riding as a kind of therapy. Honestly Jen, can you see me being happy on top of some smelly, dangerous beast like that? And apart from some British kids who came over for half an hour to say 'hi', I don't know anybody here, except for you and Victor, of course. So I shot that idea down but then Harm tells me that I'm not to pester you, but I need rescuing… please?"
"It can't be any worse than being with the Roberts, Mattie," Jen said in what she hoped was a soothing voice."
"Wanna bet?" the disconsolate teen challenged her friend. "At least at the Roberts, there were the kids and Harriet and Bud didn't sit there all day with moonstruck expressions on their faces!"
"And what makes you think that Victor and I don't sit around all weekend with moonstruck expressions on our faces?" Jen demanded, and flashed a quick grin at Victor to show she wasn't being serious.
"Eww! You don't do you?" Mattie asked, with a sinking feeling, and then rallied, "No you don't. It would never happen! Victor's a Marine!"
"Well, not all the time, but it does happen," Jen confessed, "But we'll try to keep ourselves under control while you're with us."
"So we can do something tomorrow?" Mattie asked eagerly.,
"Sure… look, why don't you come to my… to our place. You haven't seen it yet, and we can send Victor on some errands while we have a girlie afternoon, you know, s'mores, some sodas, a chick flick, in fact, we can pick you up in the morning and you can have lunch with us. I'll do some southern fried chicken, black-eyed peas, collard greens, corn bread… all the good stuff that Harm won't let you eat?"
"Oh… that is so tempting! Yes, yes, yes!"
"That's settled then we'll pick you up at about eleven hundred tomorrow, okay?"
"Wow, yeah! Hey, Jen… did I ever tell you just how great you are?"
"You may have done, once or twice!" the brunette on the other end of the line laughed.
"Well, if I've said it more than once, it must be true!" Mattie laughed
"Yeah, whatever, so we'll see you tomorrow, Kiddo. 'Bye now!"
"Yeah, 'bye, Jen!" Mattie ended the call and hugged herself in sheer ecstasy, and then with a happy grin on her face she put her phone down and picked up the history book Gill's father had given her.
xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx
Harm put the last of the now clean and dry plates on the plate rack in the corner of the kitchen worktop and turned to Gill, "Well, Mattie left us in no doubt of what she thought about that disabled riding."
Gill nodded mournfully, her face a picture of concern, "She really did shoot me down in flames. Honestly Harm, if I'd known she felt so strongly about horses, I wouldn't have mentioned them in the first place!"
"Hey, c'mere," Harm gently pulled Gill into his embrace, "Now listen, even I didn't know Mattie dislike horses so much. Yeah, I know she made that comment about them being dangerous at both ends when we were at your folks, but I thought she was just being smart."
"M'mm…" Gill raised her head so she could see Harm's face, "Do you know, a thought has just occurred to me? Maybe Mattie has had a bad experience with a horse or horses when she was younger, and it may not be so much that she dislikes them. She might be scared of them."
"Mattie? Scared? I don't think so, Gill. She's one of the bravest people I know."
"Even the bravest people have their weak spots," Gill said thoughtfully, "And she really did go all out against the idea."
"Yeah, she did get all bent out of shape," Harm said thoughtfully, "Maybe we could try asking her?"
Gill thought for a moment, "It's up to you, of course, but somehow I don't think that's a good idea. Better just to let things be. Sometimes the best course is just to run before the wind…"
Harm nodded in appreciation of Gill's sailing reference, "Well… if she really is afraid of horses, then maybe it needs to get out into the open… maybe a few sessions with a therapist might help…"
Gill gently disengaged herself from Harm's arms, "Harmon Rabb! No such thing! Go and wash your mouth out with hot soapy water!" Gill half laughed. "Would you recommend a therapist if Mattie was afraid of spiders, or rats, or snakes?"
"Well, no, but horses aren't rats, snakes or scorpions… they're just horses."
"H'mm, you don't ride do you?" Gill challenged him.
"Well, I've been on horseback a few times, but no, I'm no horseman, and I can't say as how I enjoyed the experience."
"And do you think you need therapy?"
"Of course not!"
"Well, neither does Mattie. The poor girl's got quite enough to cope with with her physiotherapy, she needs to keep her mind on that, not have it messed around by some damned psychiatrist…"
"Psychologist," Harm absent-mindedly murmured.
"Whatever! Mattie doesn't need it, not right now at any rate!"
"Maybe you're right," Harm finally conceded.
"Of course, I am! I'm always right. That's why you love me!"
"Oh, is that the reason? I thought I loved you because…"
Harmon Rabb! Don't you dare finish that sentence! Harm, what are you doing? Harm put me down! Harmmmmph!"
Harm had literally swept Gill of her feet and despite Gill's laughing protests, carried her all the way across the lounge and upstairs and into their bedroom, where he back-heeled the door until it closed with a solid sounding click behind them.