Scarred Beginnings

By

Jackie Williams

Front Cover Photography

Natalie Williams

Copyright © 2014 Jackie Williams

No part of this book or its cover may be used in any form what-so-ever without the written consent of the author.

All names, places and incidents are entirely the imagination of the author. Any resemblance to persons alive or dead is completely co-incidental.

This book honours the men and women of the armed services who sacrifice so much to keep us safe.

Chapter One

“What do you think he wants?” James asked David suspiciously as they eyed the teenaged kid standing in the middle of the rock strewn, unmade road.

Dust suddenly swirled up as a stray breeze caught the dirt road. David narrowed his eyes and picked up his binoculars to get a better view. The kid stood almost a hundred meters away, his robes shaking visibly but David didn’t think the movement had anything to do with the stirring air. He stared right back at David with big, dark lashed eyes.

David lowered the binoculars again.

“God only knows. He looks scared shitless.”

James sniggered.

“He clearly caught sight of your ugly mug then, Captain. Your chops are enough to scare the spots off a leopard, let alone some skinny kid. Do you think we should try to speak to him?”

Steve peered between David and James from the rear seat of the armoured car. He shook his head.

“Nah! He’s probably just meant to be collecting water and we surprised him. Just drive slow and get past. This mission has lasted far too long as it is. I’m desperate for a cuppa. My mouth feels like I’ve eaten half this dirt road.”

David snorted as he shifted the gears and lowered the handbrake. He held the momentum of the car on the gears, waiting to see if the boy would decide to make any move.

“You and your tea. Earl Grey or Darjeeling? I can’t wait until the day I can down a really cold beer. Anyone seen that film where they cross a desert for weeks, dying of thirst? They make it of course but then they have a beer in a bar. The cold condense runs down the glass, they lick their lips, they swallow dryly then they pick up the glasses slowly and they drink the beer!” There were general grunts and groans of near desperation from Sean and Pete as he deliberately tortured them with his description of the perfect cold beer but Steve just laughed.

“Thought you would only be drinking champagne form now on. How many millions was it?”

David groaned and rolled his eyes. He heartily wished that he hadn’t told Joe about his great aunt’s legacy. The man clearly couldn’t keep his mouth shut.

“Too many. Haven’t had chance to even think about what I’m going to do with it all. We came out here almost immediately. I barely had time to shove it in the bank but I dare say you lot will be sinking a fair few quid of it as soon as we finish here. Pity I can’t hold a party until this tour is over…Ellen’s going to open up some fancy designer fashion boutique with that boyfriend of hers apparently. She wrote and told me a couple of weeks ago.”

Steve snorted.

“Fashion? Doesn’t sound like Ellen. She’s more of a vintage market type of girl, or she was when I last saw her.”

David nodded. His insides twisted as he wondered about the real motivation for her opening a high end clothes shop. He didn’t wonder long. He’d guessed almost immediately who was really behind it.

“It’s the idea of that prat she’s going out with. She bought him some fancy new car too but I bet he doesn’t stop there.  He’ll be after something bigger next. You just wait and see. If I was home more, I could maybe figure out how to get her to dump him. Ellen only puts up with him because she’s so flipping lonely. I wish one of you guys had asked her out on your last leave.”

Sean grinned and laughed as the others threw up their hands in mock horror.

“Yeah! Like we’re going to get involved with your baby sister. Not that she’s not lovely or anything because she is but you would probably cut our balls off if we went anywhere near her!”

David laughed but nodded.

“Probably, but you might have made her realize that there are better alternatives to that berk she’s hooked up with. He makes me want to vomit every time I see him.” He was about to lift his foot from the clutch and take them forwards when a man stepped out from behind a huge boulder at the side of the road and began shouting at the boy. The boy turned and shook his head firmly but the man reached out, spun the kid around and shoved him hard between his shoulder blades.

David narrowed his eyes as the boy stumbled further down the road then glanced back over his shoulder. The man shouted again and then walked quickly away. The teenager turned and fixed his gaze on David. He seemed to take in a huge breath then suddenly came running towards them, his robes flapping, his pinched, tear stained face clearly visible.

David took a deep breath as he stared at the boy.

“Jees! I can’t stand a bully. I wonder what the kid’s done? His father seemed furious.”

Fifty meters from the armoured car the boy began flapping his arms and screaming. David suddenly frowned, unhappy at the circumstances. He slammed the gears into reverse but waited a few seconds longer, worried that the boy was in real trouble.

James looked at David with concern as the child’s anguished expression became clearer.

“Poor kid. He’s terrified of the old man but I don’t know what he thinks we can do about it. We’ve strict orders not to interfere with civilians unless specifically asked by local government.”

David remained silent as the boy came closer. Twenty meters away and David suddenly rammed his foot on the accelerator. He spun in his seat and glared out of the rear of the vehicle making sure the way was clear. The gears shrieked in protest and the wheels spun in the gravel, kicking up clouds of dust in the loose dirt. The boy hurtled nearer, legs pounding, arms pumping. Ten meters away and his robes caught in the wind again. This time they lifted higher and James opened his eyes wide in horror as he saw the thick black belt circling the boy’s waist and chest.

“Go! Go! Go!” He bellowed at David but the car hit a pothole and dipped hard almost bouncing them from their seats.

David smashed the accelerator into the floor but the wheels just spun in the dirt again. He rammed the gears into first and turned back to face the front. He hit the accelerator again, desperate to shift the vehicle but it was too late. The boy was upon them.

“Aw fuck!” He yelled just before the teenager vaporised in a blinding flash of white light that blew through the front of the armoured car, lifting it from the ground and throwing it backwards along the dirt road.

They landed facing forwards into a narrow ditch at the side of the road, smoke pouring from the engine. Steve groaned as he scrambled out of the smashed rear window. He landed face down in the gritty dirt, spitting it out furiously as he began shouting into his radio. Sean and Pete followed him, limping and wiping blood from their faces as they took up guard positions either side of the wrecked armoured car.

Coughing in the thick smoke, Steve finished relaying their co-ordinates and began tugging at the driver’s door but it was crumpled and wedged firmly shut. He ran to the other side of the vehicle as flames began licking from under the warped bonnet. He braced his foot against the side of the car and pulled the door hard. It creaked open almost a foot. He reached inside using his shoulders to force the door open more and unclipped James’s safety harness. James screamed as Steve hauled him from his seat. Shattered bones protruded from his torn and bloody combat trousers. Steve dragged him further along the ditch, keeping low as bullets suddenly whizzed over-head. He turned back to the car and then began to run forwards as the flames grew higher.

“Dave!” His shout was drowned out by a sudden whump and the bonnet flew up into the air. David writhed in the driver’s seat his mouth wide open issuing a silent scream as flames leapt up at his face. Ignoring the fire now belching from under the steering wheel Steve reached inside again but David’s legs were trapped in a mass of burning metal. Broken bones poked through torn flesh. Steve grabbed a blanket from the rear seat and smothered the flames that licked at David’s trousers. He shoved his hand under his armoured vest and inside his uniform. He closed his palm around a thick wooden handle and muttered a quick prayer of thanks to the Gods of foresight as David’s body began to shake.

“Get back. It’s going to blow! Leave me!” David screamed at his friend and his head dropped onto his chest as his face twisted into a mask of agony but Steve suddenly launched himself forwards. He lifted David’s chin in his hand. Their eyes met.

“Sorry Dave, but you are going to have to forgive me!” Steve yelled and then with every ounce of strength he had left, he punched David squarely on the jaw.

Chapter Two

The beeping was driving him mad. He lay staring up at the ceiling unable to move. He gritted his teeth as he fumed.

He’d woken to the blasted sound what felt like hours ago but time was playing tricks on him and he was unsure exactly how long he lay there waiting for someone to come and turn the damned thing off. Now it was grating on his nerves as much as finding himself unable to move.

He hated lying about doing nothing and was desperate to get out of what appeared to be a very narrow bed. The constant regular beep came from somewhere above his head but something held him trapped and stopped him moving to see how to turn the dratted thing off.

He lay there seething, something numbing rational thought even as he tried to figure out where he was. Nothing looked familiar. Nothing looked remotely normal. Nothing sounded normal either. It was way too quiet. None of the normal lurid banter, no sounds of engines being run, no Commander Richards yelling his head off. If it hadn’t been for the constant beeping and some odd purring sound the place would have been like a morgue.

David took a deep breath and counted to a hundred. He found that if he concentrated hard he could tap his finger in time with his counting. Good, something was returning to near normal. He began to think of songs, tried humming one. He moved his foot in rhythm with the beat but it felt uncomfortable. Pins and needles prickled the soles of his feet. He twisted them this way and that, trying to get some circulation back into them but the sensation just wouldn’t go, in fact it was getting worse, rising up his calves and into his knees. He needed to move, to get out of the damned bed. He couldn’t lie there a moment longer. He willed himself to sit up but tubes appeared to drag him back into the bed. He fought them for a few seconds and then gave up. There were too many and they appeared to be stuck firmly all over his body.

God damn it! This was intolerable!

The purring sound caught his attention again. It stopped for a second and then restarted. It was oddly familiar and he wondered for a moment if there was a cat in the room with him. He opened his mouth and stretched his jaw but winced as his dry lips immediately cracked. He ran a sandpaper tongue over the split and tasted blood. He swallowed a few times to get some saliva going. His whole mouth felt like a doormat.

Had he been drinking? Had they finished the tour and been out celebrating?

He couldn’t remember it if he had. He pulled in another frustrated breath and found that he could now turn his head slightly. He searched the room for the feline sound.

Masses of dark hair tumbled over slumped, slender shoulders. He could see a tiny glimmer of sparkle in the shiny mass of hair. Ellen’s favourite jewel; a hairclip he had given her many years ago. Her shoulders shuddered gently and he smiled as he recognized his sister’s familiar snore. She’d breathed heavily during her sleep even when she was tiny. Now she sounded like a contented cat. He pitied her boyfriend Justin for a moment and wondered how the guy ever slept with that racket going on, before he almost choked at the uncomfortable thought. Ellen was quite grown up enough to sleep with whomever she liked but that didn’t mean that David had to be happy about it and he certainly wasn’t happy about her going to bed with Justin. The guy was a complete creep, a money grabbing arsehole and David was going to get up and tell Ellen so right now.

He let out a strangled grunt as the tubes restricted his movements yet again.

“For God’s sake let me out of this bloody bed!” He yelled in frustration at anyone who might hear his plea.

Ellen’s head jolted up and she stared, pale faced and wide eyed at her brother.

“David? Shh. Relax until I can call someone to help you.” She stood up stiffly and ran her fingers through her tangled hair, tugging at the clip as she walked to the door. A woman in uniform stood just outside and she came forwards quickly as Ellen beckoned her.

David glared at the woman as she rushed forwards and pressed a firm hand to his straining chest.

“Jesus woman, let me out of this bloody bed. My feet are killing me with pins and needles. I need to get up and walk about.”

The nurse ignored his words and pressed her lips together as she checked a bag hanging at his side. She turned a small red switch as she checked the tube that led into David’s arm.

“Now Captain Phillips, I don’t want you straining yourself. You are going to need a lot of rest before we can even think about you getting out of this bed so you may as well start now. Lay back down immediately.”

David fumed as the woman checked some charts. He wasn’t going to lie there and be told what to do by some unknown woman.

“I just want to get my circulation going. I’m in agony with pins and needles.”

The nurse flicked the red switch.

“Okay, I’ve given you another half dose for the pain, but you really should try to go back to sleep. We can’t fit you with legs until you’re healed and the only way you’re going to do that is if you rest, so the sooner you do that the sooner we can get you out of bed.” She pulled the sheet up over his now exposed chest.

David tore the sheet off again. He wasn’t going to be ordered about by a woman he’d never met before.

“Stop being so bloody patronising. There’s nothing wrong with me. I just need to move. Tell her Ellen.” He frowned angrily at his silent sister but pain suddenly lanced through his face. He lifted his now fully functioning hand and touched his cheek. It was covered in what felt like a thick bandage and he suddenly noticed that he could only see out of one eye. “What the fuck is going on?” He pressed his fingertips to his face. The layers of gauze wound around his head, covering one eye and most of his hair. He gasped as heated razors flayed his skin. He breathed out slowly as he dropped his hand to his side.

Ellen came forwards. Her normally beautiful face was etched with lines of worry and pain. There were dark circles under her unusually red rimmed eyes that contrasted with her almost white complexion.

“David please. Lie back and I’ll explain.” There was a tremor in her tone and David felt panic begin to rise. Something was seriously wrong. Ellen’s whole face was puffy. It looked as though she’d been crying for hours. His mind immediately leapt to Justin.

“Ellen, what’s wrong? You’ve been crying,” he accused. “Has that prat gone and done something to you? I’ll kill him if he’s hurt you.” He launched himself forwards and then stopped as something felt horribly wrong. His balance was off and he scrabbled at the sheets. He pressed his hands to the bed and tried to swivel but he couldn’t gain any purchase. He floundered around as he felt himself toppling to one side. “What the fuck!” He yelled as the sheet slipped further down his stomach. The nurse grabbed his shoulders and steadied him. Ellen dragged the sheet back over him but it was too late. His mouth fell open as he stared at where his legs should be. The sheet was flat across the bed. His chin came up and he glared at Ellen. “Is this a dream? Am I drugged up so much I can’t see my legs? What kind of fucking joke is this?”

Ellen shook her head as a trail of salty tears dripped down her already red raw cheeks. She gulped audibly before she spoke in a voice wracked with sorrow.

“No David. It’s no joke. It’s not funny at all. I never felt less like laughing in my entire life,” she said seriously as she took his hand and lifted it to her face. She tilted her head and pressed her lips to his palm before she turned his hand over and looked at his strong fingers as they clasped tightly around hers. She took a deep breath and raised her eyes to his. “Your team were blown up. Some warlord forced a teenager to commit suicide. They wired him into a belt loaded with explosives. Your vehicle caught fire and Steve had to pull you out of the burning wreckage. You were trapped David. There wasn’t time to do anything else.” She paused and swallowed hard. “He had to cut off your legs before you burned to death.” She closed her eyes and stood there silently as the tears dripped from her chin.

David stared at her.

He could feel his heartbeat quickening in his chest. He swallowed and shook his head, determinedly ignoring the searing pain that ran up his face again as he tried to hold back hollow laugh.

“Don’t be so daft, I can feel them. My feet have pins and needles. You’re telling me a load of crap. This is a dream and I am going to wake up right now!” He closed his eyes for a few seconds but he could suddenly smell diesel fumes and burning flesh. In a flash of flaming agony he remembered being trapped in his vehicle, Steve shouting at him and apologising before raising his clenched fist…He gulped and then opened his eyes again. His gaze wandered around the room. Nothing had changed.

Ellen, nurse, tubes, machines, drips, bags of fluid, beeping, breathing, heartbeat banging hard in his own chest.

For a moment he could almost hear his own blood as it raced through his veins when Ellen didn’t smile. She stared into his one eye before her gaze flicked lower over the sheet.

He dared to look down past his waist. Nothing past mid-thigh raised the sheet. A vast sea of white sheet covered bed lay flatly before him. He had to be hallucinating. He looked back up at Ellen as fear gripped his heart and squeezed hard. She shook her head back at him as more tears chased down her cheeks. He took one more look at the bed before reality struck him.

“Aw, fuck!” He said sadly and passed out.

Chapter Three

Ellen rounded on the shop assistant furiously.

“What do you mean, you have to go and find the key? Why is the door locked in the first place?”

A fiery red flush rose into the assistant’s already crimson cheeks.

“Company policy, madam. All sorts use it otherwise. I won’t be a moment.” The woman walked briskly towards a grey door.

David tried to disappear into the seat of his wheelchair as Ellen paced up and down outside the disabled toilet door. He’d just about had enough of the day. If it hadn’t been her birthday he would have flatly refused to go out.

“We shouldn’t have come. It’s my own fault. I shouldn’t have let you persuade me. We could have waited until my legs are fitted,” he grumbled into his chest.

Ellen narrowed her eyes at him as she lifted her chin high.

“You are not sitting in that bloody house a moment longer, and neither am I. It’s like a prison.”

David glared up at her.

“I don’t know what you are moaning about. You can go out whenever you like. It’s not you sat in this chair unable to do a damned thing. It’s bloody humiliating having to sit outside a toilet door when you’re busting for a pee, I can tell you.”

Ellen nearly stamped her foot in frustration. This was only their second attempt at a real outing. They had walked up to the local park a couple of times just to get some fresh air but this was their first real venture outside their house.

The previous time she hadn’t counted as they had only made it as far as the bus stop. The bus’s electronic lowered step had jammed and they had given up and gone back home after discovering that the following bus’s wheelchair space had already been taken. It had taken her another month to persuade David to venture outside again and then only because she had swapped her sports car and bought a huge four wheel drive vehicle that would fit him and his wheelchair comfortably.

Now the day was ruined again.

“You wouldn’t be waiting outside if the door was open already, you wouldn’t be desperate and you wouldn’t be humiliated. It’s a bloody joke! It’s not as though anyone else has to ask to go to the loo. This is a department store for goodness sake,” she fumed as David closed his eyes and concentrated on anything but his desperate need for the loo.

Minutes passed. Ellen paced. David opened his eyes again.

He twisted in his chair and willed the woman to come back with the key very soon. The situation had long passed being a joke.

He caught sight of young boy standing by the lift with his parents. The boy stared at David and his mother stared too. She pulled her child closer to her side as she looked him up and down. David rolled his eyes, wondering if she thought he was some kind of monster just because his face was messed up. He puffed out a breath of air. She was probably right. Every time he had the misfortune to see his own reflection he thought exactly the same.

Funny thing was that kids didn’t normally seem to mind so much. The few that he’d come into contact with at the local park were obviously just curious. Some had asked him what had happened and, wanting to avoid the dreadful truth at all costs, he told them daft stories of wild heroics on burning pirate ships or of battles with intergalactic alien federations. They had all been most impressed, not frightened at all of his misshapen face and missing limbs. They had all rushed off excitedly to act out their own daring heroics while limping wildly and pulling ferocious, twisted faces.

He now glowered back at the rude woman and resisted poking his tongue out at her. She shuddered and turned back to her husband as the child grinned and gave him a thumbs up just before the lift doors opened and swallowed the family.

The grey swing door beside them opened again and the assistant returned at last, followed by two burly men. She ignored David completely and rushed up to Ellen.

“I am so sorry. I hope we’re not too late. The key appears to have disappeared.” She gave a nervous laugh. “Ivan and Jack have volunteered to come and give a hand. They can carry your brother into the normal toilets as the doors are not wide enough for the chair.” She smiled widely at her solution to the problem and glanced down at David. She bent her knees slightly and stared right at him before she spoke loudly. “You won’t mind Ivan and Jack helping you go to the toilet will you, dear?”

David blanched for a confused second. He knew he wasn’t much to look at but he was clean, tidy and well shaven. Did she honestly think him both daft and deaf just because of a few scars? She smiled stupidly at him as he raised an eyebrow. He lifted a hand and stuck his little finger in his ear. He waggled it about a bit and then dropped it back into his lap. He looked up at the woman and spoke just as loudly back to at her.

“No, I won’t mind at all so long as they help right now. I’m afraid I am nearly past the point of no return so if you would kindly just press the button for the lift we might be able to get this over with without informing the rest of the entire store that I need to urinate urgently!” He made no effort to hide his sarcasm and the woman’s sickly smile dropped immediately. She stood up straight again.

“Oh, sorry. I assumed you couldn’t…Never mind. Ivan, Jack…Please assist this gentleman upstairs. I must inform management about the key. We can’t possibly have this happen again. I do beg your pardon.” She gave a quick nod as the two men moved forwards.

Ellen’s shoulders slumped in relief as the lift bell sounded.

“We’re meant to be meeting Justin. He’ll probably be along any second. I’ll wait down here, shall I?” she would never leave him unless her being there would embarrass him more.

David glanced up at the two men. They looked strong enough to lift him at least. Although there wasn’t so much of him, he still weighed a fair bit. He looked back to Ellen and grimaced.

“Yes, please do. I can’t bear the thought of how we are going to get this to work and I would rather you didn’t have to share the mortification that this is no doubt going to bring about. I’ll get these guys to bring me back down as soon as I’m done and I’ll see you by the main doors.”

Ellen nodded and walked off between the racks of clothing.

David looked back up at the two men.

“Sorry guys.” He spoke quietly.

“No problem. It’s not your fault mate,” the taller of the two responded. “And sorry about the floor manager too. Apart from being a rude cow she should have the key on her at all times. She won’t let anyone near the damn thing when she’s working. It’s like the disabled toilet is her personal domain. We’ll set up an investigation and get it sorted. It won’t happen again.” He steered the wheelchair into the lift as his colleague followed along behind them.

Ellen walked to the front of the shop and meandered between the clothes nearest the door. The whole day had been ruined. She was tired and angry. After months of sitting indoors with a nearly helpless and very angry big brother she had almost forced him into this trip. If it hadn’t been her birthday she wouldn’t have insisted and he probably wouldn’t have come. All the humiliation could have been avoided.

She stood and stared at some dresses. They were pretty enough but she couldn’t be bothered to look through them. Fashion was the last thing on her mind. She was so glad that she’d called a halt to the boutique plans two days after David had been injured. The whole venture suddenly seemed so ridiculous. Justin still moaned about it but Ellen couldn’t care less about clothes. She couldn’t care less about the sports car either. She had exchanged it for a huge MPV after the bus incident. She’d chosen something practical, a car that would hold a wheelchair easily and have doors that opened wide enough to allow a stubborn and sometimes very caustic Captain through with some ease.

So much had changed in the last few months. Nothing would ever be the same but when she thought about it she wasn’t really sure that she wanted everything exactly how it had been before…Obviously wished with every fibre of her body that David was still whole and happy but his awful injuries had made her look at her own life very differently.

Everything had happened so quickly. Some days she woke barely able to breathe. The money left to them by their great aunt had changed both their lives immeasurably but she now she could see why the old lady had kept the news of her multi million pound lottery win a secret. All that cash altered people, not always for the better. Their young cousin for one, still not happy and threatening them with going to court even after being given a million pounds. She hated to admit it but she suspected Justin might have changed too.

She had thought that their relationship might be coming to an end. He’d stood her up on a few occasions and been distracted when they had gone out but he’d suddenly begun to make an enormous effort and selected a stunning diamond ring after he proposed. Maybe he had just been nervous before he declared that he wanted to be with her forever. She had been so swept up in the excitement of his proposal she quite dismissed from her mind that she had purchased her own ring.

A tall, elegantly dressed man stood just outside the main door of the shop. He stared at his own reflection in the side window for a few seconds and then ran a fingertip along his eyebrow. Ellen rolled her eyes as Justin caught sight of her watching him. He grinned and pushed through the doors. He bent and kissed her on the cheek.

“Hi darling. Happy birthday!” He held out an envelope towards her and she smiled as she took it, glad that he’d actually remembered it was her special day.

“Thanks. It was good of you to meet us here.” She lifted the flap and pulled out her card. Pretty flowers covered the front. Justin had signed the inside and decorated it with flamboyant hearts. He looked down at her.

“I feel bad about not getting you a present, Ellen but I have no idea what to buy you. It all seems so daft now you can buy just about anything you want for yourself.” He took hold of her hand and began to turn back out of the shop.

She stiffened slightly and stopped short of the doors.

“I’m waiting for David. He’s upstairs in the loo. Would you believe that the door for the disabled toilet was locked and then they couldn’t find the blasted key? Two staff have had to help him use the public toilet upstairs. So humiliating! I’ve no idea how long they’re going to be.” Her frustration was audible in her tone as she looked back over the racks of clothes towards the lift.

Justin pulled in a sharp breath.

“David’s here with you? You mean he’s actually left the house? Are you sure that’s wise? People are bound to make assumptions and are sure to stare. It might be best to keep him out of the public eye a while longer, at least until he’s had some limbs fitted and had a session with that make-up artist.” He looked decidedly uncomfortable.

Ellen took a step back from her fiancé and looked up into his handsome face. There was a muscle twitching at the side of his jaw but she didn’t care about that. Justin’s words were beyond cruel.

“He’s not going to live as a recluse just because he has a few scars, Justin. He lost his legs not his marbles and his face will get better over time. The grafts have only just taken. He’s still really sore but he can’t sit indoors all the time. He’s an intelligent, active man. It’s driving him crazy staring at the same four walls every day.” She spoke more sharply than she meant to. Justin hadn’t yet come to terms with David’s injuries but apparently that wasn’t unusual. David’s counsellor had told them it was normal for people to be afraid of something so severe. Ellen was sure Justin would be fine about it all in time. He had to be. It wasn’t as if the situation was going to change anytime soon.

She had been surprised herself how quickly she had become used to the way David looked. The scars had been a shock at first but now he just looked like her brother again. She barely even thought about his injuries except when they were flung in her face as they had been earlier that day. “Anyway, he’s coming to lunch with us. He really needs to start getting out and I thought my birthday celebration would be a good time for him to start. I phoned ahead to the wine bar. They are making sure there’s enough space for his chair.”

Justin ran a finger around his collar and glanced over Ellen’s shoulder across the racks of clothes. There was still no sign of her brother. He looked back down at Ellen and moved her away from the shop doors where there were not so many people passing.

“That’s something I wanted to talk to you about. I’m afraid old Craddock is being a pain. I have to get straight back to the office. A big client is flying in from America and I have to be there.”

Ellen’s shoulders slumped.

“Oh Justin! Why today? Can’t you make an excuse? I wanted you to be here for lunch. David needs your support and so do I. He needs to regain his confidence and having lunch just like normal people would really help. Can’t you try just for me?” she pleaded.

Justin cleared his throat and glanced around the store again.

“We can go out tonight. There’s that fabulous new Italian just outside town and I’ve booked it already especially.” His expression had lightened markedly.

Ellen sighed deeply.

“But David will probably be too tired by then. Today’s his first real trip out apart from going to the hospital or the local park. I should stay home with him tonight in case he needs me.”

Justin rolled his eyes. His fists balled at his sides in frustration.

“For goodness sake Ellen. He’s not a baby. He can use his emergency buzzer if he needs anything. The restaurant is only a phone call away. Look, we haven’t had a night out together for weeks. It’s your birthday and I want to do something special. I also want to talk to you about an idea I have, something exciting but I want to speak to you alone about it.”

Ellen looked up at him warily. She was pleased that he’d thought to book somewhere for them but was worried about this possible new idea.

“I’m not going back to the designer boutique idea. That was stupid, just so shallow. I don’t know what I was even thinking of. There are hundreds of exactly the same types of shop all over the country already and I don’t think we need any more of them. I want to do something for people like David.” There was a stubborn set to her jaw.

Justin knew when to back off. He held up his hands in defeat.

“I know that…this is just something a bit different that I wanted to bounce off you. It’s to do with your idea, sort of a spin off but I can’t discuss it with you now. Look, I have to get back to work. I’ll pick you up at eight…and dress nice. The place isn’t full of the usual riff raff.” He bent quickly and kissed her on the nose before strode out of the automatic doors.

Ellen watched him disappear into the crowded street as she shoved her birthday card into her bag. She knew that she shouldn’t be disappointed. She had said no to presents anyway but she had hoped that he might splash out on some flowers. Oh well, there was always their dinner date. Perhaps he would bring some along then. A cough interrupted her thoughts and she spun around to find David grinning lopsidedly up at her.

“I scared the prat off then…Good, now we can have your birthday lunch in peace.” He sounded happier than he had done all morning.

Ellen took a deep, calming breath.

“He’s trying David. He’s just not comfortable with the situation. You know what he’s like. Everything has to be perfect.”

David raised what was left of his eyebrows.

“Huh! Well it’s not like I can do much about my situation…I’m not a bloody starfish so I won’t be growing any more legs anytime soon and I wasn’t perfect before all this happened but he was fine with me then. Well, almost fine. He’s always been a bit of a jerk. I don’t know why you put up with him.” He rolled his wheelchair towards the automatic doors and Ellen followed him, smiling tightly as people moved out of the way.

“He’s okay normally David. He was just a bit put out today. He was going to join us but something important came up at the office. We’re going out for dinner tonight instead. You can come if you’d like.”

David snorted as they left the shop and wheeled himself out into the street.

“Don’t be daft woman. If you want to go out with him then that’s your problem but don’t involve me. I’m just glad he is busy this lunchtime. I’m less likely to suffer from indigestion now.”

Ellen slapped his shoulder gently as they moved slowly through the busy shopping precinct.

“I booked Bar 72 for lunch. It has a nice casual atmosphere and the food’s good too. I think you’ll like it.”

David laughed.

“I’ll like anywhere so long as they serve decent beer.” He looked up at his sister as she began to protest.

“But you can’t have…” She shut up as he drew to a stop in the middle of the walkway and interrupted her.

“Ellen, I haven’t had a beer in months. I was dying for one before all this shit happened. You can’t deprive me now, especially as I want to toast you on your birthday…come on, go easy on me, I’ve bought you a special present,” he cajoled her with sparkling blue eyes.

She sighed and relented.

“Okay, but don’t you dare moan at me if it upsets your stomach. You’re still on those antibiotics and they won’t work if you mess about with alcohol.” She motioned for him to move again.

David groaned and pushed the wheels of the chair forwards.

“If a flipping bomb didn’t kill me, I can’t imagine that a pint of beer will have much effect. My leg only became infected because there was a shard of metal left in it.” The skin on his thigh was still sore but it had improved no end in the last week.

Ellen held back a shudder at the thought of what he had been through and walked proudly along the high street beside him as they both ignored the stares some people gave them.

They reached the wine bar and David waited as she held the door open.

Their first problem arose as David wheeled himself towards the bar. It was obvious that his chair was far too low and the bar far too high. He couldn’t even see if there was anyone behind it to assist them. He sighed as Ellen moved forwards and confirmed their reservation.

Their second difficulty arrived in the shape of an over attentive waiter. Over attentive to Ellen. He spoke to her as though David barely existed, as though he sat behind a glass screen, seen but unhearing and unheard.

“Would the gentleman be more comfortable at the back of the restaurant? There’s slightly more space and there’s a table right beside the toilets.”

Ellen looked pointedly at David and David answered the man.

“No, the gentleman would not like to sit by the loo while he eats his lunch. He’s fine here near the window.”

The waiter raised his eyebrows and spoke to Ellen again.

“We can arrange for any of the dishes on the menu to be…er altered to suit, I mean mashed or pureed if need be.”

Even Ellen looked surprised at that remark. She looked at David again

David answered once more, this time there was a slight hiss to his tone.

“That won’t be necessary, thank you. Rather amazingly my teeth are just fine.” He snapped them together and they made a satisfyingly loud clack.

The waiter pursed his lips and spoke to Ellen yet again.

“I’ll bring you a straw for his drink too.”

Was this guy for real? David actually laughed aloud this time and didn’t wait for Ellen to look at him.

“Put a pink paper umbrella and a slice of pineapple in it at the same time will you.”

Ellen giggled behind her hand but the waiter looked slightly shocked. He spoke icily.

“I was only trying to help.” At least he aimed his words at David directly this time but David was past appreciation.

“Yes, well I have had all the help I can take for today. A beer and a steak pie with chips for me and a bottle of champagne and the club sandwich for my sister would be lovely thanks, oh and a side of onion rings too thanks…We’ll call you over if we need anything else.”

Ellen nodded in agreement of the order as the waiter couldn’t help but look to her for confirmation.

“Two glasses with the champagne?” he enquired haughtily of Ellen.

David shook his head.

“Just one thanks, I’m having beer. We’ll take the rest of the bottle with us if we don’t drink it.” He shook his head in wonder as the man walked back to the bar. “What is it with some people? Do I look as though I am stupid or have gone completely ga ga? I tell you Ellen, I can’t stand much more of this. I want to make that appointment to see the prosthetics guy as soon as we get home. Everyone seems to think my brains were housed in my bloody kneecaps!”

Ellen agreed with him.

“I had no idea how much this kind of thing affected people. They’re not being unkind as such, but it’s grating in the extreme. I wonder if this happens to everyone in your position? To be honest it helps me with my decision. I know that I’m doing the right thing now.” She stopped speaking as the waiter returned with their drinks. Fortunately he hadn’t bothered with either the straw or David’s other more colourful suggestions.

David reached for his beer and stared at it appreciatively. He gazed at the dewy condense rolling slowly down the side of the glass and then took a long sniff at the frothy white head. He licked his lips before he took a tiny sip.

“Ahhh! That tastes like a slice of heaven,” his satisfaction was palpable as he smacked his lips. He took a longer swallow and then put his glass back on the table. If he was only having one pint he certainly wasn’t going to glug it. He wanted to have his legs fitted as soon as practically possible and couldn’t bear the thought of any delay caused by his own stupidity. He looked up at Ellen. “So what did you decide?”

Ellen smiled as she bent to her handbag and pulled out some papers.

“I’ve been dying to show you,” she spoke excitedly as she spread them on the table.

David turned them to face him and peered down at the photographs, stunned beyond belief.

“Wow, they’re impressive! Well, I wasn’t expecting anywhere nearly as spectacular as that. Where are these places?” He leafed through the papers with interest.

Ellen looked smug.

“France. We can’t afford anywhere big enough here in England even if we used all our money, but Brittany is only just across the Channel and there appear to be several suitable places there at less than a tenth of the cost. Property prices are nowhere near as expensive as here. Something to do with their tax laws if you try to sell and make a profit. I’ll need to look into it further but I think it would be more of a holiday if people have to travel a bit. There are good connections to the ferry ports and unlike here the actual places are big enough for adaptions for disabilities. I’m going to make some appointments as soon as you are back on your feet, so to speak.”

David looked admiringly at his sister.

“You don’t have to do this you know. However cheap these places are it’s going to take a big chunk out of your inheritance to put everything in place. I don’t want you to feel you have to do this because of me.”

Ellen shrugged. When she had first seen the money on her bank balance she had screamed delightedly and ran about the house waving her statement in the air but now it meant next to nothing to her personally. Nearly losing her only brother had soon brought her back to her senses. She leaned over the table and touched his hand briefly.

“I’m not doing it because of you but I might not have thought of it if you hadn’t been injured. This is going to be such a brilliant place.” She looked down at the pictures again and ran her finger across one of them. She lifted her chin and smiled at her brother. “What do I want all those millions for? I’ve stashed a fair bit away anyway, plenty to last me more than a lifetime. The rest I want to use for something worthwhile. Today’s experience has only made me more determined to make it come true.” She paused again and folded the papers away as her club sandwich and David’s pie arrived.

David picked up his serviette and placed it across his lap.

“You won’t be doing this on your own Ellen but I can’t help you just yet. I don’t know what’s going to happen to me or how my contract’s going to be affected. Officially I’m still employed by Her Majesty and I’ve another eighteen months left before I’m released from my contract. Moneywise I’m with you all the way, though realistically I’ll probably have to keep back a bit more than you as I don’t know exactly how much this is going to cost in the long run.” He picked up his fork and waved it in the general direction of his missing legs.

Ellen blew on a hot onion ring.

“I checked up on your compensation. That should be through soon and you’ll get a pension anyway but I don’t want you to feel you have to do this with me. You’ll probably want to stay here, find a wife and raise a family as soon as you leave the Army.” She popped the crisp, savoury batter into her mouth.

David nearly choked on his mouthful of pie crust. He managed to stop the pastry spraying across the table with his snatched up napkin. His eyes watered as he forced himself not to cough and he waved Ellen back as she looked as though she was going to come around the table to slap him on his back. The last thing he wanted was the waiter rushing to take over and give him the Heimlich manoeuvre.

He took another sip of beer before he spoke in a hissed whisper.

“You have to be joking! Do you think any woman is ever going to look at me now Ellen? I didn’t rate my chances much before all this, now I don’t have a hope in hell. I’ll be lucky if I can pay a prostitute to…to, well you know what I mean. Jeez, Ellen. I’m only half a man.” He tried to hold back the bitterness but it wasn’t easy. Most days he wished Steve had let him burn to death in that pit of hell.

Ellen looked right back at him. She narrowed her eyes.

“Don’t be so negative. You’re no different to before and you had plenty of girlfriends then. They won’t abandon you just because you have a few scars.”

David stared at her disbelievingly. She was so supportive, her attitude so positive but he couldn’t agree with her on this. He knew that the mass of scars on his face looked terrible and even the thought of the red, shiny stumps that had once been his legs, would put off the most forgiving heart. He didn’t even want to hope that a woman could see past his deformities. It would never happen and he couldn’t face having his heart ripped from his body again by even thinking of what could have been. It had been bad enough when he discovered that his legs were gone.

“Be realistic Ellen. Would you want a guy with only half a face and no legs? It’s a bit off-putting to say the least.” He hid his emotions behind his beer glass.

Ellen shrugged dismissively.

“I want a man not his legs. I don’t care at all that your legs have gone or that your face is just a bit different now, your heart is in the same place it always was. You are the same person you were before, maybe an even better one.”

David shook his head and smiled gently at her. She had said it to him so many times during his recovery already, he knew that he would never be able to sway her opinion now. There wasn’t a bad bone in his sister’s body. Her loyalty was absolute and he certainly wasn’t going to argue the point on her birthday. He dug into his pocket and brought out a slim box wrapped in silver paper and tied with a bow. He pushed it across the table towards her.

“Happy birthday Ellen. I’m really glad that I’m still here to give this to you. I had it made especially.”

Ellen blinked over at him. She hadn’t realized that he meant an actual gift when he spoke of a birthday present for her. She had thought he might buy them their lunch and hadn’t expected anything at all as he’d been far too ill to buy a present himself. She picked up the box and turned it over curiously. It was small but unexpectedly heavy. She pulled the end of the ribbon. The bow slid undone and the wrapping uncurled. She lifted the lid of the box and gasped as white fire leapt out at her.

The diamond encrusted bow sparkled in the light sending rainbows of colour shooting in all directions. She brushed her fingers across the top of the shimmering jewel.

“Oh David! It’s beautiful, and an exact copy of the one I’m wearing. However did you manage to find one the same?”

David leaned forwards. He reached out and pulled the bow shaped clip from her hair before he picked the one out of the box.

“I commissioned it months ago, just after our money came through and before all this…this crap happened to me. I noticed the stones were falling out of your old one and as it’s just a cheap paste thing I decided to have a real one made for you. You’ve had that grotty old one for years, since I signed up and left home. It was my going away present to you if I remember rightly. But now I can afford something better I thought you could do with something a bit more up market. The diamonds are set in platinum and apparently they are all perfect blue whites. It was a devil getting the exact copy. The shops don’t stock them any longer and you never leave the old one off for long enough for me to photograph. I ended up taking a sneaky picture of you wearing it when I was last on leave and the jeweller managed to design it from that.”

Ellen looked up at him as he caught the new clip into her hair. Tears sparkled in her eyes. They were nearly as bright as the diamonds.

“The original is my most treasured possession. It was my link to you while you were on tour all those times. I’ll never throw it away but this new one is even more special now. Thanks David. It’s the perfect birthday gift.”  She came around the table and kissed him on his scarred cheek.

He picked up his beer and clinked her champagne glass in celebration, glad that she liked his surprise. It was as unique as she was herself.

Chapter Four

Dear God! He had no idea it would be so difficult. He puffed out before he took a calming breath in again and counted to ten as the physiotherapist beamed at his painful attempts.

“This is agony. I’m being rubbed raw,” he moaned under his breath as he wobbled towards the chair.

The man obviously heard him.

“Let me take a look. We can nearly always do something about chaffing. You may need to wear another set of socks over your thighs. Sit down and rest for a moment while I take a look.” He waited while David sat and struggled with the cups on his thighs. He leaned forwards and showed David the clip he had missed. “There’s no time limit on learning how to use these things, you know. You shouldn’t be so hard on yourself. Walking takes some practise. It’s much harder work than with your own legs because you’ve no muscle to help you and you have to make a conscious effort. You seem to have your balance now at any rate and seeing how fit you are, I bet you’ll be running around in no time.” He smiled encouragingly again and David resisted the urge to shout in frustration; the man was only trying to be positive.

“It might help if I couldn’t feel my own feet still. It’s like I’m treading on hot needles all the time and it’s driving me mad. I keep thinking that I’m imagining all this and they’re going to suddenly actually appear again.” He inspected the metal below his thighs as if expecting it to turn into flesh and bone.

Colin sympathized as he helped David remove the heavy, artificial limbs.

“Phantom limb syndrome; it’s a fairly common occurrence. There are a couple of easy tricks that might help. The mirror thing isn’t going to work with you seeing that you’ve lost both limbs but you could try to imagine scrunching up your toes and releasing them a few times a day. Make sure you put ice packs around the injury sites every night before you go to bed too. If it carries on we’ll book you some appointments with a counsellor. She’ll have some other suggestions.” He wiped the inside of the leg cups and then rolled down David’s leg socks before examining his sore thighs. “Give it a go while I find you another set of socks. Wearing two pairs will reduce the friction.”

David sat and rolled his eyes at the thought of scrunching toes that weren’t there but lacking any other brilliant ideas he gave it a try. He imagined curling his non existent feet, before he stretched them out and then tried it again. He looked up, slightly shocked as the pain disappeared for a few seconds. He carried on wriggling his imaginary toes then tried scrunching again and experienced the first pain free moments he’d had for months.

“It can’t be that simple surely?” He asked when Colin returned with an extra pair of surgical socks.

Colin laughed as he rolled the socks onto David’s thighs.

“Blame your brain. It can’t help it apparently. It doesn’t recognize that your legs are no longer there. You know that the pain can’t be there because you can see that you have no limbs but your brain hasn’t yet accepted that fact so it feels as if your feet and legs are actually hurting. Don’t worry, no one thinks you’re going mad. It’s real pain, not imagined. Everyone says this sort of phantom feeling is one of the worst things about losing a limb.”

David grunted miserably.

“Well, it’s painful that’s for sure but I’m not certain it is the worst thing actually. I just feel like shit all the time. If I didn’t have a sister who would do anything for me I probably would have cut my own throat before now. I’ve been a grumpy bastard with her and she’s not bitten back once yet.” He wasn’t joking and the physiotherapist knew it.

“Everyone goes through that stage and it’s no good me saying anything to try and make you feel better about yourself because it won’t work. I know that you lot get training and pre conflict counselling but nothing can prepare you for the shock of something as severe as this. You are lucky that your sister is so supportive but going out or getting back to work will help too. Feeling useless is the worst thing ever. You need to have purpose in life, everyone does. It makes you feel that you are worthwhile. Have you had any word from your regiment?”

David nodded and then grinned.

“They’ve offered me a desk job for a start. I can go back anytime I feel ready. To be honest I can’t wait. I’m missing all the general camaraderie and I want to go back soon so that Ellen can move on with her own life. She’s given up nearly everything to support me. I honestly don’t know what I would have done without her but she needs to move on as much as I do.”

Colin nodded. Family support was so important but at some point you had to let go and get on with it yourself.

“Family can try and smother you sometimes but I’ve met your sister. She’s obviously a wonderful person, beautiful too. All the guys moon over her when she’s about.”

David raised his eyebrows as he noticed Colin’s wistful expression.

“She’s engaged you know.” David gritted his teeth over the words. He’d hardly been able to believe it when Ellen had turned up from a shopping trip in London with a huge diamond ring on her finger only a few weeks earlier.

Colin sighed audibly.

“Yes, to a flipping jerk by the looks of him. I saw him not so long back. He wouldn’t come in but stood outside preening himself as he looked at his own flipping reflection in the window. Makes me sick that he is so vain what with everything that goes on in here. How on earth did she end up with someone like him? Makes the mind boggle sometimes.”

David grunted in agreement and glanced up at the clock on the wall. Ellen wouldn’t be back for another half an hour. He turned back to Colin.

“She started going out with him when she was at university. He was alright back then I suppose. It’s as he’s grown older that he’s become an idiot. I swear he was going to chuck her last year but after we inherited from our great aunt he just hung around. I know he’s just after her money now but she was lonely with me away all the time and she’s not the sort to play the field. He’s just someone familiar and she won’t give him up yet but I think she’ll come to her senses soon. I’m pretty sure she won’t get married to him.” He crossed his fingers as he spoke. “She has a brilliant idea for a new business but Justin doesn’t agree with it. He thinks she’s wasting her time and money but I can’t see her backing down on it. I’m sure she’ll end it with him soon. That’s another reason I want to get back to work as soon as possible…She won’t go and set this venture up if I’m not sorted out so I need to practise getting by on my own.” He pulled his prosthetics back over what remained of his limbs and stood up carefully. He could immediately feel the difference with the two socks and he balanced himself before he took a step forwards.

Colin grinned encouragingly at him.

“There you go! Easy, don’t lean so far forwards. Now let’s just get you walking slowly again. Hold onto the bars until you’re confident. As I said, there’s no time limit on this. Some people take to it like a duck to water and others struggle. You have some of the best hydraulics in those legs but they’re not easy to get used to. Your thigh and buttock muscles are going to give you hell by tomorrow.”

David rolled his eyes and then winced as he placed one leg carefully in front of the other.

“Thanks, just what I needed to know. More pain.”

“It’ll get better as your upper thighs strengthen again. This is just a beginning. Remember, you were lying flat on your back for weeks and then you had months in a wheelchair. I know that you have kept reasonably fit but this is something else entirely, a whole new ball game. Prosthetics are no joke, they’re damned heavy and your thighs, glutes and stomach muscles are going to take up all the strain of that weight with no help. You’re going to need intensive physiotherapy over the next few weeks but you’ll soon see and feel a difference. You’ll feel better in yourself too once you’re back up to man height. Being four foot two rather than well over six feet can’t feel good. Wheelchairs don’t do much for your self-esteem either. All that conversing with belly buttons and crotches can become dull I’m told.”

David laughed aloud.

“You’re not wrong there. Ellen always sits when she talks to me but most people don’t even think about it and carry on chatting right over my head. I could make up a book about the different type of fly buttons and zips there are. I could also tell you a lot about some people’s underwear. Not what you want to see all the time, I can tell you. It’s most off-putting when you discover that your dentist wears Batman pants. It gives whole new meaning to the expression, ‘flying.’”

It was Colin’s turn to laugh.

“He doesn’t! Nice. I suppose that wearing Batman is better than wearing Robin but from now on, just in case I ever go ‘flying’ anytime, I’ll remember to make sure I’m wearing Iron Man undies at the very least!”

David nodded and waggled his eyebrows suggestively.

“Might as well give the ladies an idea of what to expect,” he grinned back at Colin and grunted as he reached the end of the bars. He steadied himself before he turned around to head back. Every step was an endurance test but he was not about to fail it.

Steve had saved both his and James’s lives that day, putting his own on the line as he had cut David from the wreckage of their burning vehicle. On a several occasions in the last months David had been less than grateful to his friend for that small service and in his lowest moments had even contemplated taking enough pain killers to end it all but now that he was feeling better and able to stand, he was thankful.

Seeing Ellen’s smiling face every time he came to the breakfast table was more than enough to tell him that she would have been devastated if he had died. He couldn’t bear the thought of how unhappy she might have been.

He took a determined breath and let go of the bar as he took his next step. It took an agonizingly long time to reach the other end of the supports but he made it. Several people in the room cheered him as the perspiration ran from his brow. He gave a little bow of his head and felt better than he had done for weeks. He could walk. Such a small thing that he’d always taken for granted, but he would never do so again. He lifted his head and looked around the room at some of the other amputees who attempted to reach their own goals. Some wore grimaces of pain etched on their faces, others had smiles of triumph, all encouraged their fellow patients as they sweated alongside each other.

He grinned at his own small achievement. It had been the hardest five-meter walk of his life but the world looked so much better from his normal height. He wasn’t scared any longer and he knew he wouldn’t give up. He could do this now. He would make it alongside so many others whose lives had been altered so irrevocably.

Two things had to be done immediately. Foremost was to find Steve and grovel for forgiveness. He had to tell him that he was grateful that his life had been saved. A blush of shame covered his features as he remembered shouting at his friend when he’d come to visit him as he recovered from his injuries. David rolled his eyes as his thoughts weighed heavily on him.

Christ! The man had risked his own life to save him, had suffered burns himself. It had been a bloody miracle that the guy was an expert with the vicious jungle knife he carried everywhere even though it wasn’t standard army issue.

Steve had understood the bitterness as David had yelled furiously that he should have let him die rather than make him live with half a body and a savagely burned face. The guy had stood stoically and taken every foul word, every caustic lament probably knowing that David would live to regret his ire soon enough. How right the man was. David would track him down as soon as he left that afternoon to make things right.

The second thing was to get back to work. Sitting about doing nothing wasn’t in his nature and the last months had just proved exactly how miserable it made him. He grinned again as he thought of what Ellen might say as he penned his job acceptance letter. He knew that she would be thrilled for him but he hoped that she would be thrilled for herself too. She could soon start on her business plan and he couldn’t wait to see exactly what she would come up with.

Chapter Five

“Ellen!” David bellowed into the dense forest while his friends unpacked the huge car and admired the majestic château at their backs. A few more minutes passed and he yelled out again. His voice echoed right back at him.

He ignored his friends’ shouts of astonishment at the magnificence of the old stone building while he waited for a response, worried that she wasn’t there to greet them. Gemma fooled about with Joe and Adam on the wide terrace at the front of the building while James kept pointing a blind Paul in the wrong direction. James howled with laughter as Paul fell into a pile of sand then nearly fell over himself as he tucked his crutches under his arm and hauled his friend from the gritty heap. They brushed each other off as they looked about the place. They had been standing around for more than ten minutes already.

The French château, nestled deep in the forest was beautiful, everything that Ellen had described and more. It was so atmospheric that he could almost smell the garlic in the air but he was distracted from taking any more notice of his fabulous surroundings by Ellen’s nonappearance. It was so unlike her to be late. She had been so keen for their visit that he was beginning to panic.

Joe stopped mucking about and let Adam find his way up the ramp before he walked over beside David. He put his hand on his friends shoulder.

“Stop worrying Dave. She’s just busy, probably gone to the market for fresh bread or something. Calm down, she’s sure to be back soon,” he reassured his friend quietly as he peered out from his pressure mask.

David frowned. Joe was probably right but Ellen was nothing if not punctual. He looked down at his watch and shook his head.

“She’d never be this late. I only spoke to her yesterday morning. She said that she would be right here. She was so excited about us coming and she was desperate to tell me some special news too but she didn’t want to reveal anything over the phone. Something’s happened to her, I know it. She said that she would be here waiting for us.” He was about to shout again when the bushes in front of them began to rustle violently. A few seconds later a red eyed Ellen blundered through the thick foliage.

“Sorry, sorry. I should have been here…” she gulped then stopped as David came up to her. He didn’t look at all happy.

“Ellen? What’s happened? You’ve been crying.” He accused as the others began to gather around.

“It’s nothing.” Ellen cuffed away the tears from her cheeks and waved her hand in dismissal but there was no way David would let it go. If she was crying then there was probably an excellent reason for it and he had to know what had caused her tears. “Has anyone hurt you?” His thoughts immediately jumped to Justin.

Ellen shook her head as tears squeezed from between her eyelashes.

“No, I’ve not seen him for months. It’s nothing, forget it David. I shouldn’t be greeting you like this. I’m so thrilled that you are all here at last.” She sniffed loudly.

David’s frown grew deeper. He put his hand on her shoulder and drew her towards him.

“Don’t give me that. Something bad has happened if you’re crying. You might as well tell me now as I’ll get it out of you eventually anyway.”

Ellen took a shuddering breath. Her heart felt as though it had been torn apart. David’s concern melted her resolve as his warmth suddenly enveloped her and she fell sobbing into his arms. Somehow he managed to get her inside the château and sitting on a settee as they all clustered around, but it was some minutes before he could make any sense out of his sister’s words.

“You what? You fell in love with a married man! Ellen, you should know better.” He didn’t mean to sound disappointed but he couldn’t help it. She’d only just managed to get out of Justin’s vicious clutches. He remembered the relief he’d felt when she called to tell him that she had left Justin and the last thing he wanted for her was another bad relationship.

Ellen glared up at him through her tears.

“I didn’t know he was still married. He said that she left him. He’s left me a letter but I don’t know what it means.” She went on to tell the whole story of the man who had clearly run out on her.

David was beyond furious.

“The bastard!  I’ll kill him!” No one hurt his sister and got away with it. There were growls of approval from all his friends but Ellen shook her head miserably.

“No, don’t say things like that David. There must be a better explanation. We’ve been together constantly for the last three months.” She dried her tears on one of the huge handkerchiefs thrust at her and sighed as she stood up. “I don’t want to talk about it anymore. You’ve all come over to rip this place to shreds so let’s get going. I need to know everything that you think this place needs. I want it to be absolutely perfect, no expense spared.” She glanced over at Adam. The big man sat in his wheelchair and glanced around the huge hall. He gave a small grin as he saw the lift nestled to the side of the stone staircase.

“Great, at least I don’t have to make one of these poor sods carry me up the stairs,” he laughed at the nods of agreement. He knew that they would carry him to the ends of the Earth if he needed them to.

Ellen walked over to him. She stood by his side as she spoke.

“You need to take the first room on the right at the head of the stairs. I’ve only bought one proper bed yet. I didn’t want to make the wrong choice and didn’t have anyone else to test it on. It looks to be a fabulous quality but I’ll let you decide. Take a look at it properly as it’s all on an electronic pressure relief system. I’ve also asked someone to be on hand in case you need any extra help. There’s a bell system. Just press it and Geraldine will come and give you a hand. She should be back from the market by now.” She smiled as a dark haired woman suddenly appeared at the door carrying armfuls of delicious smelling bread. She gave the group a quick wave of the baguettes before she disappeared through a small doorway into the depths of the château.

Ellen turned back to the group of army friends.

“I’m going help Geraldine cook breakfast, last one down does the washing up.” She laughed as there was a sudden stampede for the stairs.

David stood still and hung back for a few seconds staring at the spot where the woman had sashayed away through the door under the stairs, her hips swaying elegantly, her hair wafting about her shoulders in the breeze still floating in from the half open front door. The air had suddenly disappeared from his lungs. He wasn’t sure that he could even move. He’d felt his heart drop to his stomach at his first sight of the dark haired beauty hired to help Adam and for just a single moment he almost wished that he still needed attention himself. His heart thudded hard in his chest but he gave himself a mental shake.

What the hell was he even thinking! A woman that beautiful would never glance twice at a man like him. She had to have half the male population of France after her.

He put her from his mind and hurried up the stairs after his friends, glancing in doors as he searched for his room. Ellen had only managed to find basic furniture at this point but that didn’t bother him or any of them. Adam was the only one who needed special arrangements due to his immobility and he’d probably moan about that. They were all accustomed to sleeping rough but the whole point of their week there was to discover the most suitable equipment and furniture for the future guests needs and Adam could help with that most. Ellen didn’t want to make any mistakes. The hotel for war wounded servicemen and women was taking shape but it was also costing a fortune. His and Ellen’s fortune.

Her idea was a spectacular and ambitious one and he knew that with his sister’s determination and care it would all work out splendidly but they couldn’t afford to make any expensive mistakes. Even a simple pressure sensitive mattress cost thousands of euros and Ellen didn’t want to stop at simple. She wanted sumptuous, king sized, unadulterated four poster luxury. They had to get it right first time and this week would help them achieve that goal.

He found a made up room with a fold out bed that exceeded his expectations. He had wondered if they would be sleeping on the floor, but the bed was a decent width with soft pillows and a thick, fluffy duvet.

He dumped his holdall on the ottoman beneath the window and looked out over the still untidy forecourt. He could see where someone had begun to uncover what remained of a formal garden. Piles of newly raked weeds were dotted around between short clipped hedges. It looked as if it was the shaping of a maze.

There was a gentle knock at his door and he lifted his head expecting to see Ellen or even Gemma wondering if he needed help but he pulled in a breath as his eyes met the beautiful French woman’s where she stood just outside his door. He lifted his chin and waited for her to avert her gaze from his ruined features but she didn’t turn a hair. She took a step forwards and smiled warmly as she gave a quick glance up and down his body with assessing dark green eyes. Surprisingly she didn’t appear remotely repulsed and her smile never faltered once as she spoke.

“ ‘ello. I am Geraldine. Ellen said that you are ‘er brother, David. She ‘as told me so much about you. Enchanté.” Her eyes sparkled up at him. “I want you to know that if you need anything, anything at all you can call me. Monsieur Adam seems able to manage fine right now so I will ‘ave time on my ‘ands. I don’t want to be ‘ere being paid for doing nothing.” Her deep accent washed over him and he had to swallow hard before he could find his own voice.

“Thank you, that’s most kind of you but we can mostly manage by ourselves.” He couldn’t take his eyes off her; she had to be the most gorgeous woman he had ever beheld. Her creamy complexion contrasted with her glossy dark hair as it rippled over one shoulder where she had tied it to the side. Her lips were the colour of a full bodied red wine and just for a moment he wondered if they tasted as delicious as they looked. He glanced further downwards and nearly groaned aloud at the perfection of her body. Slim in all the right places, fuller and more succulent in all the others. She was completely stunning.

Something must have shown in his expression because her eyes suddenly sparkled at him again but then her gaze faltered and a rosy blush tinted her apple cheeks. She dipped her head and turned as though leaving without saying anything else but he took a step towards her. He couldn’t help himself. She made him feel good just by looking at her. He couldn’t let her go without saying something.

His wicked sense of humour got the better of him. He cleared his throat then sighed deeply and looked down at himself.

“Mind, I do sometimes have awful trouble with my legs. I don’t know if I’ll ever get used to them. I may need help removing them later” He raised what was left of an eyebrow and gave a small cough as he prayed she wouldn’t take his words the wrong way.

She didn’t. She suddenly lifted her chin and grinned widely at him.

“Ha! I think you may need ‘elp removing that loose tongue of yours too. Ellen was right. You are a very naughty man. I think I will ‘ave to keep my eye on you.” She fluttered her thick, black eyelashes as she gave him another swift appraisal that left his blood burning through his veins. Then she waved her slender fingers in farewell as she walked back out of the room, her hips swaying gently, temptingly, leaving the floral scent of her perfume stirring the air behind her.

He gulped audibly as his heart thundered in his chest. Had she really just been flirting with him after he had dared be so outrageously cheeky? He wasn’t quite sure where his courage had come from but it felt good to lighten the atmosphere. It had been far too long since he’d let his tongue run away with him but it had been irresistible with Geraldine. Her name slipped over his tongue like ripe mango and he grinned at his own audacity.

Lost in his own thoughts it was several moments before he heard a commotion going on in the hallway outside his room. He walked over to the door and stuck his head out only to have it nearly knocked off by a stampeding Gemma and Joe. James hobbled along behind them on his crutches yelling for the others to wait while Paul counted loudly, fingertips touching the wall as he paced the distance from his door to the top of the stairs. David joined them and laughed furiously as Adam punched the lift button repeatedly while they all pounded down the stairs.

He protested at the unfairness of it immediately.

“Well, that’s the first thing Ellen is going to have to fix. It’s hardly a fair challenge if I can’t get downstairs because the lift is faulty!” he exclaimed loudly as the others all raced down the staircase, clearly wanting to avoid the washing up at all costs. “I hope Ellen has an industrial sized dishwasher already installed or I’m going to make sure I can’t reach the flipping sink.” His final protests faded as the lift eventually arrived and swallowed him inside.

David waited for Adam and then followed his nose to the kitchen where he was delighted to see Ellen standing at the enormous range serving up a full English breakfast. Her eyes were still puffy from her earlier tears but she was smiling as she dished out the meal. She tipped two fried eggs, a sausage and three rashers of bacon on a plate for him as she nodded for him to help himself to fried potatoes.

“Thanks goodness for that,” he sounded relieved. “When you said that you hadn’t a chef yet I wondered if we were going to have to eat continental style. It was going to be one of my first complaints if we ended up with a measly plate of thin ham and smelly cheese with a cube of pineapple on top.” He put his plate on the table and pulled out a chair. A place remained beside him and he looked up just in time to see Geraldine helping herself from the cold selection laid out on the sideboard. She raised her eyebrows and gave him a small grin as she sat down in the empty space and wafted the plate of cheese, mixed fruit and wafer thin ham under his nose.

She watched his face intently as he breathed in the ripe scents.

“So, you ‘ave problems with my country’s dishes? The cheese is so delicious and fresh, and the ‘am has been aged for eighteen months. The flavour is so delicate. Or maybe you truly do like a platter swimming in grease.” She challenged as she smiled sweetly up at him and he lost the power to think. She lifted her fork, stabbed a small portion of the blue veined delicacy. Her moss dark eyes held his as her full lips closed over a creamy morsel and he suddenly dropped into his chair, unsure that his body had the power to function properly under her sultry gaze.

He looked down at his own plate. The fried eggs looked back up at him from their sea of oil and suddenly the bacon didn’t appear quite as crisp as he would have liked. He pushed the plate away and turned back to Geraldine.

“I’m willing to give it a try if you would care to tempt me.” He raised a challenging eyebrow at her.

Geraldine picked up his fork immediately and stabbed a small portion of creamy white cheese from her plate. She lifted the fork to David’s open mouth and placed the segment on his tongue. He closed his mouth as she slid the fork from his lips and then closed his eyes as the delicate flavour hit him. It wasn’t nearly as strong as the smell suggested it might be. He let out a moan of pleasure. It was only as he opened his eyes a few seconds later that he realized that the rest of the kitchen had suddenly fallen silent. He looked about him and felt his face blush furiously as six pairs of eyes gazed right back at him.

Joe broke the silence.

“I can see that you’re already taking to this way of life really well so can I have your bacon and eggs, if you don’t want them, Dave?” He reached across the table without waiting for a response and slid David’s cooling plate towards himself as Geraldine slipped from her chair to gather another selection of cheese, ham and fruit.

David stared at Geraldine silently, clearly mesmerized by the beautiful Frenchwoman as she returned to the table and picked up his fork again. He didn’t even glance at Joe who was now tucking into his second portion of fried breakfast with gusto.

Geraldine rolled a slither of the ham and wrapped it around a triangle of melon. He opened his mouth and groaned as the mixture of salt and succulence invaded is mouth. He swallowed.

“You, go ahead Joe, have what you like. I think I have suddenly discovered my taste buds need nurturing. I don’t think I’ll ever eat a fry up again.” Geraldine stared deep into his eyes and wafted a slice of the ham topped with another triangle of a different cheese, under his nose. He opened his mouth dutifully and she popped the delicacy in before she leaned across the table and began to pour the coffee.

She held out the cup towards him and he nearly choked when he saw that her blouse had dipped forwards revealing slightly more of her cleavage than she had probably intended.

“Cream? Sugar?” She asked and he just couldn’t resist the temptation. He bent his head towards her and whispered in her ear.

Geraldine watched as David’s mouth closed over the tiny portion of food. She hoped that he wasn’t just humouring her by relinquishing his cooked breakfast to the other man at the table. David’s sparkling blue eyes had closed slowly as he chewed and she watched as his lips twitched slightly at the new flavours.

It was strange looking up into the ravaged face of this big man. Ellen had told her many stories of his wild adventures and outrageous tricks on his sister. Geraldine could believe them all if his cheeky remark in his bedroom about removing his legs was anything to go by.

Being a nurse she had not been surprised by the way David or any of his friends looked but she was curious about how their injuries might have affected their personalities. Not that she knew what their personalities were like before the injuries but she was interested all the same. She looked around the table at the laughing, happy team. They were clearly comfortable in one another’s company now but she wondered if they were quite so animated when they were on their own. Night time would probably be the worst time for them. All sorts of dark thoughts crossed your mind in the small hours when there was nothing else to occupy your brain.

She glanced back to the man beside her. He was broad shouldered and handsome in his own way. His dark hair was clipped short. No surprise there as he was still enlisted. His square jaw and chiselled cheekbones gave him a slightly dangerous look. She could imagine that he could be quite alarming if met under the wrong circumstances.

The slightly hollow sound of metal reached her ears as he adjusted the position of his chair. One of his prosthetic legs must have knocked against the table. She ached for the way his life had been changed. The scarring covered most of one side of his face leaving one eye permanently half closed.  He’d obviously had some skin grafts and the nurse in her could see that they had taken well but there was still some healing to do. The scars would fade in time but his skin would never be perfect. The loss of his legs must have been devastating but he seemed to be coping well. She hadn’t noticed and limp or discomfort when she’d been in the hall and his room.

He opened his eyes as he swallowed his mouthful and his steady blue gaze met her own curious one. His chin came up in an automatic challenge and she smiled as she stabbed a forkful of her breakfast and popped it into her own mouth. She could see his heated gaze dip to her lips and she felt a strange warmth rising up her neck. She dipped her head in confusion as the flush crept across her cheeks and then she glanced back up at him, wondering what he thought of her.

The look in his eyes told her exactly what he was thinking of her and her whole body flushed even more deeply in surprised response as he gave her a quick, private wink. She swallowed quickly, picked up her coffee cup and drank the hot liquid, desperately trying to regain what was left of her composure.

He had surprised her with his easy manner when she had greeted him in his room, now he was almost shocking her with his obvious flirting. She gave an imperceptible shiver of pleasure as his heated gaze left her almost gasping for breath. She hadn’t felt this way about a man for a very long time. She gulped as it dawned on her that she couldn’t ever remember feeling this way about any man. It wasn’t as if there were that many to choose from in the tiny town. Most of the younger men had left for the cities to find work and those that had stayed behind tended to be the sons of farmers and more attached to their livestock than their women.

She looked around the table at the rest of the group. Ellen chatted easily to all of them, joking with the big man wearing the facial pressure mask about his enormous appetite as he demolished David’s breakfast without a second thought.

Her initial reservations about a hotel of this nature suddenly vanished completely. There was nothing unusual about these men and women except that they were probably a lot stronger and more determined than most of the population. They were just normal people getting on with their lives as best they could after surviving the most horrendous injuries. Why that thought startled her, she didn’t even want to consider. It told her more about herself than it did about these friends.

She looked back at David again and wasn’t surprised to see that his gaze was still on her but he’d picked up his own fork by now and was tucking into the selection she had made with undisguised gusto. She leaned over the table and picked up the coffee pot. She filled his cup and then turned back to him. He had a wicked grin on his face as he quirked up one eyebrow. She wasn’t quite sure what he was up to but she asked the obvious question.

“Cream?” She enquired. He nodded and she poured the thick liquid from the jug.

“Sugar?” She continued.

He shook his head and grinned again as he leaned towards her and whispered.

“No thanks. The cream in your pot will be quite sweet enough for me.” He was holding back laughter as he took the cup from her hand and drank quickly leaving a white line on his top lip.

Geraldine looked up at him curiously for just one second.

Had she heard him correctly? Could he possibly mean what she thought?

He waggled his eyebrows suggestively. Geraldine’s mouth fell open in surprise as he swept his tongue over his creamy lips leaving her giggling into the dregs of her own coffee at his outrageously suggestive remark.

Chapter Six

David hated leaving Ellen alone so quickly again. The week had been over far too fast for his liking but he was glad that his surprise news had cheered her. He knew that his decision to leave the army was the right one. He had thought it would be a difficult choice; he would miss his old life but the new challenge of the hotel in Brittany was far too tempting to miss being there at the outset.

But he didn’t try to kid himself that being there at the launch was the only reason. That someone beautiful, graceful and witty who spoke with the sexiest French accent he could ever imagine was also part of the team, was something he found almost more alluring.

He brooded quietly as Joe drove them away from the château after a pre-dawn start. The dark, shadowy forest that surrounded the estate mirrored his mood as they motored along the avenue of trees taking them away from his sister and the fabulously attractive French woman who made his heart thump so erratically.

He didn’t know if he was kidding himself that there was an attraction there but every time he thought she wouldn’t catch him staring at her, she had lifted her dark eyelashes and caught him out, holding his gaze in return. For his own part he could barely imagine that she found him desirable in any way but she had flirted with him outrageously, setting his pulse racing wildly, for the best part of his holiday.

His heart had lurched continually all week, thumping erratically and sending his heated blood to his groin at odd and unfortunate moments as he was unable to keep his wilder thoughts at bay. Ellen had even demanded that he take indigestion pills when she had caught him rubbing his chest as he sat in the lounge one evening desperately trying to cover the evidence of his rampant desire with his sweater. Geraldine had given him a huge grin and a wink as she declared that the casserole had been far too rich and she had heartburn too. She insisted on crunching the minty tablets alongside him and rubbing his back to shift the pain as well. He’d thought he was going to explode when she dug her delicate fingers into his shoulder muscles and turned the gentle rub into a full on massage.

But he had barely seen Geraldine during the final few days of their stay and they certainly hadn’t had any time to talk. She’d been at the château while he and his friends had tested the facilities to the limits but most of her time was taken up keeping Adam mobile. He came down with a heavy cough after they dunked him in the river several times before strapping him to a raft and sending him off on canoe school site expeditions. His suggestions for improvements, must haves and general ideas for the training school were excellent but they came at a price and his hacking cough rang through the château that night. A furious Geraldine had yelled at them all furiously for their irresponsibility and lack of care and insisted on some intense exercise for her charge. She refused to let the cough settle on Adam’s chest and worked hard over the next days to prevent it.

The rest of them had felt horribly guilty. It was bad enough that Adam’s life would probably be shortened by the paralysis anyway without his friends making it worse for him. David had only been reassured that they had done the right thing at the river and made his week brilliant fun when Adam sneaked away from the ever vigilant Geraldine. He assured them that if they ever began to treat him as if he was made of glass then he’d think up a suitable revenge to put into action when they least expected it. His cough had almost gone by the time he had appeared for dinner the evening before they left but Geraldine had been exhausted with it all and had gone to bed early after saying a brief farewell.

David jumped as Gemma slapped his shoulder and interrupted his wayward thoughts.

“So when are we going to be hearing those wedding bells, Lover Boy? I could do with an excuse to buy a new frock.” She crooned and grinned at him from the rear seat of the huge car.

David turned and stared over his shoulder at her as if she had suddenly grown two heads.

“Shut up, idiot. I don’t know what you are talking about.” He wished his hair covered more of his face and neck. He could feel the heat rising up his throat and out of his collar.

Joe glanced sideways at him from the driver’s seat and laughed loudly as he turned the car out onto the main road.

“Yeah, like we couldn’t see you doing all moon eyes at the deliciously tempting Geraldine all week. How much cheese and ham has she fed you, and what was that God awful traditional sausage you insisted we all try just because she said it was delicious. Flip me! It was bloody disgusting! I thought I was going to vomit at the table.” He looked as though he was about to heave again at the memory of the strong liver sausage that even David considered an acquired taste. “But you just ate everything she put on that plate and smiled and sighed as though it was your last meal ever. And talking about sighing…If I had a quid for every time you sighed as she walked past you, I would be a rich man by now.” He laughed again as David’s face turned from red to beetroot.

David folded his arms across his chest.

“I did not go moon eyed at her or sigh a lot. How ridiculous. You should get your hearing checked next time you go for another skin graft. She was employed to help Adam and it’s just as well she was there seeing as he is so lily livered that he can’t even take a dousing in cold water. She was so busy with him that I barely noticed her.” He almost gagged on his own lie. He’d noticed her for every minute of every day and quite a lot of his sleepless nights too. He could feel himself hardening at the mere thought of her lush body and stormy green eyes even now. He squirmed in his seat and willed himself back to reality as he frowned furiously out of the window.

Paul sniggered from the seat beside Gemma.

“Deny it all you like mate. I may be blind but even I could feel the temperature shooting up anytime you two were even in the same room. It was like being in a sauna at one point the other night when you pretended you had indigestion. You know what I mean…Steamy! I fairly passed out I swear!” He fanned his hand in front of his face and pretended to swoon. “All that massaging your shoulders and back to help with the pain. Load of rot and you know it. She’s got the hots for you Davie boy, that’s for sure…Make sure you don’t waste the opportunity,” he added sagely.

David sighed. These friends knew him far too well. He gave up trying to deny it and bowed to the pressure. He slouched down in his seat and gulped a few times before he spoke wistfully.

“She is so beautiful. God! I can’t stop thinking about her I’ve barely slept all week. All that fabulous hair, and her eyes! I thought I was drowning in them. Do you think she could really go for someone like me?” Doubt clouded his tone.

Joe snorted loudly from behind his mask.

“You prat! She was already going for you, ugly as you are. I don’t know what you worry about anyway. It’s not like you were God’s gift before all this shit. If you had given her just a few more words of encouragement you might have had a much more eventful week.” He waggled his eyebrows leaving David in no doubt as to what he meant.

David frowned and shook his head. He knew that they had flirted but was it anything more than that? He just couldn’t imagine it. She must have half the men in town lusting after her. There was no way she would pick him.

“Don’t be an idiot. Look at the state of me. A woman like Geraldine could have anyone she wants, anyone in the whole flipping world…why on earth would she pick a bloke with no flipping legs and a face that looks like someone went over it with a lawn mower?” He sighed wistfully again and frowned miserably into the gloom.

Gemma sighed with him and patted his shoulder gently.

“Oh dear! Is poor Davy Wavy feeling a bit sorry for himself?” She ignored David’s half-hearted attempt to shrug her off and carried on speaking. “You lot just don’t get it do you. You are such a bunch of guys!” Joe glanced in the rear view mirror as the others all looked at her and waited patiently for her to continue. She might be a woman but she was one of the guys too and they took her words seriously, especially when it came to insights into the mind of the fairer sex. “Women are not like men. You lot immediately think about bodies and sex but we don’t just go for looks all the time.” She waved down their protests. “Yes, I know that it’s what you see first, well except you of course Paul, but we have deeper needs than just a quick shag. I mean, look at that berk Justin who Ellen went out with for years. He looked like an Adonis but he turned out to be a selfish, bigoted git and he was a brainless idiot too. Just look at who Ellen is in love with now, someone who she barely even saw before she knew she was attracted to him. His general presence and attitude, his command of a situation and his aura caught her attention first. She told me that he came out of the darkness to rescue her and all her senses immediately went into overdrive. She didn’t give a stuff that he turned out to be a guy with a ton of scars and only one leg. She thinks he’s perfect.” She sounded highly satisfied with her own point but then she pursed her lips as she remembered Ellen’s unhappy face. “Even though he does sound like an idiotic, selfish, bigoted git too,” she added in an undertone.

David was silent for a few seconds. He was glad that Ellen had talked to Gemma about her new man. He hadn’t wanted to broach the subject again but he’d seen how puffy her eyes were every morning and he knew that she cried herself to sleep each night.

He bit his lip as he thought about Gemma’s words. His heart suddenly began beating fast as they sank in. He was a complete idiot. He looked down at his watch and then back at Joe.

“Christ! You’re right Gemma and I am a bloody fool! I never even gave her a chance. Do you think we have time to go back? I should have said something to her, taken her phone number or something at the very least.”

Joe shook his head; they had already travelled several miles. Dawn was beginning to break on the horizon.

“Sorry Dave. We left it late as it was. We’ve a three hour drive to catch our ferry and get back onto base by tonight. We can’t to cock it up and miss the ferry. Paul here needs to sign onto his sight programme. If we get held up anywhere we’re going to be in trouble as it is.”

Paul nodded but had the grace to look miserable about it.

“Yes, sorry mate but I really need to get home today. They start the evaluations first thing in the morning. I’m taking a chance as it is by missing the preliminary medical. If I’m not there to sign onto the scheme tonight and well rested by the morning I may lose the opportunity to be included. I’ll be honest Dave; being blind is a complete pain in the arse and if these new robotic eye things work in any measure then I’m up for them. I really don’t want to chance missing the boat.”

David agreed immediately, mortified that in his selfishness he had forgotten the plight of his friend.

“No, of course not. I wasn’t thinking straight. Of course we can’t be late. It was nothing. I was probably imagining her flirting and all that…Don’t worry about it.” He could hear how thin his voice sounded and he cleared his throat loudly as he stared out at the slowly lightening landscape.

Gemma gave a small laugh and ruffled his hair.

“You are an even bigger idiot than I thought. Lucky for you that you have some great pals at your back.” She dug around in her pocket and pulled out a slip of paper. “There you go, that’s her email address.” She passed the paper to a surprised David as Joe pulled out another slip from his breast pocket.

“And here’s her mobile number. Don’t lose it.”

James chucked a crumpled ball over the seats. It hit the back of David’s head, bounced onto his shoulder and landed in his lap.

“And her landline. You’ll have to add a double zero, double three for the country code.”

Paul scrabbled in his bag and passed over a folded piece of paper.

“And that’s her home address if you can’t get her at the château and feel like writing. She lives with her mother in town.”

Gemma grabbed Paul’s hand and rolled her eyes at the sticky, finger marked slip.

“That’s the receipt for all that honey cake you bought from her mother’s stall in the market, twit. Search again.”

Paul apologised for his insatiable sweet tooth and felt around in his bag. He discovered the right piece of paper on the second exploration.

Adam waved another scrap in the air from his seat at the back of the big car.

“And this is her Skype account and instant messaging service. She said that she’s mostly online on the weekends but you can try her anytime from six onwards in the evening. I wrote that down so you don’t forget.” He quickly folded the paper into a tiny aircraft and aimed it towards the front of the car. It soared to the ceiling and then nosedived sharply, sliding neatly to a halt as it skewered David’s hair.

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.

Commander 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 hope 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.

Chapter Eight

David began to roll up his shirt sleeves as he looked up at the huge machine standing in front of him.

“Jeez Ellen. This is fantastic. I don’t remember anyone suggesting a zip wire or cable car. What a brilliant idea. When did you decide to put it in?”

Ellen looked at her brother as he admired the massive contraption she had installed at the head of the ravine.

“You just try walking up and down those steps to the canoe school or fishing huts, David and you’ll soon know why I did it. They’re way too steep and narrow for me let alone anyone with even minor problems. Slippery too when they’re wet. It was an accident waiting to happen. I had an electric cable run from the fishing huts and another to power the pulleys for all this. I’m running it all from a generator powered by the river.”

Impressed beyond measure at her ingenuity, David reached up and pulled on the T-bar of the zip wire. The line moved with the pressure.

“It’ll need tightening if you want it to give a thrill.” He strode into the cabin that housed all the machinery. He returned a few minutes later and tugged on the bar again. There was a lot less slack in the wire. “That’ll be about right until I know how it’s going to run. I can get it going faster if needs be.”

Ellen stood with her hands on her hips and glared at him.

“I put that in for the kids. The adults are meant to go down in the cable car.”

David grinned at her and shook his head.

“You have to be joking. I haven’t done anything like this for years.” He grabbed hold of the bar and pulled it towards the edge of the ravine then peered over the precipice to the river sparking a long way below.

Ellen gaped at her brother.

“You are meant to wear the safety harness and crash helmet too and there’s an auto brake. You’ll hit the water if you…” She threw her hands up in the air and gave up arguing with him as he pulled a face at her. “Your legs will get wet if you don’t use the brake,” she called as he let out a giant whoop and disappeared over the edge of the ravine.

He hit the water with a huge splash a few seconds later, wrenching his arms in their sockets and twisting his back. For a moment he thought he’d hurt himself when he couldn’t feel what was left of his lower body but then he sighed in relief as he realized that it was just the icy river numbing his senses. The surging water came nearly to his waist and was a lot colder than he imagined it would be. He scrambled out of the river and held back a deep shiver as Ellen arrived at a more ladylike pace in the cable car. He spoke to her reassuringly as she looked at his soaked clothes in horror.

“That’s brilliant. I’ll have to tweak it a bit more to get it real fast but it’s a great idea. It must have cost a fortune; did it take us over budget?” He questioned, diverting Ellen’s attention from his wringing wet trousers as he bit back the shudders which threatened to overtake him.

She stared back up at the long cables.

“Not by much. The stable block conversion is taking up more but we’ll get it back in the extra lettings available.” She glanced down at his wet, flapping trouser legs. “You’re a complete idiot. If you catch your death it won’t be my fault.”

David joked back at her.

“Huh! I’ll just ask Geraldine to nurse me back to health. Might as well get our monies worth out of her.” He only mentioned the woman as he hadn’t seen her about when Ellen gave him a guided tour of the château not long after he had arrived that morning. They had eaten lunch and taken a long tour of the grounds and still Ellen hadn’t even mentioned her.

For some wild reason he had expected Geraldine to be on the château steps as he arrived, her green eyes glistening with love as she waited for him, ready to run forwards, her long hair flowing over her shoulders as he swept her up into his muscled arms and kissed her passionately.

It hadn’t happened like that at all and now he was becoming desperate. He’d hidden his disappointment when Ellen opened the huge door and snuggled into his chest. He was thrilled to see his sister of course, but it wasn’t quite the same. He’d clasped her to him, kissed the top of her head and patted her back gently in a very brotherly fashion. Ellen had then whisked him off on a château tour but Geraldine was notable by her absence and yet he couldn’t face asking Ellen a direct question about the woman’s whereabouts.

Now Ellen snorted at his suggestion of nursing care.

“Huh! You’ll be lucky. I’ve told her not to pander to you already but it hardly matters anyway. She’s not here.”

His heart dropped to his stomach and then immediately rose to his throat, constricting his breathing. Had she left them? Had she decided that she couldn’t face him? Was she avoiding him? Had all their friendly and flirtatious banter just been a game to her? The questions fell thick and fast in his head and he stared in horror at the thoughts that railed through his brain as his insides churned violently.

Ellen, completely oblivious to his inner turmoil, carried on speaking.

“She’s not going to be in until later in the week so you’ll just have to suffer in silence or let me look after you if you become ill. She’s at her grandmothers for a few days. The old lady had a hip replacement last week and they don’t keep you in hospital much longer here than they do in England. Geraldine’s just making sure that her grandmere is able to cope at home on her own.”

David puffed out a huge, pent up breath and then suddenly thought he was going to pass out as all his blood rushed to his head in relief at his sister’s words. He brought his wavering senses and emotions under control before he spoke.

“Well, of course her grandmother comes first.” He looked back up the ravine and then along the winding track that disappeared into the forest before leading to the château. “Maybe I should get out of these wet things and get my legs dry. I don’t want them seizing up. Which way is quickest?”

Ellen nodded towards the cable car.

“Walking? Back up there and the way we came. This track takes you right into the forest. It’s pretty windy and steep in places too.” She looked carefully at her brother, suddenly realizing that he was putting on a brave face. “Do you want to stay here and check out the fishing cabins and the canoe school while I run back and get the car? It’ll take me an hour to get back here but at least we won’t waste any time if only one of us goes. You need to see them before Joe arrives anyway. He’ll not be happy if I missed anything obvious. I’ve a list of jobs as long as my arm for you to do before we open; if you stay here we can kill two birds with one stone.”

David knew exactly what she was doing. He’d bet just about anything that there were heaters and towels inside the cabins where he could get warm and dry quickly. He nodded gratefully as he bit back another shiver.

“Good idea, if you don’t mind that is.”

She smiled and tossed him a bunch of keys as she turned towards the cable car again.

“Oh, you might want to test out the heaters in the cabins. I put in oil fired ones rather than wood burners. They heat pretty quickly, but you should make sure they are all working perfectly. I didn’t think fishermen would be so interested in lighting fires.” Her smile turned into a wide grin as David shook his head in resignation at being found out so easily. He gave in.

“Thanks sis. I’d rather forgotten that I’ve become attached to a desk for the last year. I’m out of practise with all this action man stuff,” he confessed as Ellen pressed the button in the car and began the long assent up to the top of the ravine.

Ellen looked back at him.

“Go and get warm. I’ll be back in about an hour with the car.”

David waved her off as the cable car began to climb the steep face of the ravine. He looked up at the zip wire again. It had been brilliant fun. He looked down at himself. The water dripped slowly from the bottoms of his trousers. He looked up and noted that the cable car was already halfway along its route and he wondered if he had time for another go on the wire before Ellen came back to collect him.

He strode to the nearest cabin and opened the door. It looked simply furnished, probably the least extravagant room he had seen on the whole estate so far but Ellen had still used her own taste and innate style. The cabin was a perfect mix of rustic pine and slate. There were a couple of rugs across the floor between the small, throw covered settee and the kitchen area. A peninsular counter with bar stools for eating purposes split the room. A door at the back of the first room led into a cosy bedroom.

There were two single beds pressed against each side wall, a nightstand between them with a reading lamp and small wardrobe behind the door. A side door led to a slate tiled shower and toilet area. He walked back out to the lounge and flicked on the oil filled radiator then glanced out of the window to see how long it would be before he could call the cable car back down. It was already at the top and he quickly left the cabin.

Grinning wildly a few minutes later, he leapt from the head of the ravine once again and plummeted at incredible speed towards the river. This time he lifted his heavy legs and almost sat in the surging river water, saving his back and arms from the wrenching but soaking the whole of his bottom half again. It was a huge rush and his heart pounded as the adrenaline surged through his frame.

He felt alive and happy. He grinned as he clambered up the river bank and made his way towards the cabins. He was loath to admit it but he’d missed this type of exhilaration. Although his new job in the army had kept him occupied it hadn’t been physical at all and he’d needed to go to the gym daily to keep his fitness up.

It was darker in the cabin and he peered out of the window watching as the shadows dipped below the edge of the ravine. He looked down at his watch. It was later than he’d thought. There was barely enough time to get warm and dry before Ellen arrived with the car and he hadn’t even glanced at the other huts yet.

He dashed around each one of them, flicking switches and testing water pressure before he strode back into the first hut and pulled off his trousers. They had dried off a little while he’d carried out his hurried inspection but he hung them over a rail before the heater in the hope that they would dry some more. He lay a towel over the settee and sat on the edge to unclip his legs. He wiped them all over with another towel and placed them close to the heater. They looked dry enough but he didn’t want to take any chances with them.

The socks covering his thighs were another thing altogether. They were soaked through and there was no way he would be able to put them and his legs on again without causing serious damage to his already tender skin. He cursed his own stupidity. Rushing around the cabins with wet socks was a bad idea. His skin looked chafed. Now, if he didn’t want to make things worse, he would have to go through the undignified process of struggling into the car without his prosthetics. Ellen would never be able to lift him.

He grit his teeth, leaned forwards and lay the wet socks directly on the heater in the hope that they might dry just enough for the short car journey back to the château then he sat back on the settee and dragged the throw across the tops of his legs in an effort to keep them warm and dry too.

He heard the car arrive a few minutes later and the next moment Ellen was standing on the threshold of the cabin with fresh clothes and folding wheelchair in hand. It was nothing fancy but it would certainly do the job.

She pushed it towards him and he sighed gratefully though she was annoyed that she hadn’t remembered fresh socks.

“I only put the chair in as a last minute thing. I was worried that the water may have seeped into your joints. I didn’t want you using your prosthetics if it was going to damage them more.”

He took the pile of clothes and Ellen walked into the bedroom to replace the wet towels. He watched from the corner of his eye as she fiddled with the bed linen and straightened the already straight pillows.

David called through the door, knowing that Ellen was giving him a little privacy to get dressed.

“You really do think of everything. Thanks Ellen. I should have thought about my socks before I took a dunking. There’s no way I’ll get them back on again until they’re dry.” He quickly changed his underwear and dragged on the fresh trousers before he manoeuvred himself into the chair. Ellen came back out of the bedroom and picked up his wet clothes. She frowned as she brushed her hand over the fabric of his trousers.

“You great idiot. I knew you wouldn’t be able to resist having another go. It’s December not July, David. That water is freezing. I should make you get out of that chair and find your own way back home.” She grunted as she picked up his prosthetic legs and shoved them into his lap.

David laughed as he wheeled his way out of the cabin.

“Well, you shouldn’t go putting things like that in the place if you don’t expect them to be used. I daresay that zip wire is going to need some serious testing before our guests arrive.”

She followed him out after turning off the heater.

“Did you even look at the other cabins?”

He looked slightly shame faced.

“A brief glimpse. Everything appears to work. You’ve done wonders with it all Ellen. I can’t believe how much you have accomplished since I was last here. Joe’s going to love working here. You know what he’s like for the outdoors and he’s going to love the cabins too. I bet he won’t stay up at the château for long.”

Ellen looked back at the wooden cabins as she took David’s legs back from him.

“I’m not sure they’ll be big enough or warm enough to live in permanently. None of them are more than two rooms and a shower room. I didn’t think we’d need anything larger.”

David nodded in agreement as he lifted himself from the wheelchair to the car.

“No, we probably don’t and six cabins are plenty but I can see Joe loving them. He doesn’t really go for fancy. I bet you he’ll change the two single beds for a double and be living down here by spring.”

Ellen stowed his wheelchair in the back of the car before she climbed into the driver’s seat. She raised her eyebrows as David’s stomach growled audibly.

“Hungry?”

David laughed.

“Ha! When aren’t I hungry? All the exercise has given me an appetite. I feel like I could eat a horse.”

It was Ellen’s turn to laugh.

“Well this is France, David. If you really feel you could manage one, I’m sure I can arrange a delivery. Fricassee or Godfather style? ” She chuckled as David turned a delicate shade of green. Despite all of Geraldine’s tempting treats in the summer, he still wasn’t really sure about all French cuisine.

He coughed slightly and then turned to her.

“Talking of food, though not horse thanks very much, I think I’ll stick to cow, did you find a chef yet?”

Ellen’s smile faded slightly and she shook her head.

“They’re like gold dust and paid extremely well. I haven’t had a single response to the advertisement yet. I’ve increased the salary, offered accomodation and extended the reach of the advert but still nothing. Geraldine has been helping me brush up my skills and has suggested a few things for variety. Her mother is a brilliant cook. She has a cake and pastry stall in the market and she makes everything herself so I’ve become a lot better with pies and general cooking. I’m not bothering making cakes anyway when you can buy the most delicious ones from the market. Geraldine’s mother says that she’ll do us a discount if we buy in bulk and knowing all your chums they are going to be scoffing anything she produces.”

David nodded.

“Yes, I remember Paul rather enjoying her honey cake. He hasn’t stopped going on about it since we went home. He’s asked me to send him a wedge over every month.” He paused for a moment and then asked lightly, “So you know Geraldine’s family well then? You seem to have made good friends with her.”

Ellen rolled her eyes but spoke patiently.

“Yes, David. She’s become a very good friend. I really like her. I’m sure all our guests are going to like her too and not just in a professional capacity.”

David felt his heart thump hard again. He wasn’t going to let any of their single guests near the woman in anything but a professional capacity if he could help it. He knew what army guys could be like and even if he was a little fearful of rejection himself he was sure that a lot of his comrades wouldn’t be. He steeled himself to make his feelings known as soon as possible. If Ellen and Geraldine were already friends then it boded well that he would be friends with her also. He just hoped that it was going to end up far more than just a working relationship.

“Does she know I arrived today? Did you explain that I was coming over for good?”

Ellen nodded and spoke as if she were talking to a child.

“Yes, David. I explained quite specifically that you were arriving today and that you would be staying on permanently.”

David looked at his sister keenly, his blue eyes searching her face for any hint of revelation.

“What did she say? Did she sound pleased?”

Ellen shrugged as she negotiated a tight bend in the track.

“She didn’t say anything much. She just nodded and told me about her grandmother’s hips.”

David ground his teeth in frustration and looked out of the window as they drove back up the winding route to the château. The dense forest suddenly opened out in front of them and they arrived at the back of the huge building. Ellen parked the car, climbed out and then took the wheelchair from the boot. She brought it to David’s side of the car and he quickly manoeuvred into the seat before he wheeled himself up the ramp into the château.

He sniffed at his own shirt and spoke to her over his shoulder as they reached the hall.

“I’m going to take a quick shower. The river water is starting to smell. Don’t start dinner yet. As it’s just the two of us I want to help.”

Ellen shook her head as she headed for the under stair doorway.

“I bought everything down at the market already. I only have to shove it in the oven to heat. All this rubbish about the French being fabulous cooks is a load of old baloney. It’s all really just posh ready meals that just happen to be a lot more delicious than ours back in England. I’ll pop it in the oven and it will be ready for when you come down.”

David nodded, took his legs from Ellen’s hands and made his way to the lift.

“Okay, I’ll be half an hour and then I just need to get some oil in these things to make sure they don’t seize up. I’ll use the chair tonight. It’ll be a good opportunity to see how manageable everything is. If I find there are any problems we can take a look and perhaps make alterations.”

He pressed the button for the lift and frowned when it seemed to take an inordinate amount of time to rise to the first floor giving him more time than he wanted to get used to the smell of the river water that rose from his shirt and his skin.

At least Geraldine hadn’t been there to see him sitting in the wheelchair looking like a complete invalid. He thanked the Gods for small mercies as the lift eventually stopped and the doors slid slowly open.

Chapter Nine

David looked around at the sumptuous bathroom suite. He ignored the sunken bath and wheeled himself into the shower area. There was a moveable seat on a hinge fashioned within the tiles and he slid from his chair onto it. He swung himself round into the cubicle, adjusted the faucet and then sat under the hot spray for a few minutes before he began soaping up.

He rubbed bubbles over his shoulders and massaged the joints. He really had slammed into the water on the first run down the wire. He could feel the tension in his tendons and he wished that it could have been Geraldine massaging the tightness from his body.

He could still feel the wrenching in his lower back too. He leaned forwards and rubbed as well as he could. It wasn’t the same; he needed to lie down and let someone with a bit of knowledge, someone with tender hands and deep green eyes, give him a really good massage. He snorted at himself. He hadn’t realized how much he had assumed. In his mind he had never considered that Geraldine wouldn’t be at the château waiting for him when he arrived. He bit back a grim laugh at his own stupidity. She obviously had a life outside of him and the château. He’d just been being so self centred that he had forgotten it.

He leaned his head back against the tiles and soaked up the heat from the water. The spray was heavenly and he let it beat down onto his chest, relaxing him as the warmth spread through his body.

He shampooed his hair and rinsed, turned the shower off and towelled down while still sitting on the seat. He leaned out of the shower and lay another towel on the seat of the chair then manoeuvred himself back into it.

By the time he was dry and dressed again he had been far longer than the half an hour he had told his sister. He sighed deeply. Everything took so much more effort. All the extra drying and attention to his legs took up major time but couldn’t be rushed. If the skin failed over the bottoms of his amputations he would be in serious trouble. It was bad enough having his legs removed to above his knees, any higher and he’d need a different fitting on his prosthetics, one that straddled his hips. He couldn’t face the thought of going through all the practice and physiotherapy again. Every day had been like climbing an extremely high mountain made of very fine sand.

For a moment his mind swept back to the day the boy had blown up in front of his very eyes. The bomb around the youngster’s waist had probably been set off by remote control giving him no choice whatsoever. Poor kid!  It was a vile thing to do to a child. The cowards who had wrapped that belt around the boy’s waist should be rotting in hell. The lad had been terrified, forced into doing it. David would remember the look on the teenager’s face in the seconds before he vaporized as long as he lived. He couldn’t imagine that kind of fear. At least he had known what he was getting into when he signed up for the army and although he hadn’t reckoned on losing any limbs he’d never really regretted a day of it.

He sometimes wondered what he would have done if faced with the same situation as Steve had been that day. He looked down at what was left of his legs. Could he have gone back into that burning car and calmly amputated a friend’s legs with nothing more than a hard fist as anaesthetic and a jungle knife to hand? He shuddered at the thought. It was a braver man than he who had wrapped his own and James’s belts around David’s thighs and then sawn through his knee joints, freeing him from the burning car.

Steve had already gone back to active service and was on another tour of Afghanistan when David had eventually plucked up the courage to Skype him and thank the man for saving his life. Steve had just laughed and said that Dave would have done the same but he wasn’t sure that he could have done. He didn’t own a bloody great, well-honed jungle knife for a start and he couldn’t imagine being able to cut someone’s legs off with the little blade he normally carried.

He snorted at the thought. Steve’s lethally sharp knife and steady hands had been what had saved him that day. The guy had been a complete hero, cutting him off at the knees and then hauling him from the car that blew up seconds later, to the helicopter that arrived through a hail of bullets. They were damned lucky no one on the enemy’s side had a rocket launcher or they would have all been done for.

David hadn’t remembered a thing about it of course. Steve’s huge punch had fortunately knocked him into the middle of the next week. James had given him all the gory details when he arrived looking pained and thin on a pair of crutches a few weeks later. Steve had saved him too but his legs had been crushed, broken in so many places that it had been a toss up whether they should be amputated. James’s father had insisted that they remain in place until James himself could decide on anything so drastic but by the time he had woken up the surgeons had put enough metal in the man to hold up the Eiffel tower.

David took a deep breath and a quick look in the mirror before heading back towards the lift. At least the scars on his face were healing. They still looked bad but most of the redness had gone leaving a patchwork of pale skin. His left eye looked a bit grim being half closed but he’d spoken to a surgeon about that and they thought it might be worth another operation. David wasn’t so sure and was thinking hard before going under the knife again. Anything they did had its own consequences and complications. He was never going to look normal again so he wasn’t sure it was worth the bother of going through the upheaval of it all. His nose was a mess too but he had a decent looking prosthetic for that if he wanted to wear it.

He pulled his hair across his forehead to cover the web of scars there. He still looked like he’d been through a very coarse cheese grater but unless he was going to begin using a ton of the make up the rehab centre had given him there wasn’t a hell of a lot he could do about it. He was of the opinion that it was best everyone saw him at his worst right from the word go. They would then be under no illusion as to how he actually looked should it become necessary for him to go anywhere ‘unmasked.’

He lifted his hand to press the button to open the lift doors but there was a sudden ‘bing’ and they slid apart in front of him. A mountain of towels on slim legs began moving towards him and he yelped in surprise.

“Watch out Ellen! I’m right in front of you.” He wheeled backwards rapidly but then stopped as the towels suddenly teetered forwards. There was no stopping them and they drifted down over his head in a breath of warm air as Ellen squealed in dismay.

“Mon Dieu! You gave me a surprise. Pardon David. Ellen said that you ‘ad been messing about on that zip wire and you were nearly drowned. She told me that you were in the shower trying to warm up. I didn’t know if you ‘ad enough hot towels and thought to bring you some more warm ones.”

Geraldine’s beautiful French accent hit David with the force of a speeding rocket. All the air flew out of his lungs and his chest constricted violently. The towels fell from his face and shoulders and slithered into his lap. This was not how he wanted her to see him. He cursed inwardly at his position several inches below her as he sat in the wheelchair and wished desperately that he’d stayed in the shower for just a few minutes longer. He took a deep breath. There was nothing for it. He had to face her like a man.

He gazed up into the most gorgeous pair of emerald green eyes he had ever seen and drank in her beauty as his heart staggered back to life in his chest.

“Hello Geraldine,” he eventually managed to speak while controlling his emotions. “How is your grandmother?”

She seemed totally oblivious to the fact that he was in a wheelchair and smiled down at him as she fussed to gather the fallen towels.

“She didn’t need my ‘elp at all. Can you imagine that? Only four days after ‘aving both ‘ips replaced. I was wasting my time. I ‘oped to get back ‘ere in time for lunch but I had a flat tyre. I had to wait for Jules to come and fix it for me. He left some friends early to ‘elp me. He is such a sweetheart.”

David frowned deeply.

Who the hell was Jules? He bit back that question and spoke airily.

“Oh, that was handy. Did he have to come far?”

Geraldine shook her head as she picked up the last towel from David’s lap and folded it back onto the pile.

“Oh no, only from town. He was seeing some friends after arriving from Paris. I was stuck out at Belle Isle en Terre but he came ‘ere for the weekend. He couldn’t leave before four though and I had to wait. I haven’t seen him for over a week so after he mended my car we decided to go and have dinner together. The restaurant was lovely and the dinner delicious. We stayed for coffee too so I didn’t arrive ‘ere until late. I would ‘ave loved for you to meet ‘im but ‘e ‘as to go back to Paris tonight. I won’t see ‘im for nearly another week.” She sighed deeply and then smiled at David again.

David’s heart had dropped to his stomach and he suddenly felt sick.

She was seeing someone else! It had never crossed his mind that she would find anyone else. My god! It was worse than discovering his legs were gone!  Bitterness flooded his throat, a green haze clouded his vision. The world seemed to tip on its axis and his head began to spin.

He forced himself to remain upright in the wheelchair. He took control of himself and backed up further.

“I’m sorry Geraldine. I suddenly don’t feel quite the ticket. Nothing to worry about I’m sure. Just the after effects of travelling. Would you mind telling Ellen that I won’t be down to dinner after all. I’ll eat whatever she’s cooked tomorrow so it won’t go to waste.” He knew his voice sounded all wrong but he couldn’t do a thing about it. His whole world had suddenly crumbled to dust and he had no idea how he was ever going to put it back together.

He began wheeling himself back to his room but Geraldine called to him.

“Are you sure that there is nothing I can do? I’ll look in on you later if you like, just to check up on you.”

David stopped for a second, his heart pounding in his chest as he felt it begin to rip down the middle.

“No, don’t bother. I’ll be fine,” he bit out through gritted teeth. “Don’t let me hold you up. I’ll see you around sometime.”

Geraldine stared after him. Then she raised her eyebrows and covered her bewilderment as he disappeared back through his bedroom doorway and closed it behind him with more force than necessary.

Chapter Ten

“For goodness sake David! You are meant to be helping me.” Ellen was more than frustrated. There was clearly something bothering him but she didn’t have a clue what it was. She thought he’d be pleased that Geraldine had turned up unexpectedly early. She was obviously completely wrong about the situation.

Every morning for the last week David had wolfed down his breakfast, barely letting his bacon and eggs touch his plate before he’d dashed out into the grounds and disappeared for the day. A lot of the time he was up at the zip wire or canoeing down the river. He never bothered with lunch and every night he came home exhausted, ate a huge dinner and then went straight to bed.

Now, a week into his residency he was about to leave the château on some wild goose chase yet again. Ellen had had enough. There were still a million things to do before their opening on New Year’s Eve. The latest problem had arisen when she was about to make up all the beds in the rooms. They had forgotten that the specialist sensor mattresses were a lot thicker than normal ones and most of their fitted sheets didn’t reach far enough down the sides to tuck under the bed. The facilities were another thing to recheck and the stress was getting to her.

“I need you to start checking out the gym David. There’s a lot of new equipment in there. Our personal trainer is coming next week to take a look over everything but I want you to check it first and then the pool guy is coming later today to take a look at the water and make sure that’s perfect too. We both need to know what we’re doing. We can’t open with a green pool so he’s going to show me how to regulate the water. You don’t have time to go messing about on that blasted zip wire. I’m almost sorry I installed it now.” She bustled about picking things up and putting them down distractedly. “Delphine and Nicole are coming to give me a run through on some of the treatments and I need you to be there with Geraldine so that you two can offer advice on our therapies. You are going to have a facial and a massage so I know what to suggest to guests. I don’t want any guest to feel left out or embarrassed because I go and suggest or say the wrong thing.”

David looked up from where he had been trying to escape through the kitchen doorway.

“Can’t you and Geraldine do that? I’m sure that you would prefer a facial to me.” There was no way he could be in the same room as Geraldine yet. He still hadn’t yet come to terms with her having a boyfriend. He couldn’t bear the thought of anyone else putting their hands on her and if he saw her with bed hair or kiss swollen lips he knew that he’d go completely mad.

Ellen frowned at him darkly, her lips set in a determined line and he realized that he wasn’t getting out of this one.

“Okay, okay, I’ll be there. What time do you want me?” He asked resignedly.

“Three, but before that I want you to go to the stable block and check on Jean-Paul. He’s meant to have finished by now but there looked to be a lot to do at the end of last week. Just check on his finishing schedule as I have the place booked out for the ball.” She turned on her heel and left him standing in the doorway.

He plodded along the wooded path towards the stables. It wasn’t far and he could hear the men working well before he arrived. They greeted him cordially and Jean-Paul gave him a tour, pointing out where they needed to finish light fittings and plug sockets. It was almost all done but they didn’t want to finish the electrics before the decorating had been done. He reassured David that two weeks was plenty of time so long as Theo and his team had the painting completed by the end of the week.

David thanked the man, rang Theo to confirm that he was arriving the next day and then trudged back up the path to the ravine. He had spent hours up there since his first day. Ellen thought he spent the time whizzing down the zip wire but he didn’t. He sat down on the edge of the cliff and dangled his legs over the precipice as he rummaged through the dangerous thoughts that crowded his mind.

He sighed deeply. There was only one thought really.

‘How the hell was he going to go on living here under the same roof as Geraldine when she’d clearly been stringing him along all the time?’

The emails and the texts had meant nothing to her! He should have guessed that he and all his friends were kidding themselves about the flirting in the summer. She probably thought he was some weird idiot and just kept it up so that Ellen would think well of her. He puffed out big breaths into the cold air, feeling slightly ashamed that he could even accuse Geraldine of being so calculating. It wasn’t fair and he knew it. He was the one who had blown mere flirtation into a full scale love affair. It wasn’t her fault that he had invested his heart and soul into their online chats.

He stared down into the abyss at his feet and longed to throw himself over the edge but he knew that would be selfish. Ellen would be devastated. She’d probably never set foot in the place again and he would have ruined everything for his fellow servicemen if he did anything so foolhardy. He was just going to have to man up and get over his disappointment.

He thought about the word. Disappointment! Jesus, that was the understatement of the year. It didn’t come anywhere near describing how he felt. Furious, angry, bitter, despairing, desolate, just plain sad! It was all and none of them. It was so much more. His chest had felt completely hollow since he had found out about the fabulous, tyre changing Jules.

Jules! The anger came to the fore. God! Who the fuck was called Jules? Even the man’s name made him want to vomit.

He grabbed up a stone at his side and threw it venomously into the abyss below his boots. It clattered on the rocks as it dropped to the ravine floor, the sound echoing back up at him and then it was silent again except for the sound of the river gurgling in the background.

He rubbed his hand over his cheek and cursed the scars that met his fingertips before he suddenly remembered that he was meant to be having something done to his face.

He glanced down at his watch and raised his eyebrows. He had sat there moping far longer than he’d thought. He stood up again and took another long glance over the rim of the ravine. Tempting, but not tempting enough. He’d get through this rejection the same as he’d got through a lot of other stuff. He just needed some time to face reality.

He had a few things still going for him. He face was a mess, his body was worse but he felt bloody lucky he still had his genitals left and he thanked God for small mercies. He’d heard horror stories of some men having them blown off and he was mightily glad that hadn’t been the case for him…not that he expected to use the damn things again for anything other than everyday bodily functions. No one was going to look at him willingly as a sexual partner.

He wondered if there was anyone locally who he could pay to come and help him burn off a bit of the excess frustration. He doubted it highly but he would have to look into it. He couldn’t face the idea of never having sex again. He was only thirty, far too young to give up thoughts of that sort, though he’d not even considered indulging with anyone else since he had met Geraldine. He gave a shiver of revulsion at the thought of paying for someone to come and service him. It didn’t bear thinking about and he hung his head for even momentarily considering doing such a thing.

His face contorted as pain lanced his already broken heart and a lone tear trickled from his mangled eye. He couldn’t think beyond the flirtatious French woman whose perfume filled the château corridors and whose gentle singing wafted out at him from where she bustled about in the bedrooms helping Ellen hang drapes and position cushions.

How on earth had he ever thought someone as beautiful as Geraldine would ever want to be with someone as destroyed as him?  He almost gagged as he thought about how she would view him.

He calmed his raging heart and stopped thinking about it. He had to. He had to face her that afternoon for the first time since discovering that she belonged to another man and there was no way he could break down in front of her. It just wasn’t going to happen. After all, he still had his pride. Maybe it didn’t count for much but he couldn’t ever let Geraldine think that he was weak in any way.

He pulled back his shoulders and began marching back to the château. If he kept up a good pace he’d be there just about in time for the torture of spending an afternoon with the woman. Facials? He didn’t have a clue what that might entail and wasn’t sure that he wanted to find out given the state of his own features. A massage he could probably cope with so long as he didn’t disgrace himself by becoming aroused. Any woman touching him and he would instantly be dreaming of Geraldine’s gentle, oiled hands sliding all over his body. Sweat broke out on his brow as his imagination suddenly went wild. The thought was just too much. If he had to have a flipping massage then he wanted to make damn sure that the masseur was a man. That thought sobered him up and was suddenly a deep consideration, one which he bet neither Ellen or Geraldine would think of.

There was no way that their château could be caught up in anything remotely sleazy. Offering treatments sounded very relaxing but if any other guests were thinking or felt the same way he did then there were going to have to be some very strict rules in place to protect not only the serviceman or woman but the masseuse themselves.

He began puffing hard as he came through the woods to the château. The beautiful old place gleamed with freshly cleaned stone. It really was the most wonderful place to live. He only wished he was living with the most wonderful woman too.

He pushed open the front doors and stopped as he saw Ellen and Geraldine standing side by side in the hall. Geraldine had a pile of towels in her hands. She smiled at him radiantly as Ellen spoke up.

“David! At last. Delphine was becoming worried that you had chickened out. She needs you for the facial right now. Nicole is coming in an hour to test out her massage on you too. It looks as though you are going to be in for a relaxing afternoon.”

David scowled at her as he desperately tried to ignore Geraldine.

“Do I even want to know what a facial is? You know that my skin is tender still, don’t you? I’m not sure that I want anyone messing about with it.”

It was Geraldine’s turn to speak.

“That’s why we need to test the facial out. Delphine hasn’t given any scarred person this treatment before. She wants to know how she may ‘ave to advance her skills. You are the perfect candidate.” She frowned and looked quizzically over his face as if searching for something.

David grunted at her words.

“I’m perfect because I’m covered in the damn things? Thanks!” He spoke bitterly and Geraldine took a shocked step backwards as he stomped off towards the door that led down to the cellar.

“David?” Ellen followed quickly after him. “What’s the matter?” She was clearly concerned.

David ignored his sister’s shouts and peered into one of the treatment rooms. He found a blonde haired woman dressed in a long white jacket laying out some oils on a counter.

“Delphine?” David asked and the woman nodded as she looked up.

She held out her hand to him and he grasped it quickly before depositing himself in the chair by her side. She shook her head and indicated a cubicle to the rear of the room.

“If you would go to the changing room and remove your clothes. Put on this robe and then lay on the bed if you please Monsieur.” She patted the thickly padded couch.

David looked momentarily confused.

“I thought you were doing the facial and Nicole the massage.”

Delphine nodded enthusiastically.

“Yes, that’s right but the creams tend to spread down your neck and shoulders. It’s very relaxing too. You might fall asleep and it’s so much more comfortable if you are free from any restriction. Just take off your clothes and then come back to the bed. You can keep your underwear on if that makes you any happier. Nicole may want you to remove them for the massage but I will be fine either way.”

David’s confusion deepened but then he shrugged and moved into the cubicle. He heard the outside door open and then Ellen spoke.

“He found you then? Sorry he was late. I have no idea what he’s been up to. Do you still have time to go over things?”

Delphine answered quickly.

“Of course Madame, I need to learn from this. If Geraldine could just sit by quietly and take any notes that would be most helpful.”

Ellen excused herself as she was about to see the pool guy.

David threw back the curtain and stomped out of the cubicle wearing a thick white dressing gown tied tightly at the waste. His metal legs looked strange poking out from beneath the gown and for just one moment he wished he’d gone for the latex covered ones. They didn’t have the mobility but they looked a whole lot more normal. He thought about ordering a pair and made a mental note to call his technician as soon as possible.

He ignored Geraldine again as he slid onto the bed and lay down on his back.

Delphine pushed his gown from his shoulders and then began speaking in low tones to him.

“Tell me if anything is remotely uncomfortable. I’m going to start by covering your face with a gentle cream.” David was about to protest that his face could only have certain types of cream on it when she spoke again. “It’s okay. I already have the medical records needed. I won’t put anything on you that will irritate your skin. Now try to relax and just let me know if you are in any discomfort at all.”

The woman’s fingers were warm as they brushed lightly across the skin of his face. She moved them firmly under his chin and for the merest moment he thought he might laugh, he was incredibly ticklish on his neck but the sensation wasn’t anything like a tickle. She used the whole of her hand in the most relaxing way, moving the muscles along his jaw, making small circular movements down over his cheekbones with her thumbs and then up to the bridge of his misshapen nose. By the time she had reached his temples he was completely under her thrall and nothing could have made him move from the bed.

“God! That’s wonderful. So relaxing,” he murmured quietly, not want to break the spell.

“Good, now close your eyes.” Her gentle accent wafted over him. Similar to Geraldine’s but not quite the same. He wished that she wasn’t quite so close, he could almost hear her breathing as Delphine warmed the cream on his skin and he could think of nothing but how good he felt as Geraldine’s perfume crossed the room and wafted around him.

Delphine moved her fingertips across his eyelids, down the centre of his nose and back around to beneath his ears. Her hands slid down under his chin, along the column of his throat and splayed out over the tops of his shoulders before swirling back up to his face again.

David didn’t know when he dropped off to sleep. One moment he was awake with the soft cream being massaged gently into his scrubby chin and the next he was somewhere on a cloud of white fluffiness, his whole body suspended in a warm cocoon of relaxation. He felt himself breathing deeply and he could hear Delphine’s gentle voices explaining what she was doing but he could do nothing to rouse himself and if the truth be told he didn’t want to.

At some point he began to dream. He wasn’t sure if he wanted a dream like this. He knew it couldn’t be real but it felt so damned good he let himself fall into it.

Geraldine leaned over him and kissed him gently on the lips. She turned so that she was above him and began trailing her tongue down his neck. It was only as she reached his chest that he realized she was naked, her full, succulent breasts just inches from his face, her ripe, rose tinged nipples grazing across his lips as she kissed downwards over his rippling pectorals.

The air rushed out of him as she pressed a nipple closer and he opened his mouth. She lowered the juicy morsel and he closed his lips over her warm skin, sucking greedily on the tightened bud of pleasure. He tried to raise his hands to touch her other breast, wanting to feel the weight of the glorious mound in his palm as he licked at her delicious flesh but something prevented him. He reluctantly released Geraldine’s breast from his greedy lips, turned his head to look down at his hands and saw that they were chained to something on the floor. He turned his head slightly more, desperate to get rid of the confining weight and then reeled back as he saw burning tyres lying on the ground beneath the bed. His arms chained to them, holding him to the metal frame as the flames licked higher and higher towards his fingers.

He began to struggle against his bonds but the bright burning flames seared his palms now and he began screaming. He couldn’t lose any other part of his body. He couldn’t let his hands burn. How would he hold Geraldine in his arms? How would he caress her tender skin or touch her silky hair? He writhed frantically against the chains and suddenly he felt something cool pressing against his forehead.

Calmness overcame him as an angel called his name and slid her gentle hands to his shoulders, shaking him gently. He heard Geraldine speaking to him and he struggled to wake but suddenly there was another face staring at him.

Short dark hair, grey green eyes, a perfectly straight nose, high cheekbones and a fashionably dimpled chin covered with dark stubble. Perfectly arched lips split into a wide, non threatening smile. The man spoke in a deep French accent.

“Hello David, you ugly bastard. I’m Jules and you can go and rot in hell!” and then he suddenly pulled out a huge, serrated knife and began sawing off David’s hands.

The vision disappeared and David shot bolt upright on the bed, screaming for the man to stop cutting him as Geraldine fought to keep him from falling to the floor. Heart pounding he looked around the room wildly. No flames, no chains, no huge knife. Delphine stood against the wall pulling in great lungsful of air while Geraldine spoke to him softly and held his shoulders firmly.

“David, it’s okay. Stop shouting. You were just dreaming.”

David wiped his hand across his sweating brow.

“I know. I knew I was dreaming but I couldn’t stop it.” His words came out fast, almost jumbled, such was his distress. “Christ! That was awful. I thought I was burning again.” He gulped noisily as Delphine handed him a glass of water.

“I’m sorry,” She gasped, obviously still frightened by his outburst.

David immediately calmed down. It wasn’t this woman’s fault he had bad dreams. It was hardly surprising given what he had been through but it did make him think.

“Not your fault Delphine. The facial was actually gorgeous, but we definitely need to rethink something if it makes you drop off to sleep like that. I could have hurt you.”

Geraldine shook her head.

“You were only shouting and thrashing about a little. I was more worried that you were dreaming something dreadful and would fall from the bed.” David looked at her carefully for the first time in a week as he wondered if he had shouted any names. There were some new stress lines around her eyes and she wasn’t smiling.

David couldn’t bear her concern. He had to lighten the atmosphere. He quirked up the corner of his mouth.

“It wasn’t all bad, you know. There were some definite plus points to the dream. Two very particular ones that I wouldn’t have minded making a better acquaintance with.” He couldn’t help dropping his gaze to her chest and when he tore it back up to her eyes again she was blushing furiously. She stepped away from the bed as David swung his legs over the side. Delphine passed him a towel and he quickly wiped his clammy face. His fingers touched his skin and he smiled widely.

“That actually feels wonderful. Best it’s felt since I was burned.” He frowned slightly. “We’re going to need a discussion about this. Obviously the facial was great but you can’t have guys like me going off into random dreams like that. We’re trained killers, anything could happen. Let’s go and talk to Ellen and see if she has any ideas.” He levered himself from the bed and walked out of the door still in the dressing gown.

Ellen was talking to the pool guy, peering at the various samples of water held in vials in his hand. She looked up as David approached.

“What was all the shouting about? Did Delphine tickle you?” She stared at his face. “Wow, you look good, your skin is all smooth.”

David felt his own cheeks again. They did feel good. He smiled grimly at Ellen.

“Yes, trouble is that it came at the cost of a nasty dream. I could have hurt Delphine if Geraldine hadn’t woken me in time. We’re going to have to see what we can do. I had no idea that a simple face massage would send you off to sleep like that. It was beyond relaxing.”

Immediately concerned Ellen quickly finished with the pool man and then led them all back into the kitchen. She made tea and coffee while they sat around the table.

“So what do we do? That dream might have just been you. Not everyone reacts in the same way. I bet some people don’t even fall asleep.”

David snorted in derision.

“Have you ever had one of those facial things? I never felt more relaxed in my life. In any case, I don’t think we should take that chance. I think Delphine and Nicole should either have someone with them or maybe the guest could have a chaperone.”

Geraldine spoke up.

“I may not be able to be there every time. If anyone needs my assistance with anything else that is my main concern.”

Ellen nodded and then looked at Delphine.

“Is there anything you can do to stop clients dropping off? Can you bring an assistant with you or do you have any other suggestions?”

Delphine shrugged.

“I never tried keeping someone awake. The whole point is that you relax. Nearly all my clients fall to sleep at some point. I might be able to find an assistant though.”

David snorted again.

“Forget it. No offense intended but you’d need about five women of your size to hold back one of us guys if we had real intentions of hurting you.”

Geraldine sipped her tea and then spoke up again.

“But you weren’t trying to ‘urt anyone. I only woke you because you seemed so distressed. You were struggling on the bed but you weren’t attempting to do anything else. Maybe we ‘ave over reacted ‘ere.”

David glanced at her. Her deep green eyes looked right back at him and his heart jolted as he tried to keep his mind away from the dangers of the dream. The thought of how her delicious breasts would feel against his lips was something he didn’t want to have on his mind right now.

“Perhaps you’re right. We just need something in case of emergency, if Delphine still feels comfortable giving the massage after my stupid display. The treatment room’s quite big; we could always have Nicole and Delphine in doing massage and facial at the same time. I don’t think our boys would mind and it could kill two birds with one stone actually.

I was thinking this morning about our reputation. This massage thing is great but if anyone wants to slander us then that would be one of the easiest ways to do it. Just send out a rumour, however untrue, about the nature of our services and we’ll be closed down. If there were two guys in the room I think they would probably talk to one another rather than go to sleep anyway but at least if the women were working on two clients they would have the back up of each other if one of the guests fell to sleep and had awful dreams. We would certainly be more secure in our reputation. We could put a panic alarm in too.” He wiped his hand over his brow again as he thought of his awful dream.

Ellen frowned curiously at her brother.

“What were you dreaming about anyway? You never had many dreams when you were at home, not even after your injuries.”

David shrugged. He could hardly confess to dreaming about fondling Geraldine’s ample breasts and he didn’t even want to think about the last part of the dream. It was bad enough having his hands cut off but the fact that Geraldine’s boyfriend was doing the surgery was too much to bear.

“It was nothing. Just weird that’s all.” He dismissed Ellen’s concern but glanced up at Geraldine. She gave him one quick flick of her green eyes and then kept them down and didn’t say anymore.

Nicole came in a few minutes later and David went back down to the treatment room with the three women in tow. This time he had to remove his prosthetics and they all laughed as they agreed that having no legs was a distinct disadvantage if you were going to attack someone. David hid a smile as he conceded that even Ellen was probably able to outrun him. Maybe they wouldn’t need a chaperone after all.

The massage was almost as relaxing as the facial and David had to fight to keep awake but he couldn’t face any more dreams of burning body parts, horribly handsome Jules or Geraldine’s delectable breasts. He managed to keep his gaze fixed on a tiny spot of dirt on the ceiling, promising himself that he would get the ladders and wipe it off before the day was out while agreeing that both the types of relaxation method were perfect for their clients and their partners.

Chapter Eleven

Only another two weeks to go and the château would be opening its doors. Even in his desolation, David felt that he was doing something good. They would be fully booked for the New Year’s ball with guests arriving from four in the afternoon onwards. Several of his former colleagues were coming with their families and he was looking forward to seeing them.

All of his friends had messaged and asked how his love life was going. Denial seemed easier than the truth. He answered with bravado that he didn’t have a clue what they were on about. He was just good friends with all of the staff.

He swallowed the lie every time he said it, hating himself for being duped but not really blaming Geraldine. It hadn’t been her fault that he had expected far more than she could possibly give.

He didn’t kid himself that he was over her, he didn’t think that would ever happen but he kept his emotions under strict control whenever she was about. The only time he came near to losing it was when she announced over the breakfast table that Jules was interested in viewing the château. Apparently he’d played in the ruins when he was younger and was desperate to see what they had made of it.

Ellen couldn’t wait to meet the man and told Geraldine that Jules was welcome anytime but Geraldine arranged for him to come the very next afternoon.

David made sure he was well out of the way. He spent the whole afternoon from lunchtime until dark sawing huge logs that could be used for one of their corporate activities. He arrived back at the château as night fell, exhausted and sweaty, filthy with mud and algae from the trees only to find that Jules had been invited to stay for dinner.

He marched furiously up the stairs to his room and spent the next hour sitting in the shower ignoring the sting of the scrapes and bruises on his body. Cutting the trees by hand had seemed a good idea at the time. Now, when he was tired and hungry but fighting his pride he wasn’t sure that he shouldn’t have waited until Joe arrived to help him.

Exhaustion swept over him as he dumped his towel in the linens basket. Still damp, he threw himself on the bed and lay there staring up at the canopy while he contemplated what he was going to do. His choices were limited given the state of his body and while he knew that money was never going to be a problem he had hoped for something worthwhile.

He had thought that the project was going to be his work for the rest of his life, had wanted it to be but he now realized that he would have to leave. Watching Geraldine fall in love with another man wasn’t something he could bear to see happen in front of him. He groaned as he thought of her in another man’s arms and fury swept through him.

He cursed the warlords that had forced the boy to blow himself up, cursed Steve for saving his life, cursed Ellen for insisting that he came here and he cursed himself most of all for being so stupid as to fall in love.

Bitter tears leaked out onto the pillow but he just let them fall. He had to leave the place, couldn’t stand being there any longer. He knew he couldn’t just leave like a thief in the night. Ellen would be devastated, but he had to leave before New Year. Geraldine would be here and he had already seen Jules’s name on the guest list beside Geraldine’s. His gut burned as he thought of her dancing with the man, his arms around her, his hands on her body and later when they went to her room. He held back the bile that rose into his throat as images of the perfect Jules doing unspeakable things to the woman he loved swept through his mind.

The woman he loved! He covered his face with his hands and groaned as realization dawned on him. It had sneaked up on him, lured him in and captured him as quickly as sliding down the zip wire. It wasn’t going to do him any good moaning about it but he couldn’t stay there and see her in the arms of another man. It would be impossible; his heart would be ripped from his body if he saw it.

He wondered if he could get his old job back in the army. Richards would probably have him but he didn’t know if he’d be allowed now he had resigned his position. He couldn’t really see that as being a viable option. There was no way he would pass the physical they used for ordinary recruits.

Maybe he could do something similar to Ellen but at a different château. He had considered perhaps a facility for rehabilitation but hadn’t gone any further than think about it. Maybe he could now. Thanks to his legacy it wasn’t as if he couldn’t afford it and if he made it an international facility he could probably raise some government funding anyway.

He rolled over in the bed as the phone rang beside him. It was an internal call from the kitchen, Ellen no doubt wondering why he hadn’t come down for dinner, but he just couldn’t sit there and watch while Geraldine and Jules made moon eyes at one another.

He picked up the phone.

“I’m too tired. I cut those eight trees up by hand. Do you think you could just make me a sandwich and I’ll come and get it in an hour or so?” He asked after Ellen told him that they were about to eat. There was a short silence and then she agreed quietly.

He put the phone down and crawled under the covers. The sheet stuck on his still slightly damp body and he lugged it up over his shoulder. Physically and emotionally exhausted, he curled into a ball and pulled the spare pillow in front of him, cradling it with his body, holding it gently against him as he would a woman, the woman he loved, the woman he would never now have.

He blinked blearily as sunlight streamed in through the open curtains. His arms were still wrapped around the pillow and he pushed it away as he sat up. He looked at the clock on his night stand and raised his eyebrows when he saw that it was gone ten in the morning. Over twelve hours sleep. He must have been more tired than he thought.

He rubbed his eyes and frowned at the covered plate that sat beside the clock. He lifted the foil and then the top slice of bread. Smoked ham and mustard sandwiches lay there, slightly curled and dry at the edges. He didn’t care; he’d never been a fussy eater. He was hungry and the sandwiches were still edible. He picked one up and munched on the crust for a few moments. Ellen must have brought it up to him on her way to bed when he hadn’t appeared to collect it.

He thought about his decision to leave and scratched absently at his thigh as he wondered how long it would take to pack his things. He only needed a small bag to tide him over for a few days until he could decide what to do next. Ellen would keep his things in his suite until he had decided on his next course of action.

He scratched his other thigh as he brought the second sandwich to his lips and then he put it down again. His thighs really were itching. Hurting in fact. He gingerly lifted the duvet and stared in horror as he saw the skin covering the ends of his thigh bones.

It was red raw, splitting in places, the skin flaking dryly. He lunged for the phone in panic.

“Ellen!” He shouted into the receiver when she picked up.

“She ‘as gone to the market, David. Can I ‘elp you? ‘as something ‘appened.” Geraldine’s voice sounded thick and slightly strange.

David gulped. He didn’t want her anywhere near him but he couldn’t sort this out on his own. He had hoped Ellen would have an idea of what to do but he didn’t have any alternative. If the skin on his stumps was failing he would need further surgery.

Panic nearly overcame him. He couldn’t make his voice work at all. He gulped air like a fish and nearly choked as he heard Geraldine suddenly say in a far more confident tone of voice.

“David, stay calm, I’ll be with you in two minutes. Put the phone down and try to keep calm.”

He slammed the phone back into its cradle and breathed deeply as he stared at his skin. What in God’s name had happened overnight? Panic rose in his chest again as his legs throbbed painfully. They seemed to be becoming redder before his very eyes. Sweat broke out on his brow and then suddenly cooled as Geraldine burst through the door and rushed to his side.

She took one look at his face and then dropped her gaze to his naked body. Her eyes didn’t linger but opened in horror as she saw the ends of his legs.

She leaned forwards and gently lay her hand on his burning skin. It was swollen and tender. He winced as she touched him with feather like fingers.

“Mon Dieu! What ‘ave you done? David, did you not rinse after your shower last night? After all that work in the forest they must have been really sweaty and tender. I hope you didn’t spend too long under the ‘ot water. Did you dry them properly and use your cream and powders?”

David shook his head numbly, still too panicked to speak.

Geraldine took a deep breath as she scolded him with her eyes.

“Foolish man! You know ‘ow important it is to keep your skin in top condition.” She reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone. She spoke rapid French to someone at the end of the line before she pocketed the phone once again and bent to look closely at what remained of his legs.

David swallowed noisily.

“Am I going to lose more of them? I can’t face it Geraldine, I just can’t go through all that again.” his voice nearly broke with the strain.

Geraldine stood back and stared grimly at him. She wasn’t going to hide the facts.

“I hope not but you ‘ave not helped yourself ‘ere. The skin is infected and you are going to have to remain flat on your back for a few days. I just called the doctor. You need a full dose of antibiotics immediately. He’s bringing them up right away.” She turned to leave the room but David lunged forwards and caught her hand.

“Where are you going? You can’t leave me.” The fear in his voice was audible to his own ears.

Geraldine smiled down at him gently. She gripped his hand back tightly for a second and then released it.

“Don’t worry, I’m just going to get my bag. I have some proper cleanser and antibiotic cream in there. I’ll probably have to dress them for you too as soon as the doctor ‘as taken a look. Now let me go and I’ll be back in just a few minutes, I promise. In the mean time you might want to put on some underwear or the doctor might think you’re swollen in other places too and give you some medicine to reduce that as well.” She gave him a cheeky wink as she disappeared out of the door.

David looked down at himself and for the first time since he had woken realized his state of undress. Heat suffused his cheeks but then he frowned. What on earth was she talking about? Swollen in other places where? He looked absolutely normal everywhere else. He stared down at his body for a long moment. Okay chest covered with a light dusting of hair, flat stomach with defined muscles, a well-proportioned but perfectly normal manhood lying at rest at the moment. He stopped there and gulped. Then his head shot up and his mouth dropped open as he suddenly realized what she had meant. He had been lying there as naked as the day he was born and in his panic never even thought about his nudity. She had clearly copped an eyeful. He’d always known that he was well endowed but for his nurse to mention it was a bit of a surprise. It was even more of a surprise as she had a boyfriend.

He rolled to his side and pulled at the nearest nightstand drawer, grabbed out a pair of boxers and dragged them on, wincing again as they touched his tender skin, moments before she returned to the room with her bag in hand.

The next few hours were torture. The doctor arrived and after a brief and painful examination confirmed Geraldine’s first diagnosis. Both his legs were badly infected. His own sweat from his work in the forest had softened the skin around his bones. He had made a bad situation worse when he stupidly left soap on his already delicate skin. It had dried his already tender flesh so much that the abraded layers had cracked in the night, splitting, flaking and weeping in places.

The doctor left a huge bottle of tablets and released him into Geraldine’s care. Ellen arrived home from the market a few moments later and flew up the stairs after hearing what had happened from the departing doctor.

She then sat on the end of the bed yelling at her brother, telling David off while Geraldine gently cleansed his sore skin, then spread a generous amount of antibiotic cream on his limbs using feathering strokes to apply it to the places that throbbed the most.

He gritted his teeth as not only his skin throbbed at her tender touch. Only Geraldine’s swift placement of a thick towel saved him from the ultimate embarrassment in front of his sister and he sighed with relief as she left the room still berating him for his foolishness and disregard for his health.

Silence enveloped them as Geraldine continued working on his skin. She concentrated hard on his thighs as the silence deepened and then David suddenly spoke before he could change his mind.

“I’m leaving. As soon as this has cleared up, I’m going back to England. I made a massive mistake coming here and I want you to know that I’m sorry I put you in this position.”

Geraldine looked up at him and he nearly lost it as he saw her eyes fill with tears.

“It’s my job.” Her voice quavered. “It’s what Ellen employed me to do.” She cuffed her tears with the back of her hand. “I didn’t mean to fall in love. I thought… I’m sorry that you feel you ‘ave to go. This is yours and Ellen’s project; I should be the one leaving if that’s ‘ow you feel.” She choked as she finished speaking.

David held his hands at his sides. All he wanted to do was to haul her into his arms and comfort her but if he knew if he touched her he would be undone. He gulped back his own sobs and smiled gently as he held back a tumult of emotion.

“Silly woman, and leave all my colleagues without a fabulous nurse to look after them? I would never do such a thing. You have to stay here and do this with Ellen if I can’t.”

Geraldine began to wrap his legs in a soft bandage. She lifted her chin and indicated for him to lie back to make it easier for him to lift his sore thighs as she wound the cotton around him. She dropped her gaze as she worked and spoke again.

“But I don’t understand why you can’t stay. I thought that everything would work out. We are good friends, yes? I don’t understand what ‘as ‘appened.”

David shook his head. Friends was not what he wanted to be.

“It’s not you Geraldine. It’s me. I just can’t do this. I can’t face seeing you here every day. Call me weak, call me whatever you like but I just can’t stand to see you in another man’s arms. It’s killing me just knowing that you are with Jules and it shouldn’t be like that. You should be free to choose whoever you want without me acting like a love sick fool in the background. I’m so jealous I could kill the guy and I’ve never even met him. I have to get away from here”

Geraldine suddenly stopped winding the bandages, her hands suspended in mid air. She lifted her chin and frowned at him.

“Jules? My Jules? Is he why you ‘ave been avoiding me these last two weeks, why you didn’t join us for dinner. You are jealous of Jules?”

David nodded guiltily as he bit the inside of his cheek and held back the spleen he wanted to vent at her new man.

“If only you knew how much. Look, I know you have your job to do but I can see to myself now that I have the antibiotics. You shouldn’t come near me. I might not be able to control myself if you do.”

Geraldine sat back on the bed. She had finished wrapping his legs but she stared at them for several moments longer. She lifted her chin and David saw that her beautiful green eyes had cleared. She was obviously relieved that he would be leaving.

She cut the bandage and pinned it carefully.

“Okay, I understand your position but I must check on your legs at least twice a day. I am your nurse as well as your friend. If you miss anything it could spell disaster for you so please let me do this service for you. I promise that I will make my examinations as brief as possible to allow you the least discomfort. Agreed?” She stood up as she spoke and David followed her with his eyes.

“Fine, and thanks for being so kind to me. I really don’t deserve it. I shouldn’t have assumed so much.”

Geraldine walked slowly towards the door, her head dipped, her shoulders slumped. She glanced back over her shoulder.

“I’ll drop back in this evening. Do you want me to bring you some books or are you happy with the television?”

David stared at the big, vacant screen and then shook his head.

“I’d prefer Ellen to bring me some books. I can’t be bothered to watch the television now I don’t need to learn French.”

Geraldine narrowed her eyes for a second and then nodded.

“Okay, I’ll ask her to bring some. I’ll see you later but if you feel any more discomfort, anything at all, you must call me immediatment, do you understand? You must not argue with me over this David. Your future could depend on it.”

David gulped. He knew that she wasn’t playing any games now. He nodded seriously.

“Okay. I promise I’ll call for you if anything changes at all. Now stop wasting your time pandering to me. I’ll be fine.”

She left the room and closed the door without looking back and David heaved a huge breath into his lungs as his heart tore in two once again.

Geraldine didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. The relief almost overwhelmed her as she discovered what was wrong with him, apart from the stupid man’s infected legs. She walked away from his room feeling better than she had in over a fortnight. It had been two weeks of excruciating personal torture. He had ignored her, avoided her and done everything he could to stay out of her way and all because of her lovely Jules.

She laughed in sudden happiness. If he was that affected by the situation it could only mean one thing. She wasn’t mistaken about all their emails and texts. When he had first arrived back at the château she had begun to wonder if her English was as good as she had initially thought. Ellen never seemed to have a problem with it but she had begun to worry that she hadn’t been understood.

The late summer and autumn had been a serious of hilarious and sometimes very naughty messages and she had been desperate to see David again. She had never felt so engaged with someone in the whole of her life. He was passionate and funny and so open that she had built an image in her mind of their next meeting but it had been a dismal, disappointing reunion and for the next few days she had wondered if someone had played a trick on her and she had been messaging another person entirely all summer.

She blushed at the very thought. Some of the messages had been more personal than she had imagined ever writing but David made her feel so comfortable, so alive that she hadn’t been able to resist his outrageous charm. That he had been moody and unapproachable when he arrived back at the château had shocked her. It was as if he were a different person entirely.

When he had fallen asleep during his facial she had gone to him as he called her name but he had suddenly become frantic, screaming in apparent pain and anguish and thrashing to get away from her. She remembered his heated gaze searing her breasts as he glanced down at her when he eventually woke. Maybe the pain wasn’t all of his dream. Maybe he had held something back.

She narrowed her eyes. What a fool she had been not to question him earlier and what an idiot he had been to hide his fears from her. She had assumed that he knew about Jules. She had imagined that Ellen shared most things with him but maybe not this. Ellen was still sad about the loss of her own boyfriend, perhaps she wouldn’t share things about men, even Jules, with her brother and David had been far too upset to ask her a thing about him.

Two weeks had gone by and the stubborn man hadn’t said a word to her. Maybe he had been too proud or felt inadequate in some way. To be so jealous as to risk injuring his legs even further just because of Jules was beyond ridiculous. She could have slapped him up the side of the head for being a fool.

Well, if he insisted on acting like one and threatening to go home over another man’s love for her then she would let him believe what he wanted. It might even serve him well if she carried on with it all until he was recovered enough to leave the place. At least now he was confined to bed he couldn’t avoid her. It might even give him a chance to pluck up his courage and fight for her.

She pressed her lips together. Yes, he should fight for her, should show some passion. She had suffered miserably this last week, wondering what she had done to deserve his cool attitude. She would let him suffer for just a few days longer just to make him appreciate her sacrifice all the more.

Chapter Twelve

Ellen stood with her hands on her hips as she glared at her brother from the end of the bed.

“No, you can’t get up. I’ll take away both the wheelchair and your legs. You will stay there resting until the doctor or Geraldine says you can get up. Joe’s not arriving for another week and you are going to be better by the time he arrives so don’t you dare argue with me.”

David folded his arms across his huge chest and glared right back at his sister.

“I am sick to death of lying here. I want to go out. I’ve left you to finish everything. I’m lying here like some kind of useless, decrepit lump. I need to do something constructive or I’m going to go mad,” he grumbled for the umpteenth time.

Ellen glowered at him even more fiercely.

“You are doing something constructive, you stubborn fool! You are getting better. Do you have any idea how much worrying I have done this week? I nearly lost you once already David…It’s not happening again. Ever! I’ll send Geraldine up to read to you or something or maybe you want Delphine to come and give you a facial and a manicure. She’d do wonders with your hands.”

David glowered right back at her. He puffed up his chest and made himself as big as possible.

“I do not want another facial. I’ve already had three and this week. I’ll look like a bloody five year old by the time our guests arrive. I’ve had a manicure too. My nails look fabulous! So flipping fabulous that Joe is probably going to ask some very embarrassing questions! There’s only so much relaxation a guy can take. My skin is already softer than a baby’s arse. Go and ask Geraldine if I can get up. She wouldn’t answer me this morning when I asked. If I don’t get out of this bed soon I am going to go stark staring mad.”

Ellen felt the frustration rippling off him. She turned towards the door.

“Okay. I will go and ask Geraldine to give you a definitive answer on whether you can get up or not but if she says no then it’s no and you will stay right where you are. I’ll bolt the blasted door before you can do anything so foolish as this ever again. I don’t know what’s got into you recently. You’re behaving almost as badly as when I first brought you home after your accident.” She opened the door and walked out.

David grabbed hold of the pillow beside him and threw it at the door as it closed behind her. His mind raged at the injustice of it all.

“It wasn’t a fucking accident! Some poor kid was blown up, right in front of my fucking car on fucking purpose!” he bellowed to no one, angrier than he had been in months. He slammed his fists into the mattress and took some deep breaths as silence fell around him. “It wasn’t a fucking accident!” he shouted again and slumped back onto the pillows. He closed his eyes and tried to banish the terrified Afghan boy’s face from his mind as unexpected tears pricked the back of his eyelids. For a moment he wondered where the boy’s father had been. Had he been the one to detonate the blast, killing his son for what he thought was a greater cause? Had the boy any relatives there or was he just another of the thousands of orphans left by the war? Whoever it had been forcing the lad, the boy had been petrified. “Bastards! They killed a fucking kid!” he yelled into the empty bedroom and pulled one of the remaining pillows over his head. “God damned fucking bastards!” he mumbled into the soft cotton pillowcase.

“Who is a God damned bastard?” Geraldine spoke suddenly and David whipped the pillow from his face again as he blinked back the tears of frustration.

He glared at the woman he wanted so much that it hurt his heart to even think of her.

“Everyone! Every fucking one!” He yelled his frustration again.

Geraldine stared at him silently for a second and then stepped away from the bed.

“Oh! Well, I think I will leave if you are going to cast aspersions on my ancestry.” She turned back towards the door and David surged forwards.

“No! I didn’t mean you. I didn’t mean anyone in particular except those bastards that left me like this.” He was breathing hard.

Geraldine stopped but didn’t turn around or say anything.

David took in a huge lungful of air and controlled his riotous temper. He waited until he was sure that he wouldn’t shout again.

“Sorry…Sorry I yelled at you. I didn’t mean it.”

Geraldine turned back to him and gave him a brittle smile.

“Of course you didn’t. I know that but you really can’t go around yelling at everyone who crosses your path. The more you rest the quicker you will heal. You’re making excellent progress but you’re not out of the woods yet. Your legs still look sore and there’s no way you are going to be wearing your prosthetics for a few more days. We’ll ruin all our progress.” She came and sat in the chair beside the bed.

David groaned as her perfume assaulted his senses. He hung his head. His emotions were all over the place.

“I just need to get out. I feel like I’m in a prison. There’s no air in here.”

Geraldine looked up at the wide open window and raised her eyebrows at him as her hair wafted in the cool breeze. Then she stood up again.

“Okay. I give in. I will take you for a walk around the estate.” She held out her hand and pushed him back onto the bed as he lurched forwards, swinging his legs out of the bed and reaching for his prosthetics. “In the wheelchair, David. I will push you along the new paths. You will not attempt to walk and you will not exert yourself. You will talk to me and observe the wildlife and then we will come back and eat an excellent dinner with Ellen and you will go to bed like a good boy and never shout at me again. Understood!”

Her hand was hot on the flesh of his shoulder, branding him with her touch. He had to steel himself against reaching forwards and pulling her into the bed with him. He glared at her for a moment as he fought for control. She raised an elegant eyebrow and he suddenly realized that he was up against someone far more powerful than himself.

“Fine. You can push me. Now get me out of here,” he spoke irritably.

She didn’t move.

“And the talking and resting and eating?” she asked quietly.

He nodded quickly but she still didn’t move. She raised one dark eyebrow and waited.

David rolled his eyes. He wasn’t going to get away with a thing.

“And I will never shout at you again,” He added quickly, his voice already softening.

Geraldine smiled.

“Excellent. Now I will ‘elp you dress and we can spend a pleasant afternoon together in the grounds.”

Walking with Geraldine was a new form of torture that he hadn’t ever considered. For three hours her voice caressed his ears as she talked to him about life in the small town.

She had him roaring with laughter as she revealed the shocking truth about their local policeman’s regular Thursday meetings with the butcher’s wife, while the butcher was at the market in the next town, regaling him several outrageous anecdotes from eyewitnesses confirming that the policeman wasn’t just taking down her details each week.

She made his eyes widen in surprise and pleasure and he made a mental note to check out her information when she informed him of the secret angling group who were considering asking Ellen to set up some competition days with her guests.

He actually cried laughing at the story of the mayor’s recent antics with Antoine’s enormous prize pig after it escaped from its pen at the local stock fair. The mayor swore that the pig had an unhealthy fascination for men who wore wellingtons.

Her laugh sang through the trees at the memory of the scattering men as she re-enacted the women flapping their aprons in a failed attempt to distract the animal from its quarry and David’s heart nearly broke all over again at the injustice of it all.

She was perfect for him. She shared his sense of humour, his love of all things ridiculous. They enjoyed the same music, the same films. He even discovered that they liked the same types of food once she laughingly confessed that she actually detested the strongly flavoured, traditional Breton sausage that she had made him and all his friends try on their initial visit. He made another mental note never to trust her to give him food again before he remembered that he would be leaving as soon as his legs were healed.

She pushed his chair back up to the château as the light began to fade, their breath making clouds of condensation as they breathed in the cold air.

Ellen waited near the front door, standing beside a tall, dark haired man. He appeared to be listening intently to something Ellen was telling him but they both turned as David and Geraldine came through the front door.

Geraldine immediately stopped and then pushed David forwards again as she spoke over the top of his head.

“Jules! ‘ow lovely! We ‘ave been out walking. David was becoming an old dragon being cooped up all the time. I wasn’t expecting you today.” She parked David beside his sister before she reached up and kissed Jules on both cheeks.

Jules brushed her hair with his hand and looked tenderly at her before clasping her against him and giving her a hug.

“It has only been a few days but I decided to come down anyway. Once I knew that I was going to work here I started packing up the flat.” His English was excellent, not as heavily accented as Geraldine’s. He turned to David whose face had gone from flushed with the cold air to deathly pale. The man took a step forwards and held out his hand. “It is an honour to meet you at last Monsieur. Geraldine has told me so much about you.”

David raised an eyebrow and tried to ignore the hand but found he couldn’t. He shook it grudgingly. Jules looked almost exactly as David had imagined. Like some kind of Adonis. Well over six feet tall, dark hair, bright turquoise eyes. His cheekbones looked as if they were chiselled from pale stone and his dimpled chin was covered with the exact amount of stubble to suit his style.

David’s insides churned. No wonder Geraldine hadn’t been able to resist the guy. He was perfect in every single way. Broad shoulders with thick muscles in his arms and thighs that showed through his casual but elegant clothes. Flat stomach, slim waist, great style. David’s throat burned as he desperately held back the rising bitterness. It was only after he had taken a few breaths that he realized what the man had said.

His eyes burned into Ellen.

“You’re working here? Doing what exactly?” She hadn’t told him anything about Jules working with them. Joe was arriving on Christmas Eve, some gym guy and a few household staff were starting as they opened for New Year but apart from them and the girls in the treatment rooms that was all he knew about. He suddenly realized what his own thoughts meant. “Oh! Sorry, of course, you must be the personal trainer, the gym guy.” The man was clearly made for the job.

Jules grinned and nodded enthusiastically..

“As soon as Geraldine told me what was happening here I begged to be part of it and Ellen was kind enough to offer me the job. I’ve been working in Paris but I am so fed up with it. There’s no challenge, no job satisfaction and I’m sick to death of frustrated older women trying to grab hold of my backside. I think I will be permanently bruised if I don’t get out of there.” Jules laughed.

David was surprised as Geraldine laughed with him. He didn’t think he would laugh if he heard about some dirty old men squeezing his girlfriend’s backside…He’d be outraged and probably want to punch them. He tried desperately to think of something to say.

“Well, I don’t suppose you’ll have that many aging, frustrated women to deal with here, unless you count Ellen of course, so your backside should be safe.” He ducked Ellen’s hand as it swept across the top of his head.

Jules laughed but then there was another short silence and David began to push himself towards the lift. He just wanted to get out of this man’s sight, couldn’t bear the thought of him being with Geraldine, touching her, kissing her, more than just kissing her. He held back a shudder. “I think I’ll go and have a lie down. This afternoon has tired me more than I expected. I won’t bother with dinner, I’m not really that hungry anyway.” His head jerked around as someone caught hold of the back of his chair and began pulling him back towards the dining room.

Geraldine’s beautiful voice whispered into his ear.

“That is not what we agreed David. You haven’t eaten properly all week. You are becoming too thin.” She turned his chair back towards Ellen and Jules.

David sat there fuming.

“Don’t! Just leave me alone Geraldine. I don’t want any food. I feel sick. I just need to rest,” he hissed back at her.

She wasn’t accepting any of his complaints as an excuse.

“Rubbish! You felt fine just ten minutes ago. You even said that you were famished,” she spoke quickly and ignored his protests. “You must be starving, a great big man like you living off two poached eggs and a few biscuits with your tea. That’s about all you have eaten this week and it’s going to stop right now. You will sit and eat with Ellen, Jules and myself and you will damn well enjoy it.”

David tried to turn in his seat to look up at her.

“Why? Why are you making me suffer like this? I told you how I felt. I explained to you what it was doing to me. Can’t you just leave it,” he hissed over his shoulder at her.

Geraldine shook her head.

“No. You will do as you promised or I will lock you in your room until you ‘ave recovered fully.” She smiled as they reached Ellen and Jules. “David ‘as changed his mind. He is ‘ungry after all. Mama sent over a delicious cake for our dessert and David has found that he just cannot resist.”

Ellen smiled brightly as David set his mouth in a thin line.

“Excellent. We were going to have to rely on cheese tonight. I hadn’t had time to prepare anything for pudding. Thank your mother for me when you see her again.”

Jules turned with Ellen towards the dining room.

“She does make wonderful cake, but Geraldine says that you have been learning from her too. Did you not cook much at home?”

Ellen shook her head and linked her arm with Jules’s.

“David and all his mates preferred quantity over anything else. So long as whatever I cooked had plenty of gravy or maybe brown sauce they were fine with it. I do a brilliant sausage and mash though. I’ll have to cook it for you sometime.”

Jules laughed.

“One of my favourites, but it will have to wait for another time. I only came down here for the evening to see that everything was on schedule for the opening and to meet your brother. Geraldine has talked of him so often and as we will all be working together I really wanted to meet him before the opening night. I think we will all get on splendidly together but I must return to Paris tomorrow morning. I’ve still some things to finish up there. I won’t be back here before New Year.”

David breathed a sigh of relief. At least he would never have to see the blasted man again. Knowing that he was going to be staying the night was bad enough.

He ground his teeth as Geraldine pushed his chair to a space at the table and sat beside him. Ellen placed a small plate with what looked like pears stuffed with blue cheese and walnuts in front of him. He sniffed suspiciously at it and then raised his eyebrows at her.

“I’m trying out some new dishes and you lot are my tasters. Let me know what you think.”

Dinner conversation stayed mostly on the safe subject of food. David grudgingly agreed that the pear starter was delicious. He was even more enthusiastic at the slow roast stuffed shoulder of lamb. It was more than tasty. He would never have imagined putting apricots with the succulent meat.

Geraldine’s mother’s cake was another triumph and they decided to make it a regular order for their expanding menu.

Tired but replete with his first full meal in more than a week, David was surprised when they all went upstairs in the lift together. He was exhausted with the strain of keeping a civil tongue inside his head and Geraldine looked nearly as tired. Shoving him around the forest even on the made up paths couldn’t have been easy but he was still slightly surprised when Geraldine disappeared into her own room and Jules walked along to the next door along the corridor. Ellen followed him to his bedroom and held his door open for him to push himself through. She stood at his door for a moment longer.

“Jules is great, isn’t he? I think he’s going to be perfect for the job,” she spoke quietly as she covered a yawn.

David shrugged. He couldn’t let his sister know what he really thought about the blasted man. It would sound petty, ridiculous.

For God’s sake! It was petty and ridiculous. Even David had to admit that Jules seemed to be a nice guy. He frowned. He hated himself for it but he actually liked the man. He seemed to know what he was doing, he certainly looked fit enough, he was outgoing, not easily intimidated, perfect really. David ground his teeth in frustration. No wonder Geraldine had fallen for him. Any woman would. He wasn’t surprised that Ellen was gushing. He probably had a whole diary full of names he could call if he ever became lonely in his Paris flat.

Ellen said goodnight and closed the door. He sat for a long while as he contemplated his future. It looked bleak again. He decided that he would stay for Christmas and then he’d leave before New Year. He hated to let Ellen down but by that time Joe would be over to help and what with Geraldine and the beyond perfect Jules on hand he didn’t think Ellen would have too many problems running the place.

He undressed slowly and then removed the bandages from his legs. His skin looked nearly normal again, just a few patches of dry skin. He cleansed them carefully before he rubbed the cream Geraldine had left him into them and then he removed the excess before applying clean bandages.

He slipped into bed and rolled to his side. He picked up his spare pillow and cradled it to him as he had every night since being there and then he suddenly pushed the pillow away. His dreams were not to be and he’d better hurry up and accept it. Geraldine would be happy with Jules and he should be pleased about that. She should have a man who was perfect in every way, who could fulfil her every wish, her every dream. She shouldn’t have to put up with half a man with half a face.

He had to accept who he was and quit dreaming of the impossible or what might have been. Ellen wouldn’t have even thought of this project if he hadn’t been blown up. He had to think of all the good it would do his fellow servicemen. He had to suck it up, get over his disappointment and move on.

Decision made he turned out his light and closed his eyes determined to never think about the situation again, but it proved impossible. He tortured himself even more, his ears straining for the sound of anyone creeping along the corridor as the visions of Geraldine lying naked in her bed, her dark hair spread gloriously across the pillow and her creamy, delicious skin covered in a slight sheen of post sex perspiration meant sleep didn’t come as easily as he hoped.

Chapter Thirteen

The slamming of a car door woke him. He shivered in his bed as he looked at the still open window. The temperature had dropped in the night and he felt quite cold. He could hear voices coming up from the drive below his window.

“‘ave a safe journey. Don’t drive too fast and make sure you stop if you are tired. Call me when you get there.”

David rolled his eyes as he heard Geraldine bidding her boyfriend farewell. He could even hear them air kissing one another. Feeling slightly revolted at his own eavesdropping, he dragged his dressing gown from the bedside chair and pulled it around his shoulders before he manoeuvred himself into his chair and headed for the bathroom.

Afterwards he wheeled himself to the window and closed it, shutting out the cold, damp air. He moved to his dressing table, fired up his tablet and began to write a reply to the email message Joe had sent him saying that he looked forward to seeing them later in the week.

There was a brief knock at the door before Geraldine swooped in with her bag.

David saved his message to Joe as she indicated that he get back on the bed while she looked at his legs again. She unwound the bandages slowly taking care not to pull the skin. His flesh looked pale and healthy, no redness and the dry flakes seem to have disappeared during the night. Geraldine wore thin latex gloves while she touched him but he could still feel the heat from her fingertips. She pressed gently.

“Anything? Any pain?”

David shook his head as he stared at her delicate profile. She was observing his thighs with minute concentration.

“Nothing, everything feels fine.”

Geraldine helped him roll to his side so that she could check the backs of his thighs. She pressed again, stroked gently up towards his backside but stopped before she reached his boxers.

“How’s that? Not tingling too much?”

David was tingling all over but he couldn’t tell her that. Instead he shook his head again.

“I’m fine. Feels normal to me.”

Geraldine sat back on the edge of the bed and peeled the gloves off slowly as David rolled back to face her. She looked at his stumps once more.

“I think we can get on with desensitisation again then. I want you to spend a few minutes each morning and night slapping the ends of your legs with a damp flannel. You’ve been out of your prosthetics for a week so your legs are going to take a hammering again.”

David nodded.

“Okay, just so long as I’m upright for Christmas Eve. I’m not sitting in that bloody chair like some kind of invalid when Joe arrives. He’ll have my hide and I’ll never live it down.”

Geraldine shook her head.

“Are all of you like this? So impatient with yourselves all the time. It was the same with all your friends earlier on in the year. You should ‘ave heard the fuss Adam made when I tried to ‘elp him with his lungs. You should learn to give in a little. No one would think any less of you.”

David puffed out a long breath and tried to explain.

“We would think less of ourselves. We can’t give in to it. I mean, just look at the kind of men we’re up against. Mr bloody perfect Jules. It’s not easy Geraldine. He made me feel like crap.”

Geraldine gazed at him. Her lips trembled dangerously.

“I had hoped that you would like him. He’s very special to me.”

David stared out of the window. He couldn’t look her in the eye. If she teared up again he would be done for.

“I did like him. I didn’t want to but I did,” he admitted. “He’s a nice man. You look good together; have you known him long?” He wasn’t sure he wanted to know but Geraldine seemed to want to talk about it and he didn’t see how it could make him feel any worse than he did already. Maybe it would even help him understand.

Geraldine suddenly smiled widely.

“All my life, of course. He’s two years older than me. He has always looked out for me and when I told him about this place he was so keen to come. I don’t think he’s very happy in Paris, he misses his family.”

David frowned.

“I remember you saying he played here at the château once. So, he’s from around here originally then?” He asked miserably. This was getting even worse. Jules was clearly a childhood sweetheart. His heart staggered in his chest as he thought of all the stupid things he had said in his messages to her over the summer and autumn. He hoped to God that she hadn’t shown them to the man. He would be a laughing stock.

Geraldine just nodded at his question.

“Of course. Our parents didn’t chuck him out or anything. When he finished his degree he went to where he could get the best paid work. There’s not much call for personal trainers around here so Paris was his best option. His gym was on the Left Bank. Full of old money and old women from the sounds of it.” There was a slight smile warming her features. She stood up and picked up David’s prosthetic legs. She looked inside them and tutted. “I swear you haven’t cleaned these since you took them off last week. I will go and give them a full scrub.” She picked them up and walked to the door.

David frowned at her from the bed. He wasn’t listening to anything she said about his false legs. He was more interested in what she was saying about Jules and her parents. He remembered the two separate rooms last night. His pulse began to thump hard at his temple.

“Geraldine? Hold up a mo. What do you mean that your parents didn’t chuck Jules out? Did he live with you then?” Curiosity was killing him.

Geraldine smiled widely.

“Yes, of course. Where else would you expect a brother to live?” She didn’t wait for his response but gave him a cheeky wave and added as she grinned at his shocked expression, “I’ll be back in an hour or so to ‘elp you with your legs. Get yourself washed and we’ll go out for another walk. You can sit in your chair but I will ‘elp you to stand for a few minutes also, just to ‘elp get your balance back.” She was gone before he could gather his senses, wafting out of the room on a breath of sensual perfume as she shut the door behind her.

David closed his mouth from where it had fallen open.

Her brother? Her brother as in a sibling brother? Why the hell hadn’t she told him? Why had she made him put up with all this misery? Then he thought back to the day he had arrived. She had mentioned Jules had come to help her with her tyre and he had just assumed all the rest. He had assumed Jules was her boyfriend. He’d never considered any other explanation. She’d never mentioned a brother before, but then if he wasn’t around, was away in Paris all the time, why would she?

But their conversation was imprinted on his memory. Confusions swept over him again. She had cried and said she didn’t know that she would fall in love…With whom? Who had she fallen in love with? She’d been at the château for the last few months helping Ellen with choosing all the right equipment. Ellen said she’d hardly left the place, she never went out with anyone except her parents or some old school friends.

His heart began to thump frantically. Hope roared into his chest nearly bursting through his ribs with the agony of suspense.

“Geraldine!” He bellowed from the bed. He looked frantically for his wheelchair, reached out and grabbed the handles, lugged it to the bedside and slid into it at all angles. His arm became wedged between his body and the seat, his dressing gown bunched up his back. Sweat broke out on his brow as he struggled with the contraption. He gave up trying to right his dressing gown, tugged his hand out from where it had been trapped and shoved the wheels hard, nearly shouting in frustration as the towelling belt caught in the wheel and pulled him to an instant stop. “Geraldine! Ellen! Someone!” he shouted towards the door.

The door opened a few moments later. Ellen charged forwards almost falling to her knees in front of him as she saw the anguished expression on his face.

“What’s happened? Are you okay? Are your legs infected again? I’ll call the doctor immediately.” She found her feet and ran for the phone.

“Stop!” David bellowed again. “There’s nothing wrong with me. I’m absolutely fine but I need to see Geraldine now. She was just here. She took my prosthetics and was going to give them a clean.”

Ellen turned around and stared at him.

“You mean all that yelling was because you want to speak to Geraldine. I thought you were dying at the very least.” She slumped onto the bed but then noticed the odd angle in which he was sitting in the wheelchair. “What on earth are you doing? You’re all over the place and just look at that belt. The white towelling is covered in oil!” She came forwards, pointing in horror at the ruined fabric and began tugging at the material.

David flapped her away.

“That can wait. I need to see her, where is she?”

Ellen scowled at him and tugged at the belt one more time before giving up.

“She’s gone to town to get something from the chemist for your prosthetics. She ordered some special powder that will help prevent perspiration build up. She thought it might benefit you and any other guests. She’s taken the car because she ordered a great load of it especially for you. Why? What else is so flipping important? I was just making up Joe’s room. He’ll be here the day after tomorrow.”

David wiped his hand across his face.

She’d done it on purpose. When he’d told her he was leaving Geraldine hadn’t realized why. That’s why she’d cried, but he’d explained that he couldn’t compete with a boyfriend. She knew he’d assumed the worst and now she was punishing him, teasing him, driving him bloody wild!

He looked at Ellen. There were dark circles around her eyes. She clearly hadn’t been sleeping well.

“Why don’t you leave Joe’s room? He’s not expecting anything half as grand as you’re making up for him. He’ll probably have a fit at the place anyway. That four poster is going to blow him away. I’m sure he won’t mind making his own bed Ellen. He can probably make it far better than you can anyway. He’s been making his own bed for nearly ten years. We all have.”

Ellen looked over at her brother.

“That’s not the point and I’ve just about done it now anyway. I’ll just stack his towels rather than arrange them in the bathroom. Now what was it that you needed to see Geraldine so urgently about? Do you want me to tell her that you need to see her when she gets back?”

David shook his head.

“No, don’t bother. It’s nothing that can’t wait an hour or two.” He had the grace to flush as Ellen raised an eyebrow at him. “We’re going to go out for a walk later so I’ll just finish messaging Joe and then I’ll get dressed and meet her downstairs. When we get back I’ll make lunch for us. It’ll be something basic but I don’t want you to do it for me again. I can manage by myself.”

Ellen gave him a quick kiss on the forehead.

“Thanks David. That would be lovely.” She walked back out of his room and he struggled to get himself back out of his wheelchair and then into it again without ending up in a heap before he opened up his computer again and finished his email to Joe.

Five minutes later he was in the bathroom washing himself meticulously and taking extra care with his shave. He checked over his chin for any stray stubble and slapped the moisturizer Delphine had given him on his cheeks. He combed his hair then ruffled it stylishly before he moved to the wardrobe to find his best denims and shirt.

By the time he was downstairs waiting for Geraldine’s return even he had to admit that he looked pretty good, better than he had done for months in fact. He took one last look at himself in the mirror inside the hall just as Geraldine’s little car came back up the drive and pulled to a stop in front of the doors.

Chapter Fourteen

Joe sat at the dinner table stuffing crisp roast potatoes in his mouth as fast as he could.

“This is great Ellen. Delicious! I was starving. I slept all the way over and missed eating anything on the ferry. I’ve been to so many parties this last week I can still feel the beer slopping about in my belly. Last night’s final event was a killer. I bet if I was breathalysed I’m still too drunk to drive.”

Ellen looked slightly shocked at his admission but thanked him for his compliments on her food.

“Glad you like it. Sounds as though you’ve been having a good time.”

Joe shrugged.

“Had to be done I suppose but I’m thrilled to be here now. I’m looking forward to seeing the zip wire too. Dave says it’s brilliant.”

Ellen rolled her eyes.

“It was meant to be a fun thing for the kids but David seems to think it’s his own personal toy. He’s up there every moment he can be just so he can muck about on it.”

David smiled. He didn’t admit that he’d only been on it a few times. He didn’t want her to know how miserable he’d been.

“I’ve tweaked it a bit. It’s incredibly fast. Bit of a slap if you hit the water hard. Kills your back but then we have Geraldine to sort out any minor problems like that.”

Joe swallowed a mouthful of roast.

“Ah, so the lovely Geraldine is here. Is she still helping you take off your legs every night?”

Ellen looked at David sharply.

“She had better not be. That’s not in her job contract. You’re well enough to do it yourself.”

David threw a roast potato at Joe’s head. It bounced off and rolled down the table.

“I was just kidding when I told him that. I was just mucking about in an email.” He flushed crimson before he glowered across the table at Joe who grinned, calmly stabbed the stray potato with his fork and then popped it in his mouth.

They finished dinner and both helped Ellen pack the industrial sized dishwasher. David showed Joe to his room and had to force him to stay there when he nervously insisted that it was meant for a king at the very least, not a lowly ex-serviceman.

He made his way to his own room.

Christmas Eve.

He was still unsure exactly how Geraldine felt about things. They hadn’t had time to talk since she came home from town two days before.

To his great distress she had dashed right past him as he sat looking his very best and ran straight to Ellen saying that her gran had had a fall and she was needed in Belle Isle en Terre as soon as she could get there. Ellen had sent her off immediately and David, while he understood that she had to go to her grandmother, had spent another frustrating two days waiting for her to return.

He knew that she wouldn’t be home early that night either. She was having a special Christmas Eve dinner with her family but he expected her back at the château later that night. She had sent him a text telling him to wait up for her and if he was really good she would come and tuck him in.

He became hot all over at the mere thought of what that might entail.

He opened his bedroom door slowly and knew she was there before he saw her sitting on his bed. Her perfume wafted about the room.

“I didn’t hear you come back.” His voice caught in his throat as she looked at him with sparkling green eyes. Her lustrous dark hair glistened in the lamplight.

“You were all ‘aving dinner and I didn’t want to disturb you. I just thought I’d come up and wait.” Her breathy accent washed over him and he almost groaned in anticipation.

But he couldn’t let her have it all her own way. He’d suffered miserably over the last few weeks and she’d done it to him on purpose.

“Oh? What were you waiting for?” He took a step nearer to the bed.

He saw her lips quiver for a second and then she spoke again as she lowered her eyes.

“I thought you might need some help with your legs. You can never be too careful and I bet you have been walking around far too much today. You should come and lay down.” Her lashes fluttered against her apple cheeks before she glanced back up and he noticed her throat move as she swallowed.

David edged slightly closer and reached out with a nervous hand. He caught a lock of her hair between his fingertips. It was soft and silky and he closed his eyes as he breathed in the scent of her.

“Do you want me to lie down now?” He whispered.

She looked up at him with glowing eyes.

“Undress first.” She breathed back at him.

He lifted his hand and began to unbutton his shirt. Slowly he pulled the shirt from his shoulders and revealed his broad chest, glad for once that he had kept up his gym schedule as much as possible. It wasn’t the first time she’d seen his chest but it was the first time he’d revealed it to her without him lying flat on his back being ill. He smiled as he heard Geraldine pull in a sharp breath. He waited a few moments before he began to unbutton his fly but Geraldine suddenly stood up from the bed. There was a rustle of her silk blouse as she reached up and placed her hands on his cheeks and pulled his face towards her.

He had thought he would be prepared for this but he wasn’t. He had meant to tease her as she had teased him but it was impossible. His mind went completely blank. There was no way he could hold out any longer and the next moment his mouth found hers, his arms swept around her body, his hands caressed her back. He dragged her to his chest, revelling in the feel of her against him as she moaned into his mouth.

“David, I can’t wait any longer. I want you, I want you now. The last months ‘ave been torture.” She breathed against is skin as his heart lurched wildly. She kissed him again, her lips moulding to his, her tongue tasting him. It was minutes before they came up for air.

His blood pounded through his veins.

“You think that you have been through torture? My God woman, you don’t know the meaning of the word. I swear that you have nearly killed me!” He gasped back at her as his hands roamed across her shoulders, down the curve of her back, sliding around her waist and then back up her front as they searched, craving her beautiful breasts. He sighed in relief as he found them, massaged the soft mounds of flesh gently through the fabric of her clothes as she moaned into his mouth, clasping as much of him as she could with two tiny hands.

They fell in a tangle on the bed, the sheets sliding over them as they tried to get even closer to one another. Her hands were all over his naked chest, fingers threading through his masculine hair, pressing his muscles, roaming up across his broad shoulders, feeling, touching.

He didn’t know how long he was going to last. Every nerve ending could feel her desire mixing with his own. It was impossible to constrain. His whole body was on fire again but this time it was with the slow burn of passion. His hand flew to his fly but she beat him there, tugging at the buttons while she kissed him even more deeply.

His jeans hung low on his hips, his red-hot passion straining to be released but she suddenly moved back and stood there gazing at him.

“I need you now, now David, before I go mad for you.”

David didn’t need asking twice. He ripped off his jeans and boxers and Geraldine pressed him back into the bed. He grabbed the sheet and drew it up to cover his legs. While he wasn’t worried about her seeing his prosthetics, he didn’t want to think of them himself until they knew how they were going to deal with them and he wasn’t quite prepared to take them off at his stage.

He lay there waiting, gasping for breath as Geraldine dropped to her knees beside the bed and slipped her hands beneath the sheet. He groaned and fought for control as her fingers wrapped his granite hard length. Her cool fingertips swept over his flaming skin and his hips thrust forwards wildly as her questing fingers and eager palm reached to cup him lower. His eyes rolled to the back of his head in ecstasy as she touched him but just before he was about to shout for her to stop, afraid that he was about to disgrace himself, she suddenly removed her hand from him anyway. He was about to protest that she could carry on but just a little slower when she quickly stood up and moved her hand to the clip at the top of his leg. He steeled himself for what she was about to do. Making love with no legs probably wasn’t going to be a problem for him but he wasn’t sure how Geraldine would view it in the harsh light of day. He wasn’t sure that they shouldn’t have discussed it first but then let out a long breath. If she was ready for this then so was he. He wasn’t going to shy away from the reality of the situation.

She released the clip and dragged his prosthetic limb out from beneath the sheet seconds before he heard his sister speak from just inside the doorway. He shot upright as Ellen’s hissed words jolted him back to reality.

“David! How could you? Geraldine, you do not have to help him with his legs every night. I know that he’s been poorly but this is ridiculous. I am so sorry that he’s put you in this position.” She scowled at her brother. “You and I will be having a discussion about this in the morning.” She slammed the door as she left the room and David stared in horror at the spot where she had stood. He gave a small cough and looked up at a very red faced Geraldine.

“Aw fuck!” He breathed as he tried to get his heart rate back to somewhere near normal. He wiped the sweat that had gathered on his brow. “Cheeky moo didn’t even knock! Just as well one of us was concentrating. She might have copped a right eyeful if you hadn’t heard her coming along the corridor.” He listened to Geraldine’s groan of horror at the thought. “Just stay here. I’ll go and speak to her.” He took one more steadying breath before he swivelled to the edge of the bed, took his leg from Geraldine’s trembling hands and jammed it back onto his thigh again.

Geraldine lifted her eyes to him as he rummaged around in his bedside drawer for pyjamas. Her face flamed scarlet.

“I am so embarrassed. I can’t begin to think what that might have looked like from where she was standing. Whatever will Ellen think of me?” Her voice shook.

David laughed as he stuck his legs in the pyjama bottoms and stood up, tugging them up to his waist and tying the cord tightly. He caught hold of Geraldine’s shoulders, pulled her towards him and covered her face in gentle kisses.

“It probably looked exactly like what it was until you lugged my leg off. I confess that even I was surprised. Talk about a passion killer! But don’t worry about Ellen. She’ll think you are the most wonderful woman in the world when I tell her that you have agreed to marry me.”

Geraldine gasped, all embarrassment forgotten as she looked up at him with tears in her eyes.

“Oh, David! Do you mean it? I love you so much. I want to be with you forever.”

David smiled down at her and then captured her lips with his own. He kissed her deeply, savouring her taste, her warmth, her passion. He pulled away from her reluctantly but he had to tell her exactly how he felt too. There would be no more confusion.

“I love you too Geraldine. I never thought anyone would want me like this but if you’ll take me then I’m yours. Forever.”

She smiled up at him, her fingers threading through his hair.

“I never doubted it for a moment. All those daft emails and texts through the autumn…I knew what it meant all along. I nearly died when you said that you were leaving. Thank goodness I realized almost immediately that you were making a mistake about Jules.” She pulled away from him slightly. “Do you think Ellen will be okay with this, with us? I mean, I know that’s she’s not over ‘er own disappointment yet.”

David frowned as he thought.

“What disappointment? Oh! You mean the guy from the cottage! But he hasn’t been around for months. She must be over him by now, surely.”

Geraldine shook her head.

“You men! You have no idea how we women feel. Once we love, we love forever. There is no end to it and it cannot be stopped. If you had gone home after Christmas I don’t think I would ever have recovered from it.”

David stared at her. He knew what she said was true for he felt it himself with every fibre of is body. His heart lurched in his chest. This woman loved him, loved him so powerfully that she would never let him go. He leaned forwards and dragged her into his arms, his hands sliding gently over the curves of her waist, the subtle flare of her hips. He kissed her once more, the intensity of his possession leaving her in no doubt of his feelings. He looked into her beautiful green eyes.

“Stay here and wait for me. I’ll be back in half an hour. Make the bed warm for us and I promise that I will keep it warm for us forever more. I’ll never leave you and I’ll never doubt you ever again. I love you Geraldine, I want to marry you, have children with you and spend the rest of my life with you. Stay here with me tonight and make it come true.”

Her eyes sparkled up at him.

“Are we going to announce it at the New Year’s Eve ball?”

David winked at her.

“Have to I’m afraid. My old commander is going to be here and his wife was rather expecting it…New frock, shoes, bag and even a hat for all I know…all very expensive. He’ll be a henpecked husband if we don’t. Can’t have that. Bad for company morale. Have a think about it while I go and speak to Ellen. You might as well set a date tonight as I’m never going to let you get out of it anyway.” He paused as he brushed her cheek with his fingertips. He gazed into her eyes. “I love you Geraldine, we have the rest of tonight and the whole of our lives. Wait for me here.”

David gave her a last tender kiss then a quick squeeze before he walked out into the corridor.

He marched along the hall, stood before Ellen’s door and knocked firmly, determined to make his sister pay for ruining the best Christmas present he had ever been about to receive in the whole of his life.

She opened it almost immediately and stared at him furiously.

He gave a small, unapologetic smile as he entered her room with his head held high. Nothing was going to stop him now. He took a long stride forwards, ready to face his sister, ready to face the world, ready to face the rest of his life with the woman he loved at his side.

THE END

I hope that you have enjoyed David’s Scarred Beginnings. It was lovely for me to write the start of the Scarred Series through his eyes. If you want to read or find out more about David, Ellen and all their friends in the bestselling Scarred Series please go to:

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