Maddy answered the doorbell and found Caro standing outside, a sheaf of paper in one hand and Luke grasped firmly in the other.

'Hi, Caro, h.e.l.lo, Luke, what can I do for you?'

Caro let go of Luke, who instantly pushed his way into the house. She peeled a sheet of paper off the top of the pile and handed it to Maddy. 'Wives' Club ad. Put it up in your window, would you, hon?'

'Of course,' said Maddy, without looking at it. 'Cuppa? I mean, you might as well now that Luke has already made himself at home,' she added with a grin.

'Oh, go on,' said Caro. 'It'll have to be quick though as I want to hand out the rest of these.'

Maddy led the way into the kitchen where Luke was already playing with Nate's toys. She put the piece of paper on the counter and filled the kettle.

'Changing the subject,' said Caro. 'Fancy going shopping over the weekend?'

'I dunno,' said Maddy. 'I mean I'd love to, but Seb's got a regatta on Sat.u.r.day.'

Caro shook her head. 'h.e.l.lo... shops are open on Sundays, too, now. He can't be rowing all weekend, can he?'

'No,' Maddy conceded.

'So isn't it time he did a bit more bonding with his son? Look, tell you what, I'll cook up a giant shepherd's pie enough for my three, plus Seb and Seb can spend the day here with Will, they can have a couple of beers together, watch the Six Nations rugby or whatever while we b.u.g.g.e.r off and have a girls' day out.'

'G.o.d, that sounds so tempting.'

'So why not? What did you have planned for Sunday?'

'Honestly? The ironing.'

'No-brainer, then. See you Sunday, around ten. And tell Seb he'll have me to contend with if he says no.'

After Caro had gone Maddy looked at the flyer. 'Talk by local stylist,' she read under her breath. s.h.i.t, Caro was going ahead with the talk on hairdressing with Jenna. Maddy sighed. Why did she have the feeling it was going to cause trouble?

Eight thousand miles away, Chrissie made her way for the second time that day to the ward where Lee was being treated.

'Hi, Lee,' she said when she got to his bedside. 'I brought you these.' She chucked a couple of magazines on the locker by his bed. 'I'm afraid there wasn't much of a choice in the NAAFI. Phil suggested I might be able to see if there are some mags in the welfare packages that may have been finished with. I'm going to have a scout around tomorrow and see what I can get you.'

'Thanks, that's kind,' said Lee, but he didn't look that chuffed. In fact, he looked completely down.

'No worries.' Chrissie gave him a long stare. 'You all right? Your knee isn't giving you gyp, is it?'

'No, the knee's fine.'

'So what is it? You look s.h.a.gging miserable. I thought you said you liked it here: decent scoff, nice bed, proper bogs...'

'I said, I'm fine.'

Chrissie sat on the chair beside him. 'Want to talk about it?'

'Not really.'

'Want me to go?'

Lee shook his head. 'Not really,' he admitted.

'Then what do you want?'

He sighed. 'It's Jenna,' he admitted finally.

Why doesn't that surprise me? thought Chrissie. She forbore to ask What's she done now and instead said, 'What's the matter?'

'I know it's tough for her, I know she's been left all by herself, but I've just Skyped a call to her and firstly, she was p.i.s.sed, and it could only have been about six o'clock UK time.'

'It's not a crime, Lee,' said Chrissie. 'It's not like you've never been p.i.s.sed, is it?'

'Lots of times, but she must have been drinking all afternoon. Why wasn't she working?'

'Day off?'

'Maybe, but she was really cagey about what she'd been up to. Chris, I think she wasn't levelling with me. And it wasn't just that, she's spent a fortune on the quarter. I could see new sofas and a big flat-screen TV, there was a rug on the floor... It must've all cost a mint.'

'It was pretty grotty before,' said Chrissie.

'I know, but... oh, Chrissie, what do I know about interior decorating, but does it really matter if the place is in clip-state, when it's an army quarter?'

'Maybe it does to her. You know how much she likes to look nice herself. Maybe she wants her house to reflect that.'

Lee looked at her. 'That's what I really like about you, Chrissie. You like to find the good in people.'

Chrissie pulled a face. 'Listen, hon, Mother Teresa I am not. I can b.i.t.c.h with the best. Honest.'

'Nice to know you're human, then.'

'Very.'

'Maybe you're right. Maybe I'm just worried, because I've got nothing better to do.'

Chrissie nodded. 'For a bet. I'm sure everything is fine. Honest.' She smiled at Lee and he smiled back. Her heart did that little flick-flack and, not for the first time, her resolve to stay completely independent wobbled a fraction.

'So what's it like on the MERT?' Lee asked.

'Either it's mad excitement and adrenalin and we're rushing about like headless chickens, or I'm bored to sobs, hanging around waiting for a call. Of course it's better to be bored, we all know that, but it gets you down after a bit.'

'So what do you do?'

'Mainly I watch films with Phil.'

'Phil?'

Was she imagining things, or did Lee sound jealous? Of course he didn't why on earth would he be? 'He's a nice guy, and he's into old movies, like me. We have a right laugh, watching some of the really ancient ones.'

'That's nice. What's wrong with Avatar, then, or Resident Evil?'

'Nothing, if you like that sort of thing, but I just like the old ones. You know, Gone With the Wind, Citizen Kane, Meet Me in St Louis...'

Lee shook his head. 'Chrissie, I haven't a s.h.a.gging clue what you're on about.'

'Really? You don't know what you're missing.'

'I think I do,' he said. 'I think I do.'

After Chrissie had gone, Lee lay in his bed and thought about her. He was glad she had Phil, who seemed genuinely fond of her. The two certainly seemed to have a lot in common, and he had no right to feel jealous, but for some unfathomable reason he did. Chrissie was his mate, not Phil's.

24.

Chrissie gave Lee a friendly hug. He was out of bed, fully clothed and hefting his day sack. 'I'm glad you're all fixed up,' she said, 'but I'm not glad you're going back to the front line.'

'It's my job, Chrissie.'

'I know, but all the same... And remember what I said about looking where you put your feet. I see what IEDs can do and it's not pretty.'

'I'll be all right,' said Lee, with bravado.

'It's what they all say.' Chrissie reached into her pocket. 'Tell me to naff off but...' She pulled out a tatty little teddy bear attached to her key ring. 'This is Fred Bear. Mum gave this to me when she got too ill to get me from school and I had to do the journey on my own. He's kept me safe till now and now I'd like him to look after you.' She told herself that Lee was the only soldier on the front line that she knew really well well enough to worry about. If she had enough talismans for every single soldier she'd cheerfully hand them all over, but she didn't, so Lee got first dibs. That was all it was.

'I can't take your mascot, Chrissie.' Did Lee's eyes look suspiciously bright or was it just a trick of the light?

'I'm not taking no for an answer. If you don't, I'll just send him up in the post. And anyway, the ring attached to him is just perfect for the chain with your dog tags.'

Lee gave in. 'That's really kind, Chrissie.'

'I don't mean for him to replace any token Jenna gave you,' said Chrissie, as she took the little bear off her key ring. 'He's an as-well-as lucky charm, not an instead-of one.'

'Jenna doesn't believe in that sort of stuff.'

'She didn't give you...?' Chrissie couldn't believe it.

'Nah, well... I rely on skill anyway.' Lee threaded Fred onto his dog-tag chain and tucked him inside his combat jacket. 'He'll be safe in there till I can give him back to you.'

'You'd better look after him. I shall be really cross if you let him get hurt.'

Lee grinned. 'We'll look out for each other.' He stared at her. 'Well, I'd better get going. My carriage awaits.'

'Yes. Take care then.'

'You too.'

And without warning, Lee dived in and planted a big kiss on her cheek. Before Chrissie could say anything, he'd turned on his heel and walked away, down the canvas corridor that led out of the hospital. Chrissie watched his retreating back till he turned a corner and was lost from sight. She wasn't the least bit religious, but all the same she offered up a prayer to any G.o.d that might be hanging around and feeling benevolent, to look after him. As she went back to the MERT ready room, she wondered if Jenna bothered with prayers. Probably not.

Maddy opened her front door, laden with carrier bags. What a day, she thought, as she struggled into the house. Really, she ought to get out more. It seemed an age since she'd had such fun.

'h.e.l.lo,' she called. 'I'm back.' There was silence. Maybe the boys had gone out for a walk. She put her bags down in the hall and shrugged off her coat, before abandoning her shopping and going into the kitchen to make tea. She'd forgotten how knackering tramping round the shops could be, or maybe it was lack of practice. She'd just got the kettle filled and a mug out, when she heard Seb's key in the lock.

'Hi, guys,' she called. 'I'm home.' She ran out of the kitchen to meet them.

'So I gathered, when Caro came back,' said Seb pushing the buggy into the house.

'Did you and Will have a good time?'

'Yes, thanks.' No smile, no emotion. Something was up.

'Good. And Nate?'

'I think so.'

Maddy narrowed her eyes. Something definitely wasn't right. Was this Seb being antsy with her, for not staying home and playing the dutiful wife? Or was it because he'd had to look after his own kid, for the second time in as many months? G.o.d, how childish! Well, she wasn't going to rise to the bait. If he was going to act like a two-year-old, he could get on with it. She wasn't going to join in. She left Seb getting Nathan out of the pushchair, while she went back into the kitchen to finish making her drink.

'Tea?' she offered brightly, as Seb followed her carrying his yawning son.

'No, thanks.'

'And talking of tea, has Nate had his?'

'Yes. At Will's.'

'Good.' She grabbed her mug and pushed past them. 'Then you don't need me, do you? I'm going to put away my shopping,' she said. 'And I may have a lie down on my bed with my tea and read some of my book afterwards.'

If Seb was going to be sulky, he could be sulky on his own. Awkwardly, she gathered up her half-dozen big carriers and stomped upstairs. She'd wanted to show Seb the lovely clothes she'd bought for her and Nathan, but she wasn't going to bother now. The fact that he had managed to put a downer on her day irritated her. It hadn't killed him to look after his son for six hours. G.o.d, she'd done it, day in day out, for months now and hadn't had any thanks; he did it for one day and was now acting like a total b.l.o.o.d.y martyr. Well, stuff him.

She began hanging up her purchases, trying to put her annoyance behind her, and was thinking about that, rather than anything else, when she shut the wardrobe door.

Seb was standing behind it.

's.h.i.t,' she shrieked in fight. 'Jeez, Seb, don't creep up like that!'

'I've got a bone to pick with you.'

'So I'm not allowed to have a day off? You can go out and row whenever it takes your fancy and I never complain, but can I have just one day, doing what I want to do? Apparently not.' If he wanted a fight he was going to get one. 'And what's Nate doing? You can't just abandon him like that.'