Free Soldier's Daughters by Fiona Field Page A

something I indulge in.’ James took a gulp of tea. ‘You going away for the weekend?’
    Sam shook her head. ‘Nope. You?’
    ‘Duty officer.’
    ‘Ah, hard luck.’
    ‘Only for tonight. I’m free tomorrow.’
    ‘That’s nice.’ Sam picked up the paper, folded it and put it on the table in front of her.
    ‘Sorry,’ said James. ‘I’m disturbing you. You were perfectly happily reading the paper and I come along and interrupt you.’
    ‘No, honestly. I was only glancing at it for want of anything better to do. Really.’ She paused. ‘Do you think anyone would mind if I nicked it and took it to my room?’
    ‘ The Times ? You’re joking, aren’t you?’ He called across the room to their fellow officers. ‘Hey, Will, Ben, either of you want to fight Sam for The Times ?’
    Will waved his copy of the Sun . ‘Not enough pictures for my taste.’
    Ben laughed. ‘I’m with Will.’
    ‘There you go,’ said James. ‘The paper is yours.’
    ‘Good.’
    ‘So, you going to spend the evening in your room – like you usually do?’
    Sam shrugged.
    ‘We don’t bite, you know,’ said James.
    Sam looked at her lap. ‘I don’t know… I feel a bit of an interloper. You guys all know each other so well.’
    ‘Well, you won’t get to know us by avoiding us.’
    ‘No.’
    ‘I mean, when you did your platoon commander’s course you must have been in a minority.’
    ‘Yes, but that was different.’
    ‘How come?’
    Sam thought about it. ‘I don’t know, it just was. I think the REME are more used to having women around.’
    James laughed. ‘Frankly, there are monasteries more used to having women around than some infantry regiments.’
    Sam laughed.
    ‘Well, how about you don’t disappear tonight after supper?’ said James. ‘Stay and keep me company. I expect Will and Ben’ll bugger off to a pub or something so I’ll be on my tod. I’d appreciate the company. Come on – take a chance.’
    Sam smiled. ‘OK, why not. That’d be nice.’ And she realised it would be. Maybe it was time to try and integrate a little more.
    Maddy put down her toast and marmalade. ‘Seb, darling, could you look after Nathan for a couple of hours this afternoon?’
    Seb sighed, and lowered the paper. ‘Why?’
    Because he’s your son, thought Maddy. ‘Because I want to see if I can get my hair done. I need a cut, badly.’
    ‘Does it have to be today?’
    ‘Why? Have you got plans?’
    ‘But it’s Saturday,’ said Seb. ‘I’ve been working my socks off all week. Aren’t I entitled to a day off?’
    And I’m not, thought Maddy. Obviously housework and childcare don’t count as work. No, she told herself, she was being unfair. She worked nothing like as hard as Seb but she was only asking for a couple of hours of his time. She said as much.
    ‘I was going to go to the gym to do some training. I’ve not had the chance to get a proper workout all week.’
    ‘You’re not planning on working out all day, though, are you? Can’t you go this morning?’
    ‘I suppose. Have you actually made an appointment?’
    ‘Not yet. I was going to ring up on spec.’
    ‘So, you could get it cut next week.’
    ‘Yes, I could, but then I’d have to beg a favour from Susie or pay for childminding.’ Maddy felt exasperated. Was it so much to ask Seb to look after his own son for a few hours? Honestly, it would be easier to get blood out of a stone.
    ‘All right, then,’ said Seb, grudgingly.
    ‘Good,’ said Maddy. She bounced out of the kitchen to find her mobile and ring Jenna before Seb could have second thoughts. And she wasn’t going to tell Seb who she was making an appointment with. She could imagine the row if he found out.
    Sam wandered into the mess dining room, grabbed a paper, which she tucked under her arm, before she poured herself a glass of orange juice and a cup of tea and carried all three over to the huge wide, mahogany dining table. A mess waiter appeared from behind the kitchen