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Or was there?

The happy couple emerged from the barn after the ceremony and walked out under the swords of an honour guard of fellow officers while the guests showered them with rose petals. All in all it was faultless. Out in the sunshine, waiters and waitresses served champagne and canapés as the newly-weds circulated among the guests. When Fergus and Virginia reached Jane, they looked genuinely delighted to see her. She and Mark had often spent time with them as a couple and Jane knew them as well as any of her former colleagues and liked them both. She gave them hugs and was quick to admire the bride’s dress.

‘You look absolutely super, Ginny. I love the dress. It’s gorgeous.’

‘Thanks, Jane, and you’re looking ever so good… and happy.’ Virginia leant towards her. ‘We’ve both been very worried about you after what happened.’

Jane was relieved to find she was able to respond without too much emotion in her voice. ‘I’m so fortunate to have very good friends like you two, and I know it’s been a worrying time for everybody but, honestly and truly, I’m much better now.’ She took a deep breath. ‘I still think of Mark, but the hurt’s died down. I’ve accepted that life has to go on and I’ve found myself a super job over in Venice.’ She gave them a brief account of what she had been doing for the past couple of months and read pleasure on their faces. In return she heard what had happened to the battalion during the intervening years: who had been promoted, who had left, and new faces who had joined. By the time the bride and groom moved on, she had caught up with the news and felt sure the happy couple had been relieved to find her looking and sounding upbeat – which she was, give or take the unknown quantity that was David.

After a while they all slowly made their way across the lawn to a large marquee. A quick look at the seating plan revealed that she and Tommy would be sitting with Jack and Denise, another couple from their regiment, and four other people whose names she didn’t recognise. What she did recognise, however, was the uniform that the dark-haired army major opposite her was wearing. After they’d all sat down and introduced themselves, she took the opportunity to check her facts.

‘Am I right in thinking you’re in the Rifles? I recognise the insignia.’

He nodded. ‘That’s me. Are you military too?’

She sensed a sharp intake of breath from Tommy beside her, but gave the major a smile and a nod, and felt Tommy relax. ‘Yes, I was a captain in the Sappers until a couple of years ago, but I left.’ She didn’t go into detail and he didn’t ask.

They chatted amiably in general terms about military matters until two of the wives decided it was time to change the subject. Jane couldn’t blame them. When military personnel got together it was instinctive to talk shop and it could be pretty boring for outsiders. A few minutes later the best man stood up and proceeded to reveal as many embarrassing moments from Fergus’s past as he could fit into the allocated time. It was a most amusing speech and he had everybody laughing – even a red-faced Fergus.

After a starter of cold salmon salad which was very nice but not a patch on the fish she had enjoyed at Marcello’s restaurant in Burano, there was a far more serious, but mercifully relatively short, speech from the father of the bride. The main course was roast lamb with all the trimmings and fresh mint sauce, and it was accompanied by a choice of white or red wine and jugs of water. Jane tried the wine, rather liked the red, but decided to pace herself and mostly drank water. The last thing she wanted was to get sloshed and maybe descend into a morbid state of regret for what might have been.

Finally, while the bridegroom thanked everybody and gave his speech, dessert was served. This was summer pudding with clotted cream and it was definitely the star of the show as far as Jane was concerned. She resolved to buy a big pot of clotted cream to give to Veronica as a little taste of home when she returned to Italy.

Once the meal was over, the tables were cleared to one side to reveal the dance floor. The band struck up and they all stood and watched the newly-weds have their first dance together as man and wife. Jane looked on and was genuinely happy for them. Other couples then joined them on the floor but Jane decided to look for a seat and found the Rifles major sitting on his own. She gave him an enquiring look.

‘Not dancing? Mind if I join you?’

He pulled out a chair and waved her down. ‘Help yourself, please. I pulled my Achilles a few weeks back so I’m just a bystander. My wife’s gone off to dance with some chap.What about you? Has Tom deserted you?’

Jane smiled. ‘Seeing as I’m on my own, he’s been looking after me, but I’ve told him to go and have some fun.’ She checked they weren’t being overheard. Now that she had the major alone, she had a question to ask.

‘Can I ask how long you’ve been in the Rifles?’

‘Almost ten years now.’

‘Tell me, did you ever come across a friend of mine, David Cooper?’

He immediately nodded his head. ‘I certainly did. We served in Afghanistan together for a year or so. You heard he left the army? A shame; he was a good soldier.’

‘Were you in Special Forces with him?’

‘No, he went on to the SAS but I stayed put. I know my limitations and, besides, I’m a family man. My wife would have divorced me.’

Jane smiled back at him. ‘I can well imagine.’ She did a bit more digging. ‘It was such a pity about him being wounded, wasn’t it?’

He nodded grimly. ‘I heard something about that but at least he got out with his life.’

Jane cursed silently. It looked like this man wasn’t going to be able to shed much light on David’s mystery wound. Nevertheless, she had one more go. ‘Did you hear how it happened?’

‘I heard some stuff, but you know the SAS, they tend to keep things very much under wraps. I know the operation went badly wrong and there were fatalities. It must have been a bad business.’ He raised himself in his seat and looked around, searching the faces in the crowd. ‘I can’t see him at the moment, but I thought I spotted Taffy earlier. Do you know him?’ Seeing Jane shake her head, he explained. ‘As far as I know, he’s still in the SAS. He’d know all about it, if you can persuade him to tell you. If I see him, I’ll send him your way.’

At that moment Tommy reappeared and refused to take no for an answer as he dragged Jane onto the dance floor. The rest of the evening flew by and Jane found herself dancing with a long line of men, from the bride’s seriously drunk uncle to a very precocious twelve-year-old boy who actually grabbed her bum at one point. All in all, she had a very good time and by the end, standing outside and waving farewell to the newly-weds as they left in a stylish vintage Rolls Royce, Jane was feeling happy with just one regret, but that regret was soon to be satisfied.

Chapter 29

She was standing on the lawn, savouring the smell of freshly mown grass and the warm summer evening when the Rifles major came looking for her accompanied by his wife. With them was a tall, hard-looking man in his thirties wearing the uniform of a captain in the Welsh Guards.

‘Jane, this is Taffy. I told him you’re a friend of Dave Cooper. Now, I’m afraid we’re off. We have to drive back to Aldershot. It was really good to meet you. Do say a big hello to Dave when you see him. Wish him all the best from us. Bye.’ Jane thanked him warmly and shook hands with them before he and his wife headed for the car park.