Chapter 29

The evening came to an end. Mark said he should go. He had a busy day tomorrow. General Anthony grinned.

"I'll see you home," said Victoria and then shrieked with laughter. The others joined her.

Mark said his thanks and the two of them set off to his flat. At the door Mark turned to her and said with mischief, "I can hardly ask you in for coffee because we've already had it. What are we going to do?"

Victoria smiled happily back. "I'm coming in; invitation or not."

Mark closed the door behind them and they fell into each other's arms. Neither said a word but just clung together. They did not even kiss.

At last Victoria pulled away. She pulled his head down and gave him a tender kiss on the lips.

"I'm so proud of you," she said softly.

Mark led her over to the sofa and they both sat facing each other, Victoria with her feet tucked up under her.

"Why?"

"The way you dealt with everything, calling me darling right from the beginning."

"I couldn't help it. You looked so beautiful."

She leant forward and stroked his cheek.

"But you must have prepared the ground, my darling," he went on.

"Not really. Mummy caught me in the hall with tears streaking my face and my hair all over the place and asked if I was all right. And I just said we were in love and that we were not going to get engaged until we knew it wasn't just infatuation. Judging by the way Daddy behaved I think she probably took the bull by the horns."

Mark chuckled. "When I came in they were having a major snog."

Victoria laughed. "They often do. It's one of the things I love about them."

"Same here. Dad'll creep up on Mum in the kitchen and grab her boobs from behind and then they'll have a major kiss in even though Mum protests at first."

"I hope we'll be like that."

"So do I. Why shouldn't we?"

"Can we have a major kiss in now then?" she asked looking through her eyelashes but grinning wickedly.

Mark's throat contracted and he held out his arms. Victoria catapulted herself into them and buried her face in his neck. Mark's arms closed round her and they held each other for several minutes without moving.

Victoria lifted her head. "Am I going to get that kiss?" she whispered.

In answer Mark brushed her lips with his and then putting his hand behind her head kissed her again more forcefully. He pushed his tongue between her lips and hers met it to duel. Both were pressed against each other and their hands went behind each other's head drawing them ever closer together. It was Victoria who gave up first.

"Oh, darling," she panted, "I've got to get my breath back."

Mark nodded silently as he too fought for breath.

Victoria gently explored his face with her hands and the tips of her fingers. She ran her fingers through his hair and then came back to his face. She traced his lips with the tip of her forefinger. Mark tried to take it in his mouth but she would not let him and tapped him on the end of his nose.

"I'm ready for another kiss," she said softly and suiting the words to the action gently pressed her lips to his, then taking his head between her hands she gave him butterfly kisses all over his face finally returning to his lips. He did the same to her finishing with her eyes.

"You are so beautiful and I love you so much. My chest constricts every time I look at you."

Victoria nodded. "I get a lump in my throat and can feel tears coming to my eyes. Oh Mark, my darling, this has been a miserable fortnight but now I am so happy. I've never been so happy in my life."

She laid her head against his chest and hugged him tightly. He rested his head on hers and ran his fingers through the hair at the nape of her neck. She sighed and then a few minutes later shuddered.

"I can't take any more, darling. In any case I should go. Daddy'll have got his stopwatch out and he'll start questioning your intentions again."

Mark chuckled. "All right," he said. "I'll let you go if I must. All good things have to come to an end."

Victoria pulled her head up and gave him a soft kiss on the lips. "Goodnight, darling."

"Goodnight, my precious love."

He opened the door for her. They stood in the doorway and kissed once more.

"See you tomorrow," they both said together and giggled.

He watched her walk down the passage. She turned at the end, blew him a kiss and vanished round the corner.

The following morning as he ate his breakfast Mark kept an eye on the garages. When he saw Victoria go for her car he ran out to say good morning to her. She gave him a warm kiss.

"I can't stay," she said, "or I'll be late."

"Me too."

"Come for supper."

"I haven't been asked."

She stuck out the tip of her tongue at him. "I've just asked you." She piled into her car and with a wave was gone.

Mark went back in, finished his coffee and then set off for the office himself. He wondered what he would find waiting for him after a week away. There was nothing. Alison, the general's secretary, had coped with everything. She was a sweet, plump woman in her forties. She had a teenage son and daughter. Her husband, a Civil Servant, was a Senior Executive Officer in Quartering. Mark had not met any of her family but the photograph of her husband on her desk showed a smiling, warm faced man.