Chapter 3

The rest of the Summer Holidays passed off normally. Mark regained his appetite and entered into everything with his usual enthusiasm. The only thing that Elspeth noticed was a greater tolerance and the inclusion of Serena in the things Mark did.

Return to school was a different story. Mark missed Nicholas badly. He and Martin remained friends but the catalyst was missing. Instead of being in the top four of the weekly marks Mark dropped back to sixth or seventh. He admitted to David during one of his parents' visits that he was having difficulty getting up in the morning. David laughed it off as Mark being a chip off the old block but both he and Elspeth were worried. The headmaster with all his experience was unfazed.

"It's temporary," he said, "but unlikely to right itself while he's still here and feels the lack of Nicholas so strongly. He'll be all right when he moves on and the link is broken. However it would be wrong to push him for a scholarship at the moment. He would fail and that would depress him further. Let's see how his first year goes at public school. I'll drop a line to his future headmaster explaining what's gone on."

Mark, ignorant of his parents' concern and his headmaster's advice, soldiered on and achieved excellent Common Entrance results, getting into the public school of his parents' choice with no problem.

He took to the new life like a duck to water. His housemaster's first half-term report read: "Mark is up and down and round about, over, under, through, beneath, above — he seems a rushing advertisement for adverbs. Despite all the rush his academic reports are good although his teachers comment upon a perkiness that borders upon 'Just William'. It's a perkiness that enables him to make friends as well which is what life in a boarding school is partly about."

By the end of his first term he had slowed down although, as he excitedly told his parents, he revelled in the newly found freedom and in the wonderful facilities.

At the end of his first year he sat his scholarship exam. He did well but was pipped to the post by someone brighter. This did not depress him. He skipped a form and was now set for a university scholarship in four years' time.

He went on to play cricket, hockey and rugby for the school, captaining the rugby team in his final year. He became head of house and a school prefect. He was liked and admired by both pupils and staff. His final report from the headmaster was glowing and predicted success at what ever he chose to do.

It was 1956 and he could have used his university scholarship to avoid National Service but he was his father's son and chose the latter. He duly did his basic training, attended the War Office Selection Board, became an Officer Cadet at Eaton Hall and was finally commissioned into the Green Howards joining the 1st Battalion in Germany.

Mark took to military life as though born to it. He had a first-rate platoon sergeant and they hit it off immediately. He made it a priority to get to know each of his soldiers well and spent an hour every evening with them in the barrack block. His company commander had been one of his father's subalterns but he showed Mark no favouritism, possibly demanding more of him than he otherwise might. Mark responded to the challenge.

Mark also delighted in his fellow subalterns in the Officers' Mess. They were a lively bunch but it soon became clear to Mark that without exception they took their responsibility to the men under them very seriously.

The one thing that caused Mark difficulty was the subject of girls which came up every evening without fail. He realised that his experience was very limited. He had invited a girl to the Summer Ball at school the summer before last but that was a failure. She hardly said anything except yes and no and, as he told Elspeth, it was like lugging a mattress round the dance floor.

The Christmas before last he had gone to a private dance where he met a pair of almost identical twins and had got on really well with them, dancing most of the evening with one of them and then having a protracted kissing session with her. He had been bubbling over with excitement at breakfast the following morning. Elspeth had smiled indulgently but Serena and Victoria Collins who was staying with her had listened open mouthed. Of course, Mark had failed to get the twin's surname, address or telephone number which dampened his exuberance somewhat. However, a week later he received an invitation to the twins' dance and was thrilled until he realised that it was two days after the beginning of term and he would be back at school. He dolefully wrote saying that he would not be able to attend. While completing this exercise he did not notice the peeking round the door and the stifled giggles of Serena and Victoria. When he asked Elspeth for a stamp she was unable to maintain the charade and told him that it was not a real invitation but had been cooked up by the little girls. Mark was both furious and mortified. He rushed off to his room and refused to have any contact with them. That lasted until lunchtime when he was required to put in an appearance. Elspeth had clearly had a go at them in the meantime because both girls came up and apologised and said they had not realised how seriously he would take it and that they were very sorry to have made him unhappy. Serena reached up and kissed him. Victoria copied her but hung on to him a little longer than her friend. Mark did not even notice. He was unable to remain glum for long and soon saw the funny side of it. He promised to pay them back. That was the sum of Mark's experience of girls so far and he resolved to gain more but in the meanwhile he listened; soon realising that much of what his friends said was wishful thinking.

The Mess had what was called the Keller Bar. This was a 'snug' in the cellar. It had a bar and a record player, soft lighting and an area where one could dance. It was open on Friday and Saturday evenings and was the one place in the Mess that women were allowed except on special occasions. Mark had ventured down there but had found that there were no unattached females. They were either the wives of other junior officers or girlfriends of fellow bachelors. He enjoyed their company and learned more about the opposite sex but not a lot.