A Regimental Affair by Kate Lace Page A

obvious? Most guests felt they were being generous if they brought one bottle of wine round. But six bottles – and champagne! ‘It’s just so extravagant.’
    ‘Look, I’m single, I’m off to Kosovo in a short while, I’m not going to spend money on petrol, drink or clothes for six months. Do the sum. I think you’ll find I can run to a few bottles of fizz.’
    ‘Well, if you’re sure.’
    ‘Actually,’ said Ginny putting the lid back on the box. ‘You’re right. What was I thinking?’
    ‘Oh.’ Sarah felt a little cheated. Perhaps she shouldn’t have protested so strongly. Her face fell.
    ‘Joke!’ said Ginny, whipping the top off again with a huge grin. ‘Your face is a picture. Come on. Let’s get some corks popping.’
    Sarah led the way into the sitting room with Ginny following behind already unscrewing the metal cage off one of the corks.
    ‘Drink up,’ called Sarah. ‘Ginny’s …’ But the cork popped with a satisfying bang before Sarah could finish and Ginny grabbed a nearby glass to stop the white foam from falling onto the carpet.
    ‘Who’s for champers?’ called Ginny. There was a chorus of assent and the noise level instantly rose. Well done, Ginny , Sarah thought.
    Alisdair came and stood beside her.
    ‘You don’t mind?’ he said into her ear.
    ‘How could I? It was all a bit flat and now it’s zinging. Does she always have this effect?’
    ‘Don’t know, but I wouldn’t be surprised.’ The doorbell rang again. ‘I’ll go. It’s probably the colonel.’
    Sarah didn’t vie for the privilege of letting in his boss. She just hoped that now her drinks party had taken off, the arrival of Bob and Alice wouldn’t kill it stone dead.
    Sarah, hot and puffed out from a recent stint on the dance floor with Alisdair, was recovering with an ice-cold cola at the mess bar, chatting to Debbie and Richard. As she talked she was aware of a commotion developing in the ante-room, clearly visible through the open double doors that divided the two rooms. At the centre of the kerfuffle appeared to be Megan and Ginny. She let her attention wander as she wondered what on earth was going on. A group of young officers and their girlfriends had formed a circle round Megan who appeared to be engaged in some sort of gymnastics. As Sarah watched it appeared that Megan, egged on by the gaggle of young subalterns, was trying to teach Ginny how to do a backwards walkover. Quite why Ginny wanted to learn this gymnastic feat during a party in the mess Sarah didn’t know, but it was providing a great deal of entertainment for their audience. As Sarah watched, Megan bent over backwards into a crab and then gracefully raised one leg so her toe was pointing at the ceiling, then she kicked it over her head and stood up. There was a round of applause and Megan made a little mock bow.
    Sarah suddenly realised she had been so engrossed in watching Megan that she had no idea what Richard had just said to her. She turned her attention back to him and apologised.
    ‘I’m sorry. I am just mesmerised by what is going on over there. Look.’
    Richard and Debbie turned and followed her gaze.
    ‘Good God, what does Ginny think she’s up to?’ shrieked Debbie as she watched Ginny bend over backwards.
    ‘I think the technical term is a backwards walkover,’ said Sarah. The three of them moved away from the bar and into the next room for a better view of the spectacle.
    Ginny was trying to follow Megan’s example, but although she had managed to get herself into a crab, all she could now achieve were some pathetic little hops. The foot that remained on the ground never lifted more than an inch off the carpet while the one that was supposed to be pointing balletically at the ceiling was waving around like a tree in a gale. There were a number of observations from the group watching her about ‘lack of muscle tone’ and the fact that she couldn’t accomplish something so simple that ‘even a child could do