A Debt of Honour – Episode 30
A Debt Of Honour
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- 1. A Debt of Honour – Episode 30
Shauna went through the motions of putting her shoes and belongings into a crate to be X-rayed, then passing under the metal detector herself.
She picked up her crate and stumbled to a nearby seat. Like a robot, she slipped on her shoes, her watch, her jacket, and returned the plastic crate.
Then she walked through the main Departures lounge, to the gate from which her flight would leave, and tried to find a seat in the waiting area.
Finally, she elected to stand.
After all, she would be sitting for the best part of a day, flying eastwards through many time zones and over thousands of miles of countries and continents below.
Every minute seemed to last an hour. She tried to keep her mind on other things.
She thought about Ellie and Calum. Shauna hoped Ellie would come back to Australia and be married in what was still the family church in Brisbane.
If Ellie would agree, Shauna would bankrupt her small shop to pay for it.
She tried to think of Charlie, and wondered if he would ever grow tired of playing with cars, or stop partying with his mates and find himself a nice girl.
She tried to worry about her shop, and what might have happened while she was away.
None of it worked.
In her mind, Neil was still standing at the gate to Departures, his shoulders slumped.
Shauna swallowed. Neil was such a nice guy – he didn’t deserve to be left for a second time.
These last few weeks had been a golden bubble, but you can’t live inside a bubble for ever, because it is in the nature of bubbles to burst, and leave cold grey reality.
Neil’s work was in Scotland, while her work was in Australia. Not to mention Charlie.
She and Neil were each trapped in the lives that they had built over the years.
As she held up her boarding pass to the stewardess and went to file through, the young woman frowned.
Then the frown became a radiant smile.
“This is your lucky day. You’ve been upgraded!”
“What?” Shauna tried to drag her mind off her bleak thoughts.
“You’re business class,” the stewardess said.
“Stand there a moment and I’ll get someone to take you to the right boarding steps.”
Shauna stood numbly. Business class cost mega-bucks. It had to be a mix-up.
She’d enough to worry about without that.
But another smiling stewardess came to lead her towards the trickle of people boarding up at the front of the plane.
There, Shauna was handed over to another, who took her to her seat.
Shauna sat down uncertainly. The seat was so soft, she felt herself sink into its comfort.
Ah, well, Shauna thought. Better to enjoy the mistake before somebody came and tried to boot her back into the cramped quarters of the herd.
It was quiet and peaceful, detached from the hustle and bustle and slamming of doors before the engines began to whine.
Shauna stared out through her window at the wet tarmac and the rolling low clouds which were the soul of Scotland.
She was flying back to winter – but a Brisbane winter was usually a whole lot warmer and sunnier than a Scottish summer.
The plane raced along the runway, and as they rose and levelled out, Scotland disappeared under the clouds, which became a silver sea of cotton wool beneath them.
Shauna became conscious of someone at her elbow.
“Madam? Someone has ordered our most special champagne for you.”
The glass was gently placed in front of Shauna.
“And this,” the stewardess said.
From beneath the shining silver tray, the stewardess produced a single red nose, and laid it crossways beside the drink.
“Who?” Shauna tried to ask, but her voice choked.
“Enjoy!” The stewardess glided away.
Shauna reached forward uncertainly to pick up the rose and turn it over, but there was no card. No clue.
No need for clues. Already, she knew who her benefactor was.
Lifting the rose petals to her lips, she kissed them gently.
Once before, she had made a bad mistake in leaving Scotland.
Now, was this an even bigger one?
To be continued…
