Читать книгу Ten Days - John Sheppard - Страница 14

Captain Jeremy Trent snapped to attention and gave Stephen a crisp salute as Stephen opened the door to his townhouse. Captain Trent’s uniform was spotless, the seams as precisely ironed and as crisp as his salute. Lean and tanned, the captain looked the part of a recruiting poster.

“Captain Trent, sir! I am to be your driver and escort for the next few days.”

Stephen returned the salute and judged the captain to be in his early thirties. If he had guessed the captain’s age correctly, it would have made him a recent graduate of Stonecrest when the war started. Stephen noticed a wedding ring on the captain’s left hand.

“The salute wasn’t required, Captain, but thank you for the courtesy. Please come in,” said Stephen, smiling. “Have you had dinner, Captain?” asked Stephen as the captain entered the foyer.

“No, sir, but.…”

Before the captain could finish, he was ushered into the dining room and to a seat. Within moments, the extra place setting was on the table, followed with a hot, home-cooked meal. While the fare was simple, grilled marinated chicken breast and wild rice with steamed mixed vegetables, it was as good as the company which followed.

Captain Trent and Stephen quickly became friends. They spent the evening having a couple of beers and talking about shared interests, including history and American football. Stephen offered Jeremy the use of his guest bedroom for the night, but the offer was declined, since Jeremy hadn’t yet packed.