He watches the man leap from the bed, pick up his child, make a joke to the child, who is pointing. ‘Who’s that? Who’s that in your bed, Daddy?’

‘He’s not very well…like you. He is having a little rest because he’s going to fly with Daddy later. He’s going to borrow our shower now to cool down.’

‘Oh.’ The child loses interest quickly, turning away, clutching her dress with one hand and her father with the other…

As they stand on the tarmac waiting for one of the helicopters to be serviced they cannot look at one another. The man he loves turns to him, his face wretched.

‘We stop it here; now and for good. I have a wife and children I love and you have a pregnant wife.’

‘I don’t love her.’

‘Then you should. This is wrong. We can’t risk what happened this afternoon ever again.’

‘There are hotels. Singapore is a vast city, David.’

‘Sordid, and there are eyes even in crowds. Do you want to be disgraced and drummed out of the army?’

‘No, I don’t. But I don’t want to deny what I am, either.’

‘Well…’ David laughs bitterly. ‘I’m afraid this is the British Army and you chose it, so grow up and accept things as they bloody well are. I love flying. I love my wife and kids and I am not throwing it all away for…anyone.’

He turns away angrily and Alex calls out, stung, ‘I’m not anyone, and you bloody well know it. You’re just less honest than I am. You are what you are. You cannot deny your nature any more than I can. This is not a miserable, guilty one-night stand. Oh, you can dance with your beautiful wife all evening, but it was me your eyes were searching for last night and this is how it will always be for you…’

‘Get off my back, will you, Alex?’ David faces him. ‘I’ve told you how it’s got to be and you’ll thank me later, believe me. You’re far more ruthlessly ambitious than I am. Let’s fly. The planes are ready. Get your arse in gear.’

He turns and starts to walk across the airfield.

‘Do you know what they are saying in the mess?’ Alex shouts, running desperately after him. ‘That Fergus is fucking your beloved wife…’

David swings round so fast Alex didn’t see the blow coming. Then he marches off to his plane and climbs in.

That evening David’s wife wears a red dress. That evening David watches Fergus kissing her…and so does he.

The storm caught them a few minutes before landing. He climbed out. David did not. The man shivers and feels in his pocket. Funny how you keep things, just for the sake of it, never thinking you will have real need of them.

When he gets out of hospital he is on sick leave and he and Beattie go to Malaya. It is like a sick joke. David’s widow is there with her parents and children. He keeps out of the way; watches those twins in near panic from a distance.