Jack Windrush Collection

Chapter 24

"Did you hear the news?" Sergeant Wells asked. "Dalhousie has annexed the whole of Pegu province from Burma. The war is over except for chasing away what"s left of the Tatmadaw." He glanced up at the great pagoda. "This is British territory now."

Tatmadaw"Do you think the regiment will be needed?" Only Myat could make the act of smoking a cheroot appear so elegant that Jack"s heart raced as he watched her.

God, she is beautiful.

God, she is beautiful."No, Myat." He tried to keep his voice neutral. "The regiment is being sent back to Moulmein. We won"t be involved in the clearing up process."

Myat patted Wells" arm. "Good. Then Edmund and I will stay in Pegu." She removed the cheroot from her mouth, examined the glowing tip and returned it.

"What do you mean? You will travel with us to Moulmein and later, maybe, to England."

Wells shook his head. "Sorry sir, my time is up now. You know I transferred to the 113th, rather than take Myat to England? Well, we"ve decided to stay in Pegu now that it"s under British control."

Jack stared at Myat rather than at Wells. The words came automatically. "I don"t want to lose you," he said. He closed his eyes for a second and thrust his hand deep into the pocket of his tunic. "Here, Myat. These are better with you than with me." Pulling out the two golden Buddhas he had retrieved from the dead bodies of the dacoits at the river bank, he handed them over. He let his fingers linger on Myat"s for one tiny fraction of a second.

"You don"t want them anymore?" Myat asked.

"No, I don"t want them anymore."

What changed? My men came for me. The men I fought beside, the men of my regiment, the 113th, not the regiment of the family that discarded me.

What changed? My men came for me. The men I fought beside, the men of my regiment, the 113th, not the regiment of the family that discarded me.Myat placed the Buddhas beside her. "You had three battles to win, Ensign Windrush. You had to defeat your country"s enemies, the enemies within your family and the enemy within yourself." When Myat"s eyes met his, Jack realised she understood how he felt about her. "You could not defeat the first two until you defeated the third." She lifted one of the Buddhas. "Now you understand more what is important in your life, Ensign Windrush."

You are important in my life, Myat, yet you are unobtainable.

You are important in my life, Myat, yet you are unobtainable.Myat looked at Wells. "There is something I must do, Edmund."

"What is that, Myat?"

"This." Myat stood up and gave Jack a long kiss on the mouth. She tasted of aromatic tobacco. "That is for saving my life," she said, and not until then did Jack see Lieutenant Lindsay watching with a look of surprise on his face.