Last Night in Lisbon

[Guest]

There would be a fight any time soon, thought Williams, watching the others swagger four abreast down the street. With some of their own battalion - Kerr's Company for preference - if they did not meet other opposition. Mackay had stopped with him, as the group separated into those still sober enough to count the cost, and those too drunk, or reckless to care. "Let them be," said Mackay. "They'll not need a Welshman to hold their coats for them. And there's trouble enough waiting ahead for us."

Williams agreed. He was still viewed with some suspicion after the court martial, and being involved in a brawl would bring down official wrath on his head - and on his back. But there were other and better things to do in Lisbon besides fighting and drinking. So he rejected Mackay's suggestion of another quiet dram, and set off on his own. If he could remember where that bar was...

[Gabriel Cotton]

Cotton had been dismissed after serving Vickery and Padstowe and waiting on them at dinner. Now, it was time to go and have a much-needed drink.

He somehow found the bar where he'd arranged to meet up with Williams. There were quite a few soldiers of the 27th here, and he pushed past them to the bar to order himself a glass of something strong.

[Ben Perkins]

Above the hubbub, he heard his name. "Cotton! Gabriel Cotton!" It was young Perkins whom he had met earlier. "Hello again. Come for a last night out?"

[Gabriel Cotton]

"Hello, young Ben." He grinned at the sight of the young lad. "Seems so. Though I don't think we ought to get too drunk, seeming as we'm marchin' tomorrow mornin', early-like."

[Ben Perkins]

"I weren't planning on it meself. Looks as though some others could use your good sense, though," he said in a low voice, eyeing some of the noisy redcoats with red faces.

[Gabriel Cotton]

"Redcoats. They'll all get lushed and wake up with cannon going off in their heads and wonder why they can't see straight, tomorrow." Cotton grinned at Williams. "Well, most of 'em, anyways. This here is Private Williams, of His Majesty's 27th Regiment, the Inniskillings, and the young lad is Rifleman Perkins of the 95th. One of Mister Sharpe's men."

[Ben Perkins]

"Oh! Hello, Private Williams," Perkins said in a quiet but genial tone.

[Gabriel Cotton]

Cotton ruffled the lad's hair. "We'm all mates here, Ben, and ain't nobody goin' to tell ee otherwise. He don't bite, and he's a good'un, for all he wears a red coat. Now, what say you we go find summat to drink?"

[Ben Perkins]

Perkins grinned with a touch of embarrassment. "Fine by me!"

[Guest]

"Pleased to meet you." Williams grinned at the youngster. "Williams will do, and I don't bite unless you start calling me Taffy." He winked at Cotton. "It's being Chapel that keeps me sober, when the rest of them are itching for a fight. It's better not to be there when they find one."

[Gabriel Cotton]

"What d'you want? The wine's nobbut gnat's piss, I don't reckon, but there's brandy if'n ye want summat stronger."

He grinned at Williams. "Don't 'member you bitin' me when I called ye Taffy," he said. "Now, who's fer a drink?"

[Guest]

Perkins had joined up with a rifleman from the 60th and a redcoat: neither of them looked like trouble-makers, and Harris decided there could be worse company in which to drink. The others from the 95th would find them easily enough, and they could end the night on the Lieutenant's brandy.

"Young Perkins, mind if I join you and your friends?"

[Ben Perkins]

"Mister Harris! Of course, and you should meet Mister Cotton here. He's the one that beat Dan Hagman in the shooting match!"

[Gabriel Cotton]

Cotton couldn't help grinning at the younger Rifleman's enthusiasm. "Aye, I did, but it was dead level until the last shot. Not an easy man to best at all, your Dan Hagman," he said, before offering his hand to the red-haired man wearing the jacket of the 95th. "Pleased to meet you."

[Ben Perkins]

Before he could introduce Williams, Perkins was distracted. The drunken soldiers outside were now as loud as those inside, and he looked out the window to see the cause of the commotion. He stood up abruptly.

"Hey, Cotton, it's your Maggie!"

[Gabriel Cotton]

"Maggie?" Cotton turned. "'Scuse me, I'll be back direc'ly minute."

He pushed his way outside. "Maggie! You all right, lass?"

[Guest]

"I'm Williams," He held out his hand. "That was where I met Cotton - for the shooting match. It was a grand match too." He turned his head as first Perkins and then Cotton stood up. "What is it?" Cotton was heading for the door, into what sounded like a riot.

Williams followed, collecting the bottle as he went.

[Maggie Cotton]

Maggie was standing in the street facing several disorderly soldiers who seemed to be following her. Her eyes glittered in rage.

"Oh, aye, Mister Cotton, I'm all right," she said in a light but low voice, not taking her eyes off of the men who had accosted her. She looked like a furious cat, standing its ground and hissing at dogs.

[Gabriel Cotton]

"Aye, so I see," Cotton said, putting one hand on his sword-bayonet and one hand on her arm. "Why don't you come and have a glass or two wi' me, and me mates, then, lass?"

[Guest]

Pretty girl, thought Williams, casually leaning against the door jamb, the hand holding the bottle out of sight. Worth getting into a fight for, even against - Damn, the 33rd. But no Sergeant with them. He wouldn't hang around a bunch of drunken soldiery.

He hissed quietly between his teeth as Cotton tried to talk the girl away.

[Ben Perkins]

Perkins eyed the group of soldiers, saw Maggie still fuming, and saw Cotton reaching for his sword-bayonet.

"Aye, come on inside Maggie. Come and meet some friends."

[Gabriel Cotton]

"Come on, Maggie. You'm with the Rifles, 'member, not that rowdy lot."

And dammit all, they were 33rd. They would be... but where was that Sergeant? He didn't seem to be with them, but Cotton wasn't taking any chances.

"Come inside and let me buy you a drink or summat," he said again.

[Maggie Cotton]

She glared at the soldiers. She would have gladly scratched their eyes if she could have.

"All right then," she finally answered, exhaling heavily and accepting Cotton's arm.

[Gabriel Cotton]

Cotton sighed in relief, and turned to take Maggie inside. "What'll you be drinkin' then, Maggie, lass?" he asked, directing her over to where the others were sitting.

[Guest]

Williams put the bottle back on the table. "There's brandy," he said. "That's for heroes like young Cotton."

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