30th May, evening in camp

She immediately sat on the ground. "Hurry and do it quick. And don't hesitate, just - jab it. All the way through." She clenched her teeth and tried to stare at the trees without flinching.

'Quick' was easier said than done. Kneeling beside her, Christian took the lobe of her ear in one hand. His fingers felt inordinately large and clumsy, but he stretched the skin taut as best he could and set the pin's point against it. He placed his thumb on the head and, taking a breath to steady himself, pressed it quickly and firmly into the flesh. For a brief moment there was resistance as the pin point forced its way through the tissue and then, abruptly, it ceased. It was through.

Releasing his breath, Christian gently withdrew the pin and wiped away the blood which had begun to seep from the tiny hole. He peered at her with concern, then. "You alright?"

"Ugh!" she said in a small, high voice. She took a few deep breaths. "Fine. Fine. See if the earring will go in now." If it didn't work, she might as well save her other ear the pain.

“Good lass.”

Taking one of the earrings, he carefully slid it into the hole made by the pin. To his immense relief, it fit.

“There. That’s one done. Just one more now.”

He shifted slightly to find a better angle as she turned her head to the other side, staring fixedly at some point in the distance. Once more. Just once more, he told himself, clamping his bottom lip between his teeth as he brought the pin up to her ear.

He felt her flinch as the point pierced the skin, but otherwise she was still and silent as the nearby trees. "Almost done," he murmured. As quickly as he dared, he slid the pin out and replaced it with the second earing. Finished.

"Beautiful." He was grinning with relief.

He rocked backwards suddenly so that he sprawled over in the dirt. "You bloody owe me for that."

She laughed with relief, letting out a few shaky breaths. "Yes, I do. I'm forever grateful. I'll pay you back, I promise - maybe later tonight. Do they look all right? Are they bleeding much?" She touched her fingers to her earlobes gingerly.

A slight crease appeared in his brow. He hadn't meant it like that. "I were only kiddin', you know?" His uncertain smile broadened and he propped himself up, "They look lovely, Jenny. Ain't bleedin' much, neither. Here," he reached forward and gently wiped away a small droplet which had trickled free of the earring. "They're jus' tiny holes, so they'll dry up quick. Bloody hell, though...."Sticking the pin carelessly into a tuft of grass, he got to his feet, "I need a drink. You fancy one?"

"Yes. Or no, there isn't time!" Her eyes darted to the tent. "Though maybe I could dab some brandy on my ears. I think that would be wise. Woodmarsh!" she called. "I'm just going to pick out the perfect bottle to bring. Won't be a minute!"

Christian returned shortly with a bottle of wine for Jenny's alibi and a bottle of brandy for their nerves. He crouched beside her and handed over the brandy. "Hope you don't mind it straight from the bottle."

She took a quick swig. "Of course not." Then she tipped a bit onto her handkerchief and touched it to an ear. "Ah! These things had better be worth it!" She let out another shaky breath and then smiled at him as she passed the bottle back. "But of course they will be. They're wonderful, and I can't thank you enough. But I'd better go now."

Taking the bottle from her, he smiled back, "Good luck, then."

He watched her disappear inside the tent and then, with a sigh, got to his feet. He took a swig from the bottle and felt the reassuring burn as the alcohol slid down his throat and settled in his stomach.

Back at his fire, the contents of the pot were bubbling impatiently, but fortunately had not begun to burn. He let some of the brandy slosh into the pot, before tossing some more down his throat. Then he returned to stirring.

She breezed into the tent, holding up the wine bottle and speaking before Woodmarsh could. "I'm sorry I took so long, darling. Your servant had already packed them away. He wanted to send up some vile brew, but I insisted on this old beauty." She set it down on the table and returned to the mirror for a quick admiring look. Earrings.

Jenny could easily have been gone for an hour for all Woodmarsh would have noticed. He had been adjusting his uniform and admiring himself in the mirror the whole time, not giving any thought to what might have been transpiring outside the tent. However, her mention of the wine did finally catch his attention.

"I knew you would make an excellent choice, my dear," he said, murmuring appreciatively as he looked the bottle over, "Yes, an excellent choice indeed."

Somehow he managed to notice her earrings as well, though the fact that she had never worn earrings before seemed to escape him.

"Those are lovely earrings, Jenny. Though you really need no extra trinkets to enhance your beauty..."

"Well thank you, dear," she answered with a smile. She thought about making a retort that he needed no golden epaulets to enhance his appearance, though she was sure he would prefer to have two. But she held her tongue. Men could be so sensitive when barbed teasing hit its mark.

Instead, she simply wrapped her hand around his arm. "Shall we go?"

"Indeed we shall."

He smiled at her and took her arm in his. She really did look lovely. He could not wait to see the faces of the officers when they laid their eyes on her.

The officers had found a barn in which to dine, which almost pleasant compared to eating on the ground. It felt like weeks since she had had a roof over her head that was not made of canvas. Jenny darted her eyes over the gathering as Woodmarsh led her inside. There were only a few women. It was mostly men, naturally, and she did not recognize them. She smiled graciously and nodded slightly, not choosing to be the first to speak.

From over the rim of his wine glass, Lt Joseph Knox observed the newcomers. The man was a lieutenant like himself, though he did not recognize his face. The woman, on the other hand, not only was unfamiliar but looked entirely out of place. Aesthetically speaking, Knox could not fault the lieutenant's taste; however he did wonder what part of the invitation the man had taken to extend to his personal.....companion.

A servant stepped forward to take the bottle from Woodmarsh. "For after supper," Jenny told him quietly, "But it should be decanted right away." She wondered for a moment if it was bad form for a lady to speak to a servant - but if she left everything to the men, nothing would ever be done properly. "A wide flat-bottomed decanter, if you have one."

As he had expected, the officers were glancing in their direction. Woodmarsh offered them all a smug grin. He always loved being the center of attention, even moreso with Jenny by his side.

He gave the bottle to the servant, more than willing to let Jenny tell him what to do with it. Woodmarsh knew little about wine--apart from which varieties he liked and which he did not. As long as the servant kept it drinkable, he did not care about the particulars.

Jenny wished Woodmarsh would do something, anything, besides just stand there like a clod. Why didn't he say something? Pompous peacock. He simply enjoyed having all eyes on him and his prize.

There did not appear to be enough seats, but she saw that a servant was rushing to fetch an additional chair. There was an empty seat next to an officer in a very worn rifles uniform, not the 60th but the 95th. She pulled gently on Woodmarsh's arm, directing her eyes to that spot. "Shall we sit, darling?" she asked quietly.

Woodmarsh looked at the seats Jenny was indicating. He did not really wish to sit next to the officer in the shabby green uniform, but it did not seem as though he had much choice. Though perhaps that would not be such a bad seating arrangement. He doubted that officer had ever seen a woman as beautiful as Jenny--let alone had one by his side. That meant that Woodmarsh could show Jenny off to the best effect.

"Yes dear. Let's sit," he said, leading her over to the seats.

At the empty place across the table from him, a chair appeared. Knox eyed it resentfully and sighed. Pleasantries, like pulling teeth, he found were least painful when done quickly and directly.

The newly arrived couple approached the empty seats and Knox rose to greet them, "Lt Joseph Knox, 2nd Foot Guards, at your service."

All Sharpe wanted to do was to get through the evening and escape back to his men. His uniform had been brushed, but brushing could hardly disguise that it was worn and going threadbare in places.

The chatter, which had started again after his own entrance, stopped and Sharpe turned to see the newcomers. A young lieutenant, obviously newly arrived, and a woman. Not a lady, this. She looked suspiciously like a camp follower in her best dress, and what she was doing on the arm of an officer, Sharpe couldn't say.

And they were coming over... Sharpe had been at enough dinners in the Mess to know that officers stood for a lady, and he got up politely. She looked a little non-plussed at her surroundings, which was precisely how Sharpe felt. What was the lieutenant thinking, dragging her into all this?

The last of the invited arrived - the newly-assigned lieutenant, Woodmarsh. Blackwood observed the man's entrance with quiet interest. As yet he had made no firm opinion of the man, but his bringing a woman with him unasked was not a particularly good sign.

Hallet, his batman, found an extra chair for the unexpected addition before disappearing outside again. He had a bottle of wine in his hands, which suggested his embarking on a quest to find a decanter somewhere in his master's baggage.

The choice of seating was not, perhaps, ideal, however. Blackwood noted that Hallet had placed the new arrivals next to Lieutenant Sharpe. That may or may not prove to be a wise choice. Undoubtedly Sharpe, like Blackwood, was still just a trifle on edge after last night's escapades. For the moment, he chose to overlook Woodmarsh's bad manners in bringing an uninvited guest.

"Gentlemen. Ladies," the captain said, aware that conversations were only just beginning to recover. Hallet was back with a full decanter. "Some wine?"

Woodmarsh nodded slightly at the man across the table, acknowledging his introduction. A fellow lieutenant, which means he was no one worth impressing.

"Lieutenant Gareth Woodmarsh," he said, in reply to Knox but also as an introduction to the other officers nearby, "And this is my dearest Jenny Ross."

He smirked at them as he seated himself, waiting to see which one would compliment Jenny first, and by so doing prove to him that they were envious of his fine companion.

Jenny smiled to the group as beautifully and dazzlingly as she could before sitting down next to the man in green. She was of course aware of the emotions behind the various glances. Curiosity, admiration, disdain, impatience. But she smiled as if she were blissfully content. "Good evening," she said to a couple of ladies who were staring rather rudely. Officers' wives, no doubt. Old hags.