June 24th, evening: Having dinner with the Engineer

Edward put his sabre back into its sheath and tweaked his cravat until the pin was straight and the sodden cloth in some kind of order again. Then he explained in a cool, professional voice, regally ignoring the water steadily dripping from his coattails:

"Let us say we experienced certain corollaries of the mechanical laws ..."

Straightening out his cuffs, he dropped his haughtiness and smiled ruefully.

"I'm sorry if we disturbed you, Vickery. We got carried away a trifle."

A green tendril was sticking to one cuff. With an expression of comic dismay, he peeled it off and inspected it.

"I should have invited that fish whose acquaintance I made in there to accompany me ... I don't think Rottlaender will like those algae very much - He has performed his daily miracle already by bringing a hare to my table. Asking him to put this to rights again might make him want to seek better employment. Still hale and sound, Hunter?"

"Oh, I merely thought someone was being drowned," Vickery replied with a raised eyebrow. "As it appears I was mistaken, I shall merely go about my duties and pretend that neither of you are wringing wet. Although I recommend that you dry yourselves off before you catch your deaths of cold."

Hunter put his boots back on, not that it was in any way pleasant, and dragged off his sodden jacket. "It's nice of you to care, Vickery, but I dare say we'll live." Hunter leaned over and plucked a green slimy strand off Torrington's head. "Although I am not sure my breeches will." There were indeed very permanent looking mud stains on Hunter's breeches.

Vickery raised an eyebrow. "I believe Cotton has some freshly brewed tea, should you care to have some. And I must admit that I am not the best authority on cleaning mud from one's clothing." Hunter's breeches did look very much as though they had seen better days. "Do you have dry clothes to hand? Or should I tell Cotton to find something of mine for you to borrow while your own clothes dry off?"

Torrington's tent and baggage were close by, of course, but Vickery was not entirely sure where Hunter's things were. "Or I can always send him to go and find some of your own things, if you would prefer," he added.

Edward looked Hunter over carefully, a slight frown on his brows.

"You are very welcome to ransack my possesions ... although I fear that I will not be able to supply you with breeches to fit your size. But come along, and we will see what we can contrive. Or perhaps you care to have sent for your own things and borrow my greatcoat for the time?"

Hunter rose. "I think I'll have my things send for and trespass a little longer on your hospitality. I really don't want to take the chance that Sir Arthur will see me in someone else's clothes," Hunter grinned and ran a hand over his forehead, pushing the wet strands of hair out of his eyes. "Obviously, it would not take as much explaining as if he saw me dressed in petticoats, but a little awkward nevertheless."

Vickery very nearly gaped at the idea of Hunter in petticoats but managed to prevent himself from doing so just in time. "I am sure we can find you at least a great-coat or boat-cloak between us," he managed to say after a moment.

Petticoats, though. What on earth had given him that idea...?

Torrington grinned.

"Petticoats would probably excuse you from having to explain anything - in all likelyhood they would clap you in irons."

Although it would definitely be a sight.

"If you intent to wear them, however, we certainly will find some people to do some kind of play come winter - recent evidence has shown that you can do a wonderful Ophelia!"

"I'll leave Ophelia to you, Torrington. The part would suit your demeanour so much better," Hunter suppressed an urge to stick his tongue out at the other man. "I would rather play Portia or Viola."

"The quality of mercy is not strained; it droppeth as the gentle dews from Heaven," Vickery quoted, before giving up and starting to laugh. "I will bow out of trying to decide who should play which leading lady, I think. I should not like to make an enemy of either of you, after all."

"Why, 'tis a loving and a fair reply!"

Torrington sighed and added, very dryly:

"And here I was melancholy the whole time in hope of netting the lead role ... "

One corner of his mouth twisted up, he asked Vickery:

"What would you play? Or are we to frivolous for you tonight?"

"Oh you can have the lead role, but you are much too serious for a lead female. You need a little, um, effervescence or something like that." Hunter did a little twirl and could not help laughing.

"I think I should prefer to play Romeo... But soft! what light thrugh yonder window breaks?," Vickery replied, adding wryly, "Although I must admit that I was never particularly fond of the Bard. Or at least, I found him as dull as ditch-water when in the schoolroom." He looked at Hunter. "I shall cast Captain Torrington as Benedict, in that case. Or perhaps he would prefer the Danish Prince... To be, or not to be..."

"Oha! Is that a challenge, Hunter? Let's see whether you can do a Benedict to rival my Beatrice, then!"

Edward's eyes sparkled.

"Vickery, would you perhaps consent to play the Claudio, should we ever manage to do this? Or perhaps the Prince, to prevent Hunter and myself from killing each other before the play is over?"

"Oh, Torrington, I could do Hero if I put my mind to it! Playing Benedick will be no challenge." Hunter assumed a suitably annoyed expression. "I will live a bachelor"."

"I wonder that you will still be talking, Signior
Benedick: nobody marks you."

Edward tilted his head, looking up at the taller man in mock disdain.

Instead of answering Hunter just laughed and poked Torrington in the ribs none too gently.

After an initial instant of flinching, Edward drew himself up regally, ignoring Hunter's antics, and told Vickery earnestly:

"I dote on his very absence!"

"Bravo, indeed," Vickery replied with a bow. "You shall set the Division agog, were they to see thee thus." He straightened, smiling. "I should recommend a cup of tea before embarking on any theatricals however - you are quite soaked through."

Torrington nodded, still rather amused. He was very much trying to act as if he wasn't dripping all over the grass, but undeniably dry clothing and a cup of tea would be very welcome by now.

"If Rottlaender's rather incredulous face is any indication, we also look a little worse for wear."

He waved at his batman, who was just negotiating the last tent at high speed and now for probably the first time in his service nearly stumbled over the tent lines at the sight of his master and his guest. He caught himself and came closer, muttering in German (Edward could only understand something like 'Oh my god!', but it was enough to guess the rest), but Edward waved him off.

"Hot tea laced with brandy, please. And lay out some clothes and my greatcoat for the Captain and me."

Vickery was not about to translate the various German curses and exclamations Rottlaender was muttering. "Gott in Himmel" was about the least offensive of them... He had to hide a grin at the thought of Rottlaender's expression if Vickery let on that he knew exactly what the young Rifleman was saying, and merely contented himself with translating Torrington's request, deciding that in this instance, ensuring Rottlaender knew exactly what was wanted would probably be best for everyone concerned.

"I think Captain Hunter is more my size," Vickery said. He was two inches or so shorter than Hunter. On second thoughts, they were probably all about the same size anyway. "You'll be needing a spare change of clothes for yourself," he added. "Do you have enough to spare some for Captain Hunter too?"

"I didn't have the chance yet to loose any of my possessions, so I can spare shirt and stockings and a pair of boots. We'll have to see about the buckskins, though. Mine are rather closely cut."

Edward shrugged. He knew that there were officers who lived with half his baggage, but then ... If it became too cumbersome, he could always abandon it, but procuring what had been left at home? Nearly impossible around here, especially if one wanted a certain quality.

"Could you perhaps supply a coat? And somebody to collect Captain Hunter's things, of course."

Vickery looked across at Hunter. "I have spare overalls, if your sensibilities can bear to be so unfashionable, even for such a short time. And I can certainly spare a coat."

Cotton had followed Rottlaender, at a much more sedate pace, and Vickery sent him off to fetch the items in question, along with a towel.

[OOC: They are by the tent already, aren't they? If not, do tell and I'll edit.]

"Thank you kindly, Vickery. I'll take being unfashionable over having my blood supply cut off." Hunter made grimaced. He stood a little next to the tent's entrance, trying not to drip too obviously.

Edward pushed open the canvas and with a half-bow invited Hunter to enter.

Inside, Rottlaender was busily setting out tea, but the moment Hunter entered, he jumped and darted to his side, ready to take his coat.

Edward looked at Vickery with one eyebrow raised in question.

"Would you join us for a cup of strong tea or would you like a cup on the way?"