Training Day, Evening, Rifles

Philippa's face split into a young girl's smile. "If you say you're sorry again, I will have to kick you."

"Oh, I really don't want that. I'll just take my leave then. Do you think... well if you ever need an escort again, I would volunteer my services." He ended on a hopefull note.

And she had such a wonderful smile...

She looked at him. She was still enjoying being young, but he was young too, and his smile was bashful. "If your duties permit, Lieutenant, I would be happy to let you walk with me. You will be at the Grand Review, won't you? But you will probably be busy after that."

The Grand Review. He had completely forgotten about that.

"I'm afraid I will be busy. But if you are travelling with the army there may be some other time?"

He'd better get back to Captain Vickery. There must be things to organize, even if he couldn't remember them presently.

"I shall be with the 5th - I do not know where your company will be in the line - we are very near the front."

"I will try to find you. But we may be the front. Skirmishing and all." he heaved a little sigh. "I hope you have a pleasant evening. I'm afraid I have to go."
He dared to give her a rakish grin. "There. I didn't say I was sorry at all."

Her hazel eyes narrowed. "Are you sure you aren't sorry that you have to go? Be sure to stop and speak to me, if your skirmishing duties allow." She turned to walk up the steps of the house. The sentry reached out to open the door as she turned and threw a last smile at him. "Thank you so much, Lieutenant Jaeger."

Noo. He'd said the wrong thing. He should have said he was sorry! But she was smiling at him in the end. Jaeger decided to take that as a good sign.

"Miss Blacklock." he performed his smartest salute and smiled back.

Then he turned and strode back the way he had come.

Philippa's smile was still spreading across her face as she went through the open door. The sentry saluted her: "Miss Philippa!", and wondered what the Major would have to say if he knew she was gallivanting about town with a Rifles officer.

It was a slightly dazed Lt. Jeager that finally entered the anteroom to Captain Vickeries billet, where Rifleman Cotton was putting the finishing touches to his rifle.

Cotton looked up, a little startled, as Lieutenant Jaeger came in. The officer looked a bit moonstruck, he thought.

"You all right, sir?" he asked, laying his rifle aside.

Automaticly Jaegers hand went to his eye and brow. There seemed to be a nice scab now, and Jaeger hastily pulled his hand away.

"Yes, I'm all right. Better than all right! Cotton, tell me, do you know anything about the 5th of foot? Particularly about their majors? You see, I have never payed much attention to the talk... perhaps you have heared something?"

After a moment he added hastily: "And congratulations again on your wins today!"

Cotton blinked. "The... the 5th, sir? They'm fr'm Northumberland, I think. I dunno much, not really, though, sir."

He frowned. It looked as though the officer had a cut or something above his eye. "Are you all right there, sir? Only, you look like you've cut y'rself or summat."

Jaeger dropped in a chair next to Cotton and started playing with a rag on the table.

"Oh, that's from the skirmishing display. No bother. Do you know if there has been any word about our marching orders? I have not heard anything. Perhaps there was a message for Captain Vickery? Are we marching in the van? With the 62nd? Or perhaps... near the 5th?"

"It weren't one of us done it, was it, sir?" All sorts of things could cause that sort of injury, and in the excitement it would be easy for accidents to occur.

He picked up Vickery's sabre and unsheathed it to have a look at it. Why this sudden interest in the 5th, he wondered?

"I dunno, sir. Prob'ly be in the van as usual, like." He shrugged. "Ain't no reason you can't go a-visitin' when we'm in camp, though, sir."

"You think we'll all march together?" Jaeger perked up at this. "That would be wonderful..." He drifted off for a moment. "No, no, not a rifleman... everyone did splendid today! Brilliant! We really made an impression, a good one, I believe. Show what we are capable of."

Seeing Cotton casting a critical eye on Vickery's sabre, he wrenched his thoughts back to the present.

"About the review. I heard it's not before nine, so it should suffice to wake the men an hour before sunrise. And it's along today's training field, so it's good we got that cleard up again already. I was going to talk to the Captain about that... Is he in?"

He nodded. "Yes, sir, he should be. D'you want me to have a look at your sword while you'm seein' him, sir? This here don't need much more'n a wipe down."

He didn't much like inspections of any sort, but tomorrow's review had Mister Jaeger looking more flustered than Cotton thought was quite right. His own things, and the Captain's, were in order by now, and it might help if Cotton looked at the lieutenant's things as well. Though whether anything could really help his nerves, he didn't know.

"Oh, would you? That's very kind. But I don't want to keep you from celebrating your victories tonight. I believe there was a purse? You must be eager to be off."
But he had already stood up and was unbuckling his sword belt, looking relieved.

"It is a daunting prospect, the Grand Review. When General Wellsley glares at you with his icy stare" he shuddered. "I'd rather face the French. And there will be all other regiments, as well. Some new, shiny toy soldiers; and the 5th..." he trailed off.

"Not with an inspection in th'mornin', sir," Cotton said, looking a little shocked. It wasn't as though he didn't want a drink, but he wanted to be on parade with a hangover even less.

He shuddered. "Already had the General glarin' at me today," he said. "He come along to watch Colonel Edrington's demonstration an' I was just walkin' away from it."

It wouldn't be so bad for him, he thought - hoped. At least he was going to be in the ranks among the other Riflemen.

Jaeger handed his sword belt to Cotton. He shrugged apologetically. "My own man is having a devil of a time getting the mould out of my dess uniform. It was packed in a pannier sometime last year and I had completely forgotten about it. Until now. I really want to make a good impression tomorrow..." a dreamy expression came to his face.

"I mean all of us have to make a good impression tomorrow. What did you think of the air gun? I thought it a marvelous weapon. But I suppose there are drawbacks."

"And you walked into the General?"

He took the sword-belt grinning. That could only mean there was a girl the officer wanted to show off to.

"It... I think there's too much that can go wrong with it, sir. I mean, it's good, an' quiet an' got a decent range, but from what the Colonel said, I don't think you can trust it to work right when you need it." He shrugged. "An', no. I didn't walk into the General, sir. Only just, though." If he had, did Mister Jaeger really think that he'd be sitting here now, looking quite so composed?

Jaeger turned wide eyes to Cotton. "I have to admit I would rather escape the General's notice. I think if he turned those cold eyes on me I would freeze on the spot." and with a small laugh he added "and topple over, stiff as a board."
He returned to more pleasant musings.
"Do you think we will parade near the 5th?"

"I did freeze, sir," Cotton said. Why the sudden interest in the 5th? he wondered.

"Dunno, sir," he said in response to the question. "We're attached to the 62nd, officially. We might do, though, if they want the redcoats to parade in Regimental order."

"That would be wonderful! I think I better check how Rifleman Waidmann is getting on with my dress uniform... "

He headed for the door, but turned back once more.
"Thank you for your effort with my sabre. I'll pick it up later. And congratulations again! Your woman must be proud. You took up Corporal Balstrode's woman, didn't you?"

"My pleasure, sir. And thanks." He nodded. "Yes, sir, I did. An' I reckon she's proud. She certainly seemed to be earlier, anyway."

He cocked his head, curious. "Didn't you want to see the Captain, then, sir? I can see if he's free, if you'd like."