Training Day, Evening, Rifles

"Of course you are right, I did. My thoughts seem to have strayed. Do see, please."

Cotton laid the sabre aside, got up and crossed to the door into the Captain's room. He opened it and put his head round to deliver Lieutenant Jaeger's request. Captain Vickery looked up and nodded and Cotton withdrew.

"The Captain's free to see you, sir," he said, smiling.

He really was going to have to find out the reason behind the Lieutenant's sudden fascination with the 5th Foot, but that could wait for another time.

Lieutenant Jaeger entered the room, closed the door and came to attention:

"Sir."

Vickery mentally shook his head at the Lieutenant's formality. "We're in a private room, Jens. Relax before you strain something, do. Have a seat - or at least stand easy."

He came around the table he was using for a desk and perched on the edge of it. "How's the wound?" he asked, smiling.

Jaeger carefully prodded his brow again.

"It bled a few more times, but nothing serious. Today's training field is cleared, and the men are cleaning their weapons and uniforms. Did we get official orders for the review?"

Vickery nodded. "All regiments to parade in the fields south of Coimbra, no later than half past eight o'clock, ready for inspection at nine." He smiled. "I wouldn't worry too much about the state of your uniform. They know we haven't had a uniform issue since Vimeiro and that we're not going to look smart enough for a Royal guard duty. Just as long as the men's weapons are clean and serviceable, we needn't worry about a few missing buttons."

Selfconsciously Jaeger checked his uniform. No, he had all his buttons.

"Colonel the Lord Edrington said something similar today, but it's hard to credit it. Do you know where we will parade? In relation to the other regiments, I mean. And I know our rifles will be spotless!"

Vickery shook his head, smiling, at Jaeger's patting his jacket to make sure of his buttons. "I believe we will be parading in the van, as usual. I have not received any orders to the contrary, at least. I'm not quite sure what order the Line regiments will be in, though. I doubt we will be marching tomorrow - the review will probably not be over until about noon, after all."

The walls and door were not exactly soundproof, and Vickery was not speaking in a confidential voice.

"The review won't be over till noon," Maggie repeated and grinned teasingly at Cotton. "I'll get to have a lie-in, hours extra sleep! Now here's those shirts. Can I hang them in front of the fire? You are going to light a fire, aren't you? Me hands are froze."

"It don't start till nine, an' we've got to be on parade by half-eight. Ain't that enough of a lie-in?" Cotton enquired, laying Mister Jaeger's sword aside and pulling out his tinderbox. "Did you... did you manage to get all the blood out of mine? It don't matter if you didn't," he added hastily, trying to reassure her.

"See for yourself," she said, holding it up triumphantly. "Good as new."

He looked up from where he was kneeling by the fireplace, laying a fire, and shook his head in amazement. "You're a bl... bloomin' marvel, Maggie," he said.

"Course I am. You going to hurry up with that fire now?"

"Gimme a minute." He struck flint on steel and blew the spark into life before putting the burning scraps where the kindling would catch.

Maggie tucked her hands under her arms as she watched its progress. "Will you cook in here too? Or is there a proper stove somewhere? I could sure use a pot of tea. It's not so bad outside unless your hands are in a basin of water. Waging war against - was that English blood or French blood?"

"C'n put a kettle on to boil," Cotton said, kneeling back and closing the lid of his tinderbox. He still kept an eye on the fire to make sure it had caught properly. "The stain acrost the back was mine, though there was some Frog blood as well. I dunno what state me jacket's in, an' there's no chance of givin' it a proper wash any time soon, neither."

"Oh, you should've said. I could have washed it too - only I don't think it will be dry in time if I wash it now. You want me to try? I could maybe dab it off with a cloth, the worst of it." She gave him a mischievous smile. "Or you could get Danny Pickwoad to stand up in your place."

"I've needed it on every day since it happened, Maggie," he said, shrugging a little. The fire had caught properly by now and he stood up. "An' I think they might notice if'n I wasn't there."

He grinned and wrapped his arms around her. "I dunno about the trousers, but the jacket looked good on you, lass, I'll say that."

She leaned in, liking the closeness but appreciating the warmth too. "It felt good. The trousers felt right strange though, but I think a woman could get used to them. In winter especially they'd be much warmer than skirts, even with flannel petticoats." She smiled up at him. "And talking of warm, how about that kettle? I've got more clothes to bring in to dry."

"I'll put that on in a minute." He smoothed her hair with one hand. "Wouldn't mind a kiss first though," he said, smiling, and bent his head to kiss her.

She squeezed him tight. "Oh, my Gabe. You were wonderful today. And now everybody knows it." She leaned back a little to look up at his face, smiling. "And what are you going to do with that money you won?"

He grinned down at her, wrapping a stray strand of her hair around one finger. "I'm goin' to keep it safe for now, lass. Don't want to spend it all at once, after all."

It might be too soon to actually get a ring for her, but one day... and now he had the money to get her a nice one, too. Maybe even enough for a real gold one - or maybe he could find someone who would melt one of the guineas down to make a ring. She'd like that, he was sure. But for now, he'd keep the money safe, and plan. It was very early to be thinking about things like that, after all, and he didn't want to say anything in case she didn't want that.

Her eyes became dark with anxiety. "Maybe the captain can keep it safe for you. I mean, now that people will know you have money. It's an awful lot of money, isn't it?" She looked down and laughed a little. "Sorry. Listen to me, all worrying. I don't know how some people can ride around with bags and bags of gold and not be terrified of thieves." But she could not shake the memory of that voice that had called out to her in the night, the person who had been meddling in the baggage.

"I'll ask him. I don't s'pose he'll mind. It won't take up all that much room, after all." He shrugged a little, though his expression grew a little more serious. "It only seems a lot of money to us 'cause we ain't used to havin' that amount o' money, after all. It prolly won't seem such a big deal to the Captain, though he'll understand. He's a very understandin' sort of officer, after all."

She nodded to the door. "Who's he talking to now?"