In Oporto

"You... Oh, Maggie." He moved across to her and put his arms round her. "What did he say about that?"

She stared blankly at the part of the room she could see over his shoulder. "He said... they'd have him shot. Him and Mister Sharpe. They'd already been looking into it, and they'd... take care of it."

"He didn't... didn't say anythin' about me, did he?" Even realising that Captain Padstowe was here, in Oporto, had somehow made Cotton unaccountably nervous. "I hope they do have him shot. Hakeswill, I mean. I'll volunteer for the firin' party if they do. After what he did to you..." He held Maggie close. "I'll never forgive him for that, not ever."

Maggie felt strangely calm and detached. "He knew you weren't the one to take his watch. He always knew it was Hakeswill. And Mister Sharpe told me about you and Private Williams, and how Hakeswill had tried to set him up like he'd attacked him and Captain Padstowe had got him cleared." She looked up at Cotton. "He knows it weren't you, Gabe. He seems like a good man."

"He knows...? He knows it wasn't me? Oh... Oh, I never thought he'd know it wasn't me. He's a nice man, real nice. You know, the first time I ever met him, in Lisbon... I'd bin sent with a message for him, an' ran round a corner and knocked him over. Right on his bum. He was ever so nice about it, though it gave me the fright of my life." He grinned at her.

She laughed, surprised. "You knocked him over?"

Cotton nodded. "Right over on his bum. I didn't know what to do with meself. He was real nice, though. Just made me 'pologise and told me to be more careful what I was doin' in future."

Maggie smiled with a bit of embarrassment. "I guess that's not so bad as me and Martha then. We came to his house by mistake, looking for this one."

"How'd you manage that?" Cotton asked, unstrapping his blanket from his pack, and looking through Maggie's pack for hers. "I think we'll be more comfy if we'm sittin' down," he said, and grinned, shaking his head. "Can't believe we'm gettin' married tomorrow!"

"We just got bad directions," she said, curling up beside him. "That's why Mister Sharpe brought us here. I couldn't believe it when he said it was Captain Padstowe's place. I was so sure he'd... well I was scared. But he was kind. They both were." She gave him a smile. "Mister Sharpe said you're a good soldier."

"He did? Mister Sharpe said that?" He couldn't quite believe she wasn't making that up. "That's... that's a real proper compliment, that."

"I know." She smiled and then kissed him on the cheek. "Did you hear him when he left? He told you to marry me. Do you remember, he was there at that tavern in Lisbon when you asked me to walk out with you? He remembers seeing us. I can't believe it was only a few weeks ago. I can't believe we're going to be married tomorrow!"

"I don't 'member that," Cotton said, holding her a little closer. "But I'm glad he thinks I ought to marry you, too. Was it... was it just that there's no babe that made you say you would... or would you have said yes anyhow, once you knew for sure?" He found himself playing with a lock of her hair, gently twisting it round a finger, as he asked the question.

"I wanted to know for sure," she answered quietly, "One way or another. But finding out there is a baby takes a lot longer, I think, than finding out there isn't one, that everything's just normal, same as always." She gave him an apologetic smile. "I would have wanted to wait and see. But yes, I would have said yes if you still wanted to."

"I'd have still wanted to, even if there had been a baby," he said. "Wouldn't want you to... to have to face things on your own. I told you that." He kissed the top of her head as it rested on his shoulder.

"I know," she answered simply. After a moment she jumped up. "I'm going to go and tell Martha! Or - is Ben here, or is he somewhere else? She will have gone off to find him. I hope the other lasses will be over in the morning, when the bridge is done."

"Ben's here somewhere." He grinned up at her. "You tell who you like... Have you seen Joe Newbury around anywheres? I reckon I should ask him if he wants to be groomsman. Only, then I dunno who to ask if they'll give you away when we - if we - get church-married."

"Joe was back across the river when I saw him. He'd gone to the surgeon. They thought they'd be over in the morning though - Jenny and Sarah and all, I mean, along with the mules and carts and all the baggage, so probably the wounded lads too. Oh, if Jenny comes, she has a pretty straw bonnet she might let me borrow. Food! What about food? And wine, maybe we can get some wine. I've never been married before!" she exclaimed, feeling happily overwhelmed.

He grinned at her, feeling happy and excited. "Me, neither, Maggie. We must be able to get some wine - the Captain was sayin' that this is the place where port wine comes from. I dunno about food. Reckon the best thing we could hope for is some proper fresh bread from the baker's - there's one just down the street here. We'd have to do it afore we march, though... Someone was sayin' we're marchin' after the Frogs tomorrow or the day after."