Hats in high places

"Oy! Don't you be takin' sum'one else's ribbons miss. Not unless they'll let you." He pointed at Chase. "Best you ask him first if anything. S' only right.!" He crossed his hands over his chest and made no attempt to grab for the ribbons, but the manner in which he tried to make himself look taller, suggested that he was not playing around and did indeed request that Jenny does as he said.

"But he threw them away. That doesn't seem to indicate that he holds them very dear. But then, after all, perhaps they would look better on you." She tucked the ends of two of the ribbons under his hair on the top of his head. "A big bow here would be quite pretty."

"Don't be silly!" The boy scowled. "No bow would look fine on a....an officer to be. I ain't a child, nor a girl." He glanced at Chase. "Nor.. uh. .him with his pink frilly hat.. he so dearly adores." He crossed his hands over his chest. "NOw if it were a black ribbon. .it would serve perfect for me queue, but that is all."

"Pink frilly hat?" Jenny repeated with curiosity. She craned her neck back to look up at the man in the tree, hoping to catch a glimpse of the hat in question.

"Aye, pink n' frilly, or so I've been unfortunate ter see." He studied Jenny thoughtfully for a few moments before he decided to speak again." You lass..., where' ye from. Ye followin' the army? Don't look like a Portuguese lass, that n' you speak English.. so... that or you're somehow.. from.. uh England,..um?"

Chase grinned. "Ain't much of a reason for me to come skippin' down, is it?" He called, working steadily with his needle. "I'm goin' no-place 'til me hat's done."

"Is, get your ribbons n'all.." He paused staring at the sailor. "Tell me 'gain why you're having that frilly hat anyway. It don't suit you. You havin' a nice lass you want to woe with it?" He grinned moving closer to the tree. "Playin' a proper love bird up in that tree.. 'least a bird in a tree if nothin' more?"

Jenny looked at De Guarde, not choosing to answer his questions outright. "Following the army, perhaps. But I might try following the navy." And she began her ascent of the tree.

"Lass, don't! You'll hurt yourself. Fall. Girls aren't made climb. They ain't!" That and the higher the girl would go, the greater was the possibility her skirt would allow any one below a ... different view. "Miss!"

"I like me hat," Chase answered and started sewing a bright blue ribbon to the hat. The commotion below him caused him to look down. "Hoi! What're you comin' aloft for?"

"I don't care," Jenny called back to the lad on the ground. "But you're welcome to join me." She looked up at the seaman above and simply grinned before seizing another branch.

She was coming aloft, apparently. Wonderful. Chase sighed but persisted in his sewing, determined to get as much of it done as he could. Then a thought struck him and he grinned.

"Better not to be comin' up here 'less ya got things for offerin'," he called down. "Been awhile since they piped us to dinner, like."

"And what if we don't? Do you intend to eat us, seaman?"

Chase laughed. "Eat you? I ain't that hungry." He jabbed himself in the thumb with the needle and cursed. "Some rum wouldn't go amiss, though."