Wedding Bells in Oporto

"I... Well, I would've asked before I done, only, well, it was so soon after Vimeiro an' all. Only, when I knew we was goin' to be marchin', I found I couldn't face the thought of leavin' you behind." He smiled at her and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "You'm my girl, Maggie, and allus will be."

She frowned, looking puzzled. "You would've asked before?"

He nodded, a little hesitantly. "I... I would've, aye. Only, well, you was so close to Jem. An' then, well, you looked like you didn't need me or... or anyone. An' I thought, well, you was sweetheart to a Corp'ral, what would you want with a plain old Rifleman like me. So I never did, not till the night before we left. An' I knew if I didn't ask then, I never would."

Her frown continued. "How long were you thinking about it? I thought you just asked me all spur of the moment, like."

He gave a half shrug. "Dunno. Since... since Christmas, I think. An' I ended up makin' a right hash of it when I did ask. I thought, well, I thought for a moment you might've told me to mind me own business, like."

She stared at him searchingly. "Christmas..."

He gave her an apologetic look. "Well, it was about that sort of time. Only, I just got took on by Mister Vick'ry round then, an' had such a powerful lot of stuff to learn an' all."

"Christmas," she repeated, still looking confused. "But you didn't... You never..." She stared into the fire as if it would give her an explanation. "I never thought... I don't even remember you hardly talking to me or anything. I thought you were just being kind." She smiled apologetically. "I guess I wasn't thinking straight or noticing things. I'd never had a lad like me apart from Jem."

He spread his hands helplessly. "Well, I wanted to ask you, but every time I spoke to you, it was allus summat business, see. An' you can't hardly ask to walk out with a girl when you've just axed for a pound of onions, now, can you? An', well, we all liked Jem. I didn't want to... to push in, like, when you was still gettin' over what had happened. An' I had a lot o' learnin' to do meself, what with never havin' bin an indoor servant afore the Captain took me on."

She laughed and felt her heart surge hot at his piteous expression. "Poor Gabe!" she exclaimed, wrapping her arms around his neck. "I'm sorry!" And then she was overtaken by giggles and couldn't continue.

Her laughter was infectious, and he found himself smiling, and then chuckling along with her. "You ain't got... nothin' to be sorry for, lass," he said when he could speak again. He slipped his arms around her waist. "We'm goin' to get married, you an' me. You'm the best thing that ever happened to me, you is."

Someone grumbled for them to shut up, making Maggie laugh further though she attempted to keep it quiet. She gave Cotton a kiss but then pushed him away with a grin. "Go on, then, and get us some water. Don't want to get married without a clean face, whatever you might say about me hat. And a cup of tea too."

"Yes'm," he said, and sketched a bow - probably badly, but he didn't care. "Water an' a clean face it is'm." He found a wooden pail that was obviously used by the householder for carrying water, and retreated to find some water.

In his absence, after a quick glance around the room to make certain everyone was sleeping, Maggie peeked down the front of her chemise, grimacing at the ugly wounds. Why were they so slow to heal? The bruises of course would fade on their own, but the areas of broken skin were crusted and swollen. She fished in her pack for a little jar and dabbed some of the contents onto her skin, licking her fingers clean afterward. She just had time to do up her laces and pull on her grey convent dress before Cotton returned. She would change into her blue once the ribbon was sewn.

Cotton had noted a fountain not far from the house where they were and headed straight there, grateful to find that there was nobody else there. He stripped off his shirt and had a quick wash before pulling his shirt back on, filling the bucket and returning to the house, giving a warning cough as he pushed the door open, catching a quick glimpse of Maggie doing something to her dress before he averted his gaze, pausing till she turned before bringing the pail over.

She grinned sheepishly. "This is what I wore in that hospital. I should've given it back, but we just up and left before thinking. I'm just wearing it while I trim up my blue. I'm not going to wear this," she reassured him.

He grinned. "Least you've got summat else to wear. Joe Newbury borrowed me decent trousers off me; I'll have to see if he'll let me have 'em back. An' I'm sorry I ain't got a better lookin' jacket than this'n. "

He filled the kettle and hung it over the fire, feeding a few more sticks into it.

She looked up. "Joe Newbury? But he's on the other side of the river same as the baggage and all. He went to the surgeon. About time too. But I hope he'll make it over, and Jenny, after all they did to... to bring me back to you." Then she smiled. "I'd like to have me donkey too. Not at the wedding, of course, but just so's I could get me things."

He could kick himself. "Well, he'd best get back over this side of the river soon. I can't see him stayin' there, out the way. Though he was with us, fightin'. I s'pose he'd've managed to find a place in a boat goin' back across." He put a few more sticks on the fire. "Can't see him or Jenny stayin' away from our weddin', not they two."

"But they don't know we're getting married today," Maggie reminded him, taking the pail and filling the kettles. "There were a lot of boats going back and forth, but the surgeons had their tents set up on the other side. Do you want to send 'em a signal rocket? Or get Joe to summon them all with his bugle," she whispered, grinning toward the lad who was stubbornly clinging to sleep. He kept his eyes shut but grunted in response. She hung one of the kettles on its hook and then looked back at Cotton. "How did you get over? The navy weren't here yet, were they?"

"That's true," Cotton said. "There was some barges hidden over this side an' someone saw one of the officers pokin' around on the other side. Whoever it was had a little boat an' rowed over to tell him. So they was usin' them till the Navy showed up to give 'em a hand."

He grinned and poked Cavender with his toe. "If you get up, there'll be tea directly minute," he said. The lad rolled over, pulling his blanket over his head, only to roll back over and look up at Cotton from sleepy green eyes. "Tea?"

"Not yet - water hasn't boiled. Let the poor lad sleep a minute longer," Maggie said, taking one of the kettles down. "I am going to wash my face with hot water this morning. And you, Mister Cotton, need to shave."

"Shave?" Cotton said, and ran a hand over the bristles on his chin. "Bother. So I do." He smiled and crossed to his pack to get his shaving things out. "You wouldn't let me have a little of that water, would you, sweeting?" he asked, unfolding his razor.

"Suppose I ought to since you're the one what fetched it," she answered with a grin. "And if you fetch some more I can hot it up for the captain. Unless the others drink it for tea first." She had a sudden thought that made her rather shy. "Do you think the captain will see us be married?"

"I should think the Captain would like to see it," Cotton replied, pouring a bit of water into his battered tin mug and stropping his razor. "Unless you don't want, of course. Though I should think after everythin' that's happened, he'll be real disappointed if he ain't there." He glanced up at her and smiled. "He ain't so bad, not really, not when you get to know him a bit."