Post by Nicholas Ealing on Aug 30, 2008 18:48:03 GMT
Nicholas reclined emperially on the horrifically comfortable couch and breathed in contentedly, at the height of relaxation. His batallion had been posted in a minor 3ID HQ near Paris, away from the rabble. There were only four CO's in the entire batallion, Nicholas included, and consequently, they had the mess to themselves.
"Cigar, sir?" said a Junior Lieteunant, approaching him tentatively in a wry attempt at sucking up to his superior.
"Don't mind if I do," Nicholas smiled smugly, taking a fine cigar from the box held before him. The Junior Officer saluted nervously before scuttling off to his friend.
Suddenly, the door swang open and three figures pushed their way into the mess superiously. Nicholas turned his head curiously to face the newcomers and raised an eyebrow. A Captain, a Major and...a woman. The plot thickened.
The three approached the reclining Lieteunant without a second word and nodded curtly. Nicholas leapt to his feet and saluted the officers before him, before bowing deep to their lady friend.
"Enough of the theatrics, Ealing," said the Major sourly in a gritty American accent. "You're not in the West End now,"
Nicholas glared at him sourly but said nothing.
"This is Miss Elizabeth Donovan," he continued, gesturing towards the lady at his side. She stepped forward, her long, chestnut hair flowing down to her shoulders.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Lieteunant," she said shortly, in an English with a hint of upper-class London about it.
"The pleasure is all mine, ma'am," replied the officer, wondering where the conversation was leading. It was unlikely that Major Richard Savage, the most brutal officer in the division, would be trying to set him up with a blind date.
"I'll cut to the chase, Lieteunant," said the Major hurriedly. "Listen, I believe you know a young recruit known as Thomas Edwards?"
"Edwards? Yeah, I know him," answered Nicholas, his interest in the discussion rising dramatically. "What about him? He hasn't murder anyone, has he?"
"Three years ago, while he was studying at Cambridge University, the afore-mentioned Edwards was....sexually...active," replied the Captain bashfully. "And he and...Miss Donovan....were...lovers..."
"Captain, with all due respect, I know about the birds and the bees," said Nicholas irritantly. "Where's all this going?"
"Miss Donovan was...pregnant," answered Savage after a short pause. "With a boy. Edwards was the father,"
Nicholas raised an eyebrow in surprise but he couldn't understand what all the fuss was about. Why would two seasoned officers bother about the illegitimate child of an idiot? It was ridiciolous. It was...
Suddenly, it struck him. Nicholas stagged back, open-mouthed. Miss Elizabeth Donovan. Daughter to Field Marshal Sir Christopher Donovan. Daughter to one of the most powerful men in the country. Daughter to his commander.
"His good sir the Field Marshal...disapproved of the courting and the child that subsequently followed," the Captain rushed on. "The boy was placed in the care of Edwards and Mr Donovan disallowed his daughter to have any contact with the man that had given her a bastard child,"
"And what do you want me to do about it?" asked Nicholas, before realising that he was whispering.
"Miss Donovan desperately wishes to contact with the Private in question," replied the Captain. "And she was hoping that maybe you could lead her to him,"
"You two would go against the will of Field Marshal Donovan? Put your jobs on the line?" echoed Nicholas scrutinously.
"We've made our choice and we stick by it," said the Major gruffly.
"Well...I don't know where Edwards is," said Nicholas. "I lost contact with him after the RWF disbanded,"
"That's funny," said the Major. "Because I heard that he was down in the barracks, deciding whether or not to join the division,"
Nicholas stayed silent.
"Now, answer my question, and answer it honestly," continued Major Savage. "Is Edwards in the barracks or not? If you lie to me, Ealing, your stripes will be on the line,"
"Yes," said Nicholas, bowing his head. "He's...he's in the barracks,"
"That's what I thought," smirked the Major, before nodding to the Captain. "Fetch him,"
The Captain saluted and exited the mess without looking back.
"If you knew where he was all along, why did you just give me the third degree?" asked Nicholas.
"What, and miss out on the fun of watching you wriggle on the hook like the worm you are?" said the Major harshly.
"Mr Ealing," said Miss Donovan. "Could you...be there when I talk to Tom, if you do not believe it bold of me to ask?"
"Not at all," said Nicholas reluctantly. "But the boy's with his godfather tonight, so...you know..."
"What's his name?" asked Elizabeth suddenly. "The name of my son,"
"James," answered Nicholas, as Savage rolled his eyes in boredom and checked his watch.
"James," smiled Elizabeth. "A good name,"
"I...guess..." answered Nicholas. He opened his mouth to begin another topic of small talk but closed it a second later. All there was to do was to wait for Tom to arrive.
One thing was for sure, Nicholas would never look at Tom the same way again.
"Cigar, sir?" said a Junior Lieteunant, approaching him tentatively in a wry attempt at sucking up to his superior.
"Don't mind if I do," Nicholas smiled smugly, taking a fine cigar from the box held before him. The Junior Officer saluted nervously before scuttling off to his friend.
Suddenly, the door swang open and three figures pushed their way into the mess superiously. Nicholas turned his head curiously to face the newcomers and raised an eyebrow. A Captain, a Major and...a woman. The plot thickened.
The three approached the reclining Lieteunant without a second word and nodded curtly. Nicholas leapt to his feet and saluted the officers before him, before bowing deep to their lady friend.
"Enough of the theatrics, Ealing," said the Major sourly in a gritty American accent. "You're not in the West End now,"
Nicholas glared at him sourly but said nothing.
"This is Miss Elizabeth Donovan," he continued, gesturing towards the lady at his side. She stepped forward, her long, chestnut hair flowing down to her shoulders.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Lieteunant," she said shortly, in an English with a hint of upper-class London about it.
"The pleasure is all mine, ma'am," replied the officer, wondering where the conversation was leading. It was unlikely that Major Richard Savage, the most brutal officer in the division, would be trying to set him up with a blind date.
"I'll cut to the chase, Lieteunant," said the Major hurriedly. "Listen, I believe you know a young recruit known as Thomas Edwards?"
"Edwards? Yeah, I know him," answered Nicholas, his interest in the discussion rising dramatically. "What about him? He hasn't murder anyone, has he?"
"Three years ago, while he was studying at Cambridge University, the afore-mentioned Edwards was....sexually...active," replied the Captain bashfully. "And he and...Miss Donovan....were...lovers..."
"Captain, with all due respect, I know about the birds and the bees," said Nicholas irritantly. "Where's all this going?"
"Miss Donovan was...pregnant," answered Savage after a short pause. "With a boy. Edwards was the father,"
Nicholas raised an eyebrow in surprise but he couldn't understand what all the fuss was about. Why would two seasoned officers bother about the illegitimate child of an idiot? It was ridiciolous. It was...
Suddenly, it struck him. Nicholas stagged back, open-mouthed. Miss Elizabeth Donovan. Daughter to Field Marshal Sir Christopher Donovan. Daughter to one of the most powerful men in the country. Daughter to his commander.
"His good sir the Field Marshal...disapproved of the courting and the child that subsequently followed," the Captain rushed on. "The boy was placed in the care of Edwards and Mr Donovan disallowed his daughter to have any contact with the man that had given her a bastard child,"
"And what do you want me to do about it?" asked Nicholas, before realising that he was whispering.
"Miss Donovan desperately wishes to contact with the Private in question," replied the Captain. "And she was hoping that maybe you could lead her to him,"
"You two would go against the will of Field Marshal Donovan? Put your jobs on the line?" echoed Nicholas scrutinously.
"We've made our choice and we stick by it," said the Major gruffly.
"Well...I don't know where Edwards is," said Nicholas. "I lost contact with him after the RWF disbanded,"
"That's funny," said the Major. "Because I heard that he was down in the barracks, deciding whether or not to join the division,"
Nicholas stayed silent.
"Now, answer my question, and answer it honestly," continued Major Savage. "Is Edwards in the barracks or not? If you lie to me, Ealing, your stripes will be on the line,"
"Yes," said Nicholas, bowing his head. "He's...he's in the barracks,"
"That's what I thought," smirked the Major, before nodding to the Captain. "Fetch him,"
The Captain saluted and exited the mess without looking back.
"If you knew where he was all along, why did you just give me the third degree?" asked Nicholas.
"What, and miss out on the fun of watching you wriggle on the hook like the worm you are?" said the Major harshly.
"Mr Ealing," said Miss Donovan. "Could you...be there when I talk to Tom, if you do not believe it bold of me to ask?"
"Not at all," said Nicholas reluctantly. "But the boy's with his godfather tonight, so...you know..."
"What's his name?" asked Elizabeth suddenly. "The name of my son,"
"James," answered Nicholas, as Savage rolled his eyes in boredom and checked his watch.
"James," smiled Elizabeth. "A good name,"
"I...guess..." answered Nicholas. He opened his mouth to begin another topic of small talk but closed it a second later. All there was to do was to wait for Tom to arrive.
One thing was for sure, Nicholas would never look at Tom the same way again.