The Journey To Acre

Chapter 18

Marian is moved to the point of tears.

She chokes back a sob and moves to bury her face in Guy's jacket, clinging to him as if her life depends upon it. He holds her close and mumbles soothing words into her hair.

"Are they that bad then?" Sully quips from the doorway and a chorus of nervous laughter spreads through the ranks.

"Too... err... too much... colour?" Juan asks tentatively.

"We didn't know what you'd like so we got a few different colours," Cleggy explains encouragingly.

"Aye, Cleggy was quite taken with the pink one so if you're not into that, he'll take it off yer hands I reckon!" Ingram jokes to uproarious laughter. Cleggy has some less than charitable words on the tip of his tongue, but remembers there's a lady present, so settles for a dirty look.

The lady in question has surfaced from Guy's jacket now and is laughing with the rest so it seems she's not completely traumatized by their taste in dresses.

"Well, it can't be the fit, Sir Guy was so kind as to lend us one of yours," Oldham says.

"The only one she had left," Sully elaborates and Oldham looks appropriately shocked, but has no time for that because Marian is now clutching the dresses to her chest and hugging them tightly against her. Relieved smiles appear on the expectant faces.

"There's nothing wrong with them at all, I just never expected... such kindness from you all."

"Ah, none of that!" Sully declares, grinning broadly, "T'was a pleasure, an' I know that Oldham 'ere had a great time helpin' wi' the shoppin'!"

"Aye, he's fond o' a dress or two!" Collins adds, nudging the weary doctor, who rolls his eyes because he's never going to live down his exploits as 'Miss Oldham'.

"I tell yer what, I'll go get some orange halves an' yer can both do a fashion show fer us, eh?!" Ingram teases, nudging and winking at Oldham and Cleggy who clearly don't appreciate the suggestion.

Once the laughter dies down, the man with the mop adds his two cents; "T'is a fair idea Ingram, but I'm not sure Lady Marian will be wantin' em' after you lot have been wearin' em."

"I think you're probably right there Jonesy, p'raps we should leave these lovebirds to 'ave a fashion show of their own, eh?" Sully suggests, waggling his eyebrows at Guy and Marian and a cheer goes up so loud that any passers-by would wonder what the commotion was.

There follows a round of whistling and backslapping of the would-be recipient of the fashion show, not that he can enjoy it because he's gone so red he thinks he might combust. Judging by Marian's deeply flushed complexion, she clearly feels the same.

Well, there's a thought to plant in one's head!

Naturally, their mortification only makes the men worse, (not that they need much excuse), and the more embarrassed the couple are, the more boisterous the rabble become. Thankfully, and not a moment too soon, Sully brings everybody down to earth by explaining that actually the gift was not for a fashion show, but in fact Miguel's idea - as a gesture of thanks to the lady who'd taken such good care of him recently. Marian manages (despite still struggling not to blush) to thank him and all in attendance wholeheartedly for their kind and thoughtful gesture.

The men then animatedly tell the tale of how Miguel, not twelve hours after having his head stitched, pulled them all out of their hangover stupor by announcing they were to go shopping. And if the crew were surprised at this, then it was nothing compared to how surprised the locals were to have a bunch of coarse sailors asking the way to the nearest dressmaker.