milliways_bar | (no subject)

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Sharpe emerges from wherever he spent the night, probably a room in the staff quarters, looking slightly the worse for wear.

Without pausing, he heads straight across the room and out through the front door. Ten minutes or so later, he comes back in, dripping - apparently he felt the need to dunk his head in the trough at home.

With a brief stop at the Bar, he makes for a booth. And, slowly and with much crossing-out, he starts to write.

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"She is, aye - and I wouldn't mind it at all. Thanks."

"Well, then." Annie smiles. "I do hope that if Harry or I is here when the baby's old enough to travel, you'll bring him or her here to meet?"

"Course." He smiles. "I'll be bringing Patrick in to meet Harry when he finds his way back."

"I'm sure he'll be thrilled," Annie says warmly.

Sharpe grins. "Patrick'll like him, I reckon."

"Oh, most children do," says Annie with an amused smile. "Although he may try to expand the boy's vocabulary a bit. Harry used to do that with his nieces and nephews just to watch his brothers turn red."

"Think he might have to wait a few more months to get anywhere with that. After that, though..." He chuckles. "Well, the lad's a soldier's son. If I'm not careful he'll be learning it from me."

"True enough," Annie says. "And it'll be months more before he can handle words that aren't English. Harry once taught his youngest niece this long string of Arabic words that had her father- his brother Tom- all up in arms, until he took her down to one of his favourite takeaways and found out it was an order for roasted lamb and rice. Harry thought it was a fine prank on his brother..."

Sharpe cracks up at that. "I'll have to remember that one. Teach Pat and Ramona's kids a phrase or two when I next see them, maybe..."

Annie nods. "Anything sounds awful if you say it right and the other person doesn't understand it."

"...course, Pat'll be teaching my lad to swear in Gaelic, if I let him."

"Yes, well, I shouldn't be surprised if the words 'turnabout is fair play' get said somewhere along the line..."

"They have been." He grins. "Many times."

"Thought as much,"says Annie.

"I'm still hoping he'll show up here, one of these days."

"He's never been here?" Annie tilts her head curiously. "That's a shame, now. Does he know about the place at all?"

"I've not seen him since I started coming in. He went back to Ireland, after the war ended."

Annie nods. "Sorry to hear that. The separation bit, I mean. I hope for your sake he does turn up."

"Yeah, me too. I could go to visit, or he me, but it's a long way with the kids..."

"Naturally," says Annie. "Travelling's always tough when there's children involved, even by my day."

"I know a little about travelling in your day. Small spaces... must be hell with an active child to amuse."

"Oh, Philippa was a nightmare every time we had to get her on a plane," says Annie with a roll of her eyes. "She'd start screaming almost as soon as we took off, 'cos it hurt her ears so... trains weren't much better, but at least that was just chasing her up and down the compartments until one of us caught up with her."

Sharpe chuckles. "In my day, a child like that'd be given a little brandy to quiet her down."

"My doctor had me drinking Guinness before I fed her, when she was still nursing," Annie says. "It got her to sleep faster. Same idea, I suppose, if not as useful later on."

"S'posed to be very good for you, Guinness."

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