13.

~ "I don't see why I still have to marry you." Ariadne said simply as she ate her dinner in bed. Arthur, her Major, had brought her dinner in bed again.

"Verbal agreement is still a legal contract." Arthur told her not taking her teasing seriously. She was eating with her right hand only as her future husband measured her ring finger with a piece of string. The Major carefully tied little knots as he gauged her ring size.

"Well, I think your just taking advantage of me." She said simply. "You won't fool around with me until I marry you?" She pretended to be outraged but couldn't hold back a smile. "All my friends think your a tease."

"Oh really?" he said with a laugh as he placed a tiny box of chocolate candy on he tray. He had purposely saved them until she had finished eating her dinner.

"Oh Arthur." She said looking over the chocolate like it was priceless jewles. She looked ready to cry from happiness.
"That's my apologizes for no engagement ring." He said with an amused little smile. "So tell me, what do your friends think of my being a tease?"

"I believe Trixie's exact words were 'Try before you buy' and gave me a condom." Ariadne said as she attempted to free the box of chocolates from the wrapping.

Arthur couldn't help himself. He laughed out loud and produced a pocket knife. Cutting away the wrappings of the box.

"I think I might be marring the wrong nurse." He said jokingly as she gently slapped his arm.

The chocolates tasted wonderful. Her pulse quickening over the contact of them on her lips.

"Someday, you'll have to tell me why women love chocolate so much." He told her.

"Can't do that. It's a closely guarded secret with women." She told him savoring her first piece.

"One of many I'd expect." Her Major said with a smile.

They sat in comfortable silence for a while. Her room was still privet but they left the door open so as not to be given over to temptation again.

"Trixie said you pushed your men past the front. Did you find any more camps? Did you capture any more Nazis?" She asked curiously.

He sat straighter.
"I don't like to talk about that kind of thing, Ariadne. I didn't want you to see that POW camp. The front is not a pleasant place. Not for anyone." He said sternly.

"I'm sorry." She said feel embarrassed.
"When the war is over, I never want to talk about the things I had to do again. After the war is over, this will all just be a bad dream." He said looking out her window and not at her.

"Not all of it was so bad." She said soothingly.

He looked at her. A smile finally escaping his lips as he looked at his hands.

"No, it hasn't been all bad." he said softly.

"So, day after the ceremony, I go back to London? From there, state side?" She asked sadly.

"Yes. My mother and sister will be there in New York to pick you up. As soon as were married you'll be issued new passports and everything." He assured her.
"I'm not worried about that." She told him.

"What are you worried about?" He asked sincerely wanting to know. "Me dieing?"

"No! And don't even say that!" She said looking angry.

"What then?" He asked.

"Well, I mean." She didn't want to say it. Didn't want to speak the Devil's name and make it real.

"Tell me. I'm to be your husband, I don't want us to have secrets." He said.

"It's just that everything has happened so fast. We've only known each other for a few weeks. It's war, people fall in love in war time easily." She took a deep breath. "When the war is over... if you feel... differently about me. If you don't want to be with me anymore, I'll understand." She didn't dare look at him as she continued. "I'll give you a divorce, whatever you want."
"Ariadne." He voice came back to her finally. She stared at her white bed sheets. Avoiding his eyes.

"Look at me." He commanded.

She finally turned to him. He looked angry.
"I'm not the sort of man who has a girl in ever village. I'm not the sort of man who recklessly marries some cute nurse in Paris and sends her home to his family." He said gravely. "My feelings for you will keep me for the rest of this war. They won't change. And when I'm home, were going to honeymoon at the falls when your leg is healed up. Then were going to have a long, boring life together till we get to be old and forget who we are. Then, we'll fall in love again." He said kissing her as she smiled.

"Oh, I do love you." She said feeling so affectionate to her Major at that moment. "I wish I didn't have this stupid cast on my leg. Makes it impossible to do... anything on our wedding night."

"I know." He told her. "War will be over soon enough." He promised.

They kissed for a long time. The chocolate he had given her making her head feel reckless and made her body want him more then normal.

"Are you nervous about meeting my mother and sister?" He asked pulling away from her and sitting back down.

Both their breathing had picked up too much and they were in danger again.

"A little. I mean, I'm marring the only surviving son." She said smoothing out her hair. He chuckled.

"And I'm the baby of the family." He said giving her a grin.

"Oh even better." She said sarcastically.

"No, my sister, Beth, never married. My brothers didn't either. Your her last chance at grandchildren." He told her.
"Yeah, I'll get right on that." She said lamely glancing down at the heavy cast. "Are your mother and sister nice? I mean, since I'll be living with them and all."

"My mother is actually very laid back. I don't know how she'll be now after all that's happened with my brothers. I haven't seen her since I left for Europe. But my sister, is always on my side. She's the one I telegraphed that I was getting married."

"What did she say?" Ariadne asked. Arthur gave her an amused smile.

"I think they thought you were some tavern singer who I got in trouble." He told her. "I had to assure them that your a decent lady. What about your family?"

"My family is in Canada actually. I think I might wait till after the ceremony to tell them. If I decide to marry you, that is." She told him.

"You will marry me." Arthur said confidently. The Major stood and put his coat on. "And after I get home, I'll speak to your father and explain how it was here in war time. Get his blessing."

She smiled and blushed.
"He'll give it." She assured him. "If my mother and sisters don't try and steal you away first." She laughed.

"Hum, sisters." Arthur said pretending to think that idea over.
"Solider!" She scolded. He laughed.
"I have to get to the jewelry shop. Have our bands made." He said.
"Well, if I don't change my mind, I'll be in the hospital chapel at 2 tomorrow." She told him lazily.

"You won't change your mind." He told her with a smile and vanished.