The next morning, Cora sat at her vanity brushing her hair, pinning half of it up into a neat bun. She braided a thin string of pearls into a thick lock of hair and coiled it around the bun securing it with hairpins as well. To day for some reason she was taking more care with her appearance. Maybe it was because she wanted to show that she was all right, or maybe it was the handsome Corporal downstairs. Either way she felt like a girl, rather than the woman that she was. In any case, by the time she put on that dress she wouldn't even look like a girl any more. She brushed the rest of her hair and opted to leave it out. She picked up a thin pearl necklace and secured it around her neck, staring at her reflection. Rising to her feet she walked over to her bed, picked up her dark blue, velvet and silk, dress and slipped it on. It was fancy, layered, lined with gold, held up with bows in certain spots, and made in France. She stared at her self in her full-length mirror as she
tied her dress up in the back. She noted that a lot more cleavage was showing than usual, the neckline for this dress was considerably lower than her others, but she didn't care. She was going to get his attention. She pressed a hand against her stomach breathing in deeply. `You have got to be mad girl' she thought to herself, but she didn't care. A knock on her door startled her.
"Come in." she called. The door opened to reveal Gabriel dressed in his uniform, hat tucked under his arm rifle in hand. Her heart raced as she stared. "Corporal." she said.
"Please call me Gabriel. Addressing me by my rank makes me feel like we are strangers."
"But technically we are."
"Gabriel. Please." He insisted.
"Very well, Gabriel." She complied grinning.
"Sorry to disturb you." He said sheepishly glancing around her bedroom.
"Is everything alright?" she asked.
"Yes, everything is fine." He replied stepping into her room, as his eyes settled on her. He drank her in, wondering how in the world he was going to find the strength to do what he had to do, with her looking like an embodiment of Venus. `Keep your head on man!' he scolded himself. "I didn't want to leave without thank you for your hospitality." He said.
"I'm afraid I don't understand." She replied smiling and taking a step forward. He smiled gently and her heart melted a little.
"I'm going back." He explained. She felt her heart hit the ground as her smile melted away. She felt faint, sick. Going back? Why was he going back? He couldn't he had to stay here.
"Oh." She whispered, turning away from him, walking over to her balcony.
"My fathers regiment is stationed in Tensdale. I can meet up with them in a few days time." He continued. "I didn't want to leave with out at least saying good bye." Cora stared outside, noticing his horse was saddled and ready. She found herself fighting the urge to cry. It didn't make sense to. What he was saying made sense didn't it? He was a soldier. The country was at war. He couldn't stay here and indulge her childish fantasies. She had known that this time would come. She had know all along.
"Well it stands to reason. You are healed are you not?" She said fighting down her emotions. "I am sure your father has missed you terribly. As have you I'm sure." She turned to face him.
"Are you alright?" he asked.
"I'm fine...It's just that-" she stopped herself. `Don't make a scene.' She told her self. "In any event, you have your men to lead do you not?"
"Yes." He replied. "I owe you my life."
"But Corporal you forget, you saved mine just yesterday. You owe nothing."
"But I do. It would have been my father's ruin if her had lost both Thomas and I. My family needs me." He came up next to her and she glanced at him. He looked unbelievably handsome in his uniform, even more so than before.
"It will be so odd without you here helping me. I won't have anyone to yell at." She said attempting to lighten the mood.
"You'll be fine. You're strong inside." He replied smiling.
"Odd." She whispered. "I don't feel it."
"You probably won't. You give it to everyone else, I mean, you gave it to me."
"It wasn't me. Strength comes form inside of you. Always."
"But you made me feel it."
"I have done nothing of the sort."
"Don't say that Cora, you have and you know it."
"Do I?" She said turning to face him.
"Yes you do." He said firmly, gripping her hand involuntarily, his eyes boring into hers. "Inside of you. In the back of your mind you know it. Sometimes you feel it in your bones, others it is drowned out by sadness or despair. And strength? You are one of the strongest people I know. You have strength like my mother had. This war, what you do for these men, what you have done for me."
"What have I done." `They are dying.' She thought to herself.
"You have given me a second chance at life Cora. If your men hadn't brought me to you I would be dead. Don't you see that?" he cried. She searched his eyes, saw the sincerity and admiration, and respect there, but no love. It saddened her. Nonetheless he was somewhat fond of her, wasn't he? That was better than nothing, wasn't it?
"I do know." She said, smiling faintly. He smiled back.
"Why must you be so stubborn?" he asked.
"I'm a woman Corporal." she replied simply.
"So I see." He said knowingly.
"We aren't meant to make things easy." Still unable to laugh or grin, she smiled gently. He was leaving.
"You should take other peoples opinion into consideration once in awhile." He said releasing her hands.
"I'll keep that in mind." She replied. He thought that she was strong, but did he think that she was beautiful? She wanted to ask him but the words wouldn't leave her mouth, so she looked down at her feet.
"You didn't expect me to stay, did you?" he asked suddenly. Her head shot up to fix him with a surprised look, before looking back down at her feet.
"No!" she said quickly, trying to keep her voice as normal as possible. He stared at her dubiously, searching her face as best as he could with it downcast. She looked up at him. "I'd always known that you would leave. But...-" she stopped herself again. She was doing that a lot lately.
"But..." he prodded staring at her. She glanced up at him. Should she tell him? His heavenly liquid brown eyes drilled into hers, probing for an answer.
"Nothing." She whispered, turning away from him.
"Are you sure?" he asked. `Tell him to stay!! Fight for him! Tell him how you feel!'
"Yes." She replied swallowing her tears and turning to face him. "You had better be going." She added forcing a smile onto her face.
"You're right." He said. "Goodbye Cora."
"Goodbye Corporal.
"I have asked you time and again to call me Gabriel." He replied getting annoyed.
"Forgive me." She said laughing. "Gabriel. Gabriel Martin."
"Gabriel will do." He said grinning. Then he turned and walked out of her room. She stared outside, saw him walk out and mount him horse with liquid grace and ride off. Cora stared as he rode off into the distance. He was gone. Just like that. He was gone, and she was alone..... again.
tied her dress up in the back. She noted that a lot more cleavage was showing than usual, the neckline for this dress was considerably lower than her others, but she didn't care. She was going to get his attention. She pressed a hand against her stomach breathing in deeply. `You have got to be mad girl' she thought to herself, but she didn't care. A knock on her door startled her.
"Come in." she called. The door opened to reveal Gabriel dressed in his uniform, hat tucked under his arm rifle in hand. Her heart raced as she stared. "Corporal." she said.
"Please call me Gabriel. Addressing me by my rank makes me feel like we are strangers."
"But technically we are."
"Gabriel. Please." He insisted.
"Very well, Gabriel." She complied grinning.
"Sorry to disturb you." He said sheepishly glancing around her bedroom.
"Is everything alright?" she asked.
"Yes, everything is fine." He replied stepping into her room, as his eyes settled on her. He drank her in, wondering how in the world he was going to find the strength to do what he had to do, with her looking like an embodiment of Venus. `Keep your head on man!' he scolded himself. "I didn't want to leave without thank you for your hospitality." He said.
"I'm afraid I don't understand." She replied smiling and taking a step forward. He smiled gently and her heart melted a little.
"I'm going back." He explained. She felt her heart hit the ground as her smile melted away. She felt faint, sick. Going back? Why was he going back? He couldn't he had to stay here.
"Oh." She whispered, turning away from him, walking over to her balcony.
"My fathers regiment is stationed in Tensdale. I can meet up with them in a few days time." He continued. "I didn't want to leave with out at least saying good bye." Cora stared outside, noticing his horse was saddled and ready. She found herself fighting the urge to cry. It didn't make sense to. What he was saying made sense didn't it? He was a soldier. The country was at war. He couldn't stay here and indulge her childish fantasies. She had known that this time would come. She had know all along.
"Well it stands to reason. You are healed are you not?" She said fighting down her emotions. "I am sure your father has missed you terribly. As have you I'm sure." She turned to face him.
"Are you alright?" he asked.
"I'm fine...It's just that-" she stopped herself. `Don't make a scene.' She told her self. "In any event, you have your men to lead do you not?"
"Yes." He replied. "I owe you my life."
"But Corporal you forget, you saved mine just yesterday. You owe nothing."
"But I do. It would have been my father's ruin if her had lost both Thomas and I. My family needs me." He came up next to her and she glanced at him. He looked unbelievably handsome in his uniform, even more so than before.
"It will be so odd without you here helping me. I won't have anyone to yell at." She said attempting to lighten the mood.
"You'll be fine. You're strong inside." He replied smiling.
"Odd." She whispered. "I don't feel it."
"You probably won't. You give it to everyone else, I mean, you gave it to me."
"It wasn't me. Strength comes form inside of you. Always."
"But you made me feel it."
"I have done nothing of the sort."
"Don't say that Cora, you have and you know it."
"Do I?" She said turning to face him.
"Yes you do." He said firmly, gripping her hand involuntarily, his eyes boring into hers. "Inside of you. In the back of your mind you know it. Sometimes you feel it in your bones, others it is drowned out by sadness or despair. And strength? You are one of the strongest people I know. You have strength like my mother had. This war, what you do for these men, what you have done for me."
"What have I done." `They are dying.' She thought to herself.
"You have given me a second chance at life Cora. If your men hadn't brought me to you I would be dead. Don't you see that?" he cried. She searched his eyes, saw the sincerity and admiration, and respect there, but no love. It saddened her. Nonetheless he was somewhat fond of her, wasn't he? That was better than nothing, wasn't it?
"I do know." She said, smiling faintly. He smiled back.
"Why must you be so stubborn?" he asked.
"I'm a woman Corporal." she replied simply.
"So I see." He said knowingly.
"We aren't meant to make things easy." Still unable to laugh or grin, she smiled gently. He was leaving.
"You should take other peoples opinion into consideration once in awhile." He said releasing her hands.
"I'll keep that in mind." She replied. He thought that she was strong, but did he think that she was beautiful? She wanted to ask him but the words wouldn't leave her mouth, so she looked down at her feet.
"You didn't expect me to stay, did you?" he asked suddenly. Her head shot up to fix him with a surprised look, before looking back down at her feet.
"No!" she said quickly, trying to keep her voice as normal as possible. He stared at her dubiously, searching her face as best as he could with it downcast. She looked up at him. "I'd always known that you would leave. But...-" she stopped herself again. She was doing that a lot lately.
"But..." he prodded staring at her. She glanced up at him. Should she tell him? His heavenly liquid brown eyes drilled into hers, probing for an answer.
"Nothing." She whispered, turning away from him.
"Are you sure?" he asked. `Tell him to stay!! Fight for him! Tell him how you feel!'
"Yes." She replied swallowing her tears and turning to face him. "You had better be going." She added forcing a smile onto her face.
"You're right." He said. "Goodbye Cora."
"Goodbye Corporal.
"I have asked you time and again to call me Gabriel." He replied getting annoyed.
"Forgive me." She said laughing. "Gabriel. Gabriel Martin."
"Gabriel will do." He said grinning. Then he turned and walked out of her room. She stared outside, saw him walk out and mount him horse with liquid grace and ride off. Cora stared as he rode off into the distance. He was gone. Just like that. He was gone, and she was alone..... again.