Strangers like me -- [Jewel]

[Chørd]

`Matthew

Matthew smiled down at her when she said she was glad to entertain him, but didn't reply. If they weren't planning on keeping each other amused for a bit, they probably wouldn't still be engaged in conversation. He was border-line relieved that she'd dropped her handkerchief which spurred him to give it back and talk with her, otherwise he'd probably have some red-faced senior officer for company going on about something or another, with Matthew simply sat there nodding and shaking his head at the appropriate times.

He shook his head, laughing lightly at her second comment. "The army's no place for a lass like you," he dismissed the idea, though suddenly went very serious, paling slightly. "I haven't even met your father yet, but I'm sure he'd come and hunt me down if I dared to invite you back to camp."
He smiled at Peggy to make sure she knew he was only joking - or, at least, knew he was only half-serious about the subject. Still, he was curious to meet her father. Merchants were always handy to have as acquaintences.

He grinned when she said she didn't mind pet names. Well, that was alright then. Perhaps it was just an English thing to use endearments around women, whether or not you knew them well or not. Or maybe it was just his family who seemed to get away with it?
He felt his cheeks redden though at her question, and chuckled nervously. He wasn't overly certain how she'd meant it to sound - though guessing by the mischievous smirk on her face, probably in a flirtatious way - but either way it made his cheeks flush a little. "Uh...I can assure you my aims are innocent." He held up his hands in mock surrender to emphasise his point, struggling to keep the box tucked under his arm as he did so.
He looked away, clearing his throat agitatedly.

He shrugged at her response to his question. Sounded a lot like England, really. But he was never bored in England - there was always some dinner or dance to go to, as she'd mentioned, and when he had a spare day or evening his family's house had a massive library he could go hide in. And wherever he was, he'd always have at least one brother nearby, and older siblings were always fun to torment.
"Sounds a bit like home," he smiled at her. She'd like England, he figured. If she was into fashion, there was certainly no shortage of the latest styles there, and there was always something going on somewhere.
"And of course I'm having fun," his grin widened. "Does your father set a curfew for you? Like be back before dark, or something like that?"
He'd been lucky that his parents had trusted his older brothers enough to let them stay out at all hours, and he with them, providing they never split up and went off on their own. Sam, being the proudest and most obedient of the trio had always been the one herding them back into a group together again. It was probably just as well they'd all stuck together when out and about around town at all hours - lord knew they probably would have put their family's name to shame if they'd been allowed to go off on their own separate conquests.
He smiled fondly at the memory. Well even if he did return to England, those days were over. Sam was married with a child, and a bit damaged from the war, and John would probably let his commission go to his head and brag about it to every girl he met. Plus, he already had a love-struck young lady back home waiting for him to return. Matt only had his parents awaiting him to turn up at their doorstep again, dressed in his smart red uniform with fancy gold braid on him.
"Are you the youngest in your family?" He asked, breaking from his little daydream to smile at Peggy again.

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[jewel]

"Oh, really?" Peggy said, raising her chin a notch haughtily to look up at him and meet her gaze with eyes flashing. "And why is that? Do you think I can't handle myself out in the world because I am a delicate flower of polite society?" That was, of course, the truth, but she smiled and laughed at him anyway. She could not know what war was. The poverty it had inflicted upon most colonists had not even touched her doorstep, and her father took pains to be neutral that the only conflict she saw was him trying to avoid the conflict.

She smiled knowingly at him, cocking her head when he blushed. Her eyes flitted over his slightly pinkened cheeks before going back to his face. "You are an officer and a gentleman, then," she crooned, walking along ahead of him for a moment to turn on her heel and look back at him, smirking a little. "Or should I believe you?" She tapped her chin, pretending to ponder the point. "Hm. I suppose I shall. You haven't done anything untoward. Yet." She went closer to him again and slipped an arm through his easily as they walked on. He had demonstrated enough skills balancing the boxes for her to do so, she believed.

Perhaps she was being unkind or merciless to him in her teasing, but she felt it was justified because it was so much fun to see him flush. The color in his cheeks also made him look handsome when it brought out the brightness of his eyes. She smiled up at him innocently as he said it sounded like home and gave a little nod to show that she had been listening and not just staring into his eyes, though she had been doing that too at the same time. "Good," she chirped cheerfully. "So am I."

She laughed when he asked bout he curfew her father set for her. "Before dark?" she repeated indignantly, as if he were ignorant. "Really! I'm not a child, Lieutenant. He told me once I ought to be home before midnight, but I almost never am." That, of course, was not entirely true, because the only time she stayed out really late was because of a party. But she want to parties rather often, as often as the lavish gatherings were held, because she was always invited. And no one thought that the money would ever run out.

Putting a hand to her hair momentarily to ensure that her hat was still in its proper place over her careful coif, she smiled at him again. "Why do you ask?" They fell into companionable silence for a few moments before he spoke again and her countenance soured a little. She sighed. "Yes, I'm the youngest. Unfortunately." Oh, he had no idea how horrid it was to be the youngest daughter, having to wait to be out in society until the others were old enough even if they did not even try as hard as she did to be beautiful, and not being able to marry until her older sisters all had! Of course her father had broken the first rule for her, thank the Lord, and she could hope he'd break the second too, because her elder sister was likely to be a spinster for certain. "It's awful. And you? Are you the youngest too? Is that why you asked?"

[Chørd]

`Matthew

Matthew decided not to answer her question about why he thought it unsuitable to invite her back to camp. Other than it sounded preposterous, and being completely improper, it really was no place for a young woman to be. Too dirty, too disturbing and too dangerous.

He smirked slightly when she said about him being a gentleman, a light blush still tinting his cheeks. By title, yes probably. But behaviour-wise he was anything but the ideal, polite young man, particularly when he'd had a few too many drinks of alcohol.
He raised an eyebrow in amusement as she stepped ahead of him and pretended to ponder his plead of innocence. He couldn't help but snigger a little at her use of a 'yet'.
"Your ill faith in me is flattering," he teased back, clearing his throat agitatedly as she slipped an arm through his. It made it awkward to carry the box, but if he stepped away or tucked the box under another arm, it'd only seem rude.
He was aware her gaze never seemed to leave him, and in fact she seemed to be staring into his eyes, but he didn't mind.
Well that was all ok then, if they were both entertained.

He blushed a little more when she laughed at his question, though her words sounded slightly offended. He was about to protest that he hadn't meant to imply she was a child, but she smiled anyway. She was probably only toying with him, as she didn't seem especially angry, which was a relief.

He grinned when he noticed her expression. Without her even having to answer, he guessed that she was the youngest and, like him, was not particularly pleased about that.
He shrugged indifferently when she asked if he was. "Yes. I must say I share your viewpoint on being the youngest; it leaves you last in line for everything. My older brothers were always favoured by my parents."
He laughed lightly. "According to my father, my mother was disappointed I wasn't a girl. She'd been hoping to have a daughter and instead," he gestured to himself with his spare hand, " voilà. She still frets over me though. She was furious when I said I was joining the army, going on about how her 'little boy' was going to be killed on some distant battlefield."
He shook his head, sighing. Parents were the most troublesome things, he reckoned. When they weren't betrothing you to some person you'd most definitely not choose as a spouse yourself, they were fussing over nothing and getting in your way. And then if they ever needed something to threaten you with, in his case, inheritance was always the first choice of weapon. There was nothing that hurt more than seeing a few pennies from what you'd inherit being awarded to your siblings over some petty incident.
"And I merely asked about curfews in case there was a set time your family wanted you back by," he responded, smiling at her. "I'd hate to think I'd be the cause of you getting in trouble. But as you earlier said, you're not a child, so I suppose time isn't much of a worry."
Or at least, for her. He'd have to be back before the rest of camp was asleep for fear of being interrogated about what he'd been doing out at such an hour or, worse, suspected to be a troublemaker or thief should he be spotted by a guard on duty and thus land himself in trouble.

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[jewel]

She wondered why he did not talk about camp anymore, and she was slightly disappointed by it, but she supposed that she had his reasons, and she did not want to press him. She was used to having things her way but she knew that no one liked to be pressed to do something they did not do, even if they did not have as much power as she did. She had hoped that by now she had established some sort of power over him, but she could never be sure, as he had made her heart flutter too. Not that she would ever admit it, of course. She was sure that she would have been fine going to camp and flirting with all of the other officers there, but it was not that she really minded just being alone with him, either. He had proven himself to be very nice but he was also interesting to her because he flirted back. Or so he appeared at least. And appearances were everything.

“I’m glad,” she teased when he said that he was flattered; “I do try.” She squeezed his arm lightly and risked a glance at the box to make sure that it wasn’t falling, and when she had assured herself that it was in a proper position so that it was not in peril, she looked back up at him as she had been for a while. She might have gotten bored just staring into his eyes like that, especially when they weren’t talking, but his eyes were a fascinating color, and she found that when she looked at them different ways they seemed to swirl in the light. The light that was still present and bright, seeing how it had been pretty early in the day when they had met, not too much time had passed, and the days were long at this time of year. “And you know there is something fascinating about a young man of mystery – perhaps even danger,” she added, not entirely teasing. “When you do the same thing every day, something new and exciting can be quite thrilling.”

She smirked slightly to herself as she listened to him. Oh, she had no problem with her older siblings being the favorites. Even though perhaps she would have been last in line for everything, she had made sure that was no longer the case. She threw temper tantrums like no one would believe, throwing things and yelling at her parents in a way that most proper young ladies could probably not even imagine. She got everything she wanted. She laughed when he said that his mother had wanted him to be a girl. “And you’re sure you aren’t?” she teased, looking up at him with a crooked smile. She didn’t suppose he’d ever had to prove otherwise to someone. That thought made her blush a little, and she looked away coyly to hide it.

Looking back at him when the heat had enough faded away from her cheeks, she added, “And you’re not going to be killed. Not on the battlefield – because this silly war, if it exists, as I haven’t seen any of it, will be over soon enough – and not by my father, for having me home late, because even if the curfew was dark, it’s not going to be dark for a few more hours. So do not fret.” She patted his arm almost patronizingly, and smirked again. “Indeed, I am not a child,” she assured him. That, too, was something that could be proven but had not been proven yet. Perhaps someday she would have to, if she saw fit; it was something to keep in the back of her mind, a card up her sleeve, in case she needed to use it. She could prove that she was a woman, and not a child. Condescendingly, she added, “And is there a time you need to be back, ‘little boy’?”

[Chørd]

`Matthew

He smiled as he felt her squeeze his arm, and glanced down at her, huffing in amusement at her comment. Not all changes of action were pleasant - normally because in the military that meant packing up camp and trampling off to some other place, or some form of violence. And the only surprises they got weren't pleasant - ambushes and guerilla attacks were exhilirating, but not exciting in a good way.
But he had to agree. He hadn't just joined the army because his brothers had done too, and, like the dutiful sheep-like follower of them he was, he'd ran along after them. He'd joined partially to chase adventures. England was all very nice when it came to the quiet life; attending dinner parties and listening to guffawing politicians, watching the world go by out of a big manor-house window, but it offered you no promise of an adrenaline rush.
"Life's for living," he answered with a shrug. "There isn't much point in sticking to the same routines over and over again when there's things out there to do and see, places to go. Though I guess the same can't be said for the army. You sign up, all nerves, excitement and curiosity, then your interest quickly dwindles when you find yourself shoved around in the same routine day-in, day-out."
He smiled at her warmly. "I wouldn't say doing battle is pleasant and fun in any way, and if I had a choice over fighting or peace I'd pick the latter, but at least it offers relief from performing the same boring jobs repeatedly."
Not that he had a problem with killing at all; honestly, he got a kick out of a close-combat skirmish. That was probably one of his many flaws responsible for him not earning or being allowed to buy an advancement in rank, along with his plain disinterest in a promotion.

He laughed when she teased him, though he blushed with slight embarassment.
"I'm certain I'm male, miss," he grinned at her. "I was the last time I checked."
He leaned forwards slightly to see her face when she looked away, smirking when he noticed she looked a little flushed herself. Whatever she'd been thinking, it seemed to have bothered her a little. He straightened up again, grinning broadly.

He frowned a little when she looked back round and spoke again. Of course the war existed. That's why there were soldiers from both sides stationed throughout the country.
Some part of him hoped it wouldn't be over soon. If it ended, be it with defeat or victory for the British, chances are he'd be sent back to England or off to another country. Sure, he wanted to see the world, and if he got a placement in some far-off exotic land then all the better, but here there were people who spoke your language, shared some of your customs, and for the most part were more than willing to have a conversation with you...providing their loyalties didn't lie with the treasonous rabble that demanded independence.
He chuckled though at the mention of her father. Whether or not he would actually come after him should any harm befall his daughter, he didn't want to upset someone he hadn't yet met. That meant a hands-off approach to everything, polite conversation and keeping Peggy out of harm's way. So far though he'd failed at the first two; their conversation was anything but innocent and appropriate, and he was walking around with her on his arm like any young couple might.
"Then I'm sure I'll be fine," he finally responded, flashing her a smile. "And don't you worry; I can handle myself perfectly well."

He frowned a little at her question. His expression was more from thinking on the matter rather than out of irritance of the slightly patronizing way she'd addressed him. He didn't mind it, honestly.
"Well, it would be best for me to be back before the rest of the buggers are snoring, 'scuse my language," he answered carelessly. God knew what time that was though. "It's best to let sleeping dog's lie and not disturb them. As for the rest of the day, I'm sure I shan't be needed at all, so no one will miss me if I make myself scarce for the evening."
He dismissed the subject with a shrug, offering her another smile. "Why? Did you have something planned?" He smirked, teasing.

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[jewel]

“Oh, yes, I suppose that’s true,” she agreed with a little smile. “If we only get one life we ought to live it to the fullest. See everything we want to see, do everything we want to do…” She trailed off and shrugged. Most people would say that if your life was short you should pray and be good because the afterlife would last for an eternity, but you wouldn’t enjoy it very much if you ended up in someplace bad because you did something bad in your life. But she only used religion when it was helpful to her; otherwise she just wanted to have fun. Wanting to travel and enjoy life was something they had in common. She could not understand what he meant about the army entirely, since obviously she hadn’t signed up for it because she couldn’t and nor would she want to. Even though her life did not seem enjoyable compared to some things, it did seem more enjoyable than being in the army, she knew that much at least. She could only nod, disliking that he had started to talk about something serious.

She had the grace to blush a little more darkly when he said he had been male last time he checked, though he probably could not tell whether her blush was because she was ashamed or because she was pleased. She supposed now would be the time to stop the flirtatious jokes before things got too risqué, not that it was something that normally bothered her, but they were getting into territory here that could be more dangerous. Even in her flirtations she had been coy; she had not thrown herself at him. There was something to be said for leaving a man wanting more, was there not? She turned her head so that he could see her profile, the white pillar of her neck, smiling a little to herself and acting properly mollified for a moment before she turned her face back to him and offered a smile. “I suppose I will have to take your word for it,” she said finally, raising her delicate eyebrows at him.

She noticed him frown and stiffened slightly, wondering why he did so. But he offered her nothing, and she did not want to turn again to unpleasant things when they did not have to. If he was not going to bring it up then neither was she. Was it something she had said about the war? Maybe that it hadn’t existed, since he was the one fighting in it, but that wasn’t her problem. It wasn’t her fault that her family was wealthy and protected; he couldn’t get mad at her for that. Still, she didn’t want him to be mad at her. She leaned against his arm and stroked his arm lightly, looking up at him with a hopeful smile to make sure that he wasn’t, or at least if he was that he wouldn’t be for long. “Oh, yes, I’m sure,” she purred when he said that he could handle himself. “I imagine you could handle just about anything.” Tilting her head a little and looking up at him through her lashes, she added, “I don’t think I could worry when I am with you.”

And still he was frowning. Oh well, she could not say that she hadn’t tried. She pursed her lips herself when she heard him swear, before giggling a little. “And why is that?” she asked. “Are you afraid if you get back late they are going to ask you questions about what you were doing?” She squeezed his arm lightly through the rich thick fabric of his red coat. “I should think you would be proud of what you told them you were doing, wouldn’t you?” She smiled at him slyly. “Oh, fine, the rest of the day then. No, I haven’t any plans. I thought we could just walk. Or did you have something in mind?”

[Chørd]

`Matthew

Matt laughed lightly when he saw her blush darken, her cheeks tinged pink, and returned her smile when she looked back at him.
"I wouldn't expect you to do anything else," he responded to her comment, his smile widened slightly before he looked away, clearing his throat nervously. Best to change the subject before things went a bit too far.

He stared down at her as she half-cuddled his arm, smiling up at him. He half-smiled at her, head tilted to the side slightly. Handle anything? Maybe. He liked to think he'd be able to hold himself together in any situation, but he wouldn't say so. He'd met plenty of other men who'd bragged about being bold, brave and excellent fighters and womanisers, yet the second they found themselves thrown in at the deep end, they'd panicked.
Still, he grinned proudly to himself when she said she felt safe with him. He probably owed it to his red jacket and epaulettes denominating his rank, since he doubted anyone would bother him or the girl at his side whilst he was dressed in the King's uniform. Besides, if push came to shove, he had weapons on him, even though he had left his sword at home.
"I'm glad you feel safe around me," he smiled shyly, shrugging slightly. "I'd be concerned if I'd given you reason to feel otherwise."


They continued walking, still in conversation. He laughed nervously when she asked why he was concerned about being back on time. He patted her hand gently when she squeezed his arm, a slight smirk on his face.
"They'll question what I've been up to anyway, no matter what time I'm back," he answered, smiling down at her. "It's just they'll probably begin to make incorrect assumptions if I'm back later. Besides, I'd hate to be mistaken as an enemy by the sentries put up."
He shrugged slightly, his grin broadening a little as he looked at her. "And of course I'd be proud of telling them all about meeting you."

He shook his head at her question. He was still conent with just idle strolling, and if she was too then that suited him just perfectly.
"I was merely asking," he smiled at her. Hadn't she mentioned something about wanting him to have supper with her and meet her father? Something along those lines.

---

OOC: Sorry for the delay in replying, I've just had a lot going on D:

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[jewel]

She raised an eyebrow at him, pretending to be affronted as she gave a little hmph! “Indeed!” she replied, pursing her lips as if in disdain before she could no longer bite back a little smile. She was enjoying just being here even though they were not doing much other than conversing and teasing each other. She allowed herself a cursory glance over his fine figure, decorated as it was, as she held his arm close. And to think, all of those fancy things and he was just a lieutenant! That was an accomplishment in itself but she would imagine that he could do even better, since he was so young. And then he would get more decorations and she could stroll around town with him just like this, and people would be jealous of her.

“Oh, I did not say that I felt safe around you,” she said haughtily, raising her eyes to his as they were slightly narrowed as if in suspicion. “I have a feeling you could be very naughty. I only meant that I do not have to worry about someone else harming me.” She let his mind play around with that one for a moment. She knew that a man’s imagination could be a very complex thing and could work quite to her advantage if she used it properly. Any man could do naughty things; it just mattered what they considered to be bad, or what they would do that was so bad in their own minds. It could be stealing a roll from a vendor, or stealing a kiss in the street… She tilted her chin to look up at him before laughing musically at his expense, keeping things light-hearted, letting him know she had been teasing… or had she been?

She nodded understandingly. “Yes, it is a horrid thing to be questioned by your superiors,” she agreed, looking thoughtful for a moment. “Perhaps someday you will be the one asking the questions. I imagine you would look very fine as a captain…” She swept her eyes over him before meeting his eyes again with a little smile. “…not that you don’t already.” Her eyes widened a little when he said that he could fall prey to guards if he was thought to be the enemy. “You mean that you could really be shot?” she said, suddenly serious. “Would they really shoot a colonist just for walking by?” But… she was a colonist. A Tory one, yes, but she could walk innocently by the camp, looking for him, and get shot, just for being there? That proved how little she knew about war, and how serious she was not about it up till now. He had much he could teach her.

She shook her head a little, trying to recover, and forced a smile. “Yes, of course,” she said, though not quite as cheerfully as she had done before. “You could, um, you could come to dinner tonight, if you’d like,” she added, to change the subject. She had meant the invitation to be later, so he would have a reason to come back, but perhaps seeing the fine food at her house would be enough to convince him to stick around.

[Chørd]

`Matthew

Matthew laughed lightly at her false indignation, knowing full well she was holding back a smile. He nibbled on his lip in thought as he noticed her gaze flit over him briefly, wondering what she was thinking about. What went on in a woman's mind was completely beyond him.

He arched an eyebrow inquisitively when she spoke again, a devious smile growing on his face. "Oh?" He pressed. Some part of him was concerned that she didn't feel safe around him, since he was sure he'd given her no reason to feel threatened, but he huffed in amusement as she explained further. Naughty? Him? Oh, where on earth could she have gotten that impression from?
He tried to put on a completely innocent and naïve expression. "Me? I can assure you I am always on my best behaviour," he teased, then hesitated, pursing his lips in thought. "Or at least, most of the time," he added, shrugging dismissively. Of course, if you added alcohol to the equation, then like most others, he probably would lose control of himself a bit.
Still, he supposed she didn't have to worry about someone else harming her with him around. Again, he probably owed it to his uniform; most citizens would take one look at her, notice the red-jacketed soldier at her side, and decide they were not worth the hassle of bothering.

He laughed nervously when she mentioned becoming a captain. He'd applied once, begrudgingly, to advance in rank past a lieutenant. His brother had been behind him the whole time, egging him on and forcing him into something he didn't want to do. That's probably why his payment and advancement was refused - commanders didn't want officers in their regiments who didn't want their rank.
"Ah, let's not get hasty," he half-smiled at her, blushing slightly. "Time will tell if I get a promotion. I'm content as a Lieutenant for the moment."
He noticed a look of horror spread across her face, wondering what he'd said that had caused her to look so worried. He shook his head firmly when she assumed he'd be shot.
"Good God, no!" He answered her in the same serious tone as she'd questioned him in. "They wouldn't shoot anyone unless they threatened them or waved weapons in their faces. I believe at most they'd probably fire a warning shot."
He stroked her arm lightly in an attempt to soothe her. "I merely meant that I'd hate for them to cause a commotion and wake everyone up. I'd end up in more trouble than it's worth."
He smiled at her reassuringly, trying to smooth things out again. "They wouldn't shoot a woman anyway, I'm sure of it."

He silently chided himself for worrying her like that, and found himself getting lost in his thoughts. He barely heard her suggestion, and after shaking his head to clear his mind, stared at her wide-eyed and finally replied.
"That sounds nice," he smiled politely, then bit his lip nervously. "I'm sorry if I startled you at all. I should've been clearer about what I meant."
His blush darkened slightly and he gave her an apologetic look. She still looked a little shocked - no doubt she'd imagined herself wandering past the camp and pictured the sentries open-firing on her.

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[jewel]

"If that is your best behavior, then you are not very good!" she laughed, nudging his arm lightly but not trying hard enough to shove him off - even if she had tried, she would not have been able to do it if he hadn't wanted her to, because he was undoubtedly much stronger than she was. She rolled her eyes at him, even though she was loving his wicked grin and loving that he teased her so flirtatiously right back. She didn't believe his affectation of innocence for a second. She didn't think though that his loss of innocence was actual, because she for some reason, having been sheltered from it, seemed to believe that war was just a game where men marched around in pretty coats carrying pretty swords. She hadn't really realized that there was actual fighting. So she didn't realize that he might really not be innocent, in the sense that he had been aged by war and could never recover from it. If she had known all of that, she would have simply presumed he was too lighthearted to be negatively affected by the war. But they could not avoid being serious forever.

His blush and laugh confused her, and she was even more confused when he said that he was content to be a lieutenant. Sure, it was a pretty good rank, but he could do better. And why would people be content with anything when they knew they could have better? It didn't occur to her that some people really might not be able to have better, because she had never been denied her desires. She really was a sheltered, spoiled brat. She knew nothing of the world. She should not have been so shocked to hear what Matthew had just told her. She let it sink in for a moment, resting her head against his shoulder and chewing on her bottom lip in a mixture of thoughtfulness and worry. "Well, I'll be sure not to sneak out of my house to see you at night, anyway," she said drily, but she was not entirely joking; the mood for humor was gone, and so were her thoughts of dinner for the moment. Even someone as frivolous and selfish as her could lose their appetite when death, or at least the possibility of it, was being discussed.

Peggy was a fool. She had looked at the coats and the swords and hadn't thought one jot about what they were for. For a moment she clung a little tighter to him, instinctively; it wasn't like he could protect her from the realities of war when her fictions came crashing down on her, not when he was one of the men who perpetuated it, and then she pulled away to look at him hard. "Lieutenant, have you ever killed a man?" she asked. She hated that their lighthearted flirtation was over for the moment so they could talk about something serious, but she needed to know. If he had, then she would have to look differently at him, and he'd better have a good reason for doing it. She hadn't really thought about it until the life of someone she cared about - that would be her own life, obviously - was potentially at risk. She had thought the Americans might give in without a fight, because they were still colonists, but they hadn't. What was she, anyway? She was an American because she lived here, but that didn't mean she wanted to fight against the British. Would that stop them from shooting her? Or at least wanting to?

[Chørd]

`Matthew

Matthew frowned as she clung tighter to his arm. He hadn't meant to frighten or worry her, even though he hadn't really said anything too bad and it was mainly her imagination, but he still hated to see her looking so...out of character.
Well done for putting your foot in it, he scolded himself, half-wincing.

He sighed softly as she questioned him. He'd hoped she would have known that, being a soldier, it was likely he had - at the very least - had one round of fisticuffs with another person at some point in his life. Still, he couldn't lie to her. Granted her opinion on him might change from smartly-dressed English officer to some sort of murderer, but he'd rather her told her the truth than lied and her find out later and probably start to dislike him.
He ran his tongue along his bottom lip thoughtfully before giving her a grim smile.
"Yes," he answered. He wasn't sure whether to feign it bothered him or not; he didn't want her thinking he was weak, but at the same time he didn't want her getting the impression that he was a cold-blooded killer. "It's my job. If I didn't kill them, they would have killed me. I guess it's hard to understand if you aren't with the military."

He decided that was nicest way he could've put it. Besides, his justification of it all was true; in one-on-one combat during battle, one of you would end up killed or seriously injured most likely, and he was certainly relieved that so far it had never been him in that position.

He shook his head dismissively, looking away and frowning. "We don't have to talk about this, miss. Not if it's making you uncomfortable or unhappy," he muttered, wondering how he could change the subject from death and war to something more pleasant without her knowing he was avoiding the subject. How had they got onto talking about this, anyway?
Still, he felt guilty that he'd succeeded in worrying her so, and it probably showed in the concerned expression he wore on his face. "Again, I apologise for upsetting you.".

He smiled at her awkwardly, hoping he hadn't managed to push her away through what he'd said.
"Anyway. On a lighter note..." he cleared his throat, trying to think of something to say to diffuse the situation's tension. "Have your parents any plans for you? Such as...are you betrothed to someone, or something like that?"
It was the best he could come up with. It was completely different to talking about killing people and the military, anyway, so it was worth throwing out there just to try and cheer her up and distract her.

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