and dip more or less in time to the music. Scouting the terrain before advancing was a good idea in other things besides warfare.
Lije Jenkins, on the other hand, plunged straight into the fray, cutting in on a civilian in a sharp suit. The fellow gave him a sour look as he retired toward the sidelines. Leavenworth might have liked soldiers pretty well, but cutting in like that was liable to start a brawl anywhere.
With a final raucous flourish, the little three-piece band stopped its racket. People clapped their hands, not so much to applaud the musicians as to show they were having a good time. Men and women headed over to the punch bowl. Morrell quickly drained his own glass and, with the empty glass as an excuse, contrived to get to the bowl at the same time as a woman in a ruffled shirtwaist and maroon wool skirt.
He filled the ladle, then, after catching her eye to make sure the liberty would not be unwelcome, poured punch into her glass before dealing with his own. “Thank you,” she said. She was within a couple of years of thirty herself, with hair black as coal, brown eyes, and warm brown skin with a hint of blush beneath it. When she took a longer look at Morrell, one eyebrow rose. “Thank you very much, Colonel.”
He was, he suddenly realized, a catch: glancing around, he saw a couple of captains, but no soldiers of higher rank. Men were not the only ones playing this game. Well, on with it: “My pleasure,” he said. “If you like, you can pay me back by giving me the next dance.”
“I’ll do that,” she said at once. “My name is Hill, Agnes Hill.”
“Very pleased to meet you.” Morrell gave his own name. The musicians struck up what was no doubt intended to be a waltz. He guided her out onto the dance floor. He danced with academic precision. His partner didn’t, but it mattered little; the floor was so crowded, couples kept bumping into one another. Everyone laughed when it happened: it was expected.
They talked under and through the semimusical racket. “My husband was killed in the first few weeks of the war,” Agnes Hill said. “He was up on the Niagara front, and the Canadians had lots of machine guns, and—” She shrugged in Morrell’s arms.
“I’m sorry,” he answered. She shrugged again. Morrell said, “I got shot myself about that time, in Sonora. Only reason I’m here is luck.”
His dancing partner nodded. “I’ve thought about luck a lot the past few years, Colonel. That’s all you can do, isn’t it?—think, I mean.” She whirled on with him for another few steps, then said, “I’m glad you were lucky. I’m glad you are here.” As the music ended, Morrell was glad he was there, too.
Lucien Galtier did not converse with his horse while driving up to Rivière-du-Loup, as he usually did. The horse, a heartless beast, seemed to feel no lack. And Galtier had conversation aplenty, for, instead of going up to the town by the St. Lawrence alone, he had along Marie, his two sons, and the three daughters still living at home with them.
“I can’t wait to see the baby,” Denise said. She’d been saying that since word came from Leonard O’Doull that Nicole had had a baby boy the evening before.
“I want to see Nicole,” Marie said. “Not for nothing do they call childbirth labor.” She glared at Lucien, as if to say it was his fault Nicole had endured what she’d endured. Or maybe she was just thinking it was the fault of men that women endured what they endured.
Soothingly, Galtier said, “All is well with Nicole, and all is well with the baby, too, for which I give thanks to the holy Mother of God.” He crossed himself. “And I also give thanks that Nicole gave birth with a doctor attending her who was so intimately concerned with her well-being.”
“Intimately!” Marie sniffed and slapped him on the leg. Then she sniffed again, on a slightly different note. “A midwife was plenty good for me.”
“A midwife is good,” Lucien agreed, not wanting to quarrel with his wife. But he did not abandon his own opinion, either. “A doctor, I believe, is better.”
Marie didn’t argue with him, for which he was duly grateful. She kept looking around, as if she didn’t want to miss anything her sharp eyes might pick up. She didn’t get off the farm so often as he did,