Course Correction Studio

Author: Brandie

  • Possession – Chapter 25

    A/N: Well, guys, this is it. This is the final chapter, FINALLY. Thanks for sticking with the story and keeping up, especially through the long breaks between chapters.

    For Big Mama: Mary Lee Holmes Perry

    1930 – 2007

    /\/\/\

    Chapter 25

    The battle at Cowpens had signaled a change for the worst for the British, as the Colonials gained confidence and began to come into their own on the military front. Finally, in October of 1781, the world turned upside down, it seemed, as Cornwallis surrendered at Yorktown. The war wasn’t officially over, but for all intents and purposes, it was a done deal, a deal that did not fall in Britain’s favor.

    Loyalists were, thus, placed in a sticky situation. They had stood against their neighbors who’d fought for independence; but when the smoke had cleared and the dust had settled, they realized that those neighbors were no longer neighbors but foreigners, citizens of another country. Some Loyalists stayed put in the newly minted America, but many packed up and left, rather than pledge allegiance to a foreign,(and in their eyes, illegitimate) government. Many of them went north, to Canada …

    /\/\/

    Two lively, raven-haired 11-year-olds, a girl and a boy, ran into the sitting room where their mother sat sewing.

    “Mother, we’ve finished our lessons,” the boy said. “May we go practice now?”

    “Did you finish all of your lessons?” the mother questioned. “Thoroughly? You didn’t rush through carelessly?”

    “No, Mother. We did everything correctly and got all the answers right,” the girl assured.

    The mother looked over the children’s heads at their tutor, who was just now walking through the door. “What about it, Mr. Donald?” she asked. “Is their work today satisfactory?”

    “It’s beyond satisfactory,” Donald said. “It’s exemplary. As usual. In my humble opinion, they deserve a break.”

    The mother smiled at her children. “Well, in that case … go and see if your father is ready to go outside. He’s in his study.”

    The children looked at each other and grinned widely. They sprinted from the room. The mother placed her sewing aside and stood. “Thank you, Mr. Donald,” she said. “You always work such wonders with them.”

    “They work wonders by themselves,” Donald complimented. “They’re very bright children.”

    “Why, thank you, Mr. Donald. I’ll be sure to convey your kind praises to my husband.”

    xxx

    Daniel and Helena Tavington stopped at the doorway of their father’s study. His back was to them, so Daniel knocked. “Father?” he tested.

    “Yes?”

    “Father, we want to practice,” Helena said.

    “Have you finished your school studies for the day?” the father asked, his head still bowed to his desk.

    The children nodded fervently, their dark curls shifting with the movement of their heads. “Yes, sir,” they said in unison.

    William Tavington finally turned to his children. “Well, then – I’d say it’s time to practice.”

    xxx

    The Tavingtons lived on a large swath of land off the southern coast of Nova Scotia, Canada, about a day’s journey from Halifax. Their property stretched over a 1,000-acre plot, with the Atlantic Ocean beyond in the visible distance.

    Juliana and Tavington had been part of the mass of loyal British subjects and military who’d evacuated Charlestown and the rest of the colonies shortly after Cornwallis’s surrender at Yorktown. They acquired their property by chance after coming into contact with a Frenchman who was eager to sell the house and the land on which it was located. The price was far too good to pass up. Before they were even settled in, Tavington and Juliana were married in a private ceremony at their new home. It was a small affair, William and Linda being the only witnesses.

    Juliana had been residents of Nova Scotia for nearly ten years now. The small province had turned out to be a good fit for them. They were close to a sizable city, but they were far enough away to enjoy the benefits of relative isolation. Gone were the days of extravagant parties and endless social seasons. Tavington had built a sizable business as a tobacco and tea merchant, conducting his business affairs out of Halifax, and was also a devoted family man. He loved his children and his wife more than he’d ever previously thought he would be able to love anyone. It was with this immense amount of feeling that he watched Daniel and Helena as they went at each other with large sticks, sparring in a simulated swordfight on the back lawn. Tavington watched from a short distance, overseeing their progress.

    “That’s right,” he said. “Keep your swords up – don’t let them drop.” Daniel relentlessly went after his sister, attacking from a multitude of angles, backing Helena up further and further. “Be aggressive, Lena; don’t let him bully you.” Upon hearing her father’s words, the girl redoubled her efforts and quickly became the aggressor in the match. “That’s it,” Tavington encouraged. Helena went after her brother and struck his ‘sword’, sending it flying from his hands.

    Tavington smiled proudly. “Very good, Lena. Very good, indeed.”

    xxx

    Juliana fidgeted with the book in her hands as she watched the scene from the sitting room window. She’d intended to finish reading the novel today, but couldn’t keep her eyes away from the window long enough to finish a paragraph.

    Tavington soon entered the house and walked into the room. He stood behind Juliana, and they both watched their children through the glass.

    “They’re only sticks,” Tavington reassured her.

    “I know, but one day, I’m sure you’re going to want to replace those sticks with the real thing,” Juliana said. “And then I’m sure it’ll be muskets and pistols and all sorts of lovely toys.”

    “Well, my dear, that is the point of having them practice. You can’t very well expect them to defend themselves with sticks. There’s little need for worry, though. I won’t be handing over the swords tomorrow.” He kissed her cheek. “Things might not have turned out exactly as I’d originally planned, but moving to Nova Scotia and settling down here wasn’t such a bad idea, was it now?”

    “I think it’s one of the best things that ever happened to us,” Juliana said. “Where in the states would we have ever been able to marry?” She placed the book aside on a table, resolving to finish it tomorrow.

    Tavington sighed. “Still, it would have been nice to have been governor of my own colony, to make the rules for once instead of bowing down to them.”

    Juliana turned to him. “Well, it isn’t all over and done with, yet. You may still get your opportunity.”

    Tavington laughed. “In my dreams, maybe.” He’d thrown that whole bag to the wind when he disobeyed Cornwallis at Cowpens and charged early. That single blunder had cost Britain the battle and probably had a great deal to do with the ultimate outcome of the war. It had nearly cost him his life. That wasn’t the kind of occurrence that led to a reward like absolute control of a colony. Tavington resisted the urge to touch the large scar on his throat beneath his collar.

    He didn’t say anything more. He gazed out the window, past his children, at something unseen. Juliana laid a gentle hand on his arm before moving away from him. He was like that sometimes, silent and reflective. When he was, Juliana usually recognized the mood and left him alone.

    xxx

    Breaking glass shattered all their dreams. Juliana woke at the sound and sat up in the bed. Tavington sat on the side of the bed, listening for any indicators as to what had caused the jarring noise. The first crash had woken him out of his sleep, and he wasn’t even sure if what he’d initially heard had been real or part of a dream. When he heard a second crash, he knew.

    “Someone’s in the house,” he determined, quickly rising from the bed and pulling on the nearest pair of pants. He reached for the loaded pistol he always kept at his bedside and walked over to one of the bedroom’s windows. He peeked through the curtains, parting them slightly with the barrel of his gun and keeping his face clear of the opening. Three mounted men waited below on the front lawn. One of them carried a lit torch, but the other two appeared to be armed.

    Tavington continued to observe the mounted men through the window. “Get the children,” he instructed Juliana, who was now standing. “Lock yourselves in one of the rooms up here, and don’t come out until I come back for you. Take the rifle.”

    Juliana walked around to the other side of the bed and retrieved the rifle stowed away behind the head of the bed. On her way to the bedroom door, she stopped next to Tavington, intending to needlessly remind him to be careful.

    Before Juliana could speak, the bedroom door opened, and Helena rushed in, her blue eyes wide with fear. “What’s going on?” she asked. The fact that each of her parents was armed didn’t do much to calm her.

    “Lena, where’s Daniel?” Juliana asked.

    “He said he was going to fight off the intruders,” Helena replied.

    Tavington’s head snapped from the window to the girl. “He what?” He didn’t wait for her to respond again. He tore out of the room and down the hall. He flew down the staircase, fighting the urge to attempt to clear the entire flight in a single leap. He reached the bottom in time to see Daniel fling the front door open and rush outside, sword in hand.

    “Daniel!” Tavington called desperately. But as the sound of his son’s name left his lips, a shot rang out, and the boy fell to the ground.

    Tavington froze in the doorway, unconcerned that he was completely exposed to the villains. He stared at the motionless form of his only son on the ground a mere few feet away from him. Then, he lifted his eyes away from Daniel and locked eyes with the only mounted man who carried a pistol. The man’s eyes carried a look of satisfaction, like he’d finally accomplished a mission he’d begun long ago. No words passed between them. The man and his two accomplices spurred their horses and stalked off into the darkness.

    Tavington looked at Daniel, laying prone on the ground, and ran over to him.

    Juliana and Helena appeared in the doorway.

    When Juliana saw Daniel, she knew that he couldn’t be alive. She couldn’t move. Her feet felt glued to the ground, her hands firmly fixed to the door frame around her. She remained on the porch and waited and watched while Tavington kneeled beside Daniel.

    The boy was still breathing, but barely. The single shot had pierced his chest, and blood poured freely from the wound. All the color had faded from his face. But he was alive.

    “Daniel? Daniel, can you hear me? Can you see me?” Tavington stroked the boy’s curly dark locks to make him aware of his presence.

    “Father? Father?”

    “I’m right here, son.” He looked over and realized that Daniel had never let go of the sword he’d come charging out of the house with and still gripped it tightly in his right hand. Tavington pried it from Daniel’s hand and cast it aside.

    “I just – I just wanted to protect you and Mother and Lena, Father,” Daniel said. “I wanted to be brave, like you.”

    “You were, son,” Tavington said. “You did well. Very well.”

    Daniel smiled, and there was a moment when Tavington let himself believe that his son might pull through this. He might be okay.

    And then he was gone.

    Tavington, at a total loss for words, looked at Juliana. She finally left the porch and walked over to him. She dropped to her knees beside Daniel, and she completely lost it, turning on Tavington.

    “This is your fault!” she said, striking him on the arm. “You and your practice.” She hit him again. “You’ve killed our son!” She struck him again and again, and he took it, feeling that he fully deserved every blow. Finally, he stopped the assault by grabbing her wrists and then wrapping his arms around her, but he said nothing. Nothing he could say or do would fix this. Nothing.

    /\/\/

    Two weeks after Daniel’s burial, an unexpected visitor appeared at the Tavingtons’ door.

    “Colonel Wilkins?” Juliana said upon answering the door. “It’s been some time since we’ve last seen you, now hasn’t it?” The last time Juliana and Tavington had seen him had been the end of the war. He’d remained with the British army and had been promoted after being assigned to Nova Scotia.

    “Yes, ma’am,” Wilkins said with a slight grin and a solemn nod. “Is Colonel Tavington in?”

    “He’s out back with Helena. Why don’t you come in and wait while I get him for you?” Juliana stepped aside to let him enter.

    “Thank you,” Wilkins said, stepping into the house.

    Juliana led him to the parlor. “It should only be a moment,” she told him before leaving him alone.

    xxx

    At the rear of the house, Tavington watched from the terrace as Helena skillfully guided her horse around the lawn.

    The door opened behind him. Juliana stepped out into the breeze.

    “She looks like an angel out there,” Tavington said. “Like her mother.” He looked at Juliana.

    “There’s a visitor here to see you,” Juliana said.

    “Is that so? I wasn’t expecting any visitors today.”

    “I think you’ll be quite surprised to find out who it is.” Tavington’s eyes asked the question for him, and Juliana answered. “It’s Wilkins.”

    “Wilkins? I haven’t seen him in ages.” He looked out at Helena again. Still a good distance away, she had dismounted and was leading her animal toward the house. “What does he want?”

    “He didn’t say. He just asked to see you. He’s in the parlor.”

    Tavington left Juliana outside and went to the parlor, all the time trying to figure out the reason why Wilkins was standing in his parlor. When he appeared in the doorway, he found Wilkin’s tall form studying the books that filled one of the shelves on the wall.

    “Find anything that interests you?” Tavington asked him.

    Wilkins turned to his former commander. “Colonel Tavington – it’s a pleasure to see you again, sir.”

    Tavington entered the room. “And to what do I owe this pleasure?”

    “Last night, our patrol unit picked up a rabble that was causing a disturbance at one of the pubs in Halifax. As you know, we’ve been actively investigating your case, so we questioned the men for the possibility that they may have been connected with the attack on your residence. Colonel Tavington, we believe we’ve caught one of the perpetrators and that he is likely the one who murdered your son.”

    Tavington blinked a few times. He found the nearest chair and lowered himself into it. He hadn’t expected that anyone would be able to track down the animals responsible for what had happened to Daniel. He looked up at Wilkins, urging him to continue. “Who is it? Is it someone from the area? Anyone I might know?”

    “It’s a man by the name of Martin,” Wilkins said.

    “Martin?” Tavington repeated. For him, that name would always resonate. He would never forget his old nemesis from the war. Tavington remembered. He remembered all too well. The farm off the Santee. ‘The Ghost’. The boy … But this wasn’t the same man … was it? “Did you say ‘Martin’?”

    “Yes. Nathan Martin. He’s from the States,” Wilkins continued. “South Carolina, to be precise.” Tavington looked at Wilkins, his former subordinate, with disbelief. “It’s Benjamin Martin’s son.”

    Tavington had taken two of Martin’s sons from him during the war. Now a third was sitting in a Halifax jail cell, and Tavington’s own son was dead. It had taken over a decade, but Tavington had finally gotten what was coming to him.

    “The investigation is still ongoing,” Wilkins said, “but I believe we’ll have ample evidence for a murder conviction. But we need you to come in and identify him.”

    xxx

    Two days later, Tavington stood at the entrance of the jail. He was still trying to decide whether he should enter and go through with this. He had ridden for a day and acquired a room in the city when he’d arrived the previous night. But he had to do this. For Helena and Juliana, who had remained at home. And for Daniel.

    Wilkins was waiting for him when he walked in. “Colonel Tavington,” he began, “I know you have better places to spend your time than in a jail, so let’s get this over with, shall we?”

    Tavington nodded. He followed Wilkins past the guards and into the cell area. The place was dark and damp and warm. The stone walls looked slick and the place reeked of filth. Had it been possible, Tavington would have preferred to have held his breath for the duration of his visit.

    The pair came to a stop when they reached the cell at the end of the corridor. A man stood against one of the walls gazing up at the cell window just out of reach above his head. Tavington and Wilkins shared a glance.

    Wilkins looked at the prisoner. “Martin – you have a visitor.”

    Nathan Martin turned around at the sound of Wilkins’s voice. He looked to be in his early twenties. A shaggy mop of light brown hair covered his head and nearly spilled over into his gray eyes. There was an immediate change in the boy’s demeanor when he saw Tavington standing on the other side of the bars with Wilkins. “I’m not interested in seeing any visitors,” he said. He started to turn back to the window.

    “You’re not in any position to dictate what you will or will not do, Martin,” Wilkins said. “If you refuse to comply of your own will, you will comply by force.”

    Nathan’s gaze shifted from Wilkins to Tavington. He looked as if he wanted to resist, but he complied and walked over to the cell door. Tavington and Nathan remained locked in an unshakable stare-down. Tavington didn’t remember many faces from that day at Martin’s farm; but he did remember this face. He was definitely one of the men who’d terrorized his family and he was most definitely the one who had pulled the trigger. Tavington was more than ready to tell all this to Wilkins. But he couldn’t bring himself to do it. Had this happened ten years before, Tavington wouldn’t have hesitated, but something was stopping him now.

    “Has he confessed?” Tavington asked.

    “No,” Wilkins said. “He chooses to make things difficult for himself and for us.”

    Tavington’s eyes never left Nathan. “It isn’t him,” he said.

    Nathan and Wilkins, both confused, looked at each other.

    “I beg your pardon, sir?” Wilkins asked Tavington.

    “You’ve got the wrong man,” Tavington insisted. “This isn’t the man who shot Daniel. He wasn’t even there.” He turned away from Nathan and began to walk away from him.

    Wilkins stayed with him. “But sir –”

    Tavington turned to Wilkins but continued to walk away from Nathan. “The real killer must have escaped. I do hope you find him, but I suspect he’s long gone from here by now.” He looked at Nathan once more, casting a curious glance to him. “You’re holding an innocent young man here, Colonel Wilkins.” Tavington looked at Wilkins one more time before he walked out of the jail without another word.

    /\/\/

    It was well after midnight when the front door opened and Tavington walked into the house after his long return trip from Halifax. He found Juliana awake, though, despite the late hour. He’d started up the stairs when he’d glanced out one of the back windows and saw her out on the terrace. He abandoned the stairs and walked out to where she was.

    Juliana sat on one of the benches along the outside wall of the house. When the door opened, she stood, startled by the presence of someone else besides herself.

    “Will?” she said. “What are you doing here? I didn’t expect you to return for another day or two.”

    “It didn’t take me long to finish up in Halifax,” Tavington said. “So I decided to come back early.” He embraced her and kissed her. “You’re not disappointed, are you?” he asked in jest.

    “A little,” she replied, carrying the little joke through. She sat back down on the bench. Tavington sat beside her.

    “What are you doing out here so late?” Tavington asked. “It’s after midnight.”

    “No reason in particular,” Juliana replied. “I like listening to the sound of the ocean. It helps me think.”

    “And what are you thinking about?”

    Juliana shrugged. “You, mostly. I was wondering what you would find when you got to Halifax.”

    Tavington took her hand into his and looked into her eyes. “Juliana, I don’t think they’re ever going to punish the man who’s responsible for Daniel’s murder,” Tavington said.

    “But I thought you said they had someone in custody? You said they were sure it was him.”

    “I did say that, but it turns out that I didn’t have my facts straight. That was my fault, though. The man they had wasn’t responsible for what happened to Daniel.” Nathan Martin may have pulled the trigger, but he wasn’t responsible. Tavington was. He’d become responsible for it before Daniel had even been born, when Tavington had taken the lives of Martin’s sons. Tavington had set the wheels of fate into motion.

    One couldn’t call what happened even, because it most definitely was not. Martin had lost two sons, Tavington only one. But one was more than enough. The price of war was far-reaching and long-lasting, as he’d finally learned. And it was a high price, indeed.

  • Possession – Chapter 24

    A/N: Hey everyone! I know it’s been forever since my last chapter, and I hope some of you out there are still keeping up with this. I know this one’s short, but it gets me where I need to go, as far as the story goes. This is most likely the next to the last chapter, so stay tuned!

    Chapter 24

    One week passed. Then two. Soon, it was three weeks before Lydia learned anything of her sister since the latter had left on her mission to find the wounded Tavington. Sam Parker, Juliana’s guide for her trek, returned.

    When he appeared at the door, Lydia peered past him, expecting to see Juliana, making her way to the house behind him. But no one stood behind Sam. He was all alone.

    “Where is she?” Lydia asked him.

    xxx

    Sam and William sat at the kitchen table, while Lydia moved away from the hearth with a steaming mug of cider. She walked over to the table and placed mug in front of Sam.

    “Where’s my sister?” Lydia asked, taking a seat directly across from Sam. “Why did you leave her behind?”

    “I didn’t exactly leave her behind, ma’am,” Sam began. “At least not in the way, I suspect, you believe.”

    “Then, what happened,” Lydia pressed. “Why isn’t she with you?”

    Sam brought the mug to his lips and slowly tested the hot liquid. He set it back down on the table before speaking again. “Your sister wanted to stay,” Sam said.

    The news frustrated and angered Lydia, but it didn’t exactly surprise her. She knew how devoted Juliana was to Tavington. She’d heard it from her sister’s own mouth as well as from William and Jenny. While Lydia understood and respected how her sister felt, she still didn’t agree with it. A woman’s children were supposed to be her top priority. She wasn’t supposed to go chasing some man around the colony.

    “She’s still at Cowpens?” Lydia asked.

    “No. She’s at Fort Carolina,” Sam said. “We went to Cowpens first. But then, we found out that Colonel Tavington had been moved to Fort Carolina. So, we kept ridin’, and we reached the fort the next day.”

    “Did she get to see the colonel?” William asked.

    “She sure did,” Sam replied. “I was right there with her when she walked into his room. Oh, he was a sorry sight, indeed.”

    “Is he gonna die?” William asked.

    Sam shook his head. “I can’t say for sure. To tell the truth, he didn’t look all that much alive when I was there. But Juliana must have seen something that I didn’t, ’cause as soon as she saw him laid up on that bed, she went right to him. She said she wasn’t leavin’ his side until he was better.”

    “She’s just gonna stay there and wait?” Lydia asked. “What about her children?” She watched Sam expectedly, waiting for an answer. None came.

    xxx

    Lydia placed Daniel in the crib beside Helena. It had taken her forever, it seemed, to get the little boy to close his eyes and go to sleep. But Lydia was certainly used to it by now. After two months of caring for both him and his sister, she had grown accustomed to many things that she never thought she’d have the opportunity to experience so soon after losing her own child.

    “The Lord is truly mysterious,” Lydia said to herself. “Yes, indeed.”

    William met Lydia as she was leaving the bedroom. “The post is here,” he said.

    This wasn’t extraordinary news, so Lydia wondered why William was telling her this. It didn’t usually require an announcement. He usually left the day’s correspondence in the colonel’s study. Her eyes fell to the letter in William’s hands. He offered it to her, and she accepted, turning it over in her hands so that she could read the front of the envelope.

    “It was brought by a military rider,” William said.

    Lydia hurriedly broke the seal and pulled out the letter. This has to be from her, she thought, diving into the contents of the letter. She walked over and sat down in the nearest chair as she began to read.

    “My Dear Lydia, I apologize for not sending word as to my whereabouts sooner than this. I realize that I have been away for quite some time now, and I’m more than aware of the great burden I suddenly left you with in asking you to take care of Daniel and Lena. I thank you for your support and devotion, Dear Sister. You’ll never know how much it means to me. For the moment, I remain at Fort Carolina, with Will. He’s doing quite well, actually. I realize this might not be such good news to you as it is to me, but I’ll give you an update anyway. He’s walking, but his strength is still very limited. Let me get to the issue that I know you’re most eager to have addressed: we’ll be coming home to Charlestown soon, though I can’t tell you an exact date. We’re waiting until the doctor says Will is strong enough to travel without risk of rendering damage to his already weakened constitution. Now that the weather is turning warmer, I suspect that it won’t be much longer, now. My hope is to be there in Charlestown by this time next month and to be speaking with you in person. But until then … please give Lena and Daniel kisses and hugs for me. I miss them so, terribly so; but their father needs me now. Your sister, Juliana.”

    Lydia folded the letter and gazed out the window at the late afternoon sky. She worried that she was going to be receiving more letters like this from Juliana in the future. If that were to be the case, who knew how long it would be before her sister returned?

    Lydia sighed heavily. Little Lena and Daniel could be headed for a childhood without their mother.

  • Possession – Chapter 23

    “I told you to hold your fire!” Tavington scolded his officer.

    “Sorry, Colonel,” the officer said. “I thought he had a firearm. It looked like a pistol.”

    “A pistol? He’s a boy. His ‘pistol’ was made of wood; it’s nothing more than a child’s toy.” Tavington flashed a look of fury at the trigger-happy officer.

    “You never know with these Colonials, sir,” the officer said. “They teach the young ones to shoot and aim just as well as an adult. I’m sorry, Colonel.”

    Getting his hands on that list of Martin’s men had been an incredible stroke of luck for Tavington, but he didn’t feel so lucky now. His unit had made it to seven homes on the Santee, so far, but had made only minimal progress in the way of information on the rebels. It was all a tragedy, really, Tavington thought. And it was all because these silly people felt the need to protect those traitorous fools.

    From his mount, Tavington peered down at the lifeless little boy. The boy couldn’t have been any older than 5 or 6. Tavington wasn’t fighting this war to kill children. Tavington looked at the woman being held at gunpoint by two soldiers. She was undoubtedly the boy’s mother. She had the same red hair and was frantic at the sight of the dead boy.

    “We know your husband is part of the South Carolina militia,” Tavington told her. “What happened to your son is regrettable, but if you tell us what we need to know, you will be saved from suffering his fate. Tell me – where are your husband and the rest of his rebel friends hiding?”

    The woman’s face was slick with fresh tears. She shook her head. “I don’t know, sir. He didn’t tell me anything.”

    “Have it your way,” Tavington said, as he pulled out his revolver. He pointed it at the woman and pulled the trigger. The shot tore into her chest and she fell limp in the hands of the two soldiers. They dropped her on the ground beside her son.

    xxx

    A week later, Tavington sat atop his horse, watching flames engulf the church a few yards in front of him. How had it all escalated to this awful point? Inside that church was Pembroke’s entire population – men, women … and children.

    Had it really been absolutely necessary? No, Tavington answered himself. He knew that he probably could have burned the town and the message to the people would have been as loud and as clear. But this move he had taken, burning the church, would certainly drive that message all the way home. Traitors deserved what came to them. Those who helped traitors were just as guilty as the traitors themselves. And Tavington would remain relentless in his pursuit of Benjamin Martin.

    Captain Wilkins, looking particularly ill, rode up beside Tavington on his horse. He had dutifully carried out the order to burn the church.

    “The honor is found in the end, not the means,” Tavington told Wilkins. He said it to convince himself more than to convince Wilkins. “This will be forgotten.” Tavington knew this was a lie. How could he forget those screams? Some of those screams belonged to children, babies even. If the roles were reversed, and Colonials were burning a church full of Loyalists, it could easily be his own children inside.

    Tavington banished the thoughts from his mind and mentally blocked out the screams of those dying inside the church. He had to keep in sight what – who – he was doing this for. If Tavington got Martin, he would get Ohio. Once he got Ohio, everything would fall into place. Everything he had gone through and put up with would have been worth it.

    /\/\/

    “Juliana, I just heard some news about Colonel Tavington just now on the square,” Jenny said as she rushed into the bedroom. Juliana, having just put the children down for a nap, turned to Jenny. “They say he killed some slaves at a plantation on the Santee,” Jenny continued.

    Juliana led Jenny from the bedroom, closing the door behind them. “Who?” Juliana asked the girl.

    “John Moore,” Jenny said.

    A surprised breath escaped Juliana’s lips. She knew John. She used to see him all the time in town.

    “And there’s more,” Jenny said. “I heard some people say that Colonel Tavington locked all the Pembroke people in the town church and set it on fire. Wasn’t a person left. Ain’t that somethin’? A whole town gone up in smoke, just like that.”

    “It can’t be, Jenny,” Juliana said. She shook her head. “There must be some kind of mistake. Maybe they were talking about a different colonel or somethin’. They couldn’t have been talkin’ about our Colonel Tavington.”

    “I don’t know. It sure did sound like they was talkin’ about him.”

    xxx

    Juliana couldn’t believe what Jenny had said about Tavington the day before. She just couldn’t accept it, not without any proof. She knew that Tavington could be a hard man, but could he really murder a whole town? A whole town? It wasn’t possible, it couldn’t be.

    She walked into the general store. She hadn’t taken more than three steps inside when she heard two people by the counter talking about something that instantly garnered her attention.

    “Have you heard about what happened at Pembroke?” one man asked. Juliana stopped and listened. Her back was to the man who’d spoken.

    “I have, indeed,” a second man answered. “It’s terrible, just terrible.”

    The first man shook his head. “That Tavington was in command. How anyone could be so heartless, I don’t know. I had a cousin in Pembroke … they couldn’t find any bodies at all.”

    “I tell you what – I feel sorry for Tavington. He’s got to live with this for the rest of his life, and he’s going to have to answer for it on Judgment Day.”

    “You do have a point, although I hear that the colonel may be answering for it while he’s still alive.”

    “The battle at Cowpens. Yes, I’ve heard. It was a very bad loss for the British. What makes it so bad is that it shouldn’t have been a loss at all.” He sighed. “Either way, I hear that Tavington is very bad off, close to death they say.”

    Juliana ran outside the store. She didn’t need to hear anymore. She couldn’t see past the tears in her eyes, and she leaned against a lamppost outside. She wanted to die. She wanted to die because so many had already died at Tavington’s hands, including a whole town. And she wanted to die because Tavington was dying, and there was anything in the world she could do to save him. Unless …

    Someone tapped her lightly on the shoulder. “Are you okay?” he asked.

    Juliana turned around. She recognized the man but not fully. She’d seen him before, but she couldn’t remember where. He seemed to know exactly who she was, though, when he finally saw her face.

    “Hey,” he said, “It’s you, from General Cornwallis’s party.”

    Juliana focused on the man’s features as he spoke again. “It’s me – Sam Parker. You met me at one of the General’s place last year.”

    Juliana breathed a sigh of relief because she finally recognized the man standing in front of her. “Oh – yes. That was at my first one.”

    “That’s right.” He frowned at her tear-streaked face. “What’s the matter?”

    “I need to get to Cowpens,” she said.

    “What you wanna go up there for?”

    “It’s Colonel Tavington,” she said. “I think he’s been hurt, and I think it’s serious. Do you know of anyone who can take me or who can at least tell me the way?”

    Sam nodded slowly. “I can.”

    xxx

    Juliana rushed into the house. There were a million things to do before she could leave with Sam the following morning.

    “Is it often that you run off and leave those babies with strangers?”

    Juliana stopped cold at the entrance of the parlor. Someone she hadn’t seen for a decade stood in the center of the room with her hands on her hips and a familiar smirk on her face.

    “Lydia,” Juliana said. She briskly walked over to her older sister and wrapped her arms around her. “What are you doin’ here? What about Mr. Melvin?”

    “Mr. Melvin passed on,” Lydia said, referring to her former master. “His son took up arms for the patriot cause and freed all his daddy’s slaves ’cause he said it didn’t seem right to be fightin’ for freedom and to be ownin’ other people at the same time. So, he let us go.”

    “That’s wonderful,” Juliana said, her face beaming at the sight of her sister. “How did you know to find me here?”

    “Girl, you know it don’t take hardly take no time for somethin’ to make its way around that small town where I was livin’, especially if it has to do with Colonel Tavington. I would’ve come sooner, but I had some business to take care of.” Sadness momentarily flashed in her dark eyes, but it quickly disappeared as her thoughts turned to a happier subject. “Now – let me see these children.”

    Juliana led Lydia up the stairs to the bedroom she shared with Tavington. Juliana placed her hand on the doorknob, but Lydia stopped her from opening the door.

    “I had a little one of my own,” Lydia said.

    Juliana smiled, ready to congratulate her sister, but she was caught up on the word ‘had’, and her eager smile faded.

    “She died after she was born,” Lydia said.

    “When?” Juliana asked.

    “I had her a month ago. She died two weeks later.”

    “Lydia – I’m so sorry. If seein’ mine is going to be too much – ”

    “It’s okay,” Lydia said. “It’s still a difficult thing to deal with, for sure, but I’m yours are gonna help me.”

    Juliana’s smile returned, and she pushed the door open. Lydia stepped inside and went straight to the crib on the far side of the room.

    “There they are, the little precious angels,” Lydia gushed.

    Juliana stepped beside her at the crib. “This is Helena and Daniel,” she said.

    “A boy and a girl,” Lydia said, a proud grin on her face. “Well, ain’t that somethin’?”

    The two children were asleep, unable to greet their aunt. Lydia looked from the crib to Juliana. “They are absolutely beautiful, Juliana,” she said.

    “Thank you,” Juliana said.

    Lydia took a step back from the crib and looked around at the room. “If this is your room, I can only imagine what the colonel’s room is like,” she said, casually pacing.

    “This is the colonel’s room,” Juliana said quietly.

    Lydia’s smile disappeared and was replaced by a look of disappointment as she looked at Juliana. “Juliana – no.”

    Juliana led Lydia from the room, so as not to wake the children. She closed the door behind them. “It isn’t what you think it is, Lydia,” she said once they were out in the hall.

    “No? How is it not? You share his room, his bed. And I’m assumin’ those are his children in there.” She watched Juliana, waiting for an answer. “Oh, dear Lord – he didn’t force himself on you, did he?”

    “No, never,” Juliana said. “It isn’t like that.” She paused and sighed. “How could I ever explain it to you?”

    “Try,” Lydia said.

    xxx

    Juliana sat across from Lydia in the kitchen. A cup of tea was on the table in front of Lydia.

    Lydia looked down at the brown liquid with obvious disdain. “Tea,” she said. “My, aren’t we civilized, now?”

    Juliana ignored the comment. “It didn’t start out like this,” she began.

    “It never does, does it?” Lydia sipped from her mug. “When? How?”

    “Well, you know that he got me when he raided Mr. Harris’s place,” Juliana said.

    “Yes, I heard,” Lydia said. She pushed the half-empty mug away from her. “I also heard about him dressin’ you up and cartin’ you around to all those bigwig parties. Is that how it started?”

    Juliana shook her head. “No. It started with dinner.”

    “Dinner?”

    “One of the slaves who was already here when I got here, she decided to … ” Juliana lowered her voice and continued. ” … poison the Colonel.”

    “What?”

    “She told me about it before she did it. It almost worked.”

    “What happened? To the slave, I mean.” Tavington was still alive, so obviously, the slave’s attempt at murder had failed.

    Juliana shook her head. “I couldn’t let her do it. I just couldn’t. I warned Colonel Tavington before he had a chance to eat. I don’t know why. It was my chance to get away, to be free, and I let it slip right through my fingers. After that, that’s when he changed. See, before, I was just a souvenir, a reminder of his military prowess and success. But after I … saved him, it changed. Not all at once, but gradually … ”

    “Why, Juliana? Why not just let her go through with it? It wasn’t your plan.”

    “Because I couldn’t be like him. He does things only for himself. If the roles had been reversed, he would have let me eat my meal and probably wouldn’t have thought twice about it. He doesn’t care about anyone else. That’s how it used to be, anyway. Me, on the other hand, I couldn’t let someone die like that, with no warnin’ or anything. It’s like shootin’ someone in the back. So, I told. The slave who came up with the plot and another who helped her were both arrested and killed.”

    “They would be alive now if you hadn’t said anything.”

    “Maybe. But Will would certainly not be, and neither would Helena and Daniel. And no matter what you say or what you think of Will, those children are a blessin’.”

    “Will?”

    “What is it you want to say to me, Lydia?” Juliana’s frustration with her sister’s attitude became more prominent.

    Lydia stood, as equally frustrated with Juliana as Juliana was with her. “I shouldn’t have to say it, it should be obvious. I can’t believe you would willingly go to bed with this ‘Colonel Will’ and breed more slaves for him.”

    “What are you talkin’ about?” Juliana asked, peering up at her sister’s imposing figure.

    “What do you think you and those children are to him? You ain’t nothin’ but slaves, and don’t you dare fool yourself into thinkin’ you’re anything else,you here?”

    “You don’t understand,” Juliana insisted.

    “No, you don’t.” Lydia walked around the table to Juliana. “You’re his slave, Juliana, not his wife. You belong to him just like this chair or this table or this tea. And he will use you up and toss you out when you aren’t valuable to him anymore.”

    “It isn’t like that, Lydia. You don’t know all that we’ve been through. If you did, you wouldn’t be sayin’ these things.”

    Lydia kneeled beside Juliana. “Juliana, I don’t understand what’s wrong with you. Do you want those children to grow up like you did? Worse yet, what if he decides he wants to sell them off later on down the road? Or you? What you gonna do then?”

    Juliana shot to her feet, nearly knocking Lydia to her backside in the process. “Enough! Enough. He wouldn’t do that.” This whole conversation reminded her of a conversation she’d had with Tavington about her grandfather, only then, she’d been defending her grandfather to Tavington. Now she was defending Tavington. It was the same conversation; the only difference was that the roles had changed.

    “Don’t you see what’s happenin’ here, girl?” Lydia asked as she stood. “Open your eyes. Tavington’s gonna do the same thing, gonna treat you the same way that Mr. Harris did. He’s probably already doin’ it.”

    “He is not.”

    “Really? How does he act when he’s in public with you? Does he walk arm-in-arm with you? Or do you walk behind him? Does he ever tell you how much he loves you?”

    “It isn’t that easy, Lydia. He has an image to keep up, orders to follow. After the war, it will be different.” Juliana realized that she was repeating what had become Tavington’s customary excuse for his actions. She hadn’t believed it at first, but she heard it so much now, it was difficult not to.

    “After the war, you will still be working as a slave in his house.”

    “No. It isn’t going to be like that because it isn’t like that now. I don’t work around here. I’ve barely lifted a finger since the day I arrived. My way of life here has been better than how most white folks live. And … I love him. You can’t help who you fall in love with.”

    “Don’t be such a silly little thing. You really think he loves you?”

    “I know he does.” Lydia was understandably skeptical, but Juliana continued. “He loves me, Lydia. I know it. That’s why I’m leavin’ for Cowpens in the mornin’.”

    “What’s in Cowpens?”

    “Will. I think he’s hurt. I’ve got to go see about him.”

    “So, you’re tellin’ me that you’re gonna leave your children to go see about this white man who probably wouldn’t think twice about leavin’ you to rot?”

    “He wouldn’t leave me,” Juliana answered softly.

    “How do you know he wouldn’t?”

    “Some rebel militia took me a while ago, carried me off to their camp. I was there for a whole month. I thought I would be there forever. Then one night, I was servin’ the men there, and I looked up from my pail, and he was standin’ right there in front of me. He took me away from that camp and those vile men. He rescued me, even though he was under orders not to. He came after me, Lydia. He risked his career. He risked his life. So, you tell me – am I just supposed to leave him there, now? How can I? How can I do that to him?”

    Lydia was silent. Juliana had just given her a new perspective on the situation. She hadn’t known about that little episode. Apparently, not everything made it’s way through the grapevine. It still didn’t mean that Tavington was completely trustworthy, but it did say something about the man’s priorities.

    “I still think you should take advantage and run away with your children while you can,” Lydia said. “But I can’t stop you from goin’ to the Colonel. Knowin’ what I know now, I’m not sure I can blame you all that much anymore. I’m your sister, and you know I’ll do what I can to help you. I’ll stay and take care of things here while you’re gone.”

    “Lydia? Do you mean it?”

    “You should go ahead and pack,” was Lydia’s reply. “I reckon y’all are gonna be leavin’ mighty early tomorrow mornin’.”

  • Possession – Chapter 22

    It had been a little over an hour since Tavington had left, and Juliana knew it wouldn’t be much longer before the baby arrived. The pains were closer than ever, now.

    He’s going to miss it, Juliana thought. He’s going to miss it.

    “Alright, Juliana,” Dr. Ross began, “it’s time to push again. You must push as hard as you possibly can, Juliana. You must.”

    Juliana nodded. “I understand.”

    “Push with the next pain,” Ross instructed.

    Juliana nodded. The next pain was quick in coming, and her body tensed in response. Ross ordered her to push, and she did, eyes closed, teeth bared. She didn’t notice the minor commotion occurring outside the bedroom door. Tavington barged into the room.

    Ross looked from his work to the open door. “Colonel – perhaps you should wait outside?”

    Tavington glared at Ross on his way to Juliana’s bed. He couldn’t care less about traditions or the proper etiquette for a man in his situation.

    “Juliana,” he said, kneeling beside the bed. He picked up her hand.

    “Did you find the people you were searching for?” Juliana managed, though she was visibly winded.

    “Don’t worry about any of that right now,” Tavington said. “Are you well? How do you feel?”

    “I’m fine, Will.” Juliana looked over at Dr. Ross. “Aren’t I, Doctor?”

    “Everything is moving along nicely. You’re right where you’re supposed to be. It won’t be much longer,” Ross told Juliana. “Rest now; you have to be ready when the next pain comes along.”

    Juliana let her head drop to the pillow beneath it, and Ross put another damp towel on her forehead. Juliana closed her eyes and breathed deeply.

    “You’re just in time, Colonel,” Ross told Tavington. He looked down at Juliana again in time to see her tense again in pain. “It’s time to push again, Juliana. You must push hard, as hard as you can. Now, Juliana!”

    And she did. She bore down and pushed for all she was worth. Tavington watched the whole scene in silent fascination. Never in all his years had he witnessed anything like this before.

    Juliana knew it was all over when she heard a baby’s wail.

    “It’s a boy,” Ross cheerily reported. Juliana and Tavington looked at each other, smiling. They’d already discussed names and figured themselves to be prepared for whatever might come their way.

    “Daniel,” Juliana said, naming her son.

    Ross handed Daniel to his assistant. When he turned back to Juliana, his brows furrowed as he was greeted with the unexpected.

    Tavington didn’t like the look at all. “What is it?”

    “Something isn’t right,” Ross said.

    “What do you mean?” Tavington asked. His anger began to flare. “I thought you said you’d done this before?”

    “I have,” Ross insisted. “But this isn’t normal.”

    “What is it?” Juliana asked, alarmed. “What’s wrong?”

    “Juliana, push,” Ross ordered abruptly.

    “But – ”

    “Just do it!”

    Juliana obliged, though she was confused by the order and didn’t expect anything to happen. But something was happening. “It feels like there’s another baby,” she said, pushing.

    “There is,” Ross said.

    “What?” Tavington and Juliana asked in unison.

    “Keep pushing,” Ross instructed.

    It didn’t take as long to deliver the second baby, and it came with less difficulty. In a matter of minutes, there was a second wail from a second baby.

    “It’s a girl!” Ross exclaimed.

    Juliana and Tavington looked at each other, each trying to come to terms with the situation. They already had a name in mind for the girl; they hadn’t thought they would have to use it after Daniel’s arrival. Having twins hadn’t even been a prospect.

    “Helena,” Juliana said, as the girl was handed to the attendant and cleaned. A few moments later, Ross and the attendant returned to the bed.

    “Daniel,” Ross said, presenting the boy to Juliana. He turned to Tavington. “And Helena.” The attendant handed the girl to Tavington, who looked like he wanted to sprint from the room.

    “I’ve never held one before,” Tavington croaked as the girl was pushed into his arms.

    “Put your arm under her head like this,” Ross’s assistant instructed.

    Still unsure of himself, Tavington cradled the baby in the crook of his arm. “Like this?” he asked.

    “You gonna have to get a better grip on her, Colonel, or she’s gonna slip right through your fingers,” Ross’s attendant gently chided. “Go on – you ain’t gonna hurt her.” Tavington gently tightened his grip on the child. The young slave smiled and nodded in approval. “There you go. Oh, she likes you, Colonel.”

    Tavington couldn’t help but smile as he looked down at his daughter. He looked down into her eyes and recognized them as his own. He didn’t know exactly what this meant for him or Juliana, but he knew that things would be different for them from this point on. Things would be very different.

    A/N: Sorry if this chapter seems a bit off at all. That’s what happens when you fall out of practice, lol.

  • Possession – Chapter 21

    The Continental attack on Charles Town had been a valiant effort, but it was, nevertheless, unsuccessful. The British had been able to hold on to the city.

    Then Juliana had told him that she was going to have a child, and he’d been rendered momentarily speechless. A child? His child?

    Tavington hadn’t questioned the paternity of the child when Juliana had told him. He didn’t have any reason to believe that the child wasn’t his. Juliana wasn’t the type of person who would betray his trust, especially in that manner.

    Now, nearly six months had passed.

    Juliana, now eight months along, stood behind Tavington, studying his appearance in the dressing mirror. They had returned to Charles Town three weeks ago. The rebels had turned the house inside out looking for valuables and probably the party who’d been responsible for the deaths of the two soldiers that Juliana had killed.

    Juliana stepped around in front of Tavington and adjusted the collar of his dress uniform. He was headed to Middleton Place that night to attend one of Cornwallis’s parties.

    “Is it crooked?” Tavington asked. Out of the corner of his eye, he attempted to look at himself in the mirror.

    Juliana smoothed the collar back down. “Not anymore,” she answered.

    Tavington fully turned to the mirror again, studied himself for a moment, and promptly slumped. “I hate going to these things,” he said. “It’s a waste of energy and resources during wartime, not to mention time. The only thing that made them even mildly bearable was you.”

    “Well, I can’t go with you like this,” Juliana said, indicating to her pregnant mid-section.

    “I know,” Tavington said, turning back to her. He sighed. “I just wish I didn’t have to go at all. These socialites are absolutely ruthless. I’d rather go into battle.”

    “It’ll all be over with before you know it,” Juliana said.

    “That isn’t soon enough,” Tavington spat. “I’ll be glad when this blasted war is over and done with.”

    Most of Juliana agreed with Tavington’s sentiment, but there was a part of her that didn’t, as inconceivable as that was. She didn’t want the war to be over because it would bring so many unknowns. She walked away from the mirror and sat down on the bed.

    Tavington immediately picked up on the sudden change in Juliana’s demeanor. “What’s the matter?” he asked. He joined her, taking up the spot beside her. “Is it the baby? ”

    “No,” Juliana answered quickly. Then she reconsidered. “Well … yes it is, I suppose.”

    Tavington sprung to his feet. “I’ll go fetch the doctor.”

    Juliana grabbed his hand. “No, Will, it isn’t time for that,” she said.

    “But—”

    “What I mean is, what’s gonna happen to us after the war is finally over?” Juliana asked straightforwardly.

    Tavington sat back down on the bed. “Whatever do you mean?” he asked. “The war ending will be the best thing that could ever happen to us. Why, we’ll settle down somewhere. I don’t know exactly where, yet, but land is certainly not scarce around here. I’m highly confident that we’ll find somewhere suitable. Who knows? I might very well be appointed to a public office, if my successful record in this war is anything to go on. After the war, we can be rid of this nasty business and we can truly begin our life together.”

    Juliet immediately noted how optimistic Tavington sounded, but Juliet was less hopeful. “Yes,” Juliana said. “You as the master and us as your slaves.” She placed her hand on her swollen belly for emphasis.

    “No,” Tavington contradicted. “You know that isn’t how it will be. Is it like that now?”

    “No, of course not,” Juliana said. “At least not in private. But I think you know what I’m talkin’ about, Will.”

    “Juliana, we have been over this time and again,” Tavington began. “I do not have the luxury of placing our relationship on display for all the world to see. I am bound by strict social protocol. You know that.”

    “Yes, I do,” Juliana said, irked. She didn’t particularly appreciate that Tavington was speaking to her as if she were a child. “Don’t tell me about ‘social protocol’. I know all about it. It’s the story of my life. Or haven’t you forgotten who my grandfather was and how I lived there. What I have a problem with is you acting like society will suddenly change after the war ends. Do you really believe that?” Juliana asked skeptically.

    “Yes.” Tavington’s answer was swift and honest. “After this war is over, I will have status, and status is power,” he explained. “And once I have that, I will truly be free. And so will you.” Juliana looked away from him, disbelieving and frustrated. Tavington reached up, gently grasped her chin, and made her look at him again. “I know it’s impossible to see right now, but things will be so much better for us once this war is over. I’m going to have the kind of family that I never had; I’m going to have the type of family I have always wanted; I’m going to have it with you, Juliana.”

    “I don’t see how that’ll be possible,” Juliana said.

    Tavington nodded. “I know; but it will be, I promise you. I will make it possible. You just have to trust me.”

    xxx

    The evening was still very young, yet Tavington was already prepared to throw himself onto his own sword. As soon as he’d arrived, Cornwallis had summoned him to his private quarters. Once there, Tavington had stood by and listened to the general berate him for their inability to make any significant progress in the fight against the rebels.

    Now, even as Tavington stood on Middleton’s sprawling lawn, Cornwallis’s words still rung in his ears, and they still stung like the dickens. “Fine soldier you are, bested by a bedtime story.”Cornwallis’s exact words.

    And as if what had happened with Cornwallis weren’t enough, Tavington now found himself trapped in a meaningless conversation with two young Colonial women.

    “Tell me, Colonel,” one of the women began, “Don’t you usually have a slave girl that accompanies you to these social occasions?” The woman’s name was Alaina, and her voice contained a twang typical of American southerners.

    “You mean Juliana,” Tavington said with a nod. “Yes, she usually joins me; however, in her present condition, I thought it best if she remained at the house this evening.”

    The second woman, Victoria, chuckled and turned to Alaina. “What the good colonel means is that he’s about to gain another slave, as the girl is with child.”

    “Oh! What good fortune you’ve stumbled upon, then,” Alaina said. “It’s always good when they’re fertile. A person can start off with two and have enough to work a farm in a matter of years. A good pair of slaves is a mighty fine investment, that’s what I say.”

    “It isn’t even the case that a person always needs to begin with a pair.” O’Hara casually strolled over to join their little group. “Is it, Colonel Tavington?” O’Hara asked, suggestively.

    Tavington merely glared at O’Hara, but the other man didn’t seem affected by it. O’Hara continued, turning to the ladies. “Colonel Tavington knows this from first-hand experience, or so I hear. The word spreading through the ranks is that our dear Colonel Tavington is the father of his slave’s child.” The pronouncement appeared to render the female companions speechless, meaning that O’Hara had at least partially satisfied his agenda. He smiled innocently. “Of course that’s just a nasty little rumor,” he added. He turned his gaze on Tavington. “Though it’s spreading like wildfire.”

    Tavington took a measured sip of his champagne. This night couldn’t possibly get any worse – could it?

    As if on cue, a military supply ship visible in Charles Town harbor burst into flames. Tavington drained his glass and threw it to the ground. It consequently shattered into about a million shards. The night had just gotten worse.

    xxx

    Juliana gazed out the bedroom window at the quiet night. She wanted desperately to believe Tavington when he said that things would be different for better after the war was over. But it was all just so difficult to fathom. It seemed so impossible. After a year with Will Tavington, however, Juliana should know that the man rarely settled. If there was something that he wanted, he went after it until it was his.

    Juliana turned away from the window, and it was then that the first pain hit. It was unlike any pain that she’d ever experienced. She’d never been pregnant before, so she did not know if it was a normal pain. What she did know was that it hurt. The pain shot through her abdomen like a bolt of lightning.

    William had, fortunately, not accompanied Tavington to Middleton Place, but Juliana did not know where in the house he was at this moment. She hoped that he was on the upper floor because she was uncertain whether she would make it down the stairs to the first floor before another pain hit her. She called out for him, praying that he would hear her and come to her.

    Within a few moments, William appeared in the bedroom doorway. He found Juliana sitting on the floor at the foot of the bed. “Sweet Lord,” he said, and quickly moved to her side. He helped her into the bed.

    “I think I’m havin’ the baby,” Juliana said. She grimaced as another wave of pain came on. “You have to go get some help.” What Juliana wouldn’t have given to have Eugenia or even Eleanor around for this moment. Well, maybe not Eleanor. Looking back, there would be no way to ensure that Eleanor wouldn’t have tried to find some way to kill the child.

    William nodded. He didn’t want to leave her alone, but he had no choice. Of all the nights, Juliana had to have the baby on a night where the house was completely empty except for them – and on a night when nearly every person in Charles Town was out at Middleton Place for the ball.

    He practically leapt down the stairs and sprinted through the front door to the four Dragoons standing guard on the porch. “Juliana needs a doctor,” William exhaled excitedly. “She’s havin’ the baby. She needs a doctor.”

    The officers all looked at one another, initially unsure of what to do. Their military training had failed to prepare them for a moment such as this. But Tavington had left explicit instructions on what to do if this kind of emergency were to arise. The senior officer of the group, a man by the name of Hobson, stepped into action. “Go up and see to her,” he commanded one of the soldiers. The soldier nodded and quickly entered the house.

    Hobson turned to the remaining soldiers. “Gedrick, search the town for a doctor; Foster, you stand guard here,” he instructed, already mounting his horse. “If you can’t find a doctor, a mid-wife will do. I’m riding out to Middleton Place to fetch Colonel Tavington. You have your orders.” And he was off.

    xxx

    The strong stench of burning wood that greeted Hobson as he rode up to the front of Middleton Place was the first indicator that something was wrong. Hobson found the second indicator when he stepped on to the back lawn. There was a heightened sense of excitement that was out of place at what was usually a calm gathering. As Hobson began to move through the crowd, he noticed that most of the guests were looking at the harbor. He quickly realized why when he, himself, looked out to where they looked. A ship, what was left of it, was smoldering on the water.

    Hobson quickly located a cavalry officer from his unit and strode over to him. “Where is Colonel Tavington?” Hobson asked.

    “He’s gone,” the soldiers replied. “He left with the Dragoons. Went searching for the blasted rebels. They blew up our supply ship in the harbor.”

    “Damn,” Hobson cursed. “Did you see what direction they set out for?”

    “They split up,” the soldier said. “But Tavington and his group of men went back towards Charles Town.”

    xxx

    Back in Charles Town, Tavington’s men had already arrived. “Search the shops, the houses – anywhere that might provide a hiding place,” Tavington instructed. The men formed into groups of two or three and scattered, proceeding to search the buildings.

    Damn the rebels, Tavington thought bitterly. If it hadn’t been for them, he would more than likely be returning home from the party by now.

    Home … Tavington turned to the two men who had remained at his side. “Tell the others to meet me at my house,” he said.

    “Yes, sir,” came the reply from both.

    Tavington barely heard the reply, as he was off the moment after he gave the order. If those rebels were hiding somewhere in this town, Juliana could possibly be in danger. They knew where he lived, and they had taken her before. He would make certain that they would not this time.

    The first sign of trouble when Tavington arrived at the house was that there was only one guard on the porch. Tavington had left four on duty.

    He rode up to the porch and promptly dismounted. “Where are the others?” he demanded, marching up the porch steps. “I specifically ordered that the four of you were to remain on watch at all times until I returned.”

    Before the officer could reply, a loud cry emanated from the house. Tavington brushed past the officer into the house and sprinted up the stairs. He met one of the guard duty officers at the door to his bedroom. Timidly removing his helmet and handing it off to the guard, he stepped into the bedroom.

    Juliana lay on the bed, William by her side holding her hand. She looked up just as Tavington was entering the room.

    “Will,” she said, grateful that he’d arrived. William stood as Tavington approached.

    “She started having pains about an hour ago, sir,” William reported. “One of the soldiers out front went to go fetch a doctor.”

    Tavington heard it, but he said nothing. His eyes remained fixed on Juliana, and he walked right past William on his way to her. He knelt by the bed and grasped her hand.

    “Will,” Juliana said. “You made it.”

    “Juliana … ” Tavington’s voice trailed with concern. Another pain wracked Juliana’s body, but it wasn’t severe enough to make her cry out. “Where’s that damned doctor?” Tavington demanded.

    “Right here.”

    Everyone turned to the door. Gedrick, the soldier who’d gone out to search for the doctor had returned, and he wasn’t alone. The man that Gedrick had returned with marched into the room, immediately ready to get to work. “When did the pains begin?” he asked.

    “About an hour ago, sir,” William replied.

    Tavington stood upright, his brows knitted in suspicion. “Who the devil are you?” he asked.

    “Dr. Samuel Ross,” the man said. “I’m one of three doctors in Charles Town.” He walked over to the side of the bed and smiled down at Juliana. “We’re going to take good care of you, my dear. You have nothing to worry about.” He walked to the foot of the bed and began to set up shop.

    Juliana looked up at Tavington again. “I’m so glad you’re here.”

    Tavington knelt by the bedside again. “I’m afraid I can’t stay, my dear,” he told her. “I wasn’t even aware of your condition. His lordship has sent me and my men out on a hunt for some damned rebels. I must go and attend to the matter.” Torn, Tavington actually seriously considered remaining with Juliana. Of course he wanted to be present for the birth of his very own child, but if he remained, and Cornwallis found out, he would be finished, and so would Juliana and their child. Damn the bloody rebels, Tavington thought. Damn them for creating this impossible predicament.

    “I’ll be back as soon as I can,” he vowed. Sometimes it took hours for babies to be born, Tavington reminded himself. He hoped that this would be so for Juliana.

    He stood and beckoned Ross to join him outside in the hallway. As they exited the room, a young slave woman entered with cloths and a water basin. “Everything should go smoothly,” Ross began to assure Tavington. “She looks as if she’s progressing normally, so far, and I’m not expecting any problems to arise.”

    “They had better well not,” Tavington said menacingly. “You’d better damn well know what you’re doing. If anything happens to her, I will make sure you regret the first day you ever dreamed of becoming a doctor. Is that understood?”

    Ross blanched. “Yes, Colonel.”

    “Very well, then,” Tavington said. He couldn’t say that he was completely comfortable, leaving Juliana in this man’s care. Tavington had no idea who the man was, after all. He knew nothing of his credentials or qualifications. But at the moment, this Ross fellow was all they had. He would have to do.

    Tavington retrieved his helmet from the officer he handed it to earlier. “I shall return.”