Innocence Lost

Chapter Ten

Three days later, Tavington returned with his men. Anne was sitting alone on the front porch as their horses came in through the gate. She was relieved to see that Tavington was a good mood, as she observed him and Bordon talking animatedly after they'd dismounted and were headed to the house.

"Were you waiting for me?" Tavington was pleased to see Anne on the porch as they reached the house.

Anne didn't answer, but gave him an uncertain smile. She still hadn't decided how she was going to break the news of his impending fatherhood. As Tavington and Bordon stepped onto the porch to join her, she was suddenly overcome with a wave of nausea. Pointing to the back yard, where the privy stood, she told them, "I'll be right back!". Without waiting for a response, Anne hurried away, hoping that she'd get to the privy before she threw up in front of them.

She barely made it; the vomit came as soon as she'd slammed the outhouse door shut. Anne hadn't had much for lunch that day, so there wasn't much to bring up. After she was finished, she lingered for a few minutes to collect herself, so that Tavington wouldn't see her red face.

".....going to do about it?" Two dragoons were passing by behind the privy. Anne decided to stay where she was until they were gone.

"I don't know," the second dragoon said. "I don't think it was fair of Tavington to make Sarah leave, now that she's with child."

"He's a cold bastard, that's for sure," the first Dragoon replied.

Anne couldn't hear any more of what the men were saying, as they'd walked out of her earshot. But she'd heard enough. She sat down weakly as she considered the import of the men’s words. It seemed obvious to her that William had ejected one of the camp followers for getting pregnant. She couldn't tell him about her pregnancy now.

After a few more minutes, she finally left the outhouse and headed back to the porch, where she found Bordon standing alone waiting for her.

"I was about to give up on you," Bordon said as she stepped back onto the porch. "Colonel Tavington sends his regrets, but Colonel Tarleton needed to confer with him. He asked that you wait here for him and that he would return shortly."

"Will you stay here with me until he comes back?" Anne smiled shyly.

"I'd be delighted." He returned her smile.

The two chatted amiably for a few minutes before Anne was beset with another bout of nausea. She jumped up and said, "Please excuse me for a moment," as she ran back toward the privy yet again. This time, she wasn't quick enough and threw up before she'd gotten more than a dozen yards from the porch.

When she returned to the porch, Bordon was looking at her with concern and sudden understanding. "Are you all right?" he asked. "How long has this been going on?"

"About a week," she admitted.

"You know," he said as he looked away, his face crimson, "my wife had this same problem shortly after she discovered she was with child."

"How did you know?" Anne whispered, dismayed that Bordon had guessed her condition so quickly.

"I didn't know for sure," he said. "I just remembered what my wife had gone through." Turning to face her, he asked, "Have you told Colonel Tavington yet?"

"No," she replied. "I'm kind of afraid to tell him."

"I don't think you should be," Bordon said. "And he does deserve to know he's to become a father."

"I overheard some soldiers talking and they said that William made one of the camp followers leave because she is with child," Anne told him.

"That doesn't sound right," Bordon said. "There have been a few other camp followers who ended up with child and Colonel Tavington did not interfere with them."

"All I know is what I overheard."

"Did they say which woman it was?"

"They mentioned a woman named Sarah."

"Oh, I know what happened now!" Bordon said. "Sarah Bradley has been with us for quite some time and she's been a troublemaker from the first day. Several soldiers had been fighting over her and Colonel Tavington will not put up with such a lack of discipline. We are to work together as a single unit and anything that threatens this must be eliminated. And I've heard that she's had fights with several of the other women as well. Colonel Tavington had no doubt had enough of this woman disrupting our group and decided to put an end to it."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm positive," Borassuassured her.

"I'm glad to know that," Anne said. "But I'm still not looking forward to telling him."

"The sooner you get it over with, the better," Bordon said. "He'll have time to adjust to the idea before the baby is born." Pointing in the direction of the Dragoon encampment, he continued, "Here he comes now."

"Wish me luck," she said, still feeling apprehensive.

"You'll be fine," he said, giving her a slight smile.

As Tavington joined them, Bordon said, "If you will excuse me, I've got some things I need to do."

"Of course, Bordon," Tavington said. "Thank you for keeping Mrs Martin company for me."

After Bordon had left, Tavington turned to Anne, "Would you care to take a walk?"

"Yes," she said. "I'd like that."

Anne did not say anything as they walked toward the Sizemore's flower garden. Her heart was beating madly as she tried to summon the courage to tell him her news.

"What is it, Anne?" Tavington asked. "You usually aren't this quiet. What is bothering you?"

"Let's sit down," she said as they came upon a bench at the far end of the garden. Once they'd seated themselves, she continued, "I've got something to tell you."

"Yes?"

"I don't quite know how to tell you this...."

Tavington interrupted her with a sigh of exasperation.

"I'm chi child!" she blurted out.

"Oh," Tavington said with a distinct lack of enthusiasm. "Well, I suppose I shouldn't be surprised." He sighed loudly again. "We haven't exactly been anything approaching chaste," he said dryly.

Anne turned away from him. "I was hoping you would have been happier about this."

"You have to give me time to get used to it," he said. "I've never considered fatherhood before. I'm not sure that I like it."

"Well, I'm going to have this baby, whether you like it or not," Anne snapped in a rare show of temper.

Tavington chuckled heartily, "Ah, you've got some spirit after all. I wasinniinning to wonder." Serious once again, he said, "Don't worry, Anne. Our child will be taken care of."

Anne gave him a hesitant smile, hoping he was sincere.