Innocence Lost

Chapter Eleven

A few months later, Anne accompanied Tavingtnd hnd his dragoons to Cornwallis' headquarters for the Christmas holidays. Cornwallis was to host a large Christmas party for all British forces in the area and they would be staying there for several days. She hadn't left the Sizemore estate since Tavington had abducted her and was looking forward to seeing something different.

Because of Anne's advanced state of pregnancy, the Sizemore's slave, Sally, who was a midwife, was brought with them to act as maidsnt ant and to be available in the unlikely chance that she went into premature labor. Anne was glad to have her along, because she'd been the only woman Anne had to talk to since arriving at the Sizemores. Tavington had not allowed her to associate with the camp followers and the Sizemore women considered Anne to be beneath them.

Shortly after they arrived, Tavington was called into a staff meeting with Cornwallis and several other officers. Anne was worn out from the journey from the Sizemore estate, so she retired immediately. The room Tavington had been assigned to was much smaller than what he had at the Sizemore mansion, but Anne didn't care. She was tired enough that she could have fallen asleep on a wooden bench.

Anne awoke several hours later when she felt Tavington ease into bed with her.

"Mmm, it shouldn't be too much longer now," he said as he wrapped his arms around her, his hands on her belly. He nestled closer to her, becoming instantly aroused as he did so. The weather had turned bitterly cold and he couldn't think of a better way to warm up than to lose himself in the heat of Anne's body.

She sighed as she felt him lift her nightgown. Normally she enjoyed their bed sport, but as the time drew closer for their child's birth, lovemaking had become awkward and tiring for her. "Can you please be quick about it? I'm not feeling all that well."

"You can lie still," he hissed, entering her from behind as they laid together spoon fashion. "I will do the work." Tavington was irritated with her recent lack of passion and took her more roughly than he had originally intended

Tears silently rolled down Anne's face as Tavington took his pleasure from her. Though he'd gradually come to be generally gentle and considerate with her in the months they'd been together, there were occasional hints of the brutality Anne knew Tavington was quite capable of.

To Anne's relief, he finished fairly quickly and fell almost immediately asleep, still inside her. She followed suit a few minutes later, still exhausted from the day's events.

The next afternoon Anne and Tavington joined Bordon and several others in front of the fireplace in the common room after the noon meal. Anne enjoyed the rare times when they joined these informal gatherings, as she was usually rather lonesome for conversation. Today was a special treat because quite a few of the men had their wives, girlfriends, or mistresses with them. The mood was festive, with Christmas gifts being exchanged all around.

Anne enjoyed watching the pleased expressions on the faces ofers ers as they opened their gifts. She was surprised when Tavington set a large box in front of her. She opened it eagerly to find an elegant full length velvet cape, hunter green with black trim.

"Oh, it's beautiful," Anne said. "Thank you!"

"Colonel Tavington?" Captain Wilkins stood in the doorway hesitantly. "Might I have a word with you."

Tavington looked up in irritation at Wilkins. "Make it brief," he said. Turning to the group, he said, "Please excuse me for a few minutes."

Once he and Wilkins were out in the hall, he said, "What is it?"

"I thought you might like to know that several of Benjamin Martin's men were captured and just ght ght here," Wilkins told him. "They're in the holding pen now."

"That is good news," Tavington said. "Did get get Martin himself?"

"No, unfortunately," Wilkins said. "But Gabriel Martin is one of the prisoners."

"Very interesting," Tavington said, a smile slowly spreading across his face. "I think I'll go pay Mr Martin a visit."

After telling Anne that he had some unexpected business to attend to and that he would return soon, he hurried over to the prisoner holding area. Several men were milling about inside the enclosure as Tavington approached. He spotted Gabriel Martin leaning against a tree near the enclosure's gate.

Martin noticed him at almost the same time.

"Tavington!" Martin called out. "What have you done with my wife?"

"Your wife?" he said, feigning ignorance."

"Don't pretend you don't know who I mean," Gabriel insisted. "You were seen leaving Pembroke with her on your horse.

"Ah, Pembroke," the other man said. "Was that woman your wife?"

Gabriel's heart sunk when he heard Tavington refer to Anne in the past tense. Almost desperately, he begged, "Please, can't you at least tell me where you buried her so I can put up a headstone?"

"Don't carry on so," Tavington said harshly. "You won't get anywhere with me acting like that." Turning away from Martin, he addressed the entire group, "Anyone who can give me reliable information as to the whereabouts of Benjamin Martin will be released."

"You really expect us to tell you that?" a rawboned man named Sykes said. "My wife and daughter were in that church you burned in Pembroke." Moving to stand in front of Tavington, he said, "Go to hell, you miserable son of a bitch," then spat a wad of chewing tobacco through the bars into his face.

Without a moment's hesitation, Tavington drew his pistol and shot him point blank in the head. Sykes crumpled, dead before he hit the ground. "Who's next?" Tavington demanded.

The other men turned away, not wanting to get involved.

"I can see I'm wasting my time here," Tavington said, turning to walk away. "So be it."

As Gabriel Martin kneeled before the slumped form of Jonas Sykes and watched the haughty British officer stride away, he lost all hope that Anne might still be alive.

Tavington rejoined Anne a few minutes later. After a short time, he turned to her and casually asked, "Would you like to take a walk? It's getting a little stuffy in here."

"Yes, I could use the air," she said. "I think I'll wear my new cape."

As they walked along the fort's perimeter, Tavington took her hand. Anne looked sideways at him, as they rarely held hands, but did not pull away. The afternoon had been so pleasant and she did not want to break the spell.

Within a few minutes, they approached the prisoner holding area. Anne stopped dead in her tracks as she began to recognize some of the men inside the enclosure.

"Oh, my God!" Her hands flew up to her mouth as she spied Gabriel among the group. She turned back to Tavington with a questioning look.

"Merry Christmas, my dear," he said softly. "Go ahead, I brought you out here so you could have a visit with him."

After giving him a grateful look, Anne half walked, half ran to the pen. Tavington followed her at a leisurely pace.

"Gabriel!" Anne stood at the bars, her hands reaching through to her husband.

Gabriel Martin's head jerked up, not quite able to believe what he saw. He rushed over to Anne, grabbing her hands and holding on as if for dear life. "I thought you were dead!" he said, tears coming into his eyes. Kissing her hands urgently, "I never thought I'd see you again!"

"Nor I you." Anne was crying freely now. "I waited so long for you to rescue me, but you never came."

"We searched for you," Gabriel said simply. "Everywhere I've been, I've looked for you."

"I've missed you so much," she said as she reached to touch his face though the bars. "Thoughts of you have kept me going all these months."

Gabriel looked beyond Anne to see Tavington standing, his arms folded, a short distance away. "Has he hurt you?" Gabriel demanded.

Anne looked away, her face reddening. "I don't want to talk about it," she whispered. "I don't want to talk about him."

"That's all for today." Tavington had walked up to stand behind Anne. Bending down to kiss the side of her neck, he said, "Time to go, my sweet. You can see him again tomorrow."

"You bastard!" Gabriel thundered. "Take your hands off my wife!"

"It's a bit late for you to be telling me that, don't you think?" Taton ton said with a smirk as he drew Anne's cloak away from her body to reveal her advanced state of pregnancy. Placing his hands on Anne's stomach possessively, he continued, "Kind of like closing the barn door after the horse has gotten out, hmm?"

"Before this war is over, I’m going to kill you, " Gabriel vowed. "If it's the last thing I do."

Bringing his face close to the bars, Tavington said softly, "Why wait?" With a harsh laugh, he grabbed Anne's hand and led her away. Looking over his shoulder, he said in parting, "Oh. By the way, Martin, Merry Christmas."

As soon as they were out of sight of the prisoner enclosure, Anne broke away from Tavington, whirling around to face him.

"How could you humiliate me like that in front of my husband and those men?"

Tavington gripped Anne's shoulders, looking at her intently. "Part of my job is to harass and confound the enemy by any means possible," he told her. "And that is precisely what I intend to do at every given opportunity."

"I thought you had grown to care for me," Anne said in a small voice. "Especially now that I am carrying your child."

"All is fair in love and war," he said dismissively. "The sooner you learn that, the better off you will be, my dear." Taking her hand again, he led her back in the direction of their quarters. "It's nearly time for you to get ready for the Christmas party. Let us have no more talk of this for now."

Anne did not reply. After seeing Gabriel, she had no desire to go to the party, but she knew it would be useless to object.