Bordon's Girl

CHAPTER 20 William and Tess

The couple quickly left their secret place and went back to the house, agreeing to meet to leave in an hour. They were going to take a coach into the village of Cascadia and get married there.

Tessa put her hair up in a loose style and dressed in a beautiful ball gown. She raised eyebrows when she appeared mid afternoon dressed like this. The Colonel had caused gossip as well, meeting her at the coach in his formal dress Dragoon uniform, complete with white hose and buckled shoes.

At the coach, he presented Tess with a beautiful bouquet of fresh, fragrant flowers tied with a light blue ribbon and thin strip of white lace which he had obtained from the plantation mistress, Mrs. McKinnon.

“You look lovely, darling,” William said gazing at her. She wore a satin ivory ball dress, trimmed with pale pink and lavender.

Tavington helped her up into the coach then entered himself. The couple left, leaving the whole plantation buzzing with gossip and rumors.

Not much later, the couple arrived in Cascadia. They were married in the town’s Presbyterian church. The minister had to fetch the storeowner from next door and his wife, who left the shop under the watchful eyes of their 14 year old son, to come be witnesses for the ceremony.

So there, in Cascadia, Tess and Will were married. Even though it was a short, informal ceremony, the bride and groom beamed at each other throughout. The witnesses noticed that this officer and his new young bride looked very much in love with each other.

Tess laid her head on William’s shoulder on the way back to the plantation. He put his arm around her and nuzzled her ear and hair.

“Are you happy?” he asked his new wife.

“Yes, William! Very.” She said, smiling demurely up at him. They kissed lovingly.

When the carriage pulled back up at the plantation, it immediately drew the attention of more than one person. As the couple emerged hand in hand, dressed formally, they ascended the veranda steps.

The couple created a sensation with their next action. At the doorway, William squeezed Tess’ hand and stopped her from entering the house.

“Upstairs with you, Mrs. Tavington,” he said roguishly. He then scooped her up into his arms and carried her playfully into the house. As he neared the stairway, still carrying his bride, Mrs. McKinnon confronted him.

“Now see here, Colonel. Where are you going with the young lady?” she asked, not wanting the couple to partake of any lewd activity in their house. She did not know that they were now man and wife. They had told no one where they had gone or what they were doing.

“Upstairs to my room!” he called as he carried her up the stairway. He shouted down to her, not even looking back. “And we are not to be disturbed by anyone!”

Once in Tavington’s room, the couple all but tore one another’s clothes off and fell into his bed. They consummated the new marriage and made love passionately for hours until late evening. They didn’t even stop for supper!

That evening, in the dark silence of William’s room, it was 11:00pm and the couple lay together naked in his bed. They were sore and tired from their bedsport and rested now. Both of them laid on their sides facing each other, the covers in a rumpled heap at the foot of the bed and partially onto the floor.

“Show me where our child will grow,” Will requested of his wife. “Put my hand on it.”

Tess smiled at him and took his hand. She placed it upon her belly just above her lower curls. He caressed her softly there.

“You can’t feel it yet, William,” she remarked. “It is still too soon.”

“When will it begin to show,” asked William curiously.

“In a couple of months, I think” answered Tess.

William pulled her into his arms and kissed her forehead.

“I am so glad to be able to stay here,” she stated. “I didn’t want to go home and be parted from you.”

“We’ll never have to be apart, darling,” said William.

“I love you,” she said.

“Oh, Tess. I love you, too!”

* * * * * *

As the newlyweds lay snuggled in Will’s bed, they were oblivious to anything going on beyond the limits of the room. So, they did not hear when Bordon’s unit of Dragoons returned from their patrol. Since it was late evening, the men tried not to make too much noise upon entering the house.

A weary Major Bordon went straight up to his room. It was dark and quiet as he entered. He saw no candles lit, not even light under the doorway into his daughter’s room. The tired officer took off his helmet and gloves and laid them on the table. He decided to look in on his daughter and was immediately incensed when she was not in her bed. At that moment, he had a bad feeling that she was with Tavington. She had defied him again and left the room.

Bordon was once again furious with Tessa as he had been earlier in the day. He went downstairs to look for her, thinking and hoping that maybe, just maybe, she was in the parlor embroidering or reading. He ran into Mr. McKinnon there, who was offering drinks to two of the dragoons, inviting their company.

The estate’s owner then proceeded to tell Bordon of the strange happenings with Colonel Tavington and his daughter that afternoon. The major was in so much of a rage, he hadn’t even heard enough of the situation to put the equation together and figure out the scenario. He was blind and deaf with his rage.

The two soldiers and McKinnon could see how angry Bordon was as he tore out of the parlor and up the stairway. The three men followed him, barely able to keep up, fearing a fight or confrontation.

At Tavington’s door, Bordon turned the knob and found it locked. He asked McKinnon to open it. He did as requested, using his master key to do so.

Major Bordon threw open the door and burst into Tavington’s room. He found William and Tess tucked cozily naked into Tavington’s bed.

“I knew it!” cried Bordon.

“Daddy!” Tess called out as Tavington quickly pulled the sheets over her. He grabbed his breeches off the floor and jumped into them double quick!

“Get out of that bed now, Tess!” Bordon screamed. Tavington and Tess both knew he was furious.

“Wait just a minute, Bordon,” Tavington shouted.

“No! Get the bloody Hell away from my daughter!” he exclaimed. “You have besmirched her enough already!”

The two men stepped toward each other in a hostile stance. Tess knew there was going to be some kind of fight. She crawled down to the foot of the bed with the blanket wrapped about her nude body. She reached over and grabbed William’s bare, muscular shoulders.

“William!” she cried in panic.

“Stay back, Tess,” he requested.

Bordon stepped another foot closer and drew his sword from its sheath at the side of his uniform. He pointed the blade toward Tavington’s bare chest.

“Draw your sword and gather your pistol, Colonel,” challenged Bordon, “and I will see you out on the lawn!”

Tavington, never one to back down from a fight, pulled his sword from its sheath, which was hanging from his belt around the bed knob. He brought the sword up and stood ready to engage in combat with Bordon right then and there.

The two men were ready to pounce at any moment. Tess trembled, unable to do much of anything to stop them. McKinnon and the two soldiers looked on with wide eyes and open mouths, incredulous at the scene unfolding before them.

“How about now, and here, Major,” Tavington offered, irritated at the interruption of his wedding night.

“As you wish,” Bordon smirked. “It is your death, and it is your decision to die in your bedroom, instead of with honor during a proper duel outside.”

“Yes, that is my wish,” Tavington said, never letting his guard down. “So, if you must kill me, then please by all means, try and do so right here. And, if I should happen to die, then my wife will know exactly who made her a widow, and who made her child fatherless.”

Bordon stepped back, unable to believe what he just heard. He held his sword up weakly still, but a puzzled look crossed his face.

Tavington could tell that all the men were bewildered. He reaffirmed what he had just told them.

“Yes, that’s right! You all heard what I just said,” Tavington remarked, easing and putting his sword down. “Tess is my wife. We were married this afternoon. She is carrying my child.”

Bordon shook his head in disbelief. After all the lies and deception, he could not believe anything Tess or William told him anymore. He steeled himself again and held his sword firmly again in a challenge stance.

“I don’t believe you.”

“The papers are on the sideboard there by the door,” Tavington said, pointing over that direction.

The soldiers picked the papers up and began reading them. As they did, Tessa got out of bed, still concealed in the blanket and padded softly over to her husband. He wrapped her in a protective embrace.

“It’s legitimate,” remarked Mr. McKinnon, holding the marriage certificate before Bordon’s face to see. Geoffrey lowered his sword and was mute. He sheathed his sabre and swallowed hard then heaved a troubled sigh.

“Now, I have the pleasure of ordering you all from my room so that we might enjoy, in privacy, the rest of our wedding night!” Tavington sneered.

Bordon was in too much shock to even say anything. He cast his eyes down to the floor and looked lost. He turned from the couple without so much as a hug, handshake, or a ‘congratulations’ exiting the room numbly.

This upset Tessa terribly. She started toward the door after him.

“I’m going to talk to him.”

Tavington caught her hand and pulled her back to him. “No, Tess. That is not a good idea tonight.”

“Why?” she asked, her eyes beginning to mist over.

“Because it is obvious that this was a great shock to him,” Tavington reasoned. “If you try and talk to him now, you two will wind up fighting again and someone will get hurt. Give him some time to think about it and to let it sink in that we are married now.”

“Oh, William,” she said, her voice breaking. She buried her head on Tavington’s chest.

“Shhhh, don’t cry,” Tavington said, holding her in comfort. “Everything will be alright. Just talk to him in the morning.”

She wiped her tears and nodded her head in agreement. Tavington hooked his arm under her knees and carried her to the bed placing her in it gently. He then removed his breeches again and joined her. The colonel pulled his young wife’s warm, naked body close to his and held her as the couple fell asleep in each other’s arms.