Bordon's Girl

CHAPTER 23 Waiting and Wondering

Time passed as summer crept into fall, then autumn faded to winter. William and Geoffrey had been away now more it seemed. They had their hands full fighting the war and dealing with rebels. The worst of the colonists was a man named Benjamin Martin. He was known as “the Ghost” because of guerilla tactics and the fact the he was elusive. They spent a lot of time chasing him down. The dragoons had been close to him quite a few times, and once had him, as well as some of his men, inside Fort Carolina. But, due to the fact that he had ridden in under a white flag under the premise of a prisoner exchange, the rules of war bound Generals Cornwallis and O’Hara to let the Ghost walk freely from the fort. This had been done with William present, and he seethed as O’Hara would not let him attack the man right then and there.

Tavington and Bordon had become very weary from the hard pace of their duty. It was winter now, so they were cold all the time. They constantly ran short of supplies. The two were wounded frequently, and old wounds seemed never to heal. They were tired from hard riding and fighting. They were exhausted from lack of sleep and were starving as they always ran out of food while away from home for days.

But, there were happier times at home. Both Bordon and Tavington would be relieved to see their beloved Tess waiting for them. She was always there for them with her warm smile and gentle ways.

As the months has passed, William was astounded at a personal transformation he had gone through. When Tess had first told him about the child, he was very upset about it, but hid it as well as he could. He loved Tess very much and had even toyed with the thought of asking her to marry him, but wanted to court a little longer at that time. He wasn’t happy at having to ask her for her hand in marriage under the shadow of an unexpected pregnancy. But, he did the right thing and married her, even though he had wanted to wait a while longer.

After they were first married, he just could not believe she was pregnant. He didn’t think Tess had lied to him, but he couldn’t see any proof of it. He was unhappy that she was pregnant, but hid that from her, even though she suspected. After all, he blamed himself for it, reasoning that she couldn’t have become that way without him!

The disbelief and shock of the pregnancy lifted a little as Tess began to show. He accepted the fact that he was going to be a father. It sank in mostly because he could see her normally flat stomach starting to round slightly.

Tavington became even more at ease with impending fatherhood the first day he felt his child move within Tess. The minute that Tess took his hand and placed it upon her swollen belly so that he could feel the baby kick was astounding. From that point on, he became very excited about becoming a daddy. That was when he realized and could feel just how real that little person inside his wife was. That moment was when William fell in love with his own child.

He was amazed and incredulous as the baby moved. In fact, he loved putting his hand on the swell. Tessa would smile whenever he rubbed her there. Sometimes William would reach beside him and touch her abdomen under the dinner table, making Tess laugh silently to herself.

Will caressed her swollen belly often trying to discern where the baby’s head or feet were, hoping to feel one or the other. And sometimes, after a long or hard day, William would stretch himself out and recline with his head in Tessa’s lap. He would put his cheek or ear against the swell, just wanting to be close. Will would fall asleep as she read her book.

Once in awhile, when they lay naked in bed, he’d brush a gentle kiss against her abdomen.

“Oh, William,” she’d coo, always loving the feeling of his lips on the soft skin of her abdomen.

“That was for the baby, not you,” he’d tell her.

She’d pretend to pout, then William would find his way up her body and kiss her mouth deeply and passionately, saying, “This kiss is yours.”

Aside from the war and the trials and tribulations that arise for a cavalry commander, William Tavington was very happy in his home life. He had changed; he no longer whored around and enjoyed being married. He loved his young wife very much. Tavington could hardly wait to become a father and hold his child.

William respected Tess immensely. This was a woman who was going to bear his child. She also bore her pregnancy in a stoic fashion. She would often be sick or miserable, but did not complain about it. Will had heard from his married colleagues that childbirth was very hard on a woman, as well as painful. His wife was going to go through all that agony to bring his child into the world. This made him fall more in love with her every day!

* * * * * *

Shortly after breakfast, Tess heard horses gallop onto the estate. She put her book down, left the warmth of the fire and blanket she’d been curled up under, got out of her chair and walked slowly to the window. She looked outside and indeed, she saw horses and the familiar red and green uniforms of the Dragoons. With the fur trimmed, black plumed helmets on, and the darkness of the bleak winter morning, she could not see clearly if William or her father were among the men.

By now, Tess was very heavy with child, as her time to give birth was nearly at hand. She walked carefully down the stairs and outside the house.

She searched through the tents and the groups of men milling about, looking for her father and husband. Tess always felt some panic when she could not find them, afraid of the worst. She never seemed to remember that the men could have stopped at the Fort, sending the men back ahead of them, or that the unit may have split into small groups for raids or patrols.

Tess ran into Captain Wilkins in one of the tents. He was very pale. She thought that he had been injured.

“Captain,” she asked of him, “are you hurt?”

He didn’t answer and seemed absorbed in his thoughts. The man was very weary; his group of Dragoons had ridden most of the night.

She repeated her question, then touched his arm lightly so as not to startle him. He then told her he wasn’t hurt and thanked her.

“Where are my husband and brother,” asked Mrs. Tavington.

“We split the unit,” he answered. “The two of them are together with some of the others. I went with Captain Wentworth’s unit.”

“Oh,” she replied. She now knew that they would probably be in some time later. She lifted her skirts and turned to leave, but stopped herself. She was very concerned about Wilkins. This was a man that was normally very social and charming. He seemed to cower on the stool in the corner of the tent. He just wasn’t acting like himself.

“Are you sure you’re alright,” she asked him again, seeking something more to confirm this.

The officer sighed, closed his eyes, and shook his head. Tess knew something was terribly wrong.

“No, not really,” answered Wilkins. He looked up at her with cold and distant eyes. She could tell something was troubling him. “M’am, I should tell you something before rumors get started.”

Tess pulled another stool over and sat with the officer for a few moments. He was very shaky as he talked.

“Yesterday afternoon, we raided the village of Pembroke,” he said. “We had received reliable information that some of the townspeople were helping Benjamin Martin, the ghost, and his band of rebels. We gathered all the townspeople, ALL of them: men, women, and children, into the church there. Colonel Tavington addressed them all there and was able to extract the Ghost’s hiding place from one of them. After that, we boarded the church up and locked the doors. Usually, when we have done this in the past, it was to keep the villagers out of our way while we checked through the houses, then burned them. But this time……”

His voice trailed off, and he went back into his catatonic trance again. She shook him lightly, bringing the man back to reality. “Captain, as you were saying,” she began, “what about this time? Was it different than times before?”

“Yes,” he answered, looking away from her, as if it was painful for him to look into her eyes. She cocked her head to the side, silently urging the man to go on with his story.

“We usually only burn the houses, barns, and property,” he stammered, “then we seize horses and livestock and whatever else is valuable or needed.”

He stopped again, as if he didn’t want to finish the story.

Tess was very concerned and implored him to go on. “Yes, Captain. Please go on. I am listening. I’m very worried for you. You look like you need someone to talk to.”

“We burned the church,” he said, in a very low voice.

There was noise in and outside the tent. She didn’t hear what he said.

“I’m sorry, Captain,” Tess apologized. “You burned the town and then what?”

“No. We burned the church,” he corrected her. His voice was a little louder as he enunciated his words. “We left the village standing and confiscated nothing.”

Tess was lost. The act didn’t seem to register in her mind. She drew in a breath and closed her eyes. She was confused.

“Didn’t you say there were people inside the church,” she asked slowly, still puzzled.

“Yes,” Wilkins answered with a heavy sigh. His eyes were downcast. “Everyone one of the villagers was in the church. We burned the church, killing everyone in it.”

“But….I don’t…..understand,” Tess said, bewildered and in disbelief. “Why the whole village?”

“To punish them and make an example out of them,” Wilkins replied. “The Colonel wanted to send the message that aiding rebels would not be tolerated and that a severe price would be paid for doing so.”

Tess was in shock. She could not say anything.

Wilkins continued. “Your husband ordered the massacre. He directed me to throw the first torch. I refused at first, then he hung me with my own words. He reminded me of how I told him once that all traitors deserved to die. I had no choice but to do it. And now, all those men, women, and children are dead. I noticed that one of the women was heavy with child as you are.”

Wilkins stopped short, sorry that he had blurted out the last part He was silent now, wishing he would quit seeing the dreaded scene in his head, and stop hearing the voices of the dying people in his mind.

“Colonel Tavington ordered it,” the Captain said, emphasizing just who had. “It was his command to murder those people!”

He looked sorrowful. “I thought you deserved to know this, Mrs. Tavington. Because I fear that you will start to hear rumors about it, and you deserve to know the truth of the situation. I wish you didn’t have to hear something like this.” He was apologetic.

Tess thanked him numbly, then left him to his thoughts. She walked aimlessly about in the tent, now oblivious to the noise and activity going on around her. She was lost in her own musings.

Her heart was wrenched. She understood that William was a military officer and that he had his duty to attend to. She also knew that war could be very brutal. But she could not comprehend why a whole village, including children, had to be burned alive in a church as punishment or to set an example. Weren’t there other ways to deal with the unruliness?

Tessa found her way out of the tent and walked back to the main house. How could a man who loved her so much and could not wait until his own child was born, take the lives of innocent people? Surely, some of them were innocent. How could William murder women and children, when he had a pregnant wife at home? Why did he kill the children with their parents, when he was so excited about his own child and becoming a father? Why?

As she walked up the stairway to their suite, she kept asking and wondering why?

She worried as well. She was afraid that William may get into trouble with his commanders, going too far this time with his brutality and harshness. She knew that William sometimes got into trouble with them when he would use his initiative, instead of going strictly by the rules. He had complained to her about this, explaining that as an officer and commander, the rules of War were not applicable to every situation out there.

But, Tess was even more worried that word of this would get around the Colonial army and militia. And when it did, Tavington would be a man with a price on his head. Tess dreaded him being captured by the rebel army, fearing that they would forego the pleasure of the bounty in exchange for the satisfaction of torturing the man.

Once inside her room, Tess laid down on their bed and wept hard out of pity for those people, fear for her husband’s welfare, anger at his actions, and selfishly for herself. She cried herself to sleep, wishing Wilkins had never told her what had transpired.

* * * * * *

During the lunch hour of the same day, a lone dragoon rode onto the estate. It was Private Higgins. He was tired, bedraggled, and dirty. His uniform was torn and disheveled and parts of it bloodstained. He was injured, but dismounted his horse immediately in search of Captain Wentworth, third in command. He handed some papers in a satchel to an infantry soldier and asked him to run them up to Colonel Tavington’s room.

Tess was writing in her diary when a knock came at her door. She rose slowly to her feet and carried her pregnant body to the door and opened it.

“Are you Mrs. Tavington?” the soldier asked.

“Yes,” she replied.

The soldier thrust something into her hands. She recognized it immediately as one of William’s satchels.

“I was asked to give this to you,” he said. “I was instructed to tell you to put it with your husband’s papers.”

“Who gave this to you—my husband?”

“No,” he answered. “Private Higgins gave it to me.”

“Where is he now?” asked Tess.

“He’s in the medical tent.” With that, he left in a hurry.

Tess put the satchel on Will’s desk. She was confused. She wondered if William was back and why he didn’t come up to see her. Anxious to see if William and her father had returned, she left her room again to search through the tents.

Entering the medical tent, she immediately saw Private Higgins. He was being bandaged when Tess walked over to him.

She greeted the Private with concern and inquired about his injuries. His arm was in a sling, the result of having been hit in the shoulder with the butt of a musket. It produced a cracked collarbone. The man deemed himself lucky that the gun hadn’t hit his head. His other arm had been slashed.

“Are my husband and brother here,” she asked him.

“No,” he answered. “Colonel Tavington sent me here to retrieve a rescue patrol. I was the only one able to ride.”

“Able to ride? What do you mean?” she asked.

“We were ambushed during breakfast early this morning,” he began. “It was rebels. But, I think it was a revenge raid.” The private winced as his arm was wrapped, then went on. “One of the rebels was Gabriel Martin.”

“The Ghost?” she asked, having heard William and her brother talk frequently of them.

“No, his son,” Higgins replied. “The day before we raided a village and had to execute many of the townspeople.”

“Pembroke?”, asked Tess.

“Yes! You know?”

“Yes, I do, Private. Please go on. What happened? You mentioned revenge?” She was desperate to know of the welfare of her William and her father.

“Yes. We recognized Martin’s son and another man, a minister. He was the minister of the church we destroyed, so we knew this band was from Pembroke. We also had received information that Gabriel Martin was married to a girl from the town. We knew who she was, and she died in the church.”

Higgins paused for a moment as his dressing was tied off. “Gabriel Martin was leading the raid.”

Tess began to get a sick feeling. She dreaded hearing the rest of the story from the young private, but had to know what happened.

The private continued. “All of us were injured. I was the least hurt of everyone.”

“What about my husband and brother, did you see them? Were they hurt badly?”She asked.

“Your husband was able to stand. He was trying to help with the injured. He asked me to ride back here for help.”

“And my brother,” she asked anxiously.

“Um….he was hurt worse than the Colonel, I saw him laying on the ground. The Colonel was with him as I left.”

Tess closed her eyes and breathed a sigh of relief, glad that William was able to stand, and that he was with her father. She was also proud knowing that, even though her husband himself was hurt, insisted on staying with his men and helping the injured. She admired his devotion to his men. His compassion toward his injured dragoons made her love him just that much more.

Captain Wentworth entered the tent and came over to the two. He greeted Mrs. Tavington politely, then turned to the young cavalryman. “Higgins, the rescue patrol is ready to go now.”

“I am sorry I don’t have more or better news for you, Mrs. Tavington,” Higgins apologized. “I must leave quickly now to lead the patrol back to get them. When I return in a few hours, I’ll have the Colonel and the Major with me.”

She thanked him and bid him farewell. Tess then returned to the main house, to wait out the next few hours in agony, longing to see her husband and father. She knew they would be very long hours.

Even though she was very pregnant and tired easily these days, she vowed that she would help the doctors and medics tend her father’s and husband’s wounds as soon as they arrived. That way, at least she could be near them and help to comfort both the men.