Roses of Stone

Two days went by and things had returned back to normal for the most part. The thing that was most noticeable as having changed was that they weren’t constantly fighting each time they met. They were actually able to share time together and speak in a civil manner. Tavington was rather enjoying this, watching her and his son together. It made him feel like he actually had finally had a family. Watching the way Katharine was with their son, made his heart fill with pride at the sight, that she would so actively want to take part in his life. So many women in court were more then happy to leave the raising of their own flesh and blood to several servants, as it seemed that their children were an accident of time miscalculation.

Katharine took a servant, and young William to town that morning needing some supplies and to do some shopping. Tavington was hard at work filling out reports when she had left, so she thought it best not to ask him to accompany her. A certain day was approaching that she didn’t want him to remember for the first time in their marriage, for fear of his spoiling the surprise. So it was imperative that she made the preparations for the occasion when William was not with her. Two more servants joined up with them once they were in town, having snuck out of the back of the house so that the Colonel wouldn’t wonder about the number of servants that had gone with her.

Some hours later, a knock came to the door of the house. Tavington paid it no attention for a moment, until he found that it came again. He looked about finding the house abnormally quiet and there was no servant on the way to the door to allow the visitor entrance. Incredibly irritated he tossed his quill down, and stood walking to the front door glaring about ready to give a stern reprimand for whomever it was lacking on their duties. Reaching for the handle he pulled the door open and frozen in place.

“William. War seems to agree with you.” A woman with red hair like fire, and green emerald eyes, dressed in fine and rather revealing array with green and white sparkling in the sunlight, stood there at the door with a devilish smile on her face. Without another word, or an invitation she pushed passed him into the house looking about. She gave a sigh of disgust as she began to take off her long gloves. Tavington really didn’t want to see her here, she was supposed to be in England. Closing the door he followed after her, she had to leave before Katharine got back. They knew each other far to well. “It is certainly obvious who decorated this house. Her taste in . . . relics tend to turn my stomach.” Removing her other glove she turned and looked at Tavington, the same smile on her face.

“What are you doing here, Desiree.” He said pointedly. “Shouldn’t you be in England taking advantage of your husbands absence with every physically able man or boy in court?” She half laughed looking at him as she turned and wondered further into the house. Tavington looked back towards the door before looking at her again. She was going the wrong way.

“Haven’t you heard my darling William? I am a widow. I’ve come to ‘grieve’ and ‘visit the grave of my lost love’.” She said sarcastically. She never cared for the man while he was alive, that much was obvious. Yet he did care for her deeply, the siren she was tended to lure men to their dooms. “How was I to know that the great, notorious, Colonel Tavington, the butcher of rebels, was going to be here in Charleston when I arrived?”

A snake was all that could be compared to her, with a poisonous breath, and a deadly bite should she be crossed. In all honesty, her reputation had never ever phased Tavington in the least bit. Which backfired drastically, for it made her pursue him even more, as he presented a challenge to her in so many ways. “I am currently on a very short leave, I will be returning to the front lines in just a few days. Now, if you’ll be so kind as to LEAVE . . .” He began, grabbing her by the arm and starting to pull her towards the front door. However, she turned about and shoved him against the wall pressing her body fully against his.

“You cannot tell me that you haven’t longed to see me again. As I remember our last encounter . . . we had quite a good time.” She said, reaching up and sliding her hand under his vest and white undershirt moving over his skin letting her nails scratch the service slightly. “Not many can keep up with me Colonel William Tavington, but you . . . I had to fight to stay in the same league with you.” This woman, had a certain way of distracting a mans blood from his brain into another area of the male anatomy which caused thought to slow down considerably. Leaning up against him, taking a deep breath so that her breasts pressed against his chest and strained her bodice, she breathed hot break across his neck.

Her hands moved down again, sliding to his backside and digging into his skin again with her nails pulling her hips against his. “It’s been a long time since you left England, with only an old crone for company . . . you must be hungry for something more then that cold, forbidding, uninviting hell brine that dares to call herself a woman.” Her hands moved again and started to slip down into his trousers when Tavington regained his senses for a moment and grasped her wrists. Quickly turning her around and pressing her up against the wall in an attempt to disable her from continuing, he took several deep breaths.

“She is far younger then you are Desiree.” She started to reach for him again but he pushed her arms on either side of her head pressing them into the wall even harder then before. “And because she doesn’t partake in the carnal pleasures you do with every available man, does not make her less of a woman.”

She grinned, “Still defending her, William? If she was as you said, you never would have gone with me in the first place. I can give you things that she never could, never would. I know how to please a man, which is something she would never know.” Tavington seriously couldn’t afford this right now, for her to be here like this, even in the same country.


“You know William, of all the men I am acquainted with, never manage to measure up to you in so many different aspects.” She said rather suggestively her eyes full of the lust she had always had when she looked at him. “You have been away from England for far to long a time between encounters. You push me away, . . . yet I know you don’t really wish me to leave.” She broke one of her hands free from his grasp and reached down between them molesting William’s manhood through his clothing. She grinned finding that her suspicions were quite accurate. There was no way he could hide the excitement that she was bringing on with her mere actions and manner. “Let me give you what you need.” She breathed heavily slipping her hand into his trousers making her point that much clearer.

It had been a very long time, and although he desired Katharine greatly, he was not about to force her to lay with him. As a personal rule, his indiscretions never occurred at his home. On some deep, unconscious level, it was out of respect for Katharine that he did not let the women he indulged with enter their house. Yet at this moment, he was powerless to in force this personal rule as Desiree’s affections became more and more intrusive and inviting. She tugged at his clothing and barred his chest to her caresses, as she began to run her touch over his skin and kissing her way down and then savoring him with her mouth. Slowly she sank downward to her knees before him, continuing in her seductive endeavor. Any last bit of sanity he held, melted away when she released his manhood from its confines.

Meanwhile, Katharine and her servant, made arrangements in the town for a meal to be catered on their anniversary with special instructions that Williams favorite foods were to be prepared in a great quantity. After actually seeing and tasting the food that he was receiving on a daily basis in his encampment, she was certain that he was ready for a grand meal with all the trimmings. “What about this one Mistress?” The servant said pointing into a case calling Katharine’s attention to it. She walked over and looked into it smiling.

“It’s hard to believe that you’ve only been in my service a few weeks. It seems you have gained my taste in certain things.” She called the storekeeper to have it wrapped up beautifully and sent to the house at the appointed the day she was preparing for. She would make it exceptionally special, since it was literally the new start of their marriage. The gifts she bought him would have to be extra special to commemorate the momentous occasion. They left the shop and started down the street to their next destination.

“The dressmaker who General Cornwallis appointed to make a dress for me many months ago, says that she has a few things that I might like to look at that were sent all the way from Paris.” Turning towards the servant she took out her small purse and handed her a coin. “Here is an advance on your wages. Go about to do what ever you wish. I must visit this shop alone, since the garments I seek are of a . . . personal nature.” The servant hardly heard anything that was said as she starred at the coin in her hand. That was much more then she was usually paid and she nodded, quickly running down the street.

Katharine was in such a good mood today, she just smiled and watched her disappear before continuing on her way. She intended to by a beautiful silk nightgown, so that his request of her could finally be fulfilled on their anniversary night. Katharine wanted something very special that would make him look at her in awe when he came into her room. It was going to be as special as she could make it, and tried her best to take care of everything ahead of time.

Back at the house, Desiree screamed digging her nails into Tavington’s back as the final throws of passion finished this particular meeting. Then, with out any care at all, Tavington rose to his feet, walking away from her to clean himself up and fix his clothes as they were supposed to be. Desiree sat up with a very displeased looking on her face and sighed as she got to her feet and started to straiten out her clothes as well. “You could have at least waited for me, William. Granted you never have before, but it would have been the smallest ounce of gratitude for my visit.”

Tavington said nothing nor acknowledged her in the slightest as he walked into the next room before returning. He threw something at her and then picked up her cloak and threw that at her as well. She looked down to see a small purse filled with coins and couldn’t quite understand it. William reached over and grabbed her arm ‘escorting’ her to the door. “What on earth is the meaning of this!” She said holding up the coins in her other hand.

“Don’t EVER darken this doorstep again, Desiree. You do not belong here and you are most certainly NOT welcomed.” He said coldly, as he opened the door and pushed her out onto the step. Yet that was not enough, and he pushed her even further until she was completely out of the house and off of the steps that led to it before letting her go. “If you have not heard my reputation, let me enlighten you. It is said that I have little care for women or children where my duties are concerned. It would be easy enough to mistake you for a Colonial spy, and remove your head from your shoulders!” That was all the warning that she was going to get, and he turned on his boot heel and went back into the house slamming the door behind.

He returned to his desk and sat down with a sigh, rubbing the temples of his forehead a bit realizing he had just betrayed Katharine’s new found trust in him. As long as she didn’t find out all would be well. She would not know of it, not this time. There was far to much at stake now, then there ever was before.

Katharine approached the house with her servant just in time to see another carriage leaving the premises. She thought it strange, and wondered who could be calling on them today? The other servants that had gone with her, entered in through the back carrying the supplies and things they had bought in town. When the carriage came to a stop, the servant stepped out first carrying young William, and Katharine followed walking up to the front door. “Now, you must remember to say nothing.” She whispered to the servant to remind her that their venture today was secret. She smiled and nodded anxiously having great fun with keeping the surprise for the Colonel.

Opening the door, they entered as Katharine removed her hat and cloak. Tavington looked up hearing the noise, knowing that Katharine had returned and come home. Standing he walked out into the foyer, “William? Who was that who was just leaving?” She said putting her things in the arms of one of the servants who quickly took them away to be put in their place. “I saw a carriage pulling away?”

“One of my fellow officers, my dear. Hearing that I was taking my leave of absence, he came wanting to discuss a few matters whilst the chance was available. I do not believe that you are familiar with him.” He said watching her as she swiped some of the dust from her dress. The streets of Charlestown tended to become quite dusty when it hadn’t rained. And when it did, the streets turned into deep pools of mud. It was simply a no win situation.

“Oh. I should have come a few moments earlier, we could have invited him to stay for supper.” She said looking up at him with a smile, as she looked towards their sons nursemaid. “Change him into some clean clothes and wash him up before you feed him.” She curtseyed and disappeared up the stairs doing as she was told.

“I’m afraid he wouldn’t have been able to . . . . he had a pressing engagement that could not be put off any longer.” Tavington was careful to choose his words, knowing that it was habit to try and strike an argument with Katharine, when he felt guilty about something. Any moment that habit could emerge again.

“I see.” Moving past him she went into the next room, “Has the days post arrived?” She asked as she walked into the parlor, and went to a window opening up the curtains. Tavington followed after her, and started to say something when he saw a handkerchief on the floor. It was Desiree’s; he could see the monogram of her initials clearly.

“No dear, I do not believe that we shall be receiving any today. It is quite the trip for a document to come from England to the Colonies.” Moving over towards the handkerchief as naturally as could be, he waited as Katharine moved to the next curtain with her back to him and opened those as well. Quickly swooping down he picked it up and shoved it into his vest pocket before she could get a glimpse of it.

“I suppose your right. I forget sometimes that we are so far away from home. I wonder how everyone there is doing. The same as everyday, since the war is 3,000 miles away and it’s easy to forget about it if you don’t have some sort of investment in it. Either a loved one or financial interest usually brings things like this to the front of most peoples minds.” Sighing softly she finished tying up one of the drapes.

“You could ask the servants to actually do their jobs and open this room for you, Katharine. Honestly, you’d think that you were of a lower class instead of the lady of standing you are.” Katharine just smiled to herself and turned around walking out of the room and starting up the stairs.

“Supper will be ready before long, William. You had better wash up before it is time.” She said simply and walked up the stairs disappearing upstairs. Tavington watched and waited until she was gone, and quickly went to dispose of the tell tale handkerchief. Apparently, the change he hoped to achieve was not going to be as abrupt as he expected. It was an incredibly enjoyable encounter, since Desiree did things that never in one million years he would even dream of imposing on Katharine.

The following day, more reports from the lines were sent to Colonel Tavington and he sat reading over each one making notes of his own to use in his future tactics and strategies. Strangely, he had not seen Katharine the entire day. In fact, he wasn’t even sure that she was at the house at all. Yet he sunk into his work and didn’t pay it to much mind. Giving a groan of annoyance he tossed down the last report and began to tap his fingers angrily on the table. He felt as though Borden was taking his command to new heights and was a bit to light for the Colonel’s taste in how he was running the dragoons. By the time he returned to the camp, most of the military and officers will have decided the Green Dragoons had become soft. William began to consider cutting his leave short and returning to whip his men back into shape. He was not spending as much time with Katharine as he had once hoped that he would, and it actually seemed to him that she was avoiding being in the same room with him. It was very frustrating indeed. Taking a quill and ink he began to write a rather abrupt letter to Borden, with a warning that he had better be running the unit the way the Colonel had established, or there would be hell to pay when he returned.

In the dinning room, the servants were hard at work fixing the food and decorating the room to Katharine’s exact specification. She didn’t expect him to remember their anniversary, he never did and it was unlikely that he would begin now. Frankly she preferred it, for now it would be a true surprise indeed. “Are the gifts properly wrapped and placed as I’ve asked?” She said to one of the servants as she walked around the table pointing out where certain items were to go.

“Yes Mistress, and the candles that you ordered arrived just this morning.” She said carrying them to the table to put them in the holders that were purchased specifically for this occasion. Katharine couldn’t help but feel excited inside, for the first time their anniversary might go just as she had always hoped it would. It would be a mutual attempt at being civil and genuinely happy atmosphere that they would share together for once.

“And my Dress? Has the dress I ordered arrived as well? It’s very important that the dressmaker followed my instructions to the last detail. Did she? Is everything perfect?” She asked as she looked at the clock knowing that she should go upstairs and start getting ready since it would take a bit of time to fix herself up the way she wanted.

“We took it up to your room as soon as it arrived, Mistress. Even the small cloth flowers were perfect.” She said with a smile as she went and got the case for the fine silverware that was stored safely in a case. “Even the gloves were beautiful. Do you think that Colonel Tavington will notice them?” The servant asked curiously.

“We shall see. Only God knows how tonight will go, but I pray, I pray with all of my heart, it will be worth all of the effort that we have put into it.” Katharine said handing the napkins to the girl to fold as she left the room hurrying upstairs, there was much to do.

Tavington found himself bored beyond all recognition, and poured himself a glass of wine, standing next to the window and looking out. Katharine certainly had chosen a place of residence with a breathtaking view. Standing here now, and looking out the window at the beautiful country, it was hard to believe that there was a war going on at all. Fields of rolling green grass, green trees, clear blue skies and white clouds that drifted by lazily. He sipped his wine and sat down admiring what a charming setting it was. Already he had seen that the ground was so incredibly fertile that everything grew here in this land. It was not yet so crowded as it was in England, and there was plenty of room so that one could ride as far as he could and find a place not touched by human hand.

William thought, if he were here under different circumstances that he would enjoy going out and exploring this wondrous place, even when the war was over he would happily venture out into that unknown. He leaned his head back against the comfortable chair and closed his eyes. There was a chance for a new start here, a new life in so many different ways. Away from England and from under the constant watchful eye of the court and the subject of incessant gossip, out where there was still a chance to make your own life without having to succumb to proper Aristocracy priorities, practices, and positions of that nature. Then of course there was Katharine and William. It was as if everything had changed in their marriage from the first time she set foot off of the ship from England. He had to admit that it was a welcomed change, and not one he was quite ready to give up on yet. Perhaps he could be the father to young William, that Tavington’s never was to him. To leave him something once he passed on other then debts and ridicule.

Sighing he opened his eyes and realized it was getting dark, and no one had announced dinner yet. What on earth did Katharine find these incompetent servants? They couldn’t answer a door, nor serve a meal on time. Finishing his wine he stood putting the glass aside and walking out of the room into the hallway. He found it rather dark and that none of the hallway candles had been let yet. William was becoming more and more irritated by the second, the thought of giving someone a good thrashing was coming into his mind.

Walking hastily down to the dining room he flung the doors open and burst in but stopped in his tracks. Candles, expensive in nature, were lit all over the room. But not so many that it made the light unbearably blinding, but soft. The table was set beautifully, and there were flowers placed over the table and in other parts of the room. The fragrance they gave off was heavenly. He moved towards the table and just stood there for a moment looking over the gifts that were meant for him, placed nearby where he would be sitting.

“Our Anniversary.” He said rolling his eyes and cursing himself that he had forgotten this time. He had nothing to give her, and this would be the 11th year of their marriage. After a moment, he realized he wasn’t alone, and turned slowly to see Katharine standing on the stairs smiling brightly at him. Williams’s eyes grew wide as they wondered over her in amazement. She was beautiful.

“Good Evening, William.” She said softly.

“Good Evening.” He said still amazed at just how beautiful she looked to him right now. After a moment, he walked slowly towards the stairs, and offered up his hand. Katharine gracefully took it and descended the last few steps down the stairs. “This dress . . . looks strangely familiar to me.” William said letting his eyes wonder over her.

“I had my wedding dress remade, only since I’m not a new bride anymore, it’s silver, instead of white.” He still couldn’t believe it, and as he gazed into her eyes, she looked just as young, just as fresh, just as new as the day they were wed. Almost as if she hadn’t aged a day. The decorations in her hair, and the way she had swept it up, made her look like a queen. “I feel as though I’m rather, underdressed for the occasion.” He said honestly, at the very least he could have donned his entire dress uniform.

“That’s quite alright, I won’t hold it against you.” She said brightly taking his arm as they walked to the dining room that was awaiting them.

Half way through their meal, someone came to the front door. One of the servants hurried by as quietly as she could to answer it, since Katharine explained to everyone in the house that unless there was an extreme emergency that they were not to be interrupted.

When she opened the door, her face fell as she saw a woman standing there before her. “Yes? May I help you Miss?” She said softly hoping that she wouldn’t want to come in. Something told her that it wouldn’t be a good thing if she did.

“I think not.” She said pushing past the servant, into the house. The girl closed the door and followed after her as fast as she could trying to stop her from going into the room that her Mistress had forbidden all to go.

“No please, you must leave, they . . . Lord and Lady Tavington are not at home this evening. They went out, into the city.” She said as she kept stepping in front of her only to be pushed out of the way roughly.

“Get out of my way you little scab on the face of the planet, there presence is not needed for what I came to retrieve. How dare you speak to me in such a manner, you are nothing more then a servant!” She said pushing her so hard that she hit the wall. The girl cried out when her shoulder smacked hard on the wooden support. She was still, VERY insulted about the money that William had given her. Yet she realized that she had left her silk handkerchief and was going to use it as an excuse to give him a piece of her mind now that she knew exactly what she wanted to say to him.

Moving passed the dining room doors, she heard something that sounded a bit like laughter and she wondered what woman Tavington had chosen to entertain him beside herself. Pulling the door open she walked with out ceremony. The light conversation that he and Katharine came to a abrupt halt as he saw Desiree standing there in a dress that would make prostitutes blush. Katharine saw the change in his demeanor and turned around to see a familiar face. Her smile soon disappeared as well as she turned back to sit in her chair properly starring into the flame of one of the candles before her.

Tavington stood starring at her with absolute hate and malice in his eyes, he had warned her not to come back, and tonight of all nights? “Leave at once, you have no business in this house, and I’m most certain that you were not invited in.” The warning in his eyes was clear, but Desiree chose to dismiss it. If he wanted to treat her in such a way, then she would punish him for it.

“I’ve come to retrieve my handkerchief, I left it here when I visited two days ago. I will thank you to return it this instant, Colonel Tavington.” Katharine’s eyes slowly moved from the table and looked at him, and he could almost see the heartbreak in her eyes even though she took her usual icy exterior in matters such as this. She stood slowly and gracefully from her chair, and smiled to Desiree welcoming her into their home.

“Good Evening, it’s very nice to see you. Will you be staying in the Colonies for very long?” She said still trying to sound polite even though she felt like she should shout at them both, but she wouldn’t. Never would she bring herself to do such a thing.

“Yes, I believe I will.” She said with half a smile as she glanced towards William. “My husband was killed in combat, I was here to pay my respects. Now that I am a widow, there doesn’t seem to be much else to occupy my time besides visiting old friends.” Katharine smiled and nodded.

“Well, it’s getting to be rather late isn’t it? It has been quite the eventful day, and I can feel sleep calling me by name.” Since she rose from the table, her eyes did not meet William’s again. She simply couldn’t face him right now, nor the horrible reality that nothing had changed at all. “It’s good to see you again Desiree, and I am very sorry for your loss.” She couldn’t control the way that sounded, since she was incredibly sorry for her loss alright, now she could pursue William more forcefully as a single woman. “Goodnight.”

With that she turned and left the dining room, and disappeared upstairs. Desiree began to laugh a bit, “Ah yes, nothing like a wife who is in denial about what she knows is truth. Honestly, she would let us have an encounter now with her just up the stairs ignoring what was really going on.” She began to laugh hysterically again, but her amusement came to an abrupt halt when Colonel Tavington grabbed her by the arm, so hard it made her cry out in pain. “HOW DARE YOU TOUCH ME IN SUCH A BRUTAL . . . . .” She began, only to find a rather angry hand wrapped around her jaw to keep her quiet while forcing her to look into his eyes.

“I gave you a chance, to be half the woman that she is Desiree, and to depart from my life never to return. Of all the nights in eternity you could have chosen to prove your stupidity . . . . this was the worst.” His eyes darkened as he wrapped his hand around her throat squeezing tightly as he pulled her kicking and attempting to scream out of the house.

Katharine slowly removed her clothing and put it away, as silent as could be. She refused to cry, she knew not to get her hopes up like she had done, but her heart felt more alive then it ever had before, feeling as though all of her dreams were finally coming true. Only to have them shattered to find that he had already sunken back in to old habits. Perhaps he had called Desiree to the house finding that she had come from England, wanting to seek out that which he had been so long without. Realizing that she had denied him more then once since this new found change in each other and perhaps there lie her mistake.

Undressing, she came out from behind the screen to find that the special Paris nightgown that she had bought had been laid out for her on her bed. Her lip started to quiver slightly but she shook it off and bit her lip hard. She moved to the bed and carefully moved the nightgown to her desk. She would take it back to the shop she had bought it from tomorrow, and at least get the vast amount of money she had spent on it back. Not even bothering to dawn something else, she blew out the candle and climbed into bed, burying her head underneath the pillows.

A while later, Tavington returned to the house alone and walked in looking around. The servants had already cleared the table, and blown out the candles for the night. Giving a sigh he walked slowly up the stairs and went to Katharine’s room, and quietly opened the door and entering, shutting it just as silently as he had opened it. Slowly he made his way to where he knew she kept her bedside lamp and lit it, causing enough of a glow so he could see her clearly. However, her hand clutched a pillow hard over her head as if hiding from the world.

“Katherine, look at me.” He said waiting for her to say something or even move. When she didn’t respond he reached over pulling the pillow from her grasp and looked at her for several long moments. “Don’t you even wish to discuss this?”

“There is nothing to discuss, William. We have never discussed such things before, and I intend that we fail to do so now.” She said simply keeping her back turned to him. Honestly, it was the most disappointed and crushed she had ever been, and his presence was irritating, since she wasn’t sure that she could keep herself together for to long.

“Katharine, I never intended for her to come here, much less to give into the carnal pleasures that she tends to bring to wherever she goes, and to whomever she is around.” Still, she didn’t open her eyes or move, and this was very unnerving. Before, she had always looked him in the eye and called him a plethora of names and insults, and only stored the memory away with others to use against him whenever the occasion called for it. “Will you not even curse me for betraying your trust?”

“If it will make you feel better . . . No, I shall not.” She said bluntly, not intending to ease his suffering or sooth his conscience in the slightest. Katharine had worked so hard on her plans for this evening, and let her self grow far to excited when something told her that she shouldn’t.

“I’m not leaving, Katharine. So you might as well at least turn to look at me. Or get out of bed and come at me with your claws.” Tavington wanted more then anything for her to do something to him, anything, anything at all for his weakness and lapse of judgment. Yet it seemed that she would not give him anything, nothing at all and just completely shut him out.

“I’m sure Desiree has accommodations for you in her bed, so if it is companionship you seek, I suggest that you depart immediately for her current place of residence.” Katharine snapped, really wanting to be left alone as she could feel tears coming to her eyes.

Tavington sighed and looked away for a moment, “Desiree has been sent away, Katharine. I have sent her away so that she will never return to me or darken our doorstep again.”

“How can I believe you, William? How can I believe what you say . . . when you will only dismiss it when you feel the occasion calls for it, and betray our marriage vows yet again. After 11 years of marriage . . . I simply hoped for to much.”

“In this matter, you must simply trust me one last time. She will never show her face to us again, I assure you.” He said in a tone of voice that sounded as if he meant the subject to be closed and not to be spoken of again. Reaching over he took Katharine by the shoulder and turned her towards him, refusing to let her dismiss him as usual. “I’ve given you no reason, no reason at all to trust me, Katharine. Perhaps I don’t deserve your trust now . . . but I am asking you for it. If you recall, I have never once asked this of you before.”

Katharine opened her eyes finally and looked up at him, “Why? Why do you want my forgiveness now? You’ve never sought after it before, nor felt any shame over your actions. What has changed now that you seek such a thing from me? Because of our son?” Taking a breath now she hit on a subject that was really close to her heart, “How many brothers and sisters does he have, William? How long until their mothers come and want you to claim them?”

Tavington just looked at her for a moment, and actually had to turn away himself. The anger that he felt flood into his body was enough to make him explode if he didn’t control it. He stood from the bed and placed a bit, “I have no other offspring, Katharine. I take certain precautions to assure that no illegitimate children come about.” Turning he looked at her again and walked towards her, “It’s such a pity that you can’t let your own foot slip a little sometimes, Katharine. Perhaps it will bring you down from that high pedestal that you so happily sit on looking down on the rest of humanity. So you can find compassion for other peoples faults. Pure human nature is what it is!”

Katharine sat up still underneath the blankets looking at him, “Human nature, my dear misunderstood husband . . .” She began sarcastically, “Is exactly what we were put on this earth to rise above!” Tavington moved over to the bed and grabbed her wrists forcing her to lay back down and pinning her there.

“Your virginity is lost Katharine. Why do you insist on trying to recover it when it cannot be?” He hissed at her still holding her down tight against the bed so she couldn’t move, look away from him, or escape.

“How dare you say such vile things to me.” She whispered in the softest voice, that no one else could hear. “Perhaps your right . . . I am to blame for your seeking your needs outside of our marriage . . . it is my fault and not Desiree’s that you were so weak when she came here, when you had been away from England for so long.”

Tavington could hardly believe what he was hearing, “Do you think, for one moment that I couldn’t take exactly what I wanted from you if I desired it? Are you so vain as to think that your powers of persuasion and strong will would save you from me if I came to you in the darkness of night to take my pleasure?” His hands tightened around her wrists as he leaned his weight down on her arms even more. “Katharine . . . there are so many things that you do not know, nor comprehend. You are a very intelligent well-educated woman . . . but there are things that you simply cannot grasp.”

“Then tell me, if you are so well versed in such matters, educate me on them so I will no longer be ignorant.” She said forcefully, challenging his words and his actions completely. “Get out of my bedchamber.” She hissed making an attempt to free herself. Yet he was far to strong, and he was at a much better angle then she.

“No. Not tonight Katharine. I shall not be turned away this night.” Leaning down he kissed her almost fiercely and she struggled against him for a moment, but then he could feel her completely surrender to him. Without even realizing it she began to kiss him back, longingly. Everything that she missed, everything that she wanted, was right here with her now. Yet she couldn’t submit, no. Not when Desiree’s stench was still on his person. Breaking the kissed she turned her face away and closed her eyes.

“Leave William. Leave me now . . . please.” A tear escaped her eye and rolled down her cheek. Many would look upon him and envy her being his wife when he was so handsome, tall and strong. Of course she wanted him, and desired him with everything in her . . . but she had her pride . . . and she clung desperately to her morals. Even though at times it felt that they were slipping from her grasp.

“No.” He said leaning down and kissing her neck gently, before placing another to her throat, and then across to the other side of her neck. Oh how she wanted to give in, to make love to him as he made love to her and just share in each others company until dawn, laying side by side as married persons were meant to. Yet she pulled herself from her bliss and desires once more slipping from his grasp and pushing him away as she started to make her away across to the other side of the bed to escape staying other the sheets, wishing now she had taken the time to put on a nightgown of some sort.

However, it was to no avail as Tavington quickly climbed onto the bed and caught her by the arm pulling her back to him and kissing her again, holding her tight in his arms. She tried to push him away, beating her fists against his shoulders and back trying to make him release her, but it was no use. Tears rolled down her face, as she found herself kissing him back yet again. It seemed ironic, that she had called him weak not moments ago, and here she was, unable to fight her own urges, even if they were in the legal and proper bonds of marriage. There was nothing she could do.

He slowly laid her back down still caressing her lips with his until he pulled back and removed his shirt tossing it aside. Within seconds Tavington’s arms encircled Katharine’s trembling body embracing her tightly once more. Leaning back a moment he looked down at her running his fingers through her hair and gently cradling her head in his hands. Nothing was said in words, but in their silence. Then, they consumed each others mouths once more.