The Butcher and the Niece
I do not own the Patriot. Sadie is mine.
There it was again. The one place in South Carolina that Colonel William Tavington hated to be. And there was the one man that the Colonel wanted more than life itself to shoot in the head.
"Colonel Tavington," Lord General Cornwallis growled," My quarters, now."
Tavington watched the him walk back into the manor house. After about a minute, he stalked in after him.
"Yes milord," he asked. The lord General motioned for him to sit.
"What did I send you out to do today, Colonel?" the General asked in a dangerously low voice.
"You sent me out to do a raid sir," Tavington answered.
"And did it get done?"
Tavington eyed him for a moment," It did not sir."
"Why not," the General asked as his voice began to rise.
" We were ambushed, sir," Tavington replied,"by the Ghost."
"Colonel Tavington I'm not quite understanding why you are called the Butcher. I have sent you out on many raids, and you have returned every time to tell me that you didn't do it because some block head continental kept ambushing you."
"Sir I assure you that this is going to stop," Tavington said," The next raid-"
"Will be led by someone else, colonel," Corwallis interrupted," I am relieving you of your duties until further notice."
Colonel Tavington jumped out of his chair,"There is no other man in this army who has the balls to take charge of the Dragoons."
"On the contrary there is Captain Bordon," Cornwallis said," He equals you in strength, but not in brutality."
"And what am I to do while off duty," Tavington asked," Sit on my ass and watch it grow while my men are out there fighting."
"I assure you Colonel Tavington that you will be on your toes every minute of every day," the general said,"For it just so happens that there has been a death in my family. My sister has passed away, and her daughter has nowhere else to go."
Tavingtons' eyes widened, "Not your niece Sadie."
"The very same," Cornwallis said," I love my niece very much, probably more than my sister did, and now that you are free I am appointing you her personnal caretaker."
Tavington sighed,"Yes sir."
Tavington did not want to look after the generals niece. She was a moody little brat and she dispised Tavington almost as much as he despised her. The last time he saw Sadie was when she was ten years of age, and even then the colonel vowed that he never wanted to see her again.
"Sir that girl does not cooperate with me at all," Tavington said," Last time you left her in my charge she ran off and I couldn't find her for hours."
"That was your fault," the general replied,"You do not point weapons at ten-year-old children, Colonel."
Tavington could make no arguement to that. In his mind though he was laughing. That was the funniest thing he had ever done in his opinion.
"I will make you a deal,"Cornwallis went on ,"If you can get on her good side, and she on yours, then I will let you continue your duties. But until then you will remain here where you can keep an eye on Sadie.She's almost seventeen now so it shouldn't be too hard, even for you."
"Yes sir," the Colonel said.
"Good," the general said," She will be arriving tomorrow or the day after.I'm not quite sure."
Tavington stood for a moment, not able to say anything.This was rediculous. He had better things to do then to watch a teenager whp was more then perfectly capable of watching herself.
"I expect you to take good care of her," Cornwallis said from somewhere far away to the colonel," She is my pride and joy."
"I will sir," Tavington muttered.
"You are excused."