Elizabeth stood mute, her eyes darting from face to face, but nothing helped. The entranceway at the bottom of the stairs was filled with red. In truth the red coats had come, but not just red coats British Green Dragoon's.
"Ah, this is my daughter." Elizabeth's father and pulled her off the stairs. And there she stood, in front of the most feared fighting force on the British side, and most of all in front of the most feared man in the colonies, Colonel William Tavington, and his second in command, Captain James Bordon.
"Miss Watson, we meet again." Tavington took Elizabeth's hand and gently placed a kiss on top of it.
"Yes, so it seems." Elizabeth flashed back to the ball about two months ago.
Elizabeth had been dragged along to meet those who would help her to know. Elizabeth ended up talking to a group of women about a year to two years older than she, at that time she was 17.
"I don't see what the fuss is about; it's just a time to chat." Elizabeth said taking a glass of wine.
"Yes, well there also are other reasons." Alice said taking a sip of her wine.
"Really Alice? Do elaborate." Michelle said placing a hand on her hip.
"Well we can see all of the young, handsome, available, Officers." Trish said.
"Trish!" Michelle squeaked.
Well then Michelle, why don't you prove that you do not like Colonel Tavington-"
"I'm not smitten with him!"
"-Or Captain Bordon." Alice finished.
The three of the laughed, but stopped.
"I'm not interrupting am I?"
"Not at all Colonel, Elizabeth was telling us a funny story."
Tavington raised an eyebrow. "Is that so? Well then you ladies wouldn't mind if I take her to dance, so she can rejoice me with the tale."
"But I-"
"But Colonel you wouldn't understand or like it." Trish said before Elizabeth could finish.
"Well then she'll have to grace me with a dance." And with that he swept her onto the dace floor and just as gracefully into dance.
"I don't think we've been properly introduced." He smiled down at her. "I'm Colonel William Tavington of the Green Dragoon's."
"Elizabeth Mary Watson."
"Ah, yes the only daughter of Joshua Watson. A legend in the British Army."
"So I'm told." Elizabeth looked over at Michelle who was smiling.
"Yes she is smitten with me. There is no need to ask."
"But I wasn't Colonel." HE seemed a little annoyed at this. But he pulled her closer to him. Elizabeth found this strange, but given his history she knew what he wanted.
"Elizabeth, there you are." Her father puller her from Tavington and led her away. "There are some people I want you to meet." Her father dragged her to meet the Lord General and General. "Elizabeth this is Lord General Cornwallis and General O'Hara." Elizabeth curtsied and each placed a kiss on her hand.
"Elizabeth what a pretty name." O'Hara said with a smile.
"Thank you General." O'Hara smiled and gave a nod of his head. After that it was meaningless chatter of old times. By the end Elizabeth had the worse migraine.
As she was getting in her carriage to leave, Tavington stopped her. "Miss Watson." Elizabeth turned to see Tavington with his hands behind his back.
"Yes?"
"Maybe I'll see you at the next ball. Then we might have more then a few steps of a dance together." He moved closer to her and brought his hand to her face. "Elizabeth, such a pretty name for such a beautiful face."
"Thank you Colonel but I must be going." She turned and got into the carriage. She left rubbing her temple.
"And this is Captain Bordon." He nodded and placed a sweet kiss in her hand. The Tavington turned to address the group. "Privets wait out side, officers into the library."
Elizabeth watched the one mass split into two. The smaller one of officers went into the library and the larger one of privets went out side. Elizabeth knew they would discuses rooms. Officers would get first picks on the lager and more stunning rooms. And the privets would get the smaller ones and basic rooms.
"Elizabeth are you coming?" Her father asked.
"I didn't know I was aloud to."
"Of course, you know more about the many rooms than I do." He led her into the library. The men were scattered about the room. Elizabeth sat on the desk.
"To start off we have 16 rooms that are not in use now." There were 12 officers, which left 4 rooms for about 25 men.
"The rest will have to set up camp out back."
"We also have servants quarters that are not is use." Her father said.
"How many to a quarter and how many quarters?"
"About 5, maybe 6 and maybe 4 or 5." Elizabeth said before her father had a chance to answer.
Tavington nodded his head. "That will be fine."
"And may I ask how long you are planning to stay?"
Tavington shot Elizabeth the evilest look. "That shall be none of your concern."
"I beg to differ, Colonel. It is of my concern. I need to know how much food to buy, cook, and sever a meal." Elizabeth gave Tavington the sweetest smile. Then her father whispered in her ear.
"You shouldn't have done that. He's a very dangerous man at times. Stay on his good side, and we'll talk later."
"Fine." Elizabeth hopped down from the desk and walked to the door. And as she went out she turned around. "Have fun gentlemen." And she left.
"Elizabeth!" Her father ran after her. "You Get back here and show those rooms!"
"No you show them."
"I didn't grow up running about the rooms."
"No but you own the estate."
"Not any more."
"What?!"
"It's in your name now. You own the estate."
"You're leaving?" Elizabeth backed against the wall.
"Not until you're married and I know you'll be fine." He place a kiss on her forehead.
"Gentlemen, this way." Elizabeth said in the brightest tone she could manage.
"Ah, this is my daughter." Elizabeth's father and pulled her off the stairs. And there she stood, in front of the most feared fighting force on the British side, and most of all in front of the most feared man in the colonies, Colonel William Tavington, and his second in command, Captain James Bordon.
"Miss Watson, we meet again." Tavington took Elizabeth's hand and gently placed a kiss on top of it.
"Yes, so it seems." Elizabeth flashed back to the ball about two months ago.
Elizabeth had been dragged along to meet those who would help her to know. Elizabeth ended up talking to a group of women about a year to two years older than she, at that time she was 17.
"I don't see what the fuss is about; it's just a time to chat." Elizabeth said taking a glass of wine.
"Yes, well there also are other reasons." Alice said taking a sip of her wine.
"Really Alice? Do elaborate." Michelle said placing a hand on her hip.
"Well we can see all of the young, handsome, available, Officers." Trish said.
"Trish!" Michelle squeaked.
Well then Michelle, why don't you prove that you do not like Colonel Tavington-"
"I'm not smitten with him!"
"-Or Captain Bordon." Alice finished.
The three of the laughed, but stopped.
"I'm not interrupting am I?"
"Not at all Colonel, Elizabeth was telling us a funny story."
Tavington raised an eyebrow. "Is that so? Well then you ladies wouldn't mind if I take her to dance, so she can rejoice me with the tale."
"But I-"
"But Colonel you wouldn't understand or like it." Trish said before Elizabeth could finish.
"Well then she'll have to grace me with a dance." And with that he swept her onto the dace floor and just as gracefully into dance.
"I don't think we've been properly introduced." He smiled down at her. "I'm Colonel William Tavington of the Green Dragoon's."
"Elizabeth Mary Watson."
"Ah, yes the only daughter of Joshua Watson. A legend in the British Army."
"So I'm told." Elizabeth looked over at Michelle who was smiling.
"Yes she is smitten with me. There is no need to ask."
"But I wasn't Colonel." HE seemed a little annoyed at this. But he pulled her closer to him. Elizabeth found this strange, but given his history she knew what he wanted.
"Elizabeth, there you are." Her father puller her from Tavington and led her away. "There are some people I want you to meet." Her father dragged her to meet the Lord General and General. "Elizabeth this is Lord General Cornwallis and General O'Hara." Elizabeth curtsied and each placed a kiss on her hand.
"Elizabeth what a pretty name." O'Hara said with a smile.
"Thank you General." O'Hara smiled and gave a nod of his head. After that it was meaningless chatter of old times. By the end Elizabeth had the worse migraine.
As she was getting in her carriage to leave, Tavington stopped her. "Miss Watson." Elizabeth turned to see Tavington with his hands behind his back.
"Yes?"
"Maybe I'll see you at the next ball. Then we might have more then a few steps of a dance together." He moved closer to her and brought his hand to her face. "Elizabeth, such a pretty name for such a beautiful face."
"Thank you Colonel but I must be going." She turned and got into the carriage. She left rubbing her temple.
"And this is Captain Bordon." He nodded and placed a sweet kiss in her hand. The Tavington turned to address the group. "Privets wait out side, officers into the library."
Elizabeth watched the one mass split into two. The smaller one of officers went into the library and the larger one of privets went out side. Elizabeth knew they would discuses rooms. Officers would get first picks on the lager and more stunning rooms. And the privets would get the smaller ones and basic rooms.
"Elizabeth are you coming?" Her father asked.
"I didn't know I was aloud to."
"Of course, you know more about the many rooms than I do." He led her into the library. The men were scattered about the room. Elizabeth sat on the desk.
"To start off we have 16 rooms that are not in use now." There were 12 officers, which left 4 rooms for about 25 men.
"The rest will have to set up camp out back."
"We also have servants quarters that are not is use." Her father said.
"How many to a quarter and how many quarters?"
"About 5, maybe 6 and maybe 4 or 5." Elizabeth said before her father had a chance to answer.
Tavington nodded his head. "That will be fine."
"And may I ask how long you are planning to stay?"
Tavington shot Elizabeth the evilest look. "That shall be none of your concern."
"I beg to differ, Colonel. It is of my concern. I need to know how much food to buy, cook, and sever a meal." Elizabeth gave Tavington the sweetest smile. Then her father whispered in her ear.
"You shouldn't have done that. He's a very dangerous man at times. Stay on his good side, and we'll talk later."
"Fine." Elizabeth hopped down from the desk and walked to the door. And as she went out she turned around. "Have fun gentlemen." And she left.
"Elizabeth!" Her father ran after her. "You Get back here and show those rooms!"
"No you show them."
"I didn't grow up running about the rooms."
"No but you own the estate."
"Not any more."
"What?!"
"It's in your name now. You own the estate."
"You're leaving?" Elizabeth backed against the wall.
"Not until you're married and I know you'll be fine." He place a kiss on her forehead.
"Gentlemen, this way." Elizabeth said in the brightest tone she could manage.