Chapter 1: Betrothed
A/N: Some of these characters do not belong to me. This is my first Patriot story! Enjoy!
"Katherine get out of those clothes! You're a young lady!" Her father yelled from his porch. Kathrine rolled her eyes and stomped off to her room. She had just bought some men's breaches and a loose shirt from a young solder. Katherine's father is the all mighty Gen. Lord Cornwallis and she hated it. Not necessarily what he's fighting for but that she had to be proper all the time. Her father had the idea that she was a good girl and didn't ever do anything unladylike. He was wrong. When she thought her father wasn't looking, she would argue with boys her age. She always spoke her mind and isn't care what anyone else thought. She was an only child and spoiled. She had to get her way. She went into her room and called for their servant, Anna.
"Anna! I need you!" She yelled in her sharp British accent. She threw herself onto her bed and flung off her shoes. Anna walked in.
"Yes Ms. Katherine?" Anna asked wearily
"I need your help dressing." Katherine said pulling off her breaches, and dropping them on the floor and moving on to her shirt. Anna and Katherine rarely conversed. When they did it was about school or what to wear. Katherine put on her cotton shift and her stay (a corset). She was used to wearing stays. She had worn them since she was a little girl. Anna tightened the stay so it made her look petit. Then she put on a beautiful yellow dress. She sat at her vanity and brushed her long wavy light brown hair. She pulled a part of her hair back and had Anna tie a bow around it. She glanced at herself in the mirror and approved of what she saw. She stood and slipped on her shoes and walked out of her room and down the staircase to find her father talking with at man named Cornel William Tavington.
'Figures' I thought 'He's probably talking to him about marring me. I won't go through with it.' As I reached the bottom steps my father looked up.
"Katherine! You remember Cornel William Tavington?" He said turning to Tavington.
"How could I forget?" I muttered.
"Be polite, Katherine!" My father said sternly.
"Cornel Tavington, it's great to see you again. How are you?" I said in a fake chipper voice.
"I'm doing grand. My job is getting more challenging now that the 'Ghost' is rounding up everyone who is against England." He directed that to my father.
"Were things getting too easy for you, Cornel? Seeing that you just kill everyone and everything that opposes England." I said not remembering to be polite.
"Kathrine! Are you a loyalist or a Patriot?" My father shot at me.
"If we are going by the Cornel's rules of engagement then I might as well be a patriot! Excuse me Gentlemen." I said back and turned on my heal to find my mother. Tavington watched me walk away with amusement as my father watched angrily.
I walked around the crowded room. I said 'hello' and 'Good evening' to about every person in the room before I found my mother.
"Why did father have to invite Cornel Tavington to dinner?" I said quietly to her.
"You know how he feels about the cornel." She said pretending to have a delightful conversation with me.
"But I don't even like him, why would I marry him?" I said not pretending.
Katherine, we are not discussing this now. Enjoy yourself and relax." She walked away like nothing happened. I stood there in disbelief of what just happened.
"Don't look so angry!" A voice said from behind me. I spun around and came face to face with my best friend, Andrew.
"My goodness! You scarred me!" I said grinning. "What are you doing here?"
"I joined the Army." He said puffing out his chest showing off his bright red coat.
"What happened with taking over your father's business?" I asked not impressed.
"We got in a little bit of a fight. I he told me when I was eighteen I could join the army! Now that I'm eighteen he didn't want me to. I told him that when I get back that I would join him in his business until he hands it over to me." He said in a stern Scottish voice (He was born in Scotland but his parents moved to England when we were five. He still has the accent. In some situations I laugh at him about it).
"You would have been safer over there!" I said letting my bossy side get a hold of me.
"I wouldn't want to miss my best friend's wedding!" He said hugging me.
"What are you talking about?" I almost said laughing.
"You didn't know? All of this is about you! Your father is announcing that he is giving your hand-in-marriage to Cornel Tavington." He said in a shocked voice.
"What?! He didn't even tell me! That's why mother was so happy tonight. Because I'm getting married!" I said half talking to Andrew half talking to myself. "I am not getting married to that PIG! He disgusts me. I can't even stand being around him!" I said directly to him.
"Katherine, your father knows what's right for you. If he thought that he was putting you in danger then he wouldn't have it. Both of you would make a lovely couple." He said trying to sound grown up.
"How can you say that? You are supposed to be on my side! How can you stand up for that….that….Murderer?" I said getting angry. He's supposed to be my best friend! "I guess that that uniform is getting to your head! You don't even pretend like you care!" I turned searching the room for my father. He was going to get my opinion on this.
"Katherine what are you doing? Katherine!" Andrew sputtered to me trying to sound like he was protecting me. I found my father talking to a very wealthy couple. I sped over to him.
"Father! I can't believe you would go behind my back and arrange me to be married and not even tell me!!!" I yelled. Everyone looked at me. Andrew put a hand to his head. My father turned to me, face beat red.
"Excuse me, Katherine; you do not address your father like that!" He boomed in his British accent.
"I am NOT marrying him no matter what you say! And that's final!" I yelled back. I turned and walked away. I had to get away! I ran to my room and locked myself in and put the key on my desk. I took off my dress and threw it on the floor. I ran over to my wardrobe and pulled it open and pulled out my breeches and shirt. I was leaving tonight!
A/N: Hope you enjoyed it. Please review! So I can put up a new chapter!