AN: Here it is! I'm so incredibly proud of this and proud of myself for continuing with this story. I really hope my few readers will enjoy this! PLEASE R&R! Also a huge shout out the my cousin, ag818, for her help with editing and being my cheerleader!
Disclaimer: I do not have any ownership to The Patriot or it's characters.
August 24th, 1780
Evening
It was a balmy summer night at the Wilkin's Plantation in South Carolina. The day had been a humid one, and as the sun nestled itself behind the trees and below the horizon, both brother and sister sighed as the air began to cool. After cleaning up the evening meal, the slaves of the plantation opened most of the windows, allowing a refreshing breeze to pass through the entirety of the large home.
Sophia Wilkins, the youngest of the two by four years, retired to the study after supper as she often did. After asking one of the house slaves for a cup of tea, Sophia settled into her normal chaise near the window, her legs pulled towards her, a book resting on her knees. Not long after she sat, her brother, James, joined her with the tea she asked for and placed it on the small table beside her. She thanked him with a smile, her eyes never leaving her novel. James made his way to his usual place on the settee and opened a book of his own. There was suddenly an urgent knocked from the front door.
"I will go," Sophia sighed as she rose from the chaise. It was getting quite late, and she knew the servants would have already begun to settle in for the night, so as the lady of the house, it was her responsibility to greet their late guest. She exited the small study and hurried down the hall, her small frame and stockinged feet making her practically silent. There was another impatient knock on the door just as she reached for the brass knob. She pulled the door open rapidly, not at all appreciating the impatience on the other side. But her irritation shifted into worry when she was met with a British officer standing on her front veranda, another climbing the stairs behind him. Immediately her mind drifted to her treasonous actions the day prior. She reasoned with herself that she could not have been found out and instead worried that this had to do with her parents' business with General O'Hara that afternoon. They had left early that morning for Fort Carolina and were not expected back until the following day. Something must have gone awry.
The tall officer removed his riding helmet and looked down at the peculiar girl's face, reading the worry in her pretty, wide eyes as easily as he would a map. After a pregnant pause she still made no indication that she would speak up, so he decided to cut the silence. "We are here to speak to Captain James Wilkins."
"Right…um…follow me, please," was all she managed as she met the officer's steel blue eyes, captivated by them and his handsome features. He was of a strong, athletic build and compared to her petite figure, his stature towered over her by almost a foot. Realizing she had already been quite awkward towards the two officers, she stopped herself from gawking and turned around to lead them down the hall and into the study. Their riding boots made heavy thuds along the wooden floor, making Sophia realize she was without shoes. She scolded herself for being so improper and hoped the two respected men behind her would not notice. She still did not understand why they were in her home at this late hour.
Upon entering the study, James was no longer reading and was instead standing towards the center of the room. His posture was stiff, his hands behind his back, ready to greet his superiors. He had heard them arrive. Sophia moved to the edge of the room, feeling out of place.
"At ease, Captain." The blue-eyed officer spoke with disinterest as he removed the leather gloves from his hands. James relaxed, placing his arms back at his sides.
"What brings you here this evening, Colonel?" James asked politely.
"You, Captain." The Colonel sauntered further into the room, examining it. He placed his gloves on the small end table beside the settee.
Sophia's tension dissipated at the Colonel's words, realizing that this visit was not about her or her parents. But his following words made her stomach drop. "As you are an officer of the British Army, we ask that you reside at Fort Carolina from here on. Your services to the Crown will be of better use there than here at your residence."
Sophia's knees began to shake, and it took all her might to hold back the tears threatening to spill down her cheeks. How could he leave her here alone with her parents? Sophia began to protest, but her brother gave her a warning look and she ceased. This did not go unnoticed by the Colonel.
"And who might this be, Captain?" The Colonel's eyes wandered over the girl's figure subtly, only Sophia noticing the quiet smirk in his expression.
"My sister, sir. Sophia, this is Colonel William Tavington and Captain Joseph Bordon," James said.
"Pleasure, Miss Wilkins." The Colonel savoured every syllable. Sophia curtsied respectfully, and both officers bowed in response. "Leave us, please." He continued after a short pause.
"Yes, sir," she whispered. She was eager to escape from the room. The Colonel's gaze was making her uneasy, and there was still a lump in her throat.
Sophia moved out of the study, and softly closed the door behind her. But instead of walking further away, she pressed her back against the wall adjacent to the door and listened to the conversation on the opposite side. This was her chance to prove her loyalty to the local militia and be part of the rising revolution.
~~xXx~~
August 20th, 1780
Four Days Earlier
Gabriel Martin rode into Pembroke, interrupting the Sunday Service, to enlist men for the local militia. Anne Howard, who had always been rather friendly with Gabriel, had given a rousing speech about how the men should support him. Sophia had already pledged her loyalty to the cause months prior, but being a young woman in a Loyalist home, she kept her opinions to herself. But now was her chance to show her support. Her family had never attended service in Pembroke since they had lived several miles from the town and did not desire to associate themselves with people they suspected were sympathetic to the Patriotic cause. Sophia had grown up with these people, as had her brother, and was friends with many, including Anne and Gabriel; her parents allowed her to visit them once a week at church. So when Gabriel marched into the church that fateful day, Sophia was free to do as she pleased without their knowledge.
At the end of the service, two dozen men lined up to enlist in this new militia. Sophia waited patiently for the crowd to disintegrate before approaching her long time friend.
"I wish to help," Sophia said as she approached him.
Gabriel smiled at her. "I am glad, Sophia, but a woman should not be fighting in a war."
Sophia looked at him, discouraged. "I am not asking to fight beside you. I do not wish to kill, but there must be some other form in which I can be of assistance to the cause."
Gabriel smiled and looked at her thoughtfully for a moment. After a short pause he asked, "Your mother and father are Loyalists, yes?"
"Most ardently," she replied.
"And your brother recently enlisted as a Captain in the British Army?"
"Yes, under Colonel Tavington of the Green Dragoons."
"The same Colonel Tavington who shot Thomas." It wasn't a question. Gabriel's eyes lost their thoughtfulness and became sad for a moment.
Sophia was silent, feeling Gabriel's pain as well. She had known Thomas almost all her life, and was heartbroken by the news of his murder. She reached out to Gabriel's side and took his hand gently in hers. The kind gesture pulled Gabriel back to the present, and he met Sophia's sympathetic stare, his sadness turning into determination.
"You can be of great assistance to this cause, Sophia. As a spy," Gabriel finally replied.
Sophia gave him a look of confusion, which then turned into anxiety.
Sensing her emotions, Gabriel gave the hand he was still holding a reassuring squeeze. "No one would suspect it, Sophia. You are the child of Loyalists and the sister of a British officer. You are close to your brother, yes?" Sophia nodded her head before Gabriel continued. "Obtain as much knowledge as you can from him. Anything you deem helpful to our cause you can then relay back to me or my father as soon as possible. Can you do that?"
Sophia did not like the idea of betraying her beloved brother's trust, but felt she could not let Gabriel down. "Yes, I will try." She smiled at him, reassuring herself that she had made the right decision.
"This could foster an important turning point for our cause. I am very grateful for you, Sophia." Sophia blushed at his words.
With a nod of his head, Gabriel released Sophia's hand and walked away, towards his newly recruited men. Sophia's eyes followed, only to find that Anne had been watching them with a curious expression.
~~xXx~~
Sophia continued to listen closely to the conversation in the adjacent room.
"Have you gathered any intelligence on local rebels?" Tavington asked Wilkins.
"Not in this area, sir. But thirty miles north, to the west of the High Hills of the Santee, there is gossip of a rebel encampment," replied Wilkins.
"I hope you are right, Captain. I will send a scout tomorrow afternoon to confirm." Sophia could hear the subtle smirk in his voice.
She wanted to lift her skirts and run to Pembroke that very moment to tell them what she heard. This was the information she needed to prove her loyalty to the cause, to Gabriel. Her heart pounded in her chest, excitement coursing through her body. She took a few steadying breaths to calm her racing heart, and continued to listen.
"You are proving to be much more useful than I had anticipated, Captain Wilkins," Tavington said. He continued before James could respond. "Collect your belongings. You will be accompanying us back to Fort Carolina tonight."
"But, sir, I have duties here at home I need to attend to first. My sister, she-," Captain Wilkins began to protest.
"Now, Captain." Tavington was stern.
"Yes, sir." Wilkins knew better than to speak back to his superior.
Sophia heard the officers approach the door and instantly realized she was about to be caught in a compromising position. Hastily, she ran towards the front entrance of the house and into the dining area, her satin stockinged feet almost causing her to slip. A cloth had been left on the table from earlier and she picked it up, pretending to dust the already pristine table when she heard the officers wandered out of the study. None of the men paid her any attention as they strode to the front and stood in the entryway adjacent to the dimly lit dining room where she stood. Both Colonel Tavington and Captain Bordon stood by the front door, looking rather impatient as her brother climbed the stairs quickly. Sophia decided to follow. Bordon did not seem to notice the girl emerge from the shadows, but Tavington did and caught her gaze with a cautionary countenance. Sophia, feeling apprehensive of the Colonel's expression, shifted her sights upon the stairs and rushed up as ladylike as possible.
"James?" She spoke as she reached the door of his room.
"Yes?" He replied as he began packing two leather portmanteaus with the most important of his belongings. His dresser drawers were all ajar, recently unfolded clothes spilling out of them. His Dragoons uniform was laid out pristinely upon his bed. Sophia never moved from the doorway.
"Are you departing tonight?" Sophia asked hesitantly.
"Yes." One satchel was already packed.
"For how long?"
"I do not know. Until my services are no longer needed, I suppose."
"Hence, when the war is over." There was an edge in her tone now.
"Possibly," was all he said as he threw a few final breeches into the second bag.
"Mother and Father will be home tomorrow afternoon with reputable British officers and soldiers to follow. How am I to endure them without you? They will have me married off in a fortnight!" Her voice had risen slightly, but not enough that she was shouting. Since the day Sophia turned eighteen, Mr. and Mrs. Wilkins had been looking to find their daughter a suitable husband. With the help of her brother, Sophia managed to find a way to dissuade the various suitors from making a proposal. But after almost three years and the imminent threat of war, her parents were becoming increasingly desperate to find her a respectable match before there was none left. With no one on her side, Sophia knew she would be left with no choice but to succumb to her parents.
"I am sure you will not make it easy for them." He gave her a playful smile, hoping to lighten her mood.
Sophia gave her brother a faint smile in return but could no longer suppress her tears, and they fell leaving damp stains on her cheeks. Not wanting to appear weak, she turned her back to her brother and stepped from the doorway, mumbling just loud enough for him to hear. "I will have Abraham to fetch Arion."
Sophia advanced down the stairs gracefully despite the overwhelming emotions threatening to spill out of her. Not only was she overcome with the sadness of her brother's departure, but she now also had to determine how to handle the valuable information she had overheard in the study and how she would relay it to Gabriel. After all, the young rebel was leaving Pembroke early the following morning. Reaching the penultimate stair, Sophia once again caught the Colonel's icy glare with her tear-filled eyes. Hoping to hide the urgency she was feeling, Sophia spoke to both officers with the temperament of a proper lady. "Gentlemen, if you would excuse me, I must wake our stablehand and have him fetch my brother's horse." Before the officers could respond, Sophia ran down into the kitchen and outside.
As Sophia scurried through the fields toward the outbuilding that she knew housed Abraham, thunder began to rumble off in the distance. At first she feared it to be gunfire, but looking out beyond the sea of wheat and tobacco lightning lit up the sky, exposing the dark clouds approaching. The air was changing too. The wind had begun to rustle the tops of the trees and the fields in the distance swayed violently at times. A storm was approaching, and in more ways than one.
After loudly knocking on the door a few times, Sophia was met with a slave boy of about seventeen. Sophia had clearly woken him. "What can I do for you, Miz?"
"Abraham, I need you to prepare Mr. Wilkins' horse. Meet him outside the residence right away."
"Yes, Miz." Abraham grabbed a thin cloak and began to make his way to the plantation's stables.
"Wait." Sophia took hold of the boy's arm. "Prepare Persephone as well. But bring her to me only after our guests have left. Understand?"
"Yes, Miz."
"Thank you. And as I said before, hastily."
Without another word, Abraham ran down to the stables to prepare the horses. Sophia hurried through the plantation grounds and back to the home. The storm was fast approaching. The booming was much louder now and there was electricity in the air. The wind whipped Sophia's hair in every direction. It would not be long now.
Sophia ran back up the kitchen stairs and arrived back in the entryway just as her brother reached the bottom of the stairs. James, now fully dressed in his Dragoons uniform with a full portmanteau in each hand, was saddened upon seeing his sister. He knew that it would be difficult for her at the plantation without him; the pair had always been inseparable.
The other two officers, however, seemed to be giving Sophia a disapproving look. Sophia caught Colonel Tavington's eye once more, and he seemed to be studying her. Becoming self-conscious, Sophia looked downward. Only then did she notice that her skirts were stained with dirt and grass, and she still was only wearing stockings on her feet. The wind had whipped her already unruly curls into a mane.
Trying to justify her appearance without directly addressing it, Sophia mumbled, "There is a storm approaching. Best be careful riding back."
Sophia scampered over to the front door and opened it for the officers. They stepped out onto the veranda and down the stairs. Sophia grabbed a pair of shoes from the nearby closet, before following them out.
Abraham was approaching the front of the plantation just as Sophia descended the stairs. He handed off James' horse and was quickly dismissed. Sophia made her way to her brother, first passing Captain Bordon and his horse. As Bordon began lifting his riding helmet to his head, Tavington strode over to him, his helmet resting under his arm. They began discussing something quietly. Only when he noticed Sophia pass, did he silence himself. Sophia did not notice. She continued passed Tavington's vacant horse and towards her brother who had buckled both bags to his saddle and was strapping on his riding helmet.
"You can manage being alone for the evening? Mother and Father should return tomorrow." He asked her as he continued to prepare his horse.
"Yes, I can manage." Sophia gave her brother a quiet smile.
Not able to reign in her emotions any longer, Sophia abruptly embraced her brother, startling him for a moment before he too wrapped his arms around her shoulders. His tall frame towered over her, her head resting on his chest as he placed a tender peck on the top of her head. Neither wanted to let the other go. Sophia realized, in that moment, that it wasn't the idea that she would have to face her parents on her own now, but that she may never see her beloved brother again. He was leaving for a war that was rapidly approaching their doorstep, and soon he would be thrown into the midst of it all. But so would she.
Sophia released herself from the embrace and attempted to reign in her grief. With as much propriety as she could muster, she wished her brother safe travels and headed back toward the house. The evening had already been far too overwhelming for her and she still needed to prepare to rush to Pembroke that evening to warn Gabriel of the Colonel's intended attack on a local militia. But she only made it a few strides before a deafening crash of thunder shook the ground, spooking Colonel Tavington's horse, Sophia standing only a few feet in front of it. The horse reared up, whinnying shrilly. The outburst alarmed Sophia and she fell back, landing on the ground with a graceless thud. She looked up at the horse in terror, waiting to be trampled as it began its descent back onto all four legs. Witnessing the disaster that was about to transpire, Colonel Tavington sprinted over to the horse and skillfully grabbed its reins, yanking it back just far enough that the plunging hooves barely missed trampling the trembling figure that had tumbled onto the ground.
Sophia, who was expecting the worst, just gaped with wide eyes at the man who had possibly just saved her life; a man who had taken so many. He caught her with the same severe stare he had given her all evening. It forced her to look away. Her obvious discomfort compelled the Colonel to approaching the girl. He stood over her, regarding her for a moment. Sophia eventually glanced back up at the Colonel. An unexpectedly kind smile formed on the Colonel's face as he held out his hand to help Sophia to her feet. She hesitated for a moment before grabbing hold. The moment their skin made contact, however, Sophia almost pulled away. There was an unexplainable electricity that filled the air in that brief moment. Sophia searched the Colonel's eyes, hoping to find some clue that indicated he felt it too, but he revealed nothing. She decided that the sensation was merely an effect of the approaching storm and the myriad of overwhelming events that had transpired that evening. But as the Colonel pulled her to her feet, he held onto her hands for just an instant longer than needed; Sophia eventually pulled her hands away from his rough hands.
"Words cannot justify my gratitude, Colonel," she said as she dusted off her skirts and collected herself.
"Of course, Miss Wilkins." The intensity of his expression quieted, but Sophia still felt uneasy. Her eyes left his; she gave her brother a reassuring nod to indicate that she was unharmed. He gave her a grin in return before Sophia wished the three officers safe travels and climbed back up the stairs into her house. Her hands shook as she closed the door behind her. Her legs trembled as well. What was meant to be a quiet evening had quickly turned into a whirlwind of unexpected events, and now that Sophia found herself alone her emotions came flooding to the surface. Unable to stand any longer, Sophia slumped to the floor, her back against the front door. Her tears raced down her cheeks, and left damp spots on her skirts. She was forced to collect herself only moments after she began to sob because there was once again an urgent knock on the door, a knock that was much like the one from earlier that evening. Sophia knew who it was. She clambered back to her feet and wiped the tears from her face before opening the door to exactly who she had expected.
"Colonel. How can I be of assistance?" Sophia hoped that appearing mannerly would divert away from how distraught she was.
"My riding gloves. I seem to have forgotten them in the study." He noticed her reddened eyes, but gave her no indication of his observation with his cordial behavior.
"I will retrieve them for you, sir." She hurried down the hall, never allowing him to mutter a "thank you". He had caught her in a compromising position, when her emotions were not in check, and every time she found herself in his presence she was unsettled. He would examine her with those cold, blue eyes; there was never a hint of warmth.
The kerosene lamps that illuminated the study had almost completely burned out when Sophia entered, the room now only filled with a warm glow. Outside the wind had begun to howl and a deafening boom echoed from outside, shaking the entire house. In that same instant, the clouds that had been waiting to burst all evening finally did so, the weight of the drops almost as deafening as the thunder. A flash of lightning exposed every detail of the study briefly, pulling Sophia away from her thoughts and back to her task as she spotted the leather gloves on the small table beside the settee. Afraid she had left the Colonel waiting, Sophia swiped the gloves off of the table and turned to leave the room quickly, only to collide with the man himself. She cried out in surprise. Had she been paying less attention to the ground, she may have avoided another clumsy encounter with the cold Colonel.
"My apologies, sir. I had not realized I was taking so long." The room briefly brightened once again, and for the first time Sophia could read the Colonel's expression. His jaw was clenched, his glare more penetrating than any time before. That curious look he had given her all evening she now understood. He was cross with her. There was a quiet fury in his eyes, and he did not acknowledge her words. The door was slammed shut with a quick stroke of his hand and he stalked towards her, leaving her no other direction to escape but to backward, until she was met with the settee. The instant she stopped retreating, he ceased his advancement onto her. He was less than a foot away from the girl, but his presence crushed down upon her, as if suffocating her with the mere stiff intensity of his entire being.
"May I inquire, Miss Wilkins, as to what compelled you to eavesdrop on a private conversation between my fellow officers and I?" His words were just above a whisper, but the manner in which he spoke these words did not reflect the volume of his voice. His brow creased as the severity of his scowl increased, searching Sophia's expression for an answer.
She looked away, down to her feet. "Colonel, I am afraid you are mis-".
He interrupted her. "It would be wise to be forthright with me, Miss Wilkins." He closed the distance between them. "I am an observant man, and you were not as surreptitious as you may believe." He continued to examine her expression.
Sophia finally glanced up once again, hoping to produce a convincing lie. "I apologize, sir. I feared that your visit involved the wellbeing of my mother and father, and I was concerned."
The Colonel's animosity appeared to subside, but he still seemed suspicious of the girl. Sophia locked eyes with him, hoping to seem sincere.
After a studious pause the Colonel finally said, "I trust you understand that any utterance of the matters discussed earlier is an act of treason."
Sophia nodded her head.
The Colonel once again closed the distance between them, their bodies now only inches apart. "Good," he breathed.
There was a prolonged silence between the pair and the Colonel withheld from moving away from Sophia. She could feel the heat radiating off his body. Finally, the Colonel reached down to Sophia's side and seized the hand that held his riding gloves. He did not take the gloves from her hand, but merely pulled her arm toward him and studied it for a moment. "I do hope we meet again, Miss Wilkins." He then glanced back up to Sophia's face and caught her emerald stare one last time before swiping the gloves from her trembling hands and exiting the plantation, leaving her breathless.
