After coming back from the Black Swamp, Tavington allowed Elizabeth to have the rest of the day to get ready for the ball that night. She was given a beautiful gown to wear, but it was slightly too big for her petite frame. The multiple skirts and corset weighed her down more than she was used to, and she had some difficulty walking in it. Laura helped her to get ready, and for that she was grateful.
"You look absolutely beautiful," Laura said when she was finished doing something inctricate to Elizabeth's hair. It was halfway up, the top half braided and the other half curled. She stared at herself in a mirror, barely recognizing who she was. Then there was a light knock on the door, and Elizabeth was surprised to see Tavington there. He was in a formal uniform, one she hadn't seen before.
"I see you're ready," he said as Laura walked past him and out of the room. Elizabeth just stared at him, unwilling to speak to him. "And you will cooperate tonight, won't you?" Elizabeth only nodded, staring at the ground. She didn't want to cooperate. She wanted to kill Tavington and everyone in the British army and go back home to her brothers and sisters. As that thought crossed her mind, she felt a pang of longing to see Margaret and Susan again.
At the ball, Tavington didn't let her out of his sight. She was bored the whole time and didn't talk to anyone unless they spoke to her. By the end of the night, Tavington was drunk off his ass and actually being nice to Elizabeth, but she knew the behavior wouldn't continue into the next day.
After retiring to her room, she didn't expect to be bothered anymore, but just as she started dozing off, someone barged in, but she couldn't see who it was because of how dark it was.
"Who's there?" she said, sitting up and trying to see. All she could see was the silhouette of the person, and she knew it was a man. Then she felt him kissing her, and she immediately backed away and fell off the bed. Her lower back screamed with pain when she landed, and she could see the figure walk around the bed over to her. She stood up quickly and realized she didn't have a very open escape route. Then he started talking.
"Calm down, my dear," Tavington said, obviously still very drunk. Elizabeth tried to run past him, but he grabbed her around the waist, making her yelp. Her back still hurt, and the lurch from being grabbed made it worse. Tavington started kissing her again, but she grabbed onto his shirt and pushed him off of her and slapped him in the face. She knew that was her only chance of running away and took it. The hallway was dimly lit, but she could see enough to go down the stairs. She could hear Tavington's heavy footsteps coming down the stairs after her, so she opened the door to go outside. When she had her hand on the handle, the door opened suddenly and almost made her fall over.
"Elizabeth?" she heard her father say. She looked up at the men in front of her – her father, Gabirel, and a man she didn't recognize. She threw her arms around her father's neck, overjoyed to see him, then remembered Tavington. She turned around and he was just staring at them, looking confused. Gabriel tried to attack him, but Elizabeth made him stop.
"We don't need any trouble if no one else knows you're here," she said into his ear. The four left without a word and Tavington only stood there, unable to comprehend what just happened. "How did you find me?"
"You remember that ship exploding during that ball?" her father said as they ran towards the woods. Then Elizabeth realized that it was them that blew up the ship.
"How did you get past the guards?" Elizabeth asked her father as they came up to three horses.
"There weren't any," Gabriel said as he mounted his horse. Elizabeth got on the horse behind him, hoping they wouldn't get caught.
"You'll be staying with us for the time being," her father said as they started riding through the woods. "If you wish to fight, you may." Elizabeth felt like her whole world was turning over. She was away from the British finally, and would be able to fight alongside her brother and father. That's what she wanted to begin with.
When they reached the militia camp, several of the men still awake just stared at her, and she realized she was only in a nightgown and felt very naked. Before she could even say anything, Gabriel gave her clothes to change into, comfortable clothes that she would be able to fight in when the time came. That night she finally slept peacefully.
The next morning, Gabriel shook her awake. "We're moving out," he said, sitting on the ground beside her. "But only for the day. We always stay here. It's one of the best hiding spots."
"What are we doing?" Elizabeth asked as she wiped the sleep from her eyes.
"What we always do," Gabriel said with a vicious smirk. "Killing some redcoats."
By the end of the day, Elizabeth didn't think she could move. The militia did more physical activity than she was used to, but she loved every minute of it. That night, she stayed up with her father, Gabriel, and the man that was with them when they rescued her.
"Elizabeth I don't think I've introduced you to Major Jean Villenevue," Ben said as he made bullets with Thomas' old figurines. Major Villenevue nodded at Elizabeth, who returned the nod.
"Elizabeth Martin," she said with a smile.
"I've heard much about you, Miss Martin," the captain said. Elizabeth noticed his thick French accent. She'd never met anyone from France before. "Like your father, your reputation precedes you."
"Elizabeth, we're going to Gullah Island tomorrow," her father then said, looking at her to see her reaction. She had no idea what that place was. "Everyone's over there right now."
"Really!?" Elizabeth exclaimed, perking up at the thought of seeing her siblings again.
"Yes, but I was hoping you would stay there when we come back." Elizabeth's face fell. She wanted to stay and fight, not wait out the war on a hidden island. "But I also know I can't stop you if you decide to come with us."
Gabriel was smiling to himself as Elizabeth and her father spoke, but Elizabeth wasn't sure why he seemed so happy about it. Of course he would be happy about seeing his siblings and Aunt Charlotte, but Elizabeth felt like there was more to his happiness than that. Elizabeth only stayed up a few hours longer, and sleep came easily to her.
When morning finally came, Elizabeth was more than ready to go to Gullah Island. She was getting the small amount of things she had with her together in a bag when her father came to see if she was ready to leave.
"Elizabeth, are you ready to go?" he said, opening the flap of her tent.
"Yes," she said excitedly, picking up her bag and walking out of her tent with her father. Everyone got on their horse and Elizabeth was surprised to see that Major Villenevue was going with them.
"Gabriel, what has made you so happy recently?" Elizabeth said, riding beside Gabriel as they rode behind their father and Major Villenevue.
"Oh, nothing." Gabriel said, trying to suppress his smile and failing miserably. Elizabeth gave him a suspicious look but didn't press him any further. As they all approached the island, Elizabeth's excitement to see her brothers and sisters rose. She saw Margaret look up first and as she ran towards them, the other children looked up and ran towards the four of them. Elizabeth jumped off of her horse when it stopped and all of her brothers and sisters crowded around her, Gabriel, and their father except for Susan, which Elizabeth found strange. She looked over and saw Major Villenevue standing awkwardly off to one side and snorted a short laugh, which the Major heard and gave her a strange look, making her face redden as she looked down, embarrassed. Later that morning, she saw her father helping her brothers fish in the lake on the island and she smiled at seeing everyone so happy.
"I don't think any of us have seen your father so happy since he's been part of this war. His children make him very happy, all of them," Elizabeth heard Major Villenevue say behind her as she watched her father and Gabriel talk.
"I think so too," she said, then saw the Howard's driving up in their wagon, which she found curious, then made the connection of why Gabriel was so happy.
"Oh," she breathed out quietly with realization.
"Hm?" Major Villenevue said.
"I just figured out why Gabriel has been so happy recently," she said with a smile. Jean just gave her a confused look, so she elaborated. "He's getting married." she said, her smile widening. Major Villenevue smiled back as everyone went to meet the Howard's buggy.
The wedding ceremony was beautiful and everyone was excited about the party after, even Elizabeth. During the party, Elizabeth saw Anne talking to her father and he pulled something out of his pocket that looked familiar to Elizabeth and she realized that it was the necklace that belonged to her mother. She smiled at the exchange, then turned back to the party, seeing how happy everyone was.
"Miss Martin, curious not to see you in there with your brothers and sisters," Major Villenevue said, walking up to her as she watched everyone.
"I just enjoy watching. Well, Major, you know all about myself and my family now, but I know nothing about you," she said to him.
"Yes, well, there really is not much to say," he said, and Elizabeth could tell he didn't really want to talk about himself, but she was curious.
"Are you not married?" she asked out of curiosity.
"I was before this war. I had two beautiful daughters as well, but they are no longer in this world unfortunately. That is why I have so much hatred towards the British," he said.
"I'm so sorry I asked," Elizabeth said, wishing a hole would just open up in the ground that she could fall in from embarrassment.
"Do not worry, you were genuinely curious," he said, forcing a smile. "Would you like to dance, Miss Martin?" he asked her.
"Yes, I would," she said with a smile, then glanced over to the shoreline, seeing two people sitting on a log and she immediately knew it was her father and Aunt Charlotte and when she saw them kiss, she stopped dead in her tracks, gaping slightly. Jean looked in the direction Elizabeth was and chuckled at what he saw.
"I would not worry about that, I don't believe anything bad could come of it," Major Villenevue said, and pulled her along with him again to dance. She soon forgot about what she saw, being sucked into all of the fun of the dancing. She and Major Villenevue walked off to the side after dancing through two songs and began talking and while they were talking, Elizabeth glanced to her left and saw her father looking at her with a curious expression. She gave him a puzzled look, but he just smiled, apparently knowing something that she didn't. Later that evening, Elizabeth found a moment to ask her father about what she had seen earlier.
"So, Aunt Charlotte," she said casually, sitting beside her father.
"What about her?" he asked a bit nervously.
"I think you know what," she said, giving her father a knowing look.
"Well, what is your opinion about it?" he asked her.
"As long as you are both happy, I don't mind it. I'm just not sure how everyone else is going to take it," Elizabeth said honestly.
"I think Susan hates me," her father said out of nowhere.
"She could never hate you, father," she said, wondering why he brought it up.
"Gabriel told me that she talks now, but she hasn't come anywhere near me since we've been here," he said and Elizabeth could tell it was really upsetting him.
"I'll talk to her tomorrow and see what's wrong, but I know she doesn't hate you," I said, trying to be reassuring.
"I really hope not," he said, and the two just sat there for a while until Gabriel finally got to Elizabeth to dance.
"Gabriel, did Susan ever say anything about hating Father?" she asked as they were dancing.
"Well, she did actually. I think she doesn't really understand why he left to fight." he said and Elizabeth nodded in understanding, deciding to ask Susan about it the next day.