I don't own The Patriot.
I'm gonna warn people here right now that the second section of the story is VERY dumb. So be warned!
Guest: Hello! Thank you so much for the lovely review and for the names of the locations! Hahaha, yes! I'm pretty sure Tavington would have done such a thing, if one is turning his back to the king and country.
Anna's fingers ached in pain from the nonstop sewing. She felt like she had sat in the shack for hours and managed to finish the shape of one white star. "If you're tired, you can go outside for a little while," Gabriel suggested when he noticed her letting out a sigh and the red mark that were tattooed on her white flesh.
"I'll be fine," she sighed, "a little sewing never hurt anybody. OW!" she yelped and jumped when the needle stabbed her finger, "must I do that again!" she snapped and shook her finger in the air. "That's the tenth time!"
Gabriel reached into his bag and ripped a piece of fabric. He took her index finger and wrapped the white bandage around the injured spot. Anna murmured a thank you and surveyed her fingers. Every single finger, except her thumb, were wrapped with bandages. "Mother has taught me how to sew, but yet I can't do it!"
"It takes practice," Gabriel told her, "my mother never taught me how to sew but I learned some tactics from Margaret."
Anna gave him a smile. "You have a wonderful family Gabriel," she told him, "everyone just helps one another. They are not isolated from each other, minding their own business but they work together and are there for each other." She swallowed when she thought about her relationship with her sisters. Ever since her mother's death, everything bothered Anna. Alice, even when she did the most innocent action, bothered her and so did Catherine's isolation from the family. Hopefully, after these events they were going to reunite once more as a sisters.
Gabriel smiled at her comment. "I'm sure your family is wonderful too."
Anna snorted at his comment. Her smile gradually disappeared as she looked up at him and said, "I have not been the perfect sister to Alice and Catherine," she admitted.
"No one is," Gabriel told her. "I have not been the perfect brother."
"Hopefully, when this war is over we will reunite again," Anna clasped her hands together and squeezed them as well as her eyes. "I already lost a mother and a father. I don't want to lose a sister," her voice shook as she spoke those words.
Sensing her discomfort, Gabriel placed his hand on her back and gave it a soft rub. Before he knew it, Anna flung herself onto him and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I just want her back," she sobbed and squeezed him. She pulled away from him and pleadingly looked at him. "Tell me that we'll get her back!" her voice shook when she spoke and tears escaped her eyes.
This sudden change of attitude surprised Gabriel. Even a person that possessed a tough personality, they still had emotions running through them. Gabriel held out his arms and gently wrapped them around her body in a brotherly fashion. "It's going to be alright," he assured her, "she will be alright."
Anna sniffed and ran a hand over her eyes. "God, I hate crying," she said but then added a laugh at then end. "I hope so too. It's been a couple of hours and I miss her already."
"Thomas died a year ago and I miss him everyday," Gabriel spoke.
Anna turned her eyes and gave him a sympathetic look. She grabbed his hand and gave it a squeeze. "He will never be forgotten," she told him with a reassuring smile.
Gabriel reached to the ground and picked up the corner of the American flag. "I'm ready to call it a night. Aunt Charlotte and the others will be here soon to sleep."
Anna reached down and picked another corner of the American and they carefully folded the fabric until it was a miniature thick rectangle. As Gabriel stuffed the flag into his bag someone banged on the door, causing Gabriel and Anna to jump. Gabriel turned his head to look at Anna and made his way to the door. He pushed the door open and found Susan by the doorstep. Her blue eyes were wide, her small mouth agape, and her breathing was quick.
Gabriel knelt to the ground and placed his hands on Susan's shoulders. "Susan what's wrong?" he asked her.
"Alice and me were playing when a boy took her doll and threw it in the water," she quickly spoke, "she ran after the doll and she's in the water."
Anna's eyes widened as she flew out the door and into the cold night air. A crowd of townspeople were gathered by the seaside but Anna pushed them out of her way until her feet made contact with the cold water. She scrunched her eyes and squinted at the small body that was held in the arms of a freedmen. The man approached Anna with a sympathetic look on his face. Her eyes bounced to her sister, who held the wet doll in her arm. "Oh Alice," Anna gently spoke and put her hand on Alice's wet head.
Once she touched her sister, Alice squeezed her eyes and slowly opened them. Relief washed over her when Alice responded to her touch. "Give her to me," Anna held out her arms and held onto Alice, "we need to take her inside and keep her warm." She ran past the townspeople, past Gabriel, and into the shack where she sat Alice down on the bed.
Alice's teeth were clattering against one another. "A-A-Anna I'm c-c-cold."
"I know, I know," Anna quickly spoke, "we need to get you out of those clothes and dry you off." She quickly stripped her sister from wet clothes and covered her with whatever warm blankets she could find. "I'm going to take these to the fireplace to dry off. Stay here," she told her sister and was out the door. Dear God why do these things have to happen to me? she thought as she found a fireplace and set the clothes onto the sand, near the warm flames.
She turned her head to the side when she heard Gabriel's footsteps walking towards her. "How is she?" he asked her.
"Wet and cold," Anna answered matter-of-factly, "I need to keep her warm as much as I could. Who was the little wretch that did this to her?"
"I'm sure he meant no harm," Gabriel tried to calm her down, "they're just children wanting to play."
Anna mashed her lips together and took a deep breath through her nose. "Oh yes, there is nothing better than throwing someone's doll into the sea and having her chase after it where she might have drowned!" she yelled.
Gabriel took a step away from her as if she was going to attack him. "I'm sorry," he apologized, "I shouldn't have been inconsiderate."
Anna didn't say another word. She put her hand on her sister's dress and turned it to the other side to dry.
Wilkins pulled on the reins of his horse when they arrived at Cornwallis's headquarters at Fort Carolina. Catherine was amazed at how immense the building was compared to her home in Pembroke. Cornwallis, O'Hara, and Wilkins dismounted themselves from the horses. As she expected, Wilkins held out his hand and she placed hers on top of his.
"Welcome to Fort Carolina," Cornwallis welcomed her as if she was being treated as a guest rather than a prisoner. She followed Cornwallis into his headquarters and she was welcomed by a decorative sight. The headquarters were beautifully decorated with different styles of carpet, drapes, and furniture that she had not been in contact with before. "Now my dear," Cornwallis turned his eyes to her, "I will arrange a new attire for you," he said as he looked up and down at her, "as well as a servant to take care of you for the time being."
Catherine nodded her head at his propositions. "Thank you, sir," she replied in a meek voice.
"As for a private room for you, they are occupied by the Dragoons," Cornwallis continued, "however, I will let you share a room with Captain Wilkins when we have a room for you in order."
Catherine's eyes grew wide at his suggestion. No! she wanted to yell. As much as she hated the fact that she had to share a room with a man she loathed, her subconscious thought otherwise. With that said, she gave him a nod of her head. At least she wasn't sharing a room with Tavington. After the last few encounters with him, he gave her goosebumps.
Cornwallis gave her a smile and looked at Wilkins. "Show her to your room please," he said.
"Yes sir," Wilkins nodded and turned his attention to Catherine, "right this way Ms. Smith," he said and placed his hand on her back and led her to the left side of the corridor. The two of them stopped by a white door and he placed his hand on the doorknob and pulled it open. The door swung open and Catherine came upon the room that belonged to Wilkins.
There was one bed with covers made out of silk, a decorative carpet that elegantly laid on the floor, a window with blue satin fabric that allowed the moonlight to enter through, a blue armchair, and a series of houseplants that served as decorations in the room. "It's not much but I hope you will be comfortable," Wilkins spoke.
Catherine slightly turned her head and gave him a smile. "It's fine," she answered. "Will you be heading back to the infantry?"
"Normally at this time the Dragoons arrive here to rest until the next morning," Wilkins told her.
Catherine only nodded her head. "Where will I sleep?"
"On the bed of course," Wilkins answered her, "I can arrange sleeping on the floor."
She gave him a shrug even though a part of her did not want him to do that. "Whatever you wish," was all she said. She floated over to the window and looked out at the night sky while Wilkins took a couple of pillows and put them on the carpet. On the outside of the headquarters, Catherine noticed a couple of Green Dragoons making their way towards the building. Her eyes widened and she turned around to look at Wilkins. "Do you have a key?"
"Uh yes," he answered, "why do you need it?"
"Lock the door," she told him. He stood there with a puzzled look on his face until Catherine insisted once more. He grabbed a golden key from a nightstand next to the bed and locked the door. "What's going on?" he asked and placed the key back to where it was.
Catherine only shook her head. "Nothing," she said, "I always locked my door back home. It made me feel more protected," she lied. She turned her attention back to the window but none of the Green Dragoons were there. They probably made their way inside the headquarters and she couldn't help but think that one of them was wondering where she was.
"Catherine," Wilkins approached her. He held his hand to touch her shoulder but then pulled it back. "Is something bothering you?"
Catherine clasped her hands in front of her and took a deep breath. She turned around and looked at him. "I'm just worried about my sisters," she lied once more. "That is all."
A big thank you to Guest and JScorpio for the location names :D
