Wedding
Cornwallis stood as Tavington walked into his office. "Shut the door behind you, Colonel"
After Tavington had complied, Cornwallis said, "Well, Colonel, it seems as if your misdeeds have come back to haunt you."
"General?" Tavington was baffled.
"I have Benjamin Martin and his daughter waiting in the conference room," Cornwallis explained. "Miss Martin is with child and she has named you as the father. Her father is demanding satisfaction and I have promised him that you will do the right thing and marry his daughter."
"Marry her?" Tavington snorted in derision. "For all I know, that little wench could have been spreading her legs for every rebel militiaman in the countryside! I have no way of knowing if that child is mine."
"Colonel Tavington, my patience is wearing thin," Cornwallis growled. "I have been quite lenient with you concerning this incident and you would do well not to antagonize me any further. Mr Martin will be satisfied if you simply marry his daughter and give his grandchild a name. He has agreed not to pursue the matter any further if you do so.
Exhaling loudly, he continued, "Sometimes, there are unforeseen complications when fighting a war, and this just happens to be one of them. If it were not for the fact that I need your assistance in winning this war, I'd just as soon turn you over to Mr Martin and allow him to take his revenge on you in whatever way he saw fit." Glaring at the younger man, he concluded, "You will be married to Caroline Martin before sundown. That is an order."
Tavington pressed his lips together tightly, knowing there was no way to avoid this marriage if he wanted to remain in command of the Green Dragoons. "Yes, sir," he said through gritted teeth.
"Fine, we'll do it right here, right away, then, " Cornwallis decided. "Mr Martin kindly brought along a minister to perform the ceremony." Moving to open the door to the conference room, he beckoned the Martin party into the office.
"Colonel Tavington has wisely agreed to marry your daughter," he said as Benjamin Martin entered the room, with Caroline clutching his arm fearfully.
Martin turned to see Colonel William Tavington regarding him with a scornful sneer. The older man gazed at the cavalryman with open contempt, sorely tempted to tell him just what he thought about him. He kept silent, however, not wanting to upset Caroline any more than she already was.
The dragoon commander sighed loudly, not believing that a few moments of amusement had turned into this.
"We'll need a few witnesses," Cornwallis said "I believe that Colonel Tarleton is waiting outside?"
"Yes, sir."
"Good." Cornwallis opened the door to the outer office and motioned to the three officers waiting outside. "Come in, gentlemen, you're just in time to witness Colonel Tavington's wedding."
The three men looked at one another in amazement. "Wedding?" Tarleton asked. "What haven't you told us, Will?"
Captain Wilkins caught sight of the Martins waiting inside the office and suddenly understood everything. He kept his face carefully neutral, however, pretending to be as confused as Tarleton and Bordon.
Captain Bordon caught the aggrieved expression on his commander's face and he immediately realized that this was no happy occasion. Moving to stand by Tavington, he asked in a low voice, "Is there anything I can do for you, Colonel?"
Sighing loudly, Tavington said, "You might as well stand up for me as my best man, as it seems there is no way for me to avoid this charade."
"I'd be honored, sir."
"I appreciate that, Bordon."
"All right, everyone," Cornwallis said. "Please take your places. I have an engagement this evening, so let's get this over with as quickly as possible." Turning to Reverend Oliver, he said, "Reverend, if you please?"
Reverend Oliver stood in front of Cornwallis' desk, gesturing for Caroline and her family to stand on one side, and Tavington and his fellow officers on the other.
Caroline shivered as she moved to stand by Tavington, who stood half a head taller than her. She did not dare to look directly at him, instead, she was half turned toward her father, who stood close by on her left. Charlotte also stood on her left side, as her matron of honor.
Tavington rolled his eyes heavenward and sighed again as he noted how terrified Caroline was of him. He had little sympathy for her; after all, she wouldn't be stuck here about to enter into a loveless marriage if she hadn't stupidly identified him to her father as her attacker.
"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to join two people in holy matrimony..." Tavington tuned out and let his mind wander as the minister began reciting the marriage ceremony. As the clergyman droned on, his eyes flicked around the room, finally coming to rest on Charlotte Selton, whom Tavington estimated to be close to his own age. "Hmm, too bad I didn't ravish that one," he thought as he gazed upon her The dragoon visualized the older woman lying beneath him, calling out his name as she writhed in passion. A sly smile played about his lips as he continued to fantasize about taking her to his bed.
Charlotte Selton sensed she was being observed and suddenly noticed Tavington staring at her with a frank look of desire on his face. Though she'd not recently seen a man who was as handsome as this British cavalryman, she looked away in revulsion. She was heartsick that her beloved niece was obliged to marry such a vain, arrogant man
"Do you, William Jeremiah Tavington take Caroline Amelia Martin to be your lawfully wedded wife? Do you promise to love, honor, and protect her......"
Tavington's mind was still wandering and he missed his cue to respond.
"Colonel Tavington!" Reverend Oliver had raised his voice.
"Hmm?" Tavington said distractedly. "Oh, ah, yes, I do."
"Do you, Caroline Amelia Martin, take William Jeremiah Tavington to be your lawfully wedded husband? Do you promise to love, honor, and obey him, for as long as you both shall live?"
After a short pause, she took a deep breath and replied, "I do."
Charlotte suddenly remembered that there hadn't been time to get a wedding ring for Caroline. Quickly slipping off her wedding band, she handed it to Reverend Oliver. "Here. Caroline can have my wedding band until she gets one of her own. I've been in mourning long enough and it's time for me to take it off, anyway."
Looking at her aunt with love, Caroline whispered, "Thank you, Aunt Charlotte."
Oliver handed the ring to Tavington. "Take her hand and repeat after me: With this ring, I thee wed."
Tavington took Caroline's hand and could feel her fighting her urge to pull her hand away "With this ring, I thee wed," he recited without emotion.
"I now pronounce you man and wife," Oliver said, repressing a sigh.
"Well, that's over with," Ben Martin said to Caroline, taking her hand. "Let's go home." They turned and began walking toward the door.
"I beg your pardon." Tavington had moved to block their path. "Just where do you think you're going with my wife?"
"I'm taking her home, if it's any of your business," Ben Martin said coldly
"Her home is here at the fort," Tavington said. "A wife's place is with her husband."
Caroline looked at Tavington and then back at her father with alarm. She didn't expect this.
"Why are you doing this?" Ben asked, almost desperately. "You don't love her; you don't want her." Raising his voice a degree, his said, " After what you did to her, you don't have any right..."
"Right?" Tavington shot back, his temper barely under control. "I have every right. This was a legal marriage ceremony and I am now her legal husband. I would say that gives me the right to do exactly as I please with her. My wife is no longer your responsibility, nor your concern."
Martin turned frantically to Cornwallis. "Can't you do something?" he asked. "Order him to release her back to her family? This was to be a marriage in name only."
"I'm sorry," Cornwallis said. "The law is on Colonel Tavington's side. There is nothing I can do."
Tavington reached down and took Caroline's hand possessively. With a derisive smirk, he said, "Come along, Mrs Tavington.. The marriage bed awaits." Without another word, he half led, half dragged the unwilling young woman to the door.
"Father!" Caroline pleaded, wrenching herself away from him. "Don't let him take me!"
Without a second's hesitation, Tavington reached up and slapped her across the face. "Hold your tongue!" he hissed "I will not have my wife carrying on like an infant in public."
"You bastard!" Ben Martin lunged at Tavington. "Why don't you try hitting someone who can fight back?"
Colonel Tarleton and Captain Bordon instantly appeared at Martin's side, dragging him away from Tavington. "You're just making it worse for your daughter," Bordon told him in a low voice.
Regarding Benjamin Martin with a contemptuous expression, Tavington spun on his heel, and herded Caroline out the door with no further ado.
"What have I done?" Ben Martin said, leaning his head against the closed door after Tavington had taken his daughter away. "I cannot believe I just gave my daughter in marriage to that despicable man."
Charlotte Selton came up beside him and put a gentle hand on his arm. "You did what you thought was best for her," she said. "You can't blame yourself."
"Who else can I blame?" he asked bitterly. "She trusted me to do the right thing for her and look what happened!"
"Excuse me," General Cornwallis interrupted. "I'm sorry to rush you, but I have other matters to attend to now."
"May we stay overnight at the fort," Martin asked. "It's nearly sundown and it's a long ride back to my home. I'd also like to say goodbye to my daughter in the morning and make sure she's all right."
"Permission granted," Cornwallis said, now growing impatient. "Now, if you'll excuse me....."
Captain Wilkins caught up to the Martin party as they filed out of the general's office, with Banastre Tarleton and Captain Bordon trailing behind.
"Ben?" Wilkins said as Martin turned to face him. "Might Deborah and I offer you a place to stay for the night? For old times' sake?"
Benjamin Martin looked at his old neighbor with a weary expression. It amazed him how much their once similar paths in life had so radically diverged over the last few years.
"Thank you, Jim, we'd appreciate it." Martin accepted the offer out of consideration for Charlotte, knowing that they would have had to sleep outside in the wagon if they'd not been offered indoor lodgings.
As they walked toward Wilkins' quarters, Ben turned to him and said, "Although we don't share the same ideas about this war, I do respect you for the courage of your convictions." Taking a deep breath, he asked, "But I must ask how can you in good conscience serve under the command of such a contemptible man as Tavington?"
Regarding his old friend with a pained expression, Wilkins knew he had to answer carefully. Though he shared Martin's opinion of Tavington, he also knew he could not openly criticize his commanding officer. "I had to serve where I was assigned, Ben," he finally said. "You should know that."
"I know," he said. Clenching his hands in frustrated rage, he continued, "It was all I could do to keep from beating him to death in there."
"Just what happened, Ben?" Wilkins asked, carefully affecting a blank facial expression.
"The son of a bitch raped my daughter!" Martin stated baldly "That's what happened!" Exhaling loudly, he said, "And now she's with child."
"I'm so sorry," the dragoon replied. "I had no idea."
"Can I ask you to see after Caroline for me?" Martin asked, desperate. "She knows you and it would help for her to see a familiar face now and then."
"I'll do what I can," he said vaguely, clearly unwilling to get involved. "There's not much I can do to interfere in her marriage with Tavington, though."
"I understand," Martin said. "Nevertheless, anything you could do would be appreciated."
"Ah, here we are now," Wilkins said as they arrived at his quarters, glad to change the subject. "Deborah will be pleased to see you."
"I want to thank you again for having us," Martin said. "I'll feel better once I've had a chance to say goodbye to Caroline in the morning."
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A/N Next Chapter: Taken