A/N: Same as before…I don't own any of them…just what came from my mine!
TIMELESS
Colonel Tavington stood at the window of the massive bedroom, and looked out over the front lawn of the plantation house. The moonlight filled the room with a brightness he had never experienced before, and most likely never would again.
He could see the men encamped around the grounds, could even see the many horses, his included, and was satisified that all was in order.
A slight movement from behind him, made him turn and look towards the huge oak bed. She rolled over, burrowed further into the blankets, but did not wake.
Good, he thought wearily. If she remains asleep, he wouldn't have to explain why he was not there beside her. He wouldn't have to tell her what had woke him from a deep sleep, and had him standing before a window. What had woken him, only to feel the need to write. To put his turbulant thoughts out in the open for all to see.
Tavington wasn't sure why he had. Or, what purpose it would serve later. But, he knew that if he hadn't done so, sleep would fail him yet again, as it had so many times before. As it had done the night before...before he met her.
Catherine Olivia Cornwallis.
Daughter of the Lord General himself.
The Colonel looked towards the small desk, walked back to it, and sat down. he stared at the parchment before him, at the words he had hesistated to write, and sighed inwardly. Her name was repeated throughout...as was her father's, as was his, as was her sister's. He stared at it for so long, it blurred his vision entirely.
With an angry groan, he picked the parchment up, grumpled into a ball and tossed it into the fireplace. The steadily burning flames consumed it quickly. He sighed again.
He heard her move again, and turned once more and watched her.
How beautiful she was...how exquisitely exotic...
In his mind, he could see what had taken place only hours ago...what had destroyed what little control he had over his emotions, and what had opened him up to something he had for so long, tried to repress.
Tavington shook his head to dispell these thoughts. Why should he continue to relive it? Was she doing so? In her dreams, perhaps? Would she even remember, or care, what he had done to her?
And, would she care what she had done to him?
Again, she moved, and again, he turned back to watch her.
But this time...this time, she did not remain asleep.
She sat up, looked at the empty spot beside her, then looked around the room. Finally, her eyes came to rest upon him...he shuddered slightly.
"William?"
For a moment, he said nothing. Then he rose from the chair, and walked towards the bed. She watched him with a longing gaze.
"William?" she asked again.
"Yes, Catherine?"
She studied him.
"Why are you awake?"
He had known she would ask this. Had known she would wish to know...to know what made him so restless and uneasy here...
"My work," he said as he eased himself down on the bed, "Is never done, my love."
"Of course, Colonel."
He laughed softly.
"You have addressed me as one of my men would, when I am giving orders!"
Catherine laughed in turn.
"I mean you no offense, William. I wondered why you were not next to me, that is all."
He nodded.
"I know, my dear. But, as I said, my work is never done. This war has prayed the minds of men who are far greater then I, and yet, they have slept untroubled by it."
"Colonel, the rule so of war, dictate that only the men who do not see the bloodshed shall sleep untroubled, unworried and untouched."
He studied her face.
"Oh?"
"My father, for instance."
"He is the Lord General, Catherine. How is it that he can remain untouched by this war?"
"Have you seen him fight? Have you seen him leave his comfortable, and safe, quarters, to go and fight amongst his men?"
Tavington didn't reply.
"No, you haven't, William. And, if he has his way, you never will. He and that lackey of his, O'Hara, will never fight as common soldiers do. He will always sleep easy at night."
Again, he studied her lovely face.
"How is it, Catherine, that you know so much about war?"
She laughed abruptly and coldly.
"How do I know so much? The Lord General weaned me on it...I am the closest he has to a son! My sister, closer still...but, when one is consistantly exposed to it, one will, naturally, learn much about it."
Tavington nodded in understanding.
"And, what we did tonight? How have you learned so much about pleasing a man? I doubt your father taught you that."
Catherine blushed, then smiled slowly.
"I never learned a thing about it. I taught myself, of course."
He stared at her.
"But yet, you..." he looked away, lost in his thoughts.
She turned him to face her again.
"I pleasured you, did I not?"
He nodded.
"Of course, my lady."
"And yet, you are amazed by that, are you not? Oh but it is all over your face! So yes, I can see that you are."
"How did you...know what I wanted?"
She smiled at him, reached over and stroked his cheek softly, then moved closer to him.
He eagerly pulled her into his arms.
"I knew from watching you, William. From studying you when you first arrived at Shadowgate. The way you sat your horse with an air of absolute command...the way you carried yourself...the way you moved...spoke...I studied all of you."
He tightened his embrace, ran his fingers thru the long, silky redhair and sighed.
"I see, my lady. And did all that, help you in pleasuring me?"
She blushed again.
"Yes, my lord, it did. Now, might I ask you, how you knew how to pleasure me?"
He moved one hand down along her back, tracing circles along her soft skin. He caught her chin in his other hand, tilted her head up, and brushed his lips over hers. He felt her quivering in his arms.
"Colonel..." she moaned into the kiss.
"Shhh," he whispered softly.
He knew what was coming. He knew with a clarity of a dying man, what come from this one little kiss...
Laying her back on the bed, letting his fingers move over her skin...hearing her moans...knowing...
He thought of the words on that now long gone parchment...
'Treason.'
'Betrayal.'
'Mad Man.'
She spread her legs willing again for him. He settled between them, feeling the heat encircle him, her arms wrap around his neck...
'Treason.'
'Betrayal.'
'Mad Man.'
Slipping slowly into her warm, wet tightness, he moaned...his thoughts fled, and he sank deeper into her...
'Treason.'
'Betrayal.'
"Mad Man.'
Time would prove to be the enemy...
To him.
To her.
To them.
But for now, as he thrust harder into her, feeling her muscles tighten, her legs locked around him...he allowed himself to let go...
Because for now, everything for Tavington was timeless...
And the enemy...
Did not yet exist.
A/N: A little bit more….well, read on dear friends! R and R!