I do not own the patriot, and I am moving forward an event that already happened for the sake of the fic. P.S: Slight sexual things in this chapter, not explicit, but those of you with tender sensibilities might want to skim and skip, I do not own the song Edelweiss Have fun.
General Cornwallis was a man of his word alright, He established a small house on the grounds of the manor for her and the children to live in. During the day, she would stay by the Manor, ready for Lord Cornwallis to call for her, and the girls would be supplied a tutor to teach them while their mother worked.
To say William disagreed with the arrangement was the understatement of the century, every man under his command spoke little and made certain not to light the Colonel's already extremely short fuse. In his mind, it wasn't right for both man and wife to be employed, but Margaret simply rolled her eyes and muttered about how childish he was being. Cornwallis grew fond of the 's company, finding her to be charming and her opinions interesting.
Five days after her employment, the Tavington girls were moved from Ohio to Charleston, and after a private meeting with their father, the Colonel could not very well show softness in public, Margaret explained their new arrangements.
"So, both you and father will be working for the Lord Cornwallis?" Margo asked, shocked that her mother working was even an option. "That's right." Marmee nodded. "But who will take care of us?" Bridget asked, leaning on her father's sturdy knee, the Colonel smiled and lifted his smallest up on his knee. "I will still care for all of you, I will leaving in the mornings when your tutor arrives and I will be home every night." Marmee assured her children.
"What do you think father?" Lucille asked William, the colonel shifted his eyes back and forth nervously at the loaded question. "Yes, William." Margaret rest her elbow on the arm of the couch and leaned her cheek gently in her thumb and index finger, "What say you about this whole three ring circus we're running?"
"I, uh" he hummed, "I-I support your mother." He said finally, knowing he just swallowed his massive ego in front of his wife, and that she probably never let him forget what he just said.
"That's right, just like I support your father in practically every way." She agreed, rubbing her husband's hand. William leaned in and captured his wife's lips, much to the displeasure of Lucille who made a sickened face, "Ew." She gagged.
"I think old people kissing is sweet." Margo countered, "Alright. It's late, almost ten. Off to bed." Marmee insisted.
The younger children complained all way to their room, "But we're not tired." Bridget pleaded. "oh yes you are." Marmee said knowingly. "Please mother." Kimberly begged, "Won't you sing us a song before bed?"
"Oh no, no, no, straight to bed." Marmee denied firmly, "Oh come now pet, don't be cruel." William tutted and leaned on the twin's bedroom doorway. "What happened to 'I support your mother'?" Marmee questioned. "Oh that was in the past" he brushed it off.
"Pleeeaaasseeeeeeeeee" the twins harmonized, "Alright, alright, but I want you both dressed in in bed in under a minute understood." Margaret crossed her arms.
The twins scrambled in their trucks and flung on their thin cotton night gowns and flew under the covers of their shared bed. William leaned on the door frame as his wife sat on the foot of the bed. "Now as soon as I'm done I expect you both to be fast asleep is that clear?"
The twins nodded and Margaret sighed, she hadn't sang for the children since the twins were born, so It was a bit awkward at first. Struggling to remember the words to a song from her child hood.
Edelweiss, Edelweiss
Every morning you greet me
Small and white clean and bright
You look happy to meet me
Blossom of snow may you bloom and grow
Bloom and grow forever
Edelweiss ,Edelweiss
Bless my homeland forever.
The twins began to lull off to sleep as their small eye lids drooped and their heads rolled slightly to one side.
Small and white clean and bright
you look happy to meet me
Blossom of snow may you bloom and grow
Bloom and grow forever
Edelweiss, Edelweiss
Bless my homeland forever
Her voice flowed along with the melody until the children where sound asleep. "You are a wonderful mother." William whispered so as to not wake his sleeping daughters. Margaret closed the bedroom door tightly and turned with a sigh, "I suppose you must leave us again?" she asked sadly.
"Actually, with the permission from Lord Cornwallis, I am to remain here for the night to see that the newest form a British intelligence is settling in well." He took a step forward, and pulled her closer to him. "Well, I haven't checked the bedroom yet." She cooed innocently with a devilish grin.
Unfortunately for the both of them, they couldn't fool around too much considering the thinness of the walls. Leading him into the bed room with a queen sized mattress and the usual furnishings of a simple bedroom, she locked the bed room door just in case and stood in front of the mirror, pulling out each hair pin that held her tight bun torturously slow until her mass of mahogany brown waves came crashing down around her shoulders.
William sat on the bed patiently as his wife made her way over to the bed and sat beside him and kissed him slowly at first, reaching around to the back of his head and freeing his long blackish brown hair. "I've missed you." She whispered between kisses. In response William pulled her waist closer until she sat on his lap. Removing her fingers form his hair she quickly undid the buttons running down her dress and slid the thick fabric over her head and onto the floor, leaving her in her corset and petticoat. William shrugged off his red and green coat and pushed Marmee down slightly, sliding his lips from her mouth to her neck. Biting her lip, Margaret slipped her other leg across his lap so she was straddling him as he ran his hand up and down her legs and torso….
And the rest, Dear friends, is history.
(the next day)
William gazed down upon his wife, who slept soundly amongst the rumpled covers. The sun had just begun to rise over the horizon as the Colonel folded a small note and sat it on the pillow beside Margaret. He knew she would be up soon, being a mother for fourteen years had set an internal clock, and she never failed to rise before seven thirty every morning.
With a sigh, William kissed her forehead gently and left the house quickly. As the clock struck six forty five, Margaret rolled over suddenly wide awake. Her hand brushed the paper and she looked up curiously and plucked he scrap of paper off the pillow.
Reading's William excuse she sighed with a small smile, "knew it." She rolled over out of bed and clutched the sheet to her chest just noticing her clothing, or lack thereof. She tugged her robe off the peg and covered herself, standing and moved to the vanity, she had forty five minutes to get to the manor. The tutor would be here soon and she pulled her hair up into a pony tail and pinned it up with a clip.
Dress in a sky blue dress over her usual white petticoat, and walked out and roused the children, who dressed with grumbles and moans then filed out for some porridge and bread. "be good for the tutor, I will be back by night fall" she said, "I promise."
A knock at the door prompted Margaret to stand and answer, opening the wood door, a kind looking woman dressed in a drab red dress, with her greying hair pulled back into a bun so tight it seemed to pull the skin of her face with it. "You must be Mrs. Mills welcome." She led the gentle looking woman into the house, the children stood in a line as practiced, eyes down cast respectfully.
"What do we say?" Marmee prompted them.
"Welcome Ma'am." The girls said in unison. "Hello children," nodded with a smile. "this is Margo, Lucille, Bridget and Kimberly." Margaret pointed to each child. "Now, I must leave, but I want you girls to be on your best behavior until I get back." Their mother lectured them until she was sure she got the point across.
Margaret left the house and mounted her mare, Honey, riding side saddle, she made it to the manor in under three minutes at a fast trot. There she was met with a young boy of maybe ten, "Missus Tavington?" the young boy asked in his not yet low voice. "Yes." She nodded, "Lord Cornwallis would like to see you in his office, I'll take your horse." Margaret Dismounted and handed the boy the reigns. "Thank you lad." She adjusted her dress and held her head high.
At first, the troops who mingled about plantation would cat call or make comments since she was probably the only woman who wasn't a prostitute they had seen, needless to say William put a stop to that rather quickly. The butler bowed slightly as she passed, "Is Lord Cornwallis in?" she asked.
"Yes Madam." Margaret thanked him and knocked on the large, decorative door, "Enter." Margaret pushed the heavy door open, "Good morning my Lord." She curtsied, "Ah Just the person I wanted to see." The general removed his tiny spectacles, "We have 18 militia men in custody, and we need you to try to get some answers out of them."
Margaret nodded, glad to finally have something to do, instead of feeling rather useless. "General O'Hara will take you down stairs, and two guards will bring in each man in one at a time so you may speak with them." A pale man in a white powdered wig nodded to her.
"With all due respect sir, I think it will be better if I interview the men alone, I find that the presence of an armed man might make a man clam up." The General smiled, "I knew I hired you for a reason, O'Hara will you escort our friend downstairs?"
"M'lord" O'Hara bowed and led Margaret out of the office, "So, the General tells me that you are to be working with us." O'Hara asked. "Yes, He thinks I will be able to get information for you."
"Well, it will be a pleasure working with you miss…" he moved a bit closer as they walked down the stair well, "Mrs." Marmee corrected
"Mrs. Margaret Tavington."
O'Hara stopped in his tracks, "Tavington?" he asked in a frightened squeak. "Yes," she sighed.
O'Hara certainly kept his distance after that…
Next chappie soon my darlings!