AN: Thanks for reviewing and thanks for correcting my English, it's not my native language.
I realize I've used elements from Downton Abbey because when I was watching the episode about the dropsy disease I literally wrote down that I want to put that in my own story to make Eliza out to be intelligent. I like my women smart lol. I also know that Downton Abbey takes place early 1900 and that's when the disease has been discovered. But since I have no actual medical expertise I couldn't be bothered to find out what the common medical skill around 1780 was.
It's made me realize I never use any disclaimer though, so here is one:
I own the Patriot.
Lol, just kidding, of course I don't own The Patriot ;-)
But yes, I do think I'm funny.
On to the story!
They had fallen asleep that night, on her bed. Her head still resting on his chest and his strong arm wrapped around her shoulder. He was accustomed to waking up early. So before she woke up he had eyed her for a while. Her long brown hair falling around her shoulders, tickling his hand slightly. She had slept quietly except for a few murmurs here and there.
"This is the second time in one week I catch you staring at me when I'm asleep" she suddenly said as she rose slowly to look him in the eye.
A smile crept to his lips "Am I not entitled to stare at my beautiful fiancé?" he asked.
She smiled back at him and nuzzled herself back into his chest. God he smelled good!
"Eliza…" he whispered softly into her hair "We need to get up and sneak out. We are moving to Fort Carolina today. So we better leave before people find out where we both spend the night".
"Let's see what happens when they find out!" she jokingly replied.
He dropped his head back on the pillows and laughed "Let's not" he said.
Three days later
They had been at Fort Carolina for 3 days now. They decided to tell no one about their secret engagement. Eliza would continue to take care of wounded soldiers and sometimes the Colonel would sneak up on her to steal a kiss or two. She was afraid people would notice though, she was walking around with this stupid grin on her face most of the time. The second day at the fort, Tavington had come back with a surprise. A beautiful engagement ring on a silver necklace so she didn't have to wear it around her finger until the world was allowed to know about their match made in heaven.
Eliza was less bored for wounded soldiers were more than enough around this estate. It was a lot less luxurious than Middleton Place but this made her a lot more comfortable. And she still had quite a nice room to herself. There was no library around but the Colonel had surprised her by bringing some books. One was about veterinary science which she was currently studying. It would come in handy at the plantation and perhaps even if Medusa would ever become ill. The fact that the Colonel knew she had been studying this, made her realize how sincerely interested he was.
One day Eliza saw Colonel Tavington coming back to Fort Carolina with 18 colonial soldiers. They were being put in a cage. Eliza gasped as she saw a few sergeant preparing the gallows… She froze and just stood in the window, watching the scene. After half an hour she realized the men were not being hanged… yet.
She kept pacing the room, she needed to do something. She could not just let her fellow countrymen die like this. Perhaps she could ask the Colonel… but he wasn't at the fort currently. Maybe it would be better to ask Cornwallis, he did owe her for saving his life, perhaps he would show some leniency if she requested it.
When she strolled over to the windows again she saw a rider coming towards the fort. He was carrying a white flag and had a pair of great Danes with him. As he came closer Eliza couldn't believe her eyes…
"Father…" she softly whispered as she brought her hand to cover her open mouth.
As she watched him enter the Fort she quickly turned to the mirror. She was looking decently, a little too classy perhaps. Her purple satin dress was simple but still looking like a party dress in comparison to what she used to wear at the plantation. But no matter, father would recognize her surely. She quickly ran through the estate checking several rooms to find out where he was. She saw General O'Hara coming out of Cornwallis' office.
When she ran past the General she heard him mumble something about 'damn rebels' but she didn't care. All she could think about was seeing her father again.
"Father!" she called out as she ran into Cornwallis' office.
Benjamin couldn't believe what he saw when he turned around, even though he hoped to find her somewhere around the British regiment. "Eliza, it's really you, I cannot believe it" he said as he walked over to embrace her. They held each other tightly.
"Have they treated you well? Have they hurt you?" he launched a thousand questions at her as he slowly let go of her to look her in the face. He could see tears of happiness coming from her eyes also.
"I have been well father, they have not mistreated me at all, no one has hurt me I promise" she replied as she held on to his hands. "How is Gabriel and the others?" she anxiously asked him.
"Gabriel is fine, we brought him back"
"I thought that was you!" Eliza replied smiling as her stomach slightly twisted at the thought of 20 soldiers dying at her father's hands. Relieved as she was that her brother was saved, she had a problem that 20 innocent young men had to die for it though.
"You know me well" he replied whilst smiling at his oldest daughter.
"So, what has brought you here father? Have you come to take me with you?" she asked in agony. Thinking how she would love to see her family again but not wanting to leave Colonel Tavington either…
"I have to talk with General Cornwallis about a prisoner exchange. But now that I know you are here, I will claim you also. You are my daughter and not a prisoner of war so be ready to leave soon Eliza"
At this she hugged her father once more. "I'll be ready" she answered as she kissed his cheek and quickly turned around to get to her room.
Soon after Eliza had left, Cornwallis and O'Hara entered the room. Cornwallis was extremely happy to find that his two dogs had been well taken care off. Though they didn't seem to recognize him anymore. The man who had come to talk about prisoner exchange refused to give him his name. Benjamin had been known as "The Ghost" to the British.
Cornwallis made it clear that he would appreciate to get back his personal belongings. Benjamin had no objections to this and promised to do so as soon as possible. They continued their discussion when Cornwallis pleaded to stop the targeting of officers.
"Oh Colonel, imagine the utter chaos that would follow from leaderless armies having at each other. There must be gentlemen in command to lead and when necessary restrain their men" Cornwallis explained.
"Restrain them from say… targeting civilians, women, children and such" Benjamin replied.
Cornwallis sighed agitatedly "That is a separate issue".
"I consider them linked" Benjamin replied as he explained that he would order the shooting of officers as long as they would target civilians.
When Benjamin brought the discussion to prisoner exchange, Cornwallis was surprised. He didn't expect this man to come and ask for the lives of these 18 rebels he held captive. They were to be hanged. Benjamin told him he had taken captive 18 officers which would be hanged if Cornwallis would not let his men go. He picked up the looking glass to show Cornwallis the 18 officers he had taken hostage.
Cornwallis sighed. "You know, this is not the conduct of a gentleman" he said.
"If the conduct of your officers is the measure of a gentleman, then I'll take that as a compliment" Benjamin replied. "Get my men?"
Before Benjamin left the room he turned around to face Cornwallis once more "General, the young lady which one of your officers is holding hostage at this Fort, is my daughter. I am taking her back to our family" without waiting for a reply he turned back around and left to get his men.
Eliza was waiting at the door for her father to come and collect her. As she saw Benjamin walking towards her he gave her a slight nod and smiled. He placed his hand on her back to guide her outside. She didn't carry any belongings with her since she didn't actually own anything around this fort. Except for Medusa who she held tightly against her chest. She had hidden the necklace with engagement ring inside her dress.
"Who gave you the kitten?" her father asked her suspiciously as they made their way out side.
Eliza swallowed hard. "No one, I found it" she lied. She had never lied to her father. And he knew she wasn't being truthful.
As they walked down the stairs towards the gates surrounding the estate, the gates opened and in came Colonel Tavington and Captain Bordon. Eliza's eyes widened and she tried to suppress a gasp but Benjamin noticed her reaction. He wondered if she was scared of this man. This was the man who had taken his son and daughter away from him. This was the man who had been the main reason for him to interfere in this war which he wanted to stay far away from for the sake of his family. He would never forget this man. They eyed each other as the officers rode in and Benjamin walked passed him with his daughter by his side.
Colonel Tavington looked Benjamin in the eyes fiercely. He remembered this man. From the plantation he burned and where he took Eliza. Where he took the rebel boy in order to hang him as a spy. Later he had been relieved that the boy was saved for Eliza would probably never come to love him if he had hung her brother.
So this is Eliza's father. And he came to collect his daughter."Release the prisoners!" General' O'Hara called out.
As the prisoners were being released, Tavington got of his horse and angrily made his way over to his General.
"General, what is this?" he asked in suprise.
"Prisoner exchange" O'Hara answered him "He has 18 of our officers"
"Who is he? I recognize him" Tavington answered as he thought about the man who was about to take his fiancé. It was clearly her father but he didn't know his name for she had never told her last name.
"He is the commander of the militia. Your Ghost. And your little pet? That's his daughter…" O'Hara answered haughtily
At this, something inside Colonel Tavington snapped.
The Ghost is her father. That little viper!
He seized his sword, he would take this man down right now!
"Seize that sword Colonel!" the General called after him. "He rode in under a white flag for a formal parley".
"This is madness" the Colonel said through gritted teeth, thinking about all the tricks this Ghost had pulled on him and his men in the last couple of months. He wondered how much Eliza had known about this, had she been in on it?
"If you harm him, you condemn our officers" O'Hara pulled him back into reality.
"With all due respect sir, he has killed as many officers in the last two months" the Colonel replied to O'Hara.
"He has shown no aggression here, hence he cannot be touched" O'Hara replied sternly.
"Has he not?" The Colonel replied as an evil plan popped up into his head. He turned around and quickly made his way over to the gates to call after the militia leader.
"You! So You're The Gost are you! I remember you… On that farm… With that stupid little girl"
At this Benjamin stopped abruptly. Eliza dropped her shoulders and gazed to the ground, her hair falling around her face. As if the situation wasn't painful enough the Colonel was really going to provoke her father to get him to attack?
"Did you think she's died? Mhm? Do you not think I personally took real... good... care of her?"
Her father turned around and walked back to the Colonel. Without saying a word he just stood in front of him, waiting for whatever else Tavington had in mind.
"You know… it's an ugly business doing ones duty… But with a young lady like your daughter... it was a real pleasure" he spoke to the mind of Benjamin, smirking whilst working out his plan.
Slowly Eliza strolled back over to the two men.
"Father" she softly whispered as she stood next to him "It's not true, nothing happened" she said as she gave Colonel Tavington a painful look, pleading him to stop this nonsense. Tavington just narrowed his eyes at her, still convinced she had known more about this Ghost than she showed him.
Benjamin ignored his daughter, though he heard her words. "Before this war is over I am going to kill you" he replied back at Tavington.
"Why wait?" Tavington replied as he took the sword from Benjamin as tried to place it in his hand. Eliza dropped her head and closed her eyes tightly, waiting for what to come next.
"Soon" Benjamin said, at this he swiftly turned around and walked over to his man.
Eliza couldn't move for just a few second. She slowly brought her head back up and opened her eyes, finding herself staring into the Colonel's eyes. A look of betrayal mixed with anger of the purest kind. Her eyes filled themselves with tears.
"I didn't know" she quietly said. Then she turned around and followed her father out.