Chapter 36 Of Conscience and Loyalty
Tavington's legion had been riding for hours since leaving the village of St. George and Miss Prescott was tired of it. It was evening now, and she feared they would ride all night as no plans had been imparted to her, as was the usual scenario. With her eyes now accustomed to the dark, she saw Captain Wilkins and Colonel Tavington riding ahead of her where the two led, make a hand signal to the dragoons behind them. With that, the unit pulled off the main road into a secluded glade.
Once there, Bordon left from riding beside her to pull up next to the other commanders. Melanie watched the five officers confer and strained to hear what they were saying. She suspected they were near something and close to implementing some kind of plan. Of what, she had no idea. In only a few moments, the officers broke up and rode close to small groups of dragoons, giving them orders in voices only a little louder than an intimate conversation.
Lieutenant Kidwell rode closest to the young woman, talking to a group of privates in earshot of her. "The colonel's group will search the house," he declared to the small group. "The Major's group will take the outbuildings, Captain Wentworth's group will check the grounds and woods. My group is on lookout. Private Masters?!"
Melanie saw the boyish private ride to where the young officer was. She strained again to hear what was being said.
"Sir?" Private Masters acknowledged.
"You and Gwynne will veer off the lane to a safe hiding place of your choice," instructed Kidwell, "taking Miss Prescott with you. Guard her. Keep her at a safe distance. If anything happens to the rest of us, especially Bordon, you are to get her back to the fort as quickly as possible and put her under the care of a general."
Shivering when she heard this, Melanie wondered what was planned. The girl hoped it wasn't petty mischief. In fact, she wished they wouldn't make any stops at all except to camp. The young woman was already exhausted. Now she feared that since they hadn't already bivouacked by sunset, that they were not going to and would continue to ride on through the night or at best, stop at some roadside glade and bed down with no tents for just a couple of hours. She wasn't sure how much more of this her pregnant body could withstand.
Within a few moments they were riding again. As they rounded a bend, they headed up a tree lined lane. The young woman saw a modest, but beautiful plantation home at the end of it surrounded by many outbuildings. She didn't recognize this place, but only knew they had been skirting the Santee River on the way home.
Suddenly Privates Gwynne and Masters steered her and the steed she rode off to the side, with Bordon in tow. She saw Alex make a hand motion to one of his men, unknown to her he'd signaled for them to go on without him and he'd catch up in a moment. The beasts trampled their way into some bushes where the men stopped them.
Bordon reached back into his saddle pack and found one of the usual black strips of cloth that he carried to blindfold prisoners with. He leaned over to Melanie and pulled her a little closer.
"I'm sorry darling," he apologized. "The decision has been made to blindfold you. You're not allowed to see our actions." This was Alexander's personal decision. He thought it best if she didn't see what they had to do. The officer especially didn't want her to see any brutality.
She panicked inside as her memory flashed back to the day the rebel militia kidnapped her and how frightening it was to lose her sight—artificially and temporarily. The girl also felt suddenly like they couldn't trust her.
"No…um…Alex, please..," Melanie began to protest, "please don't. You don't need to do this. I can't even see anything from here…and it's dark—"
"It will just be for a matter of minutes. It will come off again when we move," Bordon assured her. After securing the material in place, he gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. "You'll be fine darling."
Miss Prescott heard him ride back through the bushes and even using the crop on his horse to move him along. In a moment, the galloping hoof beats melded into the other noise her now heightened sense of hearing was picking up.
The girl sat still on her horse, holding the pommel as Masters had taken hold of the reins to steady the beast. As she sat there, her mind ran away with itself as it heard all kinds of commotion. It was desperately trying to imagine pictures to fit with the sounds it heard.
Melanie heard the familiar voices of the dragoons along with movement in the grass and on the dirt. She heard footfalls on wooden steps as men moved into and out of buildings.
"Prepare to fire the house!" , Melanie heard Tavington bark to his men. His voice had a slight echo to it, as if it was projected from a building, the sound bouncing off the wooden structure. She thought he may have been in a doorway calling out to his men or possibly on the porch.
Then the girl heard liquid as if being poured or thrown. Indeed, the dragoons were throwing flammable liquid onto the house.
"This one is head of the house slaves, sir." Melanie identified the voice of Captain Wilkins.
"Where are they hiding," she heard Tavington's voice again, demanding an answer. An instant later, she heard a loud gunshot, making her jump, then shiver. Miss Prescott correctly surmised that someone must have been shot. The young woman tried to push it out of her mind as the horses acted up after the noise.
"Whoa…easy," Gwynne said quietly, trying to calm the horses. "Steady now."
"Keep looking! They're here somewhere!" Melanie heard Tavington shouting orders again. The girl could hear a flurry of activity; people scurrying about at a faster pace.
"Torch the house!" she heard Tavington command. Then she identified the sound of torches aflame and whooshing through the air. Glass crashed, taking her by surprise again, and she assumed that a torch must have gone into a window. In a moment, she heard flames devouring wood.
Then, as the house was burning, gunshots rang out away from the house. Melanie's head reflexively snapped around from facing the house now to the direction of down the lane though she could see nothing. There were the sounds of horses whinnying, and several more guns shots.
"To horse," cried Tavington. Miss Prescott shuddered as she heard the command very clearly. She heard gunfire returned from the direction of the house, then horses galloping down the lane. Melanie worried even more now, knowing that some sort of fight was imminent. As always, she hoped Alex was safe in the fray.
After what seemed an eternity, a rush of horses came back into the glade where Melanie awaited with the two privates.
"Did you get the scoundrel?" Gwynne asked.
"No. Lost him in the darkness," Bordon replied as he reached over and removed Miss Prescott's blindfold. The girl was relieved to have it off, and equally as soothed to see Alex again. She smiled at him as she saw more dragoons streaming in out of the corner of her eye.
Within moments, the group was off again, moving out on the same lane they came in. Melanie couldn't help but look back over her shoulder, seeing the lovely house engulfed in flames and starting to cave in on itself.
"Don't look back Melanie," Alex admonished. "You were blindfolded for a reason. It's best you don't see anything."
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As they put distance between themselves and the burning Selton house, the legion looked for a place of refuge until Dawn. This was not the main road and it was lonely: no houses, inns, or pubs on it for a very long stretch. To make matters worse, it was after one in the morning and thunder could be heard in the distance.
That distant thunder and now lightning seemed to move in quickly, and the dragoons were left scrambling for shelter. They found a small glade at the top of a gentle slope and bunched into it. Tavington ordered tents to be put up quickly and horses to be tied up equally as fast. Melanie helped tie the horses as she watched the men working at a fast pace setting up a few of the wedge tents. The colonel ordered all to double up for the glade was too crowded with all of them for everyone to have their own tent with space in between. The men didn't complain; forfeiting the privacy of their own tents for the chance to stay warm and dry was a small sacrifice.
A storm broke loose just as the last of the men were crawling into the tents. Melanie,of course, shared Major Bordon's tent since it was no secret anymore about the two of them. The two cuddled up and fell asleep immediately, as did the rest of the camp. It rained gently after the storm, but steadily.
It was still raining at six in the morning when Colonel Tavington awoke. He noticed that the Carolina heat had finally broken, but given way to a cool, dampness. Rather than exposing everyone to the elements, he made the decision to let everyone sleep in three more hours hoping the rain would stop by then. Might as well let them sleep as the mud on the road would have slowed them anyway.
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In the watery, early morning light, Melanie and Alex held each other closely as they were near the climax of their lovemaking. She looked into his eyes as he plunged in and out of her from atop her body. They kept their coupling as quiet as possible, all the while alternately kissing quietly and gazing into each other's eyes.
The young woman soon closed her eyes and let her head sink back into the pillow as the officer kept his rhythm steady and his thrusting deep.
"Oh….Alex…mmm," whispered Melanie, doing all she could to keep her throes of passion quiet.
"SSshhh…. Melanie," Alex hushed her, quietly reminding her of the others in close proximity to their tent.
The girl pulled him against her body, wrapping her arms tightly about him. As she came she buried her face in his shoulder, muffling her cries of satisfaction. Alexander stifled his own cries, putting his mouth against her soft neck as he gasped.
The two pulled away from each other, Melanie pushing her skirt down and Alex tugging his breeches back up. The couple kissed deeply and lovingly for a moment, commencing a euphoric yet soft afterglow. The young woman rested on her back as her lover rolled on to his side facing her, where he propped his head up on his hand and bent elbow.
The two were silent for a moment, listening to the steady downpour of raindrops against the tent. They were thankful that the linseed oiled canvas was holding up, repelling the water and keeping them dry.
After a quiet pause, Alex tentatively put his hand on Miss Prescott's lower belly, resting it there. Equally as cautiously he began to caress the spot right over her now full womb.
Melanie opened her eyes and whispered, "That's the first time you've touched me there since you've known of the baby."
Her lover smiled and said nothing, continuing to rub her pregnant, but still inconspicuous belly. The girl caressed his fore arm as he did.
"I know you aren't happy about this, Alex," she remarked quietly, wanting to clear the air.
"No, that's not it," he answered back softly. "I'm just surprised, though I shouldn't be with as much as we are together. You'll have to give me time to adjust to becoming a father again."
The major brushed a soft kiss against her cheek then continued in a whisper. "I'm afraid more than anything," he declared. "When I was a child, an aunt who was visiting our home gave birth before her time and died while doing so. I witnessed all of the grief surrounding that, especially my mother's, for it was her sister. It was terrible! I just want a safe delivery for both of you."
Alex sighed, pausing for a moment before going on. "Are you happy, darling?"
Melanie was quiet for a minute. She looked thoughtful and answered, "I must admit I wasn't at first given our circumstances. But after a few weeks, realizing that I was after having missed two monthlies in a row, I was happy to have your child in me. I was ready to become a mother. I am so anxious to feel the baby move within me."
Alexander kissed her as he whispered, "You will make a beautiful, wonderful, mother!" He punctuated his words with more kisses.
Smiling, the young girl rolled over on to her side so that Alex now spooned her. The officer left his hand on her belly, almost as if protecting his baby and the child's mother. Melanie covered his hand with hers.
The two cuddled close together, feeling the cool air permeating the canvas. "I'm glad the colonel let us rest in this morning."
"Me too," Bordon agreed. "Everyone can use the rest!"
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"Beautiful country," Colonel Tavington said while admiring some wildflowers. "Everything grows here!"
Melanie sat nearby in the overgrown field on a blanket, glad for the rest but sorry she was blindfolded again. She could feel the sun warming her skin after breaking through the clouds earlier in the day and drying up the rain.
Suddenly, the bloodcurdling scream of a male, in obvious pain, broke the golden silence in the meadow. Though blinded, Miss Prescott could only imagine the harm being inflicted on the man.
She heard William Tavington heave a sigh, then his footsteps moved away through the brush. The girl heard another pair of footsteps and surmised that someone followed him.
As she sat for a few more quiet moments on the blanket, she recalled the morning. The officers conferred again over the map, they broke camp, then left. They rode for awhile on the puddle strewn main road, then turned off onto another path.
As she rode on her own today, she kept up well with the men, always staying near Alexander's side. They soon spotted a spacious cabin through the foliage, surrounded by an overgrown field.
"This is Marcus Cameron's farm," Captain Wilkins announced as the group paused at the woodline. All stayed silent for a moment as they studied the homestead, thinking it was deserted. Then they saw two horses grazing to the side of the cabin, then glimpsed a man inside walk past one of the windows.
From there, duties were assigned, with the men quickly dispersing to carry them out. Again, Melanie was blindfolded, and again she protested, immediately hushed by Major Bordon.
From that point, the girl had to rely on her sense of hearing again to sort out what was going on. First she felt Alex leave her side. Then she felt the Colonel brush past her, leading her to believe the two men moved away from the group to discuss something.
Though the two officers kept their voices low, she heard part of their discussion. "Secure the house. Detain the inhabitants. Do what you need to get the information," Tavington instructed in a devious voice.
"Yes sir," Bordon complied. Footsteps soon moved through the brush and away from where Miss Prescott stood blindfolded. She heard men following, as well.
Since this was a small farm with limited buildings and land, not as many were needed to carry out the tasks as needed the night before. A few of the men waited behind and would come out later when allowed to do so. Colonel Tavington, along with Captain Wilkins, made their way into the front field, waiting for the signal from Major Bordon. Private Tracy escorted the now blindfolded Miss Prescott out there as well for a respite.
Continuing to bask in the sun and lost in thoughts and recollections, Melanie blissfully forgot what was going on around her for a moment and felt peace. Having lost all track of time, her meager respite was shattered when another horrendous scream pierced the air, bringing her back to reality. It so startled her that she sat up straight and rigid, wishing she hadn't heard the scream.
The girl soon found Private Tracy offering his arm to her. After helping her up, he led her back toward the barn when he had been given the signal to gather everyone together. She felt the overgrown weeds brushing against her as she was led out of the pasture. Miss Prescott felt like she had walked enough steps that she was close to the buildings now, and this was confirmed when she heard voices of the others milling about.
"Tracy! Could you come here a moment," Melanie heard someone request. She felt the private leave her side. The young woman stood there for a moment, not sure what to do. When the soldier didn't return, she removed her blindfold, assuming the dragoons were finished with their business.
Wondering where Alex was, she wandered into the cabin, remembering that Tavington had asked him to take care of things within.
"Alex?", she called upon entering the cabin.
Once in there, she was astonished and sickened to see blood splatter on the walls and floors along with the bodies of two dead men, one which she nearly tripped over. The men had obviously been beaten badly then killed, for they were black and blue and covered with blood.
Melanie gasped and shook. Feeling immediately sick, she ran out of the cabin and down the front porch. The poor girl fell to her knees in front of the stoop and began to puke. Bordon found her there a moment there.
"Are you alright," he asked as he knelt beside her.
Melanie quickly sat back on her knees and regained her composure. She shook her head 'yes' as she sniffled and fought back tears.
Alexander helped her to her feet. "I was trying to find you," she explained.
"Well, don't!", the officer scolded. "Stay with the guard assigned to you. There could be rebels nearby, like there was last night. Do you want them to take you again? Hurt you?"
"No," she said.
"Then stay with your guard," the major admonished in a cross voice.
Soon, Melanie found herself gathered up by Captain Wentworth in a group that moved out first. From her horse, she looked back and saw the men pulling the battered corpses out of the cabin, placing them strategically on the lawn in front as a warning for all who should venture there. As the young woman looked back a second time, she saw the cabin being set to flames, which was quickly becoming the dragoons' signature calling card, equally as ominous as the dead British officers left strewn about the Carolina countryside to rot by Martin's militia.
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The dragoons stalked the Billings' cabin from the woods, all thinking about a course of action. As usual, Melanie saw the officers dismount and meet at the side away from the group, making plans for the situation of the moment. While still on her horse, she viewed the lonely, small cabin and farm from the distance the same as the dragoons did. Miss Prescott noticed a woman coming out of the building with a clothes basket in hand. A little, red curly haired boy followed behind her, darting about happily. Melanie was filled with dread, worried for these people. She hoped that the dragoons would not be rough on the mother and son.
The young woman saw the officers break up from their conference and move between small groups of soldiers, no doubt giving them orders in their hushed voices. The girl sighed, was tired, and decided not to try to analyze what would go on at this secluded place.
She readied herself when she saw Alexander approaching, blindfold in hand. Melanie dismounted and stood by her horse, turning away from him without being told to. He secured the black cloth in place over her eyes.
"What? No protest today?" asked the major, half kidding, half sarcastically.
"Why waste the time and breath?!," she volleyed in a serious tone, "It does me no good."
Bordon did not answer her remark. He instead took her hand and led her over to a tree, seating her on a blanket. Melanie sighed, resigned to this now usual treatment, and rested her head back against the thing. She was thankful to have a break from riding.
The young woman listened to the horses stamp their way out of the brush. They were unusually quiet once leaving them. She couldn't help but think they were walking the horses gently toward the cabin to surprise the inhabitants.
Melanie thought that Alex certainly had figured out that she could hear a lot of what they were doing, and see part of it before and after, but yet he still insisted on blindfolding her. She wondered if he thought that she couldn't envision the images to fit the sounds, then put two and two together? Or, maybe he denied that fact?
Another more hopeful part of her thinking assumed that he did it for her protection should the dragoons be 'called on the carpet' for their doings. Though she could hear things, she would then truly be able to testify that she did not see what was perpetrated. As her mind continued to volley reasoning back and forth, it numbed her enough to boredom. She drifted off for a time, but heard the colonel shouting in the distance which destroyed her bit of rest.
"Mrs. Billings, we don't want your husband," Tavington cajoled. "We simply need to know where the militia is. Or more importantly, Benjamin Martin."
"Give him up and there won't be any trouble for you and your boy," Bordon said authoritatively but laced with a hint of menace. Melanie could hear their stern and raised voices. Melanie despised hearing Alex use that tone of voice, sending chills down her spine.
"I don't know where they are," Mrs. Billings said, looking worried, "He doesn't tell me those things!"
"Very well! Fire the house!" Tavington shouted clearly enough for Miss Prescott to hear.
She felt badly for this rebel woman and her child. To the girl, they seemed to be minding their own business, and now they were going to lose their home. Melanie secretly hoped they had someone to go stay with.
The young woman then heard the familiar whooshing noise of torches cutting through the air. The girl could clearly hear the sound of the wood igniting. Then she heard the woman crying.
"Just tell us anything you know," Major Bordon coaxed.
"I barely know Colonel Martin," Mrs. Billings stated, nearly begging. "I don't know his family. I don't know where he'd keep them. And I don't have any idea where my husband and the colonel would hide."
"Very well," Tavington said, not satisfied.
Miss Prescott began to worry after she had heard all this. She had put together the bits and pieces she heard and seen in her mind and surmised that they were obviously trying to flush out that Martin man. The young woman thought that if the woman and child would just surrender and go to the fort under arrest with the dragoons, they would at least be safe in the prison camp, and this might lure the man out quicker and without so much mischief. Better yet, curb any violent action and further property destruction.
Melanie heard the woman shout at her boy. "Go Johnnie! Run away!"
Instantly Miss Prescott shivered and sat rigid. She knew that this would irritate the already frustrated and tired dragoon commanders. They weren't happy at all with any of the rebels right now and all their tempers were worn thin.
A gunshot rang out. Then another. Melanie held her breath as they did, wondering what was happening. Was someone shot? Warning shots fired? Were these the first shots of a skirmish? Maybe rebels were hiding and had fired on them. The girl's mind was stumbling over itself speculating what had happened.
The young woman let her breath out after a moment, hearing no more shots. She heard hoofbeats across the grass once again, getting closer.
Melanie could hear the leaders in conversation as they approached. They continued talking as she heard the horses coming back into the woods, trampling over the brush.
"We didn't need another colonial prisoner—especially a child!" she heard Tavington say.
Bordon dismounted and moved toward Melanie. The girl felt his hand touch her arm and help her to stand. He continued talking as he removed his lover's blindfold.
"We could have used them to lure the militia to the fort," Bordon remarked in exasperation.
"No. And two more prisoners would just slow us down," the dragoon leader disagreed.
Within minutes, the legion was back on their steeds and riding out toward the main road. Melanie was now on Alexander's horse seated in front, riding tandem with him again.
The young woman looked back at the modest cabin and saw it engulfed in flames. She saw no sign of the mother and the red headed, curly haired little boy.
Major Bordon took his hand, which had been around Melanie's waist from behind, gripped her chin firmly and pulled her head back around to face to the front of them.
"Please don't look," he said, obvious irritation in his voice.
"If you didn't want me to see, then you should have left me blindfolded," Melanie snapped at him. "Or better, you should have left me at the fort to begin with!"
The couple's testiness with each other today reared its ugly head. The officer stopped the horse in its tracks while the other dragoons made their way around them, filtering to either side of his horse.
"Do you really think I don't have any idea what is going on?!" the young woman asked. "Did you think I wouldn't figure it out!?"
"Do not start on this with me today, Melanie," Bordon said through gritted teeth. "I am not in the mood!"
"How do you think I feel," asked Miss Prescott, now equally as upset.
"NOT one more word about this," warned Alex. "We had both best keep our mouths shut for awhile to avoid an argument."
Melanie turned back to look at him, fighting back tears caused by his harsh words. "I just want to go home. I'm sick. I'm tired."
"I do to, darling," he conceded, the harshness dissipating in his voice a bit, "as badly as you. I'm tired as well. It won't be much longer. We're about a days' ride away."
Miss Prescott nodded her head in agreement. Wearily, the girl settled back onto Bordon, closing her eyes in the daylight sun.
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The dragoons met up with a small column of Redcoat foot soldiers. Melanie, from her own horse again, saw Tavington ride over to introduce himself and talk with their commander. He soon motioned for Alex to join them. In an instant, the major trotted his horse that direction, leaving Melanie's side.
The girl was exceptionally depressed today. She hadn't slept the night before, thinking about the things that she imagined the dragoons had done in the last few days. The young woman kept trying to pull her spirits up, reminding herself that Alexander had told her they were within miles of the fort and would be home later that evening.
The dragoon commanders rejoined the group again only a few moments later. Miss Prescott watched the column of infantry shift positions and begin to march in formation behind them.
Soon, they arrived in the small village Pembroke. As usual, the townspeople upon seeing Redcoats, grabbed their children and ran inside of their houses. Doors slammed all around as the townspeople disappeared from their front porches.
That same ominous feeling came over Miss Prescott again. She sighed, fully expecting the blindfold to come out of Bordon's saddle bag at any minute.
Melanie stopped her horse beside Alexander's as he halted. He waved Wilkins over to join them.
"I understand that both of you may know some of these people," the second in command remarked. "We need you both to inform them to gather at the church. Colonel Tavington wishes to address the whole town. They're likely to ease if you two are the ones making the request."
Wilkins and the girl both nodded wearily. Bordon continued. "Captain, you stay on horseback and round them up. Miss Prescott, please dismount and go house to house."
With that, Wilkins was walking his horse through the streets talking with the brave people still outside and Melanie began moving from door to door. After covering two houses and a shop on one side of the street, the girl crossed to the other to catch those homes. As she crossed, a man whom she had just glimpsed talking with Wilkins, gave her a mean look as they passed each other.
"British slut!" he taunted in a low voice as he passed her.
Melanie quickly brushed the horrid words off and rushed up the sidewalk to another house. A dark haired woman answered with a sandy haired little girl holding on to her skirts.
"Colonel Tavington needs to address everyone at the church," stated Miss Prescott.
The woman said nothing, instead giving Melanie the strangest of looks.
"Ma'am?" asked the young woman, wondering what was wrong. The girl, not sure if the woman was looking strangely at her, or past her out onto the street. Miss Prescott turned her head to look out at the street. As she did, she glimpsed a name on a sign at the end of the sidewalk which she had failed to pay attention to earlier when she entered the yard. It said, "Dan Scott. Bookkeeper".
The girl realized this was Dan Scott's wife. "Mrs. Scott, is anything wrong?
The woman answered slowly, as if choosing her words. "You're that pacifist's daughter, aren't you?"
Melanie had a quick flash of memory back to when she had been kidnapped. Her name, "Prescott," seemed to garner negative attention with the rebels. She chose not to confirm who she was, but tried to steer the talk back to the matter presently at hand.
"Um….The church, Ma'am. Colonel Tavington wants to speak—"
"Why, you are!," she drawled. "You are Hayden Prescott's daughter. I remember you. From that meeting Mr. Pembroke held at the church here 3 or 4 years ago. And the party at the Pembroke farm. You were there both times with your father. It is you!"
"You need to make your way to the church madam," Melanie said, obviously shaken up but trying not to show it.
The woman's face suddenly changed from inquisitive to drawn and angry. "Very well. We'll go to the church. But I want you off my property now, you Redcoat whore!"
Miss Prescott turned quickly on her heel with no further words and hurried down the sidewalk. As she stepped back onto the town's main street, she noticed a lot of people making their way to the church. She hoped that Captain Wilkins had caught most of them already; she didn't know how much more name calling she could take.
In a few moments, the streets emptied, yards were quiet, and the church was crowded with townspeople in it and dragoons and infantry redcoats milling about outside of it. Melanie saw Colonel Tavington ride his horse right into the church, which surprised her.
She stood quietly back from the church within the crown of British around it. The girl was surprised she hadn't yet been blindfolded. But yet, she reasoned, they wouldn't blind her for a simple meeting. The girl continued to mill about, kicking some dirt with the toe of her shoe, waiting for the colonel to get done so that they could get back on the road to home.
The young woman perked up when she saw Tavington ride his horse out of the church.
"And indeed you may! That is between you and God!," she heard him shout back to the people inside the sanctuary.
With that, Melanie saw the redcoats that had surrounded the church begin to close the people up in it, boarding the windows, barring and locking all the doors. The girl assumed he put them in there to keep them out of the way. They were probably low on supplies by now and needed to raid and pillage some—much easier with the townspeople out of the way and unable to fight.
Miss Prescott spotted Alex walking toward her. She walked to meet him as he stood on the ground near where Captain Wilkins was seated upon his horse. The girl had to move out of the way to let the colonel through on his horse, rejoining his men.
"Ready to fire the town on your orders," stated Captain Wilkins.
"The town?" Tavington questioned. "Burn the church."
Miss Prescott overheard this. She was certain she had heard wrong. She had to have heard wrong!
"The church?" Wilkins questioned, also unsure that his commander had really given that order. "But….the people….inside?"
"Yes! I said the church, captain," Tavington repeated in an ominous vice.
Melanie was stunned. They really could not be doing this. They just couldn't! She wasn't sure what to do. Surely her childhood friend Jim Wilkins would not do it. Certainly he was not afraid of insubordination for the right cause.
Wilkins protested the order. "There's no honor in this."
Tavington did not like his orders questioned. He spoke back to Wilkins with some irritation in his voice. "Didn't you say 'all those who stand against England deserve to die a traitor's death'?"
Wilkins was taken aback and could say nothing to deny his own words.
"Burn the church, Captain," Tavington ordered sternly, his words slow and measured. He shot a firm and condescending look toward Captain Wilkins that showed that he had better not disobey this order or he would suffer wrath. This was Tavington's test to measure Wilkins' loyalty, as he had always been suspicious of local loyalists.
"You can't do this!" Melanie blurted out! "There are women and children in there!" The girl had specifically recalled a very pregnant woman, obviously close to her due date, moving into the church. When she'd seen that woman, her hand dropped to her own belly, absently rubbing it.
Colonel Tavington shot her a look that would kill her if eyes were a weapon. He looked at her, then looked at Wilkins, obviously angry and frustrated with both of them.
"You two Yankees had best not questions my orders again," he warned with a look that implied he meant business, "OR ELSE!"
"I am not going to be a witness to this barbarity!" Melanie challenged the colonel.
"Bordon, take care of the problem, please," the colonel requested, his eyes narrowed and jaw set hard. Alex knew exactly what it meant. The 'request' was really an order that translated to "get your woman under control or else!".
Miss Prescott opened her mouth to speak again but was quickly grabbed roughly by the arm and ushered a few feet away by Major Bordon. "Melanie, this is military business," he said sternly as he pulled her over next to a small shed adjacent to the church yard.
The girl pulled away from his grip and looked Alexander in the eye, posing in a stance of challenge with her hands on her hips. She let loose on the man she loved, absolutely tearing him apart. "Don't put me in the middle of your schemes or plans ever again!," she screamed.
Before he could counter, she continued the tirade. "This is too much! You cannot do this! I am not going to stand here and be a party to the burning of innocent people!"
"They aren't innocent!" Bordon shouted back. "They've helped the rebels. Putting an end to them will hamper the militia!"
"No it won't!" she shot back. "They'll get help from someone or somewhere else!"
Major Bordon was tired and angry. He felt she had no position to question British military matters or tactics.
The officer grabbed her shoulders firmly, tightly enough to bruise her skin and put her against the wall of the little building. "I, or any of these men here, don't have to explain anything to you! Do not ever, EVER, question dragoon business again! Do I make myself clear!?"
Miss Prescott tried to wriggle out from his firm hands, which continued to pin her to the wall. When she found his strength overpowering her for the moment, she stopped. She stared quietly up at her lover, giving him a hard look.
"Is that clear?!"
"Yes," Melanie answered reluctantly as she pulled away from him. "Yes it is. I'm not going to be involved in 'dragoon business' any longer! I refuse! And if the British want to punish me, then so be it!"
The girl went on berating Bordon, and indirectly Tavington and the rest of the dragoons loudly and defiantly. "I know what you have done and still do to people. I have looked the other direction long enough! I want no more of this! No more of what you do to people!"
"I'm not going to stand here and witness these people burned alive!" The girl continued, letting no one get a word in edgewise. "My reputation is bad enough now as it is by my own hand. I don't need to be associated with all your misdeeds to get me into further trouble!"
"Melanie!" , the major yelled angrily.
"No Alex! Stop!" , she roared back. "I refuse to let you parade me around the countryside any longer. I'm not going to be your rebel bait! You dragoons aren't going to use me anymore! I mean it! No more! This was the last time!"
She moved around Alexander just in time to hear Wilkins speaking. "Give me the torch," Captain Wilkins said reluctantly. He was passed a torch, which he held for a moment as he hesitated. Then, he threw it on to the roof of the church, igniting the structure.
"The honor is found in the end, not the means," said Tavington in twisted words of comfort. "This will be forgotten."
Melanie heard all the words from the two officers as she stormed past them. The girl had reached her breaking point with the killing of a whole village. She cared not at this point, if she would be disciplined later. All she wanted was to get the hell away from the cavalry. While the young woman owed her snap to being forced to do things she didn't want to be a part of such as being present during British misdeeds, which she perceived as making her an unwilling participant. But that was only one part. The culmination of that with pregnancy hormones and sheer exhaustion made the girl come completely apart. She was angry and no longer thinking straight.
Miss Prescott found her horse and pulled herself quickly up on to it. She dug her heels into its side and spurred the beast on to move away as fast as possible.
Bordon had been only steps behind her. "Melanie! Stop!"
Meanwhile, William Tavington's head was spinning, as well. He was physically exhausted, but tired of his two colonials, Melanie and Wilkins, who he disparagingly called Yankees, questioning him. He watched as Miss Prescott's horse trotted away from their group.
Suddenly, and inexplicably, the colonel pointed his gun the direction of the fleeing Miss Prescott. It was already loaded and ready to go. The commander aimed, and in an instant a shot rang out from his pistol, tearing through the air toward the girl.
It hit her horse in the right back rump, effectively shooting the thing out from under her as soldiers were often taught to do when fighting in battle. The shot caused the beast to stop immediately, then rear up. As it did, Melanie fell backwards off the animal onto the hard ground, leaving her dazed. But before she could get up or move her body, the horse stumbled backwards then fell, tumbling as it did, and its heavy body rolled right over Miss Prescott, smashing her down for an instant. Melanie groaned in pain as she tried to get up from the ground.
"Oh God! Melanie!" Bordon screamed as he ran toward her. Alex wanted her to stay on the ground for a few moments to regain her bearings, but she was already fighting to stand up when he got to her. He helped her up the rest of the way, and could tell she was badly stunned.
The dizzy and confused girl could not stand up straight, near stumbling as she tried to walk. Bordon tried to grab her arm to steady her, but she waved him away, as if she was trying on her own to regain her stability.
The officer, noticing that her horse was in pain from the gunshot, aimed his pistol at the beast's head and pulled the trigger, putting the animal out of misery. After this, he looked up and spied Melanie still continuing to walk crookedly about.
The young woman continued to stagger about as she teetered in no certain direction. When her eyesight became clear and she remembered where she was and what had transpired, she could now see the church burning and hear the awful cries of pain coming from within. Her face contorted, as if she was on the verge of tears. Feeling desperate to get away from the haunting cries of death, she weaved a short way to the nearest horse—one of the villager's—that was tied to a nearby post.
Melanie climbed upon the horse before anyone realized what she was doing and took off again. She coaxed the horse on to gallop then run as fast as possible. The girl did not look back. The young woman just wanted to get away from there, the dying villagers, the misbehaving dragoons, and the misdeeds themselves as fast as she could!
"Barnes! Masters!," Tavington yelled at the two nearest privates, "Go after her. Do your best to catch up to her and escort her to the fort!"
Then he turned to Bordon just as the aide-de-camp was mounting his horse. "We will deal with her when we get back to the fort….tonight!"
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Author's note: As seen near the end of this chapter, Colonel Tavington is quite "put out" with the two colonials, Captain Wilkins and Miss Prescott, for questioning his orders. He calls both of them "Yankees".
During the Revolutionary War in the colonies, "Yankee" was a disparaging term that the British used for colonials born in America to belittle them. (from The Etymology Dictionary)