A/N: Didja miss me last chapter? This is a LONG chapter. Again, change in plan: The debate over Fife and Bordon's punishment, and the fete from hell. Sorry guys, I just didn't know how to do the chapter the way I had originally planned it with out being WAAAAAAAY corny. Be careful—I wrote a naughty word in the second half (I still censured it though). Just to warn you.
Captain Bordon stood in the entrance, contemplating Constance and fighting to keep from weeping. His humiliation ran deep, and he greatly feared that the colonel had already learned of the fight. Bordon wished she would leave, as he had already made an ass of himself before the object of his affection not even an hour ago. Yes, he had a gotten a kiss out of it all, but it was only out of pity. She doesn't care in the least, he thought.
Constance offered her hand to him and pulled him out of the rain. With a kind smile to counteract the displeased sneer of her brother, the woman retrieved a blanket from Tavington's quarters and wrapped her friend in it.
"Here, get warm, Captain Bordon." Quietly, she relinquished her seat to him and stood in the corner like a perfect subservient automaton. No part of her but her eyes in blinking moved, just like a perfect soldier. Bordon thought it unsettling.
"Captain Bordon, for what reasons am I burdened by this visit?" William growled.
"Brother."
Tavington pointed at her. "Enough you. You've no idea how irksome these men can be."
"He's your subaltern, William, not your mortal enemy. And at that, he's tangible."
The colonel's eye twitched in restrained fury at her spectral allusion. In camp, the Ghost was beyond off limits. It was the 'hit below the belt' when dealing with the colonel. Tavington turned sharply to Bordon. The captain lowered his eyes in shame.
"What's wrong with—"
"Sir!" Fife barged in, dripping wet and raging. He saw Bordon, and chuckled at this added convenience. Waving a hand wildly at the captain, Tobias shrilled: "That man has assaulted me! Miss Tavington can vouch for me, as can all my bruises!"
"Oh-hhh?" Tavington smirked, settling back into his chair. What was it with playing mediator these past few days? If the two junior officers decided to bring it to fist fighting, the evening would not be a complete loss…. Fife was definitely hotheaded enough, apparently. "Proceed, Lieutenant."
"Captain Bordon here cannot take a bit of good natured ribbing and jumped on me. It was a good thing your lovely sister walked in at that moment, or methinks I wouldn't have much of a face now!"
"Well Mr. Fife, what was it that you were saying? I feel no pity for you if you have brought this upon yourself with your own words."
"Um, ah—"
"Sir," Bordon cut in, "he was asking me lewd things about your sister. She's my witness."
Tavington looked at his sister with a broad smile. "I believe in this sort of situation where you two were obviously thinking with something other than your brain that I trust her more. My sister is an honest woman, completely fair despite any bias she may have."
She narrowed her eyes at her brother, mouthing some threat. "William, you just solved it yourself. Neither demonstrated appropriate discretion, and therefore should be punished equally. Mr. Fife issued the same amount of verbal abuse as Mr. Bordon issued in physical abuse. Fife's words were foul enough to injure my dignity enough that his consequence ought to be just as severe as the captain's."
Fife was indignant, and Bordon lowered his head.
"What do you suggest their penalty be, Constance?" William folded his hands on his stomach.
She pondered a moment. "Brother, I believe they have both given each other enough for now. As silly as their spat was, their justifications, not to sound egotistic, were reasonable. We've all done silly things for love, or what we think is love. I do not approve, and I will recommend a far more severe punishment if I learn of this happening again."
"You are too lenient."
"You are not lenient enough, William Tavington."
"I cannot allow this to go unpunished, Constance. I'm sorry I must over rule your decision."
She shrugged. "It wasn't mine to make in the first place. However, I find it funny when hypocrites dare to speak. I recall a lust inspired young man named William T. nearly killed his own best friend over some silly slut with the pox. Hmm, wonder who that could have been?"
"She wasn't a slut, and she did not have the pox!"
Constance rolled her eyes. "Judge at your discretion, brother. I am only the comely advocatus diaboli in this situation."
Tavington seethed, then pointed to the exit. "Both of you leave me to think! Go!"
His sister smiled kindly to both of the retreating men, then turned to her brother. "How many times do you think Lieutenant Fife will ask to escort me to the Middleton ball tomorrow?"
Suddenly, the colonel's eyes widened in horror. "That's tomorrow? No, it can't be."
"Oh, aye," she said with a raise in pitch on the 'aye', all the while nibbling on a fingernail. "I've got the most lovely gown. 'Tis a beautiful powdery green satin sack-back. It is very nice with my eyes."
William lay his head on the desk and buried it under his arms. "God help me."
---
Oddly enough, Fife and Bordon were reserved in dealing with Constance, though both thought she was the epitome of angelic in the failing light of the evening. Instead, Wilkins was an obnoxious satellite with the desire to cater to her every miniscule whim. She stayed close by her brother, but that did not deter the amorous captain in the least.
"Constance!"
"Will you buzz off, you little piss ant?" she fumed, slapping his offered hand with her fan. "You disgrace me, and I wish to wretch!"
"Please? I adore you and think you're pretty!"
"F--- off," Constance answered, squaring herself against him, her voice dangerously low.
"Miss Tavington, I'd be sooo greatly honored if you'd promenade with me a bit…" he whined, bowing low. He ventured to take her hand and kiss it, but she smacked him away. He only persisted.
William grew irritated, not only at having to deal with the stupid Captain, but on behalf of his baby sister. "Captain James Wilkins," Tavington sneered, "the lady has refused. I will not abide the mistreatment of a woman in my sight, especially when she is my little sister." His tone took on a furious grate as he stared down his underling.
Wilkins sulked away with a thousand bows to Constance and an obscene gesture to William when his back was turned.
"Lord, is that man annoying!" she murmured to her brother. He ignored her though as General O'Hara approached them. William bowed to his superior with a straight face, and his sister curtsied. The young general did likewise courtesies to Tavington and Constance, bowing a little deeper to the latter.
"The Lord General wishes to have a word with you, Colonel Tavington," O'Hara said with reservation.
"Yes, sir." The colonel squeezed his sister's hand. "You be careful. Hurt him if you must."
Constance nodded. She watched after her brother's retreating form with concern. This could not be good. Joseph Carleton may need to return that night. Her brow creased as she thought, and to try and put any fears out of her head, she went to walk.
Wilkins saw her alone and immediately pursued. He put a hand on her waist and began to whisper in her ear. Constance spun around.
"God damn you! Get your hands off me this instant. You do me no honor, Wilkins, treating me like a base whore! You lower yourself and me with this display! Worship me properly—from a distance!"
"Not until you walk with me. I only ask that much, Constance."
"Captain Wilkins, leave her alone."
Wilkins looked up to find Bordon's displeased eyes fixed on him. He laughed and said: "Oh, if it isn't the colonel's eunuch lap dog!"
"Jimmy, get away from her. I mean it, too." Fife now appeared beside the disapproving captain.
Constance was surprised by this united front, but doubted whether it was premeditated. They had probably observed the commotion and chose to help. She stared pleadingly at both of them. Tobias Fife took a step forward, and Wilkins backed away from the woman with his hands up.
"Stay away from her," Bordon added, ushering his peer away. "You will only get yourself into worse trouble with her brother if you make a nuisance of yourself." He shoved the captain away and returned to Constance's side with a nod to Fife.
"Whoa, what's this? What's going on? You two were about to kill each other last night! I don't understand—"
"Lieutenant Fife is a rational man, Miss Tavington. He and I discussed our disgraceful behavior last night after we left the company of your brother. We've agreed that we have nothing to fight about, because you will favor who you will favor, and all we can do is pray." Captain Bordon smiled.
Fife flashed his champion smile.
"That's awful chivalrous…I think…." She was still suspicious.
"We mean nothing but for your safety, Miss Tavington," Tobias said humbly. "It will keep us on a good page with your brother, too."
"Speaking of, have you seen where your brother went?"
"He went inside, Captain. Lord Cornwallis summoned him."
Bordon winced. "This cannot be good. Excuse me." He brushed by them and hurried toward the house. Constance was now doubly worried—her brother must be in trouble, and she was alone with Fife.
"Miss?" the lieutenant asked softly, offering his arm to her. He sensed her trepidation. "I promise I won't be disloyal to the pact between the captain and me. I fully meant it, and I take Captain Bordon for a man not to be perfidious."
She still had her doubts, but she delicately took hold of his arm just above the elbow in a leap of faith. He smiled and strolled along with her through the garden. Other couples admired them and said they made a fine pair—words that made Constance shudder.
"Are you all right, Miss Tavington?" he questioned.
"Yeah, it's nothing. I'm being silly."
"You haven't yet said a word."
"A word."
The lieutenant laughed and patted her hand. "You are different."
Constance raised an eyebrow, but did not wish to discuss it further. "How did you get Wilkins to clear away like that? I am forever indebted to you and captain Bordon for that."
"I've know 'Jimmy' for as long as I can remember, and for the worst reasons. He was my father's attorney. That captain isn't the brightest and is a fraud, and therefore, he wasn't the greatest lawyer. He lost my father loads of money—either in various court battles over trade practices and for legal fees—and when my father died, Wilkins willed my inheritance over to himself. So, I'm dirt poor, Miss Tavington." He bit his lip. "I can't measure up in esteem to someone like you or your brother. I joined the army to earn something back, a piece of my own land now that my house has been sold off because of that bastard."
"But why is he afraid of you?"
The secretive smile returned to his face. "I knocked him out before. Twice. One time he wanted to fight me when I used to do some prizefighting. The second time was when he stole my damned house! I got put in jail for that, until my brother-in-law had me bailed out."
"That's terrible!" Constance cried. "You aren't making this up? Not one bit?"
"Not at all. I am perfectly serious. That's not something a man can easily lie about, especially in the company of a woman he is drawn to."
She smiled. "You are nothing like you have been the past few days."
Fife chuckled and shook his head. "I'm ashamed you had to be caught in the cross fire of all that. Men, Miss Tavington, are just like dogs. We have to stake out our territory, then bluster and brag to get the respect of the rest of the pack. Then follows friendship, and when everyone respects one another enough, then you have a pack of brothers who won't let anything happen to one of the others. At least, that's how it was in my last regiment…. These men are different."
William charged down the steps, Bordon in his wake. The colonel was stony faced and offended, more so than usual, while his subaltern looked about with moist eyes and humbled visage. Tavington reassumed his place at his sister's side. Fife backed away when the icy aura of his superior struck. He remained by Constance in her attendance.
"Brother," Constance began to entreat, "if I may continue my circuit of the gardens with the good captain and lieutenant—"
"No. You are staying right here."
"William, please. I only—"
He glared at her. "What did I say? I said no. I'm not allowing you to roam around the park with Wilkins ranging about, especially alone with those two. Wilkins would easily convince them an orgy in the gazebo would be worthwhile."
She wrinkled her nose in disgust and abhorrence. "Why must you ruin my fun? I can't go anywhere by myself because you'll just follow me."
"Must everyone ruin my fun?" he spat.
Her face darkened, and the two junior officers wisely stepped back as a battle of the Tavingtons appeared imminent.
"Just because the lord general is angry with you doesn't mean you must spoil my time. I came here as a favor to you, so you did not appear so miserable to these people you could not even find a person to attend a fete with you."
"This has nothing to do with the lord general!" he cried, throwing up his hands. "This has to do with my little sister! I will not allow her to put herself into a situation where her honor may be in question!"
"I am walking with Captain Bordon. Aye, I see your point if it were, say, Wilkins. Look at him—look at Mr. Fife! They think they are lucky to breathe the same air as me! They've reconciled, brother, and they've saved me from Wilkins already tonight. I know it's hard to believe, and horribly sudden, but they are not about to do each other or me any harm."
He pursed his lips and frowned at Constance. "As you wish. Gentlemen, keep Wilkins at bay."
The captain bowed and offered his arm to the lady. She attached herself with a brilliant smile. Seeing the obvious pain in her sibling's eyes, from either the obvious quarrel with the general or her disobedience, she kissed his cheek in parting.
"Oh, Will, do cheer up. It hurts me to see you like this—it always has." Her eyes were filled with care and tenderness.
William muttered something into his drink.
"Brother, this is only a garden party. There are worse things, like the Mischianza—"
Another incoherent grumble funneled into the glass.
"Perhaps Lord Cornwallis will be kind enough to allow you to have your own party some day. I can ask him, if you'd like."
"And what do you propose?" he asked sullenly.
"An auto-da-fe?" Constance shrugged innocently.
The colonel's face was rigid as his green eyes bored into hers. Then, as if a miracle, he burst into laughter. He waved her away, chuckling light heartedly. Those nearby wondered who could have been so utterly hilarious as to send Colonel William Tavington into a fit of giggles.
"Kitty, you are an odd one indeed. Go, have fun, and think of your poor brother."
"Why? You're boring."
Another wry smile came across his face, though there was bit of sadness in it that always accompanies the truth.
"Oh, Will, I'm only teasing you. Now, when this is all over, I'll make some tea and we'll all play cards until the wee hours of the night and pretend this never happened. Agreed?"
He nodded childishly to the maternal tone of her voice. The sister smiled sweetly on her brother before turning with her companions to take an ambage of the garden.
They had not taken four steps when, out across the still sheet of water, a supply ship was rent apart in a blazing balled inferno. The sound of the explosion and the screams of the burning sailors weakened Constance. She fell, her knees wobbling, but she refused to faint as many of the other ladies did. Bordon hauled her to her feet and began to lead her away to the house. Tobias followed, casting horrified glances over his shoulder.
William Tavington downed his champagne in a single gulp and smashed the glass on the walk in a fury. He turned away from the two young ladies who sidled up to flirt and stalked into the house to have another "chat" with the lord general.
Next chapter: William becomes really homicidal in efforts to appease the generals, and the
Capture of some of the Ghost's men.