(Still told from William's POV)
That evening around seven, just before the duel, I met with Capt. Bordon in one of the tents at camp.
"Will Mary be attending?" He asked.
"Yes. I wasn't sure about her coming but then I decided to allow it. After all, the child wasn't mine alone."
"Are you ready?"
"Of course I am."
"Now, I know this will not be easy for you, Colonel, but do follow the rules of the duel and don't kill the sick-minded whore of a general." Said Bordon.
I laughed and he grinned impishly.
Suddenly, Cornwallis entered the tent.
"Colonel, it is time."
"Yes my Lord."
I nodded and left the tent.
I walked outside and into a fenced area surrounded by the British Army. I quickly scanned the crowd and spotted Mary, who was standing next to the captain. She spotted me and gave me a small smile. Then I turned at the sound of footsteps and met an accursed pair of eyes. O'Hara stalked up to me, but before he could say anything, Cornwallis stepped between us.
(Cornwallis' POV)
The air was thick with tension as I stepped in between Col. Tavington and Gen. O'Hara to give the conditions of the duel. Both wore looks of pure hatred, their bodies tense as they fought against the urge to break the invisible bonds of restraint put upon them.
"Now you both understand that this is not a duel to the death, is it not?"
"Yes my Lord." They answered in unison.
"Now, being as it would be completely pointless to tell you not to hurt each other, I will allow no more than a week's healing time worth of injury. There will be not pistols used, only sabers. And, not cutting from the neck up." I said, glancing at the colonel, who gave me an innocent look.
"Men, shake hands."
Col. Tavington and O'Hara gripped hands, each trying to crush the others.
"Ready arms."
Col. Tavington unsheathed his sabre, tossing O'Hara a deadly glare, and O'Hara unsheathed his sabre, returning the colonel's glare with one of malice.
"Begin the duel!" I said, stepping away from the two men.
Col. Tavington lunged with deadly speed at O'Hara, his sabre slicing into the general's side. O'Hara howled in pain and surprise at the blow as the crowd cheered. Col. Tavington leered at O'Hara and sliced again but the general sidestepped the blow, and quickly sliced downward into the colonel's right thigh, spraying blood into the crowd, which issued out curses and hissing noises. Col. Tavington only glanced quickly down at the wound before continuing on, fighting with the cold efficiency that had earned him his feared reputation and nickname, The Butcher.
O'Hara thrust his sabre forward in an effort to stab the colonel in the belly, but Col. Tavington effortlessly sidestepped to the left and back slashed into O'Hara's calves.
Blood spurted into the colonel's face. O'Hara collapsed on the ground but still had sense enough to block another blow from Col. Tavington. Then O'Hara hit the hilt of Tavington's sabre, knocking it out of his hand, and grabbed him by the throat, slamming him into the fence where his wife and Capt. Bordon stood.
Col. Tavington gasped in pain as the back of his head made contact with the hard wooden fence.
"You monster!" I heard Lady Tavington cry angrily.
"O'Hara!" I yelled, but it was no use.
O'Hara slashed at Col. Tavington again, slicing across his chest, and then punched him, splitting his lip. More hissing and cursing issued from the crowd. O'Hara made another move at Tavington, but the colonel twisted and kicked upward with his right foot, his spur making contact with the general's groin.
O'Hara screamed, dropping his sabre, and fell to the ground gasping.
Col. Tavington got swiftly to his feet and retrieved O'Hara's sabre; just to make sure O'Hara would stay down long enough for him to retrieve his own weapon, Col. Tavington punched O'Hara, splitting his lip and then slashed at him, cutting deeply into his ribs, spraying more blood into the crowd and onto his own uniform. Then, Col. Tavington went swiftly and retrieved his own sabre.
It was now obvious who was the victor of the duel as Col. Tavington stood to face O'Hara with both sabers in his hands. Both men had blood all over their uniforms and both had blood dripping from their lips; there was even blood on some of the people standing outside of the fence, including Tavington's wife, who had a streak of crimson across her left cheek, from the hackings the colonel and the general had given each other.
Col. Tavington moved towards O'Hara his sabre raised.
"Colonel! This is not…"
Before I could finish my sentence, Col. Tavington sheathed his sabre and threw O'Hara's sabre into a corner of the fenced in area. Then he stalked towards the general, grabbed him by the throat and slammed his head hard against the fence.
"That is for the hell you put my wife through!" Hissed the colonel.
Col. Tavington pulled back and punched the general in the face. Blood spilled from the general's mouth. Tavington punched again, causing the general's nose to bleed. Then he lifted him off his feet by the collar so that their faces were only inches apart and spat in his face.
"Fortunately for you, I can't kill you in this duel, but even if I could, it wouldn't even begin to justify what you did to my unborn daughter!"
Col. Tavington threw O'Hara roughly face-first, into a pile of fresh horse manure. The crowd cheered loudly ad without further delay, I said, "The duel has ended! Victory belongs to Colonel William Tavington of the British Green Dragoons!"
Col. Tavington roughly picked O'Hara up, carefully avoiding getting feces on him, and said in a deadly voice, "Admit it O'Hara. Admit to this whole crowd that you killed my daughter!"
When the general didn't answer, Col. Tavington forcefully shoved him back down into the manure, causing him to cough and sputter, pulled him back out, and raged, "You insolent beast! Tell them now!"
"O'Hara, tell them now!" I yelled.
The general said nothing at first, but then began to speak when Col. Tavington took out his dagger and pressed it tot he back of his neck.
"Alright, alright! I killed the unborn child of Col. William Tavington and Lady Mary Tavington! I pushed Mary down the stairs on purpose, thus causing the loss of the child!" Cried O'Hara, his voice shaking as if he were about to cry.
Col. Tavington ground the general's face back down into the manure.
"Do not address my wife so informally; you are to address her as Lady Tavington, even if you are only speaking of her!
Col Tavington stood up, wiping the blood from his face. The crowd was deafening; everyone was cheering except Lady Tavington, who only wore a complacent look on her face.