Chapter Sixteen: An Unexpected Visitor
Several weeks passed after the colonel and I began courting. Every spare minute that either of us had, we were together. When William, as I finally became used to calling him, wasn't out on raids or training new recruits, he would come and find me, wherever I was on the estate.
When I wasn't able to be with William, I spent my days with Abigail, who had become bedridden during these last weeks of her pregnancy. Sometimes I read to her, but most of the time we talked. It had been decided that because I was a woman, and because I had some experience, I would be delivering Abigail's baby. I had assisted a great deal when my youngest sister was born, but that had been over two years ago, and so I was feeling quite nervous at the prospect of helping Abigail to have her baby. However, she hadn't left me very much choice in the matter. Having taken a great disliking to Dr. Stanton, she told me that she "would rather have this baby with no medical assistance whatsoever than have that nasty old man's hands on me or my child." So, with some reluctance, I had agreed, and, with much coaxing on both my and Abigail's husband Peter's parts, we had convinced her to allow Dr. Stanton to be on hand, just in case something happened that I could not handle on my own.
On one such day, when William was out in the fields, training the new soldiers, Abigail and I sat in her room, discussing what she was going to do after having the baby.
"Peter and I have been talking, you know," she told me. "And since Peter is a free man, not a captive like myself, we think we may move away somewhere and start a small homestead or our own, to raise our family."
I sighed. I knew it was inevitable that Abigail would want to move on and leave her life at the mansion behind her, but I had hoped that it would not happen so soon. I had the colonel now, but I knew I could always count on Abigail.
"You don't have to look so sad about it," Abigail told me. "We won't be far away. And now that you have a colonel courting you, I'm sure you'll be able to come and visit us."
"I know," I said, sighing again.
"Sometimes I wonder how you have any breath left in you to speak, with all that sighing you do," Abigail told me, cracking a smile.
"I'm sorry," I said, forcing myself not to let out yet another sigh. "I just don't want you to leave."
"Well, it was just something that Peter and I had talked about. We're not entirely sure what we're doing. And no matter where we go, we'll need some source of income, so it may be in our best interests to stay here, where he's getting paid to cook."
I nodded. Abigail always knew what to say to make me feel better. I think that was what made her such a wonderful friend.
"Anyway, I got side tracked," Abigail continued. "What I wanted to say was that after the baby is born, we are going to have it christened, naturally. And, well, we were wondering if you would like to be the baby's godmother?"
I stared at her, in shock. I had not imagined that Abigail would ever have wanted me to be her baby's godmother. "Of course," I answered, not needing to think about it. I knew that there was no way I could ever say no to something like that.
Abigail smiled. "I'm glad. You have no idea what this means to us."
"You have no idea what it means to me," I countered. "You've been an angel from God since I came here, Abigail. I would do anything for you."
"Well, that's silly," Abigail teased. "I wouldn't expect you to do anything."
I smiled at her little joke. We talked a while longer, leaving the aspect of Abigail and Peter and the baby moving away out of our conversation. She understood that it wasn't something I wanted to discuss just yet. After a while, Abigail grew tired and politely asked me to leave so that she could get some rest.
I left her room quietly, but I did not return to my own quarters. There was nothing for me to do there. It was a fair day outside, regardless of the cold air. I had lost track of the months since my capture, but my best guess would be that it was November, at least. I decided to go outside, and walk through the fields that I had come to know quite well. I went out the back door, remembering happily as I walked into the sunlight, that day when William had first asked me to court him. Much had changed since then. I believed that it was possible that I loved him, but I wasn't sure. All I knew was that I had never felt so strongly for anyone in my life.
I walked through the fields, along the tree line. I was not permitted to venture into the woods, where I would be out of sight of the soldiers, because some still believed that I would try to escape. As much as I longed for freedom, I felt myself longing for Colonel Tavington more. I had no reason to try to leave now.
As I walked along, I heard a rustling in the trees beside me. I turned and peered into the woods, sure that something was moving in them.
"Pssssst!" someone whispered from behind the dense vegetation.
Now I knew that someone was there.
"Who is it?" I whispered. I looked around to make sure that no one was watching me. They weren't, but just in case, I did not venture into the woods. Instead, I smoothed my skirt and sat down on the ground next to the trees. It was the most least conspicuous way I could think of to talk to whoever was there.
"Charlotte?" came a shocked voice.
I peered into the trees. Whoever was there, they knew me. And then I saw them. My voice caught in my throat as I took in a sharp breath. There, staring back at me was my brother Nathan.
"Nathan?" I said, even though I knew it was him. "How-what-"
"Shhhhh," said my brother. "I've come to rescue you." He grinned, obviously pleased with himself.
"But they told me you deserted!" I could not believe this was happening. What was I going to do?
"Yes I know," he answered me. Beaming, he continued, "That was my idea, you know. We didn't want the damned British to expect me coming, so we allowed them, and obviously you, to believe that I had deserted. I'm so sorry I had to keep you waiting here like that, but I had to wait until I knew I had a chance of saving you." He looked at me, his large green eyes filled with both sympathy and joy at seeing me.
My mind raced as I tried to think what to do. I couldn't tell my brother that I wasn't leaving because I was in love with the same colonel that had killed so many of my brother's comrades.
"Hurry, Charlotte," Nathan urged. "This is our chance!"
"Wait," I said. I looked behind my brother. There were a few other men with him, all casting me impatient looks. They wanted to leave, and that was understandable.
"What is it?" asked Nathan.
"Um," I said, trying to make up the quickest lie I could. That's when it struck me. "I've sort of, um, established myself here within these past couple months," I told him.
"And?" asked Nathan, raising an eyebrow to reflect his interest.
"And…" my mind was racing almost as quickly as my pounding heart. "Perhaps I would be of more use to the Patriot cause here," I finally said. "I mean, a lot of the people here have come to trust me. Perhaps I could, um, gather information or something? A lot of important officers are here almost all of the time."
Nathan nodded, and I could tell that he was thinking hard about this. "I don't know, Charlotte. This doesn't seem like a job I want my younger sister doing."
"Please, Nathan," I said. "I've weathered the last two months here, surely I can stay a little longer. Then, once I've uncovered something useful, I'll be able to leave."
One of the men behind Nathan said, "She has a point. This could be a good plan."
"As long as she isn't caught," chimed in another soldier.
Nathan nodded, and finally met my eyes once more. "Very well, Charlotte. You try and gather whatever you can. I'll come back personally in a month. I'll meet you right here! If you haven't found anything by then, I'm getting you out of here."
I nodded, feeling nauseous. "Goodbye, Nathan," I said, watching he and his men scurrying away through the woods.
I stood and made my way back to the mansion. I felt as though I was walking through water. My stomach was churning after my encounter with my brother. I finally made it to the back door, but a group of young soldiers, obviously recruits, were walking in. At the end of the line, barking orders and insults at some of the less productive men, was William.
He saw me and came over.
"Are you alright?" he asked me, a worried expression coming over his tanned face.
"Um, yes, of course," I lied. "I'm just not feeling very well." This, on the other hand, was really not a lie. My heart was racing and my stomach felt queasy, and I thought I was going to cry.
William nodded. "Perhaps you'd best go and get some rest."
I felt my eyes tearing up, and I knew that I was not going to be able to maintain my cool composure. Seeing a break in the line of soldiers moving into the mansion, I said quickly, "Yes, that's probably a good idea," and hurried into the mansion, without another word to William.
I walked as quickly as I could make my legs go until I reached my room. I shut the door behind me and locked it. What was I going to do?
I thought about it and I knew what I was going to do. I was not going to have any information for my brother in one month's time, because I was not going to be looking for it. And then?
I had to make a decision. Which was I more loyal to: my brother and the Patriot cause, or Colonel Tavington, the man that I had grown to love?
