Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to The Patriot.

Sorry, this is not the Cowpens chapter. That will be next. This chapter grew so intractably long that I was forced to halve it. I'm enjoying my alternate timeline too much not to spend some time there.

Chapter 5: A Destined Wedding

"My dearest," Elizabeth had said to him, "we must put our trust in life."

Tavington had at last agreed with her. Their wedding had grown from a modest family ceremony into an enormous affair, with a sumptuous meal served at headquarters, under the benevolent sponsorship of the Lord General. The small church could not hold all of their well-wishers, some of whom waited outside to wish them joy. Tavington was happy to be in his commander's good books, but understood that the gesture was partly motivated by Cornwallis' aim to win over the locals. This was a golden opportunity to show British-Colonial amity.

Pattie Ferguson had smiled knowingly that morning, when he had come to collect Tavington and deliver him to the church. With a flourish, he paraphrased Shakespeare, "Here you may see Tavington the married man."

Happy enough to be in the same spirit, Tavington riposted, "When I said I would die a bachelor, I did not think I should live till I were married."

Now Pattie was amusing Elizabeth's elderly aunt, Miss Everleigh. Tavington could hear her raucous laugh carrying over the music accompanying the dancers. He took a moment to observe the scene. The Lord General was partnering Elizabeth, and they seemed to be engaged in pleasant conversation. Tavington had resigned himself to his commander's finery outshining every other man in the room, but as long as Tavington himself was the man who went home with Elizabeth, he could not begrudge Cornwallis his velvet and gold lace.

Elizabeth was well worth looking at herself, in the white satin gown that had cost all the women in the household many weary hours. The fragile petticoat, quilted in silver, made him think of clouds with the sun behind them. Her emerald wedding ring, her aunt's contribution, flashed richly on her hand. Tavington, full of the pride of possession, enjoyed the murmurs of admiration directed her way. Let other men admire all they liked: she was his, and would be so until death parted them.

Elizabeth's sister Amelia was dancing with Thomas Martin. This was not the first time he had seen them together. He would keep an eye on young Martin, and even more on Amelia, now that he had the rights and responsibilities of a brother. Martin was entirely too young to pursue a lady seriously. In Tavington's opinion, no officer under the rank of Captain had any business marrying. Amelia was full of silly romantic sensibilities, but Tavington would make certain she kept her behaviour within bounds.

He walked over the little group of wits. Miss Everleigh, being one to repeat her own clever sayings, was indeed twitting Patrick Ferguson about the poverty of Scotland.

"A fair place, perhaps, though one in which you cannot make a living, and must hire out your swords!"

"It's true, " Pattie answered, lightly. "We must travel abroad to seek our fortune. And in that, we are the luckiest of men."

The old lady gave him a smirk of disbelief, and Ferguson pulled his chair closer, and took her by the hand.

"It's a fine thing to live in a bonny rich land, where one need never fare far to live well. But we, bred among the rocks and lochs, must make our swords our passports to new worlds. While others lie fat and lazy, we march to the drumbeat of chance. Scotland is a wee sma' country, but you will not find a place in the wide world that has not Scotsmen in it. Whether the icy mountains of the North, or the jungles of Africa; whether in the armies of Russian princes or Chinese mandarins, you'll find a Scotsman there. And I'm lucky myself, to have taken up the sword; else I'd never made a friend of Will Tavington there, nor known the clammy touch of Death, nor the joyous sound of cavalry to the rescue, nor—" he smiled jauntily, kissing the old lady's hand, "the pleasure of conversation with the charming ladies of the Carolinas."

"Flirt!" exclaimed Miss Everleigh, thumping him lightly with her fan.

Thomas had heard Ferguson's words, and stood transfixed. The major had been speaking of himself and other Scots, and indeed the army was full of them; but his words might as well apply to all soldiers. Only in the army would he have had the opportunity to test all the limits of human experience. We make our swords our passports to new worlds…..

He had never been so grateful for the chance meeting that had brought him here. The brightly lit room, the softly glowing colours of the ladies' gowns, the bold scarlet of the men's uniforms-- everything seemed to him more than beautiful. He loved it here, and felt more and more a part of it.

Amelia Wilde caught his eye, and smiled at him. She was incredibly pretty, and he liked being with her. She was so different from a girl like Dinah Poole; but still she was a girl, and sometimes he had imagined what it would be like----

No, he told himself firmly, I'm not going to think about her that way. She's the Colonel's sister-in-law now, and I reckon he's going to be pretty particular about the men who court her. He liked Amelia, but there was a whole world for him to explore, and he didn't want to tie himself down yet. Plenty of time for a home and family later.

The moment he thought of "home" he felt a wave of painful nostalgia. It was almost Christmas, and he wondered what Father was doing. He had asked the Colonel for leave to visit his family, and to his surprise and joy, Tavington had granted it immediately, not even waiting to hear the reasons Thomas was prepared to give him. He had uttered a terse, "granted," and then had told Thomas he would be heading that way himself, taking his bride and her sisters back home. Thomas could ride part of the way with them, in fact. Thomas had walked away, floating on air. He would see his family, and they would see him, dressed in scarlet.

Tavington, too, had been struck by Pattie's words, but was soon too intent on more personal matters to heed the shafts of wit flying about. He and Elizabeth, with her sisters, would be setting out for Arcadia tomorrow. Cornwallis had granted him three weeks leave, and they would make the most of it. Elizabeth was desperate to go home; to go home to Arcadia, and to begin setting it to rights after the depredations of the rebels and her treacherous neighbors. Those last were either imprisoned in the hulks, fled westwards, or fighting in the remnants of the rebel militias far up in North Carolina. Elizabeth should be safe enough with the hired men and the servants to protect her and her sisters. He was looking forward to seeing the place again himself. It would be his home, too, and he could not wait to learn every bit of the land, anymore than he could wait to learn every bit of his new wife. He smiled with anticipation.

He took Amelia's hand for the next dance. She was as fresh and sweet as a rose in her lovely pink gown, and had attracted quite a following among the young officers. Though she was only fifteen, Tavington imagined she would not be unmarried long. Something of the sort had occurred to her, it seemed, for she broached the subject of Mr. Martin with little preamble.

"Could Mr. Martin not come with us to Arcadia, Colonel? He lives only forty miles away." Martin had requested Christmas leave, and Tavington had granted it: he would have felt a great hypocrite had he not.

Tavington spoke kindly but firmly. "I have already discussed this with the gentlemen, Amelia. Mr. Martin can ride with us part of the way. He will not be staying with us, though, but spending his Christmas leave with his family." He really did not want to encourage Amelia in her foolish fancies. The dance over, he returned her to her female relatives, noting a slight pout on the pretty face.

Amelia told them, her disappointment evident, "The Colonel says that Mr. Martin will not be visiting us at Arcadia for Christmas."

"Good," said Julia, nibbling her share of the wedding cake. "It will be just us-- just our family, with no strangers, and no silly boys." She sat back in her chair complacently, ignoring Amelia's disappointment. "It's going to be the best Christmas ever."

Tavington smiled, and looked over at Elizabeth, glowing with happiness. She had just finished a dance with her cousin, Captain Wilkins, who had given her away today. He was towering over her, beaming. Tavington decided it was past time to claim his wife for another dance, and made his way to her. Tonight he would take the soldier's reward he had always longed for: Elizabeth would be his, and with her would come a host of other joys—a family, a home. It was going to be the best Christmas ever.

Thomas, making plans for his visit home, was struck with another exciting thought. He had real money, for the first time in his life. He must get something pretty for Dinah, and leave her with enough money to keep her comfortable in his absence. He would visit the quartermaster today and buy presents for Father and the little ones—for everyone. It was going to be the best Christmas ever.

------

Young Martin was no bad companion, Tavington decided, for the time their roads lay together. At least he kept Amelia occupied and amused. She looked after the boy wistfully, when their paths at last diverged. He cantered off with a wave and a smile, obviously anticipating his reunion with his family.

Elizabeth and Julia, at least, were eager to see their old home again. He had been a little concerned for Elizabeth, wondering if the ride would be too much for her after last night. He had helped her mount her new mare, Tomyris, his wedding gift to her, and had whispered, "Are you quite all right?"

She had blushed and smiled, and whispered back tenderly, "I'm wonderfully well." They had enjoyed the ride, for the December weather was mild, and the thought of seeing their home made all difficulties trifling. When they finally found the familiar sunken road, bordered by red cedars, the girls were in a fever of excitement. The first sight of the white house and its pillared veranda wrung a wordless cry from Elizabeth, and she switched her new mare lightly, leaving her husband in the dust.

Not about to be outridden by a woman, even his own wife, Tavington caught up with her, and they galloped, side by side to the front steps. She smiled radiantly at him, her dark curls snapping around her face.

The hired groom had come out, hearing the hoofbeats. The other servants Tavington had hired collected to greet them.

Tavington helped each of his ladies down in turn, taking his time to hold Elizabeth close and let her slide slowly down his body. Their eyes met, and she kissed him right there and then, caring nothing for her sisters or the servants. The kiss lengthened and deepened, and finally two of the witnesses began to protest.

"Please!" objected Julia, hiding her eyes. "We're innocent little girls!"

"I'm not a little girl," Amelia contradicted, "but really---I mean---"

Tavington laughed, and gave Elizabeth a look that she understood, clearing telling her that this matter would be taken up later.

The servants were introduced. Some were former slaves of theirs or of the rebels, now freed. Tavington had made clear to Elizabeth that they would not be owning slaves, and she had acquiesced to what she must have considered an Englishman's eccentricity. The groom was left to care for the horses. The wagon with their baggage, trundling along more slowly, had just appeared around the bend in the road.

The girls were looking around, assessing the condition of the house and the outbuildings. The front of the veranda, especially, would need some paint come spring. The approach to the house , the grounds in front of the veranda, and the carriage sweep all looked rather weather-beaten and unkempt. The lawn was pitted, and dead weeds straggled untidily by the steps. Amelia and Julia were curious to see what their interloping neighbors had done to the inside of the house. After another quick glance about her, Elizabeth took Tavington by the hand, and led him into their home.

Phoebe, the housekeeper, and the maid Dolly began showing them the progress they had made, one room at a time. Elizabeth took a moment to discuss meal times with Phoebe, and the housekeeper pointed out some of the damage that most concerned her.

It could have been worse. The place had the look of having been lived in by a number of men who never removed their spurs. Clearly they would need more help restoring the house than just the cook-housekeeper and the single maid could manage, even though a number of rooms had been shut up for the time being.

Amelia was in the front parlour, and remarked, "They must have set their wineglasses on the pianoforte. Such Vandals." She pottered about, looking here and there, and tutting in tones not unlike her elder sister.

Julia ran upstairs. "I want to see my room again!"

"We'll need a carpenter out here to repair the woodwork, as soon as possible," Elizabeth said. "And then a plasterer and painter. It looks dreadfully shabby."

Tavington pulled her close. "It is our home, and it looks wonderful."

"Yes," she agreed, with tears and smiles. "Yes, it does."

A furious "Disgusting!" was heard from above, and Julia came racing downstairs, fuming. Her small face was red and wrathful and her hands clenched into fists.

"A man was sleeping in my room. A horrible man who chewed tobacco. There was a spittoon in my room, and the man spat tobacco juice in it, and sometimes he missed! It's horrible!"

Elizabeth and Tavington regarded her with carefully serious faces. "I'm sorry, darling, " said Elizabeth, "perhaps the floor can be sanded and bleached." She murmured some instructions to the servants and sent them off to prepare dinner.

Julia was unsatisfied, and continued venting her outrage. "And sometimes he hit the wall, and there are these dark brown streaks! I can't sleep in that horrid room! He ruined it! He---" Elizabeth interrupted the little girl's tirade by pulling her close and hugging her.

"We'll go upstairs and I'll see what can be done. I want to see my own room, too. " She looked back at Tavington. "When you were here in September, did you happen to notice—"

He gave her a naughty smile. "I did notice your room. I slept there, in fact, after we were done with the rebels, and it seemed all right." He patted Julia's head, and they all went upstairs together. "No one was chewing tobacco there."

"Men who chew tobacco should be hanged!"

"Oh, Julia," laughed Elizabeth. "Surely not all of them!"

"Men who chew tobacco and spit in my room should be," Julia insisted, stamping up the last few steps. She and Amelia went into Julia's sunny bedchamber, and exclaimed over the stained floor and walls.

Elizabeth's hand lightly brushed up Tavington's spine, riveting his complete attention. "You slept in my bed?" she murmured with a sideways glance.

He leaned down to whisper, "I did," softly in her ear, and caught the lobe lightly in his teeth, sucking luxuriously. Elizabeth managed only a strangled mew. He let go, to growl softly, "And I shall not be satisfied until I sleep there again."

-----

Thomas' heart was pounding as he saw Fresh Water in the distance, intact and prosperous, looking as if no war could ever touch it. There were small figures over by the barns, and they began running toward the house as they caught sight of him. Out of sheer high spirits, he took Piper over the paddock fence, first in, then out, and continued at the gallop to the front of the house.

A clear young voice, which he knew for Sam's, was calling, "Father! Father! There's a soldier coming!"

The gallant young officer returns to the bosom of his family---

Thomas had only a moment for the well-worn fantasy to cross his mind, when reality eclipsed it. Father had come out on the porch, and knew him at once. "Thomas!" His face was lit in welcome, and in a moment Thomas had tumbled out of Piper's saddle and into his father's embrace.

They were all there, crowding around him. Only Susan looked at him doubtfully, until he removed his helmet, and was once again the Thomas she knew. Abigail came from the kitchen, warm and smelling of spices, and hugged and cried over him. Margaret and Nathan patted him fondly. His two little brothers raised the cry, "Did you bring us presents?"

Thomas smiled. "You'll have to wait for Christmas!" His saddlebags were bursting with presents: a handsome inkstand for Father, clasp knives for the boys, silks for the girls, a soft scarlet shawl for Abigail. He could hardly wait to see their faces. Home had never seemed so wonderful. He turned to his father, and realised that either Father had grown smaller, or Thomas taller, for now he could see the top of Father's head.

Father put a firm hand on his shoulder. "Sam told me a soldier was coming. I see that he was right."

-----

Notes: Ferguson and Tavington quote from Much Ado About Nothing.

Readers of Et In Arcadia Ego may wonder why Tavington and his party did not have to camp overnight on the way back to Arcadia. In that story, the trip began in the afternoon, and required an overnight and four hours the next day. For the return trip, Tavington prudently got his party moving early in the morning, and they did not have a large body of civilians on foot accompanying them and so could move much faster.

The Christmas presents that I describe the Wilde girls and Tavington exchanging in Et Arcadia Ego were largely the same in this universe, but for Tavington's gift to Amelia. Rather than a pistol, he gave her a beautiful gold locket. When she opened it, it was empty. There was a place, as Tavington said rather teasingly, "for the picture of your one true love, whoever he may be." She liked it even better than the pistol

Sorry. I got rather carried away, but why write fanfic if you cannot take the time to enjoy it?

Tomyris was the warrior queen of Scythia. See Herodotus for what she did to the Persian King Cyrus. Ick. The mare was a red roan.

I absolutely promise that Cowpens is in the next chapter. It's already written, in fact, and I am now editing.

Thank you to my reviewers: pigeonsfromhell, SlytherinDragoon, Zubeneschamali, nomorebraces, Carolina Girl, LCWA, and Carmen Sandiego. It's very encouraging to know that someone out there is reading this.