Colonel Tavington decided that he would put the conversation he had with Maria out of his mind.

She was just trying to make you feel guilty,his inner voice said.

"It's not going to work," he told himself. Anyone could pull the old 'You-killed-my-family' stunt on him, but he was too 'smart' to fall for it. How could it be his falt that Maria now has no family. It's like Tavington said, he never even shot off a pistol. It was two more days before his next raid, and he couldn't figure out what he should do until then. Maria had already been put to work in the gardens. He watched from where he was as she pulled weeds and threw them aside. A smirk crossed his face and he walked towards the garden. She was muttering a song under her breath.

"Working hard?" Tavington asked.

Maria's singing stopped," What-do you want?"

"I was merely taking a stroll and I noticed you over here," Tavington said.

"I've been here all day by your order," Maria said,"Have you already forgotten your own order?"

She got up with a bucket full of soil. She had just finished planting a whole row of rose bushes.It had taken her almost three hours to do.

"You've done a lovely job," Tavington said," especially making that dirt so smooth and even."

"Years of experience," Maria said stiffly.

"It looks good," Tavington said walking around the bushes.

Maria rolled her eyes. He was either sucking up, or he was going to do something very stupid.

"You know," Tavington said," I do hope that you and I will get along with each other sooner or later."

"Me, get along with you?" Maria asked," Not on your life."

Tavington stared at her with that same evil expression. He then kicked one of the bushes so hard that it came out of the ground.

"What are you doing!" Maria shouted. Tavington cotinued to dig up the rose bushes until the entire row Maria worked so hard to plant, were unplanted. When he was done he looked up and stared at Maria. Instead of looking upset, she was smiling.

"Wow," she said. She was now standing so that her breasts were against Tavingtons muscular front," You sure have some guts dont you?"

"What are you going to do about it," Tavington challenged.

There was silence between the two and then-

"BASTARD!"

Maria jumped on him. He fell over from the surprise and the sudden addition of weight on his body. Maria continied to punch and kick every inch of Tavington that wasn't blocked. A servant had run inside to find someone to stop them brawling.

"I worked all day on those bushes," Maria screeched. She picked up an handful a dirt and smothered his face with it.

Tavington was trying to grab her arms to stop her, but they were moving too fast.

"Stop this at once," said a voice somewhere above them.

Tavington saw a hand wrap around Maria's middle, and she was lifted right off him. No that she was off him, Tavington could see who had hold of her, and his insides froze. It was the Lord General Cornwallis.

"Stop," Cornwallis shouted.

Maria stopped struggling and looked at the Lord General.

"What on earth is going on," he asked as Tavington got to his feet.

"Sir," Maria said," Please. I have spent the whole day trying to plant those rose bushes. I'll never finish them if people like Colonel Tavington are around to kick them up."

Cornwallis looked at Tavington," Did you kick up those rose bushes?"

Tavington nodded slowly.

"Tavington that was very childish of you," Cornwallis said," Why did you do that?"

"She was asking for it sir," Tavington said," She is constantly insulting me. I lost my temper."

Cornwallis still had his arm around Maria's waist. She was still breathing as if she had just run two miles.

"I think you two had better follow me," Cornwallis said. He Took Maria by the wrist and led the two inside.