The Surf Between the Waves:

Chapter 7

AN: Thank you for all your kind reviews, I am glad to see that you enjoy the story. And as promised her is the next chapter!

A few less than warm weeks had past since I was brought to the fort. I was made, yet again, a humble servant who made beds, washed linens, cooked dinner, and did the dishes. I was but one in a crowd of fifty or so who served the Lord General on a daily basis. And, as with my good fortune, I was lucky enough not to run into the brutal Colonel Tavington. Though my luck was draining fast for the Christmas holiday was approaching and Cornwallis was planning a banquet for the high-ranking officials. I, of course, was chosen to serve the food for this lavish occasion.

"Madame Boudreaux," she was the only French woman I had ever met. She apparently was the daughter of a French Officer who was killed in the French and Indian war and Cornwallis took her in. "Are the bed linens finished yet?"

"Non, zee bed linens are still drying, could you cut some spruce or pine to place in zee bedrooms? That would make zem smell magnifique." She explained to me that when she was first taken in, Cornwallis had insisted that she learn proper English, and though it is not perfect she has been doing very well. She had even begun to teach me some French.

"Yes, madame." I gave a slight curtsey before backing out of the guest room and into the hallway. I turned swiftly knocking straight into something solid. I surged backwards and would have landed harshly onto the wood flooring had an arm not snatched me around the waist. My eyes were clenched shut with fear that I had run into Cornwallis himself, and only after I opened my eyes did my fear sear into horror. The palms of my hands were pressed against his chest to steady myself as I starred at the vibrant red and green jacket that mocked every stitch of my being.

I knocked right into the only man on this earth I had been trying to avoid. As my gaze lifted to stare him in the eyes I believe I trembled. His stare was as cold as that day had been and it froze my insides to look at him. I could feel the pressure of his hand at my back, the warmth of his breath on my face, and I wanted nothing more than to die. Madame Boudreaux, bless her heart, had entered the hallway to see what had happened. "What is going on out here, Colonel Tavington? Christiana?"

I bit my lip hard and shoved myself from his body, not looking back as I took off down the hallway. He stood there all the while gazing after me. There were no words between us, no bickering of freedom, no spats of order or respect, just the calming silence, and that was what had scared me the most.

I wondered outside to bring in the wash and to cut bits of pine, but to also catch my breath and release my tension. I wasn't even going to begin to analyze what had just happened. It was left up to God, and only he knew what it had meant. As I reached a cluster of pine trees I pulled a small dagger from my apron to cut the branches. Some pieces were longer than others but I found that that made for an interesting bouquet.

By the time I had finished, my fingers were coated with sap and the sun was about to set. I bundled all of the branches into my apron and carried them across the lawn. I stopped about halfway gazing out over the fort, I could see the British regulars training with their commanding officers, the Green Dragoons easing their magnificent horses into their appropriate stalls, and a few servants bringing in the wash that was left on the clothes line. But what I didn't see was the Colonel and General O'Hara leaving out of the front of the palace and glancing over at me.

I turned from their line of vision and marched p to the kitchen doors, ignoring the overwhelming feeling I had to throw pine branches at them. As I entered, Boudreaux greeted me with a glare and instructed me to leave the pine on the counter. "We need to talk."

I followed her out of the kitchen and into a vacant office just down the hall. It was decorated heavily with books and fabulous weapons that a skilled soldier might hope to one-day use. She told me to have a seat in a leather bound chair as she began to circle, watching me closely. I pulled my hair free from my bun allowing it to fall over my shoulders and back. "Now, as zee head instructor of all of zee servants within this palace I must be informed of everything that that servant does, for it reflects upon me."

"Christiana, you are young and very much naïve." At this remark I gave a stern look up at her. She had stopped her circling and was now standing directly in front of me. "I understand zis, but falling into zee liking of Colonel Tavington is not suitable for a girl, such as yourself."

My jaw had dropped, how on earth could she have thought such a horrid thing? "What the bloody hell are you talking about? I have never even come close to being in his liking! I despise that man!"

"But I saw you, not three hours ago, in his arms! That was scandalous, never should a man clench tight of a woman in zat way! You should be ashamed of yourself, Christiana!" She barked out in one long fit of anger.

"I would never willingly allow him to touch me in that manner! I had stumbled backwards and he caught me before I fell, that was all! And even that was too much for me to be exposed to! I would have rather fallen!"

"Zen why is it when I came out he was still holding you? I saw no disagreement from you. You simply stood zere in silence, no objection. What was I to think?" Her voice was somewhat calmer now, which made it all the worse on me. She had a valid point, why hadn't I moved?

I wanted to move, but I hadn't. Something had kept me there, gazing into his eyes and it disgusted me. "I will say it once and only once, I loathe that man with all of my being. Never would I bring myself to care for such a revolting creature as Colonel Tavington." With this stated I stood and marched out of the room.

I lay awake in my bed that night turning thoughts over in my head on why I stayed standing in front of him. Was it out of fear, anger, or loneliness? Was I that alone that I would accept company from an enemy? This is stupid! I fell, that is all! My feet slammed against the frigid floor before I made my way towards the window. It was dark but a clear night. I could just make out Orrin's belt and the seven sisters.

Just then there was a bang on the door. I walked all but the three feet from my bed to my door to open it. There stood a sobbing Madame Boudreaux, her chubby hands clenched tightly around a handkerchief. "What's the matter?" I pulled her into my room and sat her down on the bed.

"It's Heather, she's gone." I grabbed an oil lamp as she continued to cry, tears running down her cheeks and onto her nightgown.

"What do you mean 'gone'?" I kneeled next to her, placing the oil lamp on the night stand. "She couldn't have just disappeared."

"I don't know where she is, I just woke up and she wasn't zere. Please, help me find her Christiana." She grabbed a hold of my fingers, pleading with me. Heather was her adopted daughter, one of the servant girls, back when Cornwallis was in England, gave birth to a child. The mother died and Madame Boudreaux took her as her own. Heather is all but four years old and has a nasty habit of wondering off.

"Have you spoken to Lord Cornwallis?" I pulled out my own handkerchief and handed it to her, since hers was drenched.

"Yes, he sent some of zee Dragoons to look for her, but I don't want zem touching my baby. She's pure, Christiana, like you, and they are vicious dogs. Please find her."

"How, I am not allowed on the premisses at dark? I have no way of finding her." Her eyes bulged at me, begging me to consent. What was I to do? I couldn't let the child freeze to death, and she was right about the Dragoons, they are dogs. I released a sigh and stood, dressing in the servant gown I had wore that day.

"I'll do my best, but I make no promises. And if I am caught and put in trouble, you swear you'll vouch for me?" I wrapped my cape taunt around my body.

"I swear, oh zank you, Christiana. You are a saint!" I bound out the door racing down the hallway.

There were voices coming up the main stairwell so I hid in a room pressed against a wall until they had past. "Heather? Heather are you in here?" I whispered in the dark rooms as I past down the hallway. But there was no sign of her within the building, which meant I had to sneak outside and face the dragoons.

I covered my head with my hood and slid out the kitchen doors closing them silently to keep from arousing any attention. What in God's good name are you doing Ivie? This is not your problem; let the old woman deal with it! Ah, but the child, I cannot leave her to those filthy creatures. I decided that my best chance of finding her within the grounds would be to survey the area whilst on a horse. I could cover the estate in half the time, granted I would become an easier target. But what is life without risk?

My feet carried me to the entrance way to the stables where I removed my hood and walked down the isle. I choose the calmest looking horse that I could find, a white mare with gray spots around her back end. Her name plate on her stall read: Glory. "Hello Glory, I know it's late and I have no right to ask anything of you. But if you should consent with my offer I promise three carrots and an apple to you. So how about letting me have a ride?"

The horse's head pressed against my face in agreement and so I opened the stall unleashing my fate. I climbed on the horse, bareback, for I had not the time to properly suit her. We rode out of the stable heading away from the camp and towards the gardens. It was the place Heather most liked to venture and so it was my starting mark.

I tried my best to stay upright on the horse but the fabric of my dress was not cooperating with me. As we entered the garden I slowed my pace keeping an eye out for any sign of movement, a flicker of light or even a shadow of some sort. I rode by a large ceramic fountain that depicted cupid and his most affectionate kiss placed upon a bare woman. Then there was a rose trellis, as bare as the woman on the fountain.

I heard the pounding of hooves on solid ground and thought it best if I kept moving through the maze of hedges. I came to a halt at a short hedge that ended my path, and through it I could see the tiny body of a young girl lying flat on her back, her face to the sky. At that moment my heart fell from my body and I had not a care in the world for the two Dragoons on the other side of the hedge riding toward her. I had but one though in my mind, I must get to her.

My horse backed down the pathway as far as it could go before bounding off down it once more, at full gallop, and over the small hedge. We landed just in front of the two dragoons stopping them dead in their tracks and nearly causing them to fall off. I pulled on the horse's main, halting her and jumping from her back. "Heather! No, please! Oh God, no!"

I ran to her side lifting her frozen corpse on to my lap and hugging her tightly. Her cold, clammy flesh rested against mine, and in a last attempt to wake her I shook her. Her eyes were shut and her face as pale as the moon. How could this be, a child so rambunctious and full of life now a motionless carcass in my arms. Tears ran from my eyes and patted against her lifeless body.

The two Dragoons climbed from their horses, once they had steadied them from the fright, and walked over to me. I was numb with pain; I couldn't believe my very eyes. She had died, I did not know her well, but I didn't need to. She was just a child. How cruel this world was. "Ma'am, let us take the child."

My eyes fluttered up to them, the one man who was close to me reached out his hand to take hold of Heather. I must've screamed or swatted at him for he backed off. I then removed my cape and wrapped her miniature body in it before mounting my horse and carrying her back to the palace with me. I exited the maze, the two Dragoons following me, and all I thought about was Madame Boudreaux and how devastated she would be.

I entered the palace through the front entrance, the girl in my arms. My eyes had swollen and I felt no more alive than Heather did in my grasp. Cornwallis was descending the gallant stairs, Colonel Tavington and General O'Hara just behind him. "Miss Ruther, bring her into this office, would you?" He gestured to the room on my left and I followed his lead, and sat the child down on the couch in front of Madame Boudreaux. Her wale shocked me out of my stiff stance. "You are relieved of your duty Miss Ruther, I will take it from here."

I was escorted out of the room and once the doors had shut I collapsed onto the floor, my grief overthrowing my sanity. From the stairs I could hear Tavington talking with O'Hara and could vaguely make out what they were saying to each other.

"I suppose that little brat won't be going on any more midnight runs now." Tavington's crude humor hummed within my mind.

"Have you no decency, Colonel?" Roared O'Hara his eyes slicing Tavington in two. O'Hara descended the stairs now, walking over to my shaken figure and helping me up. I forced one helpless glare at Tavington before watching him venture back up the stairs.

AN: I hope this chapter fulfilled your thirst for good ol' Tavy, there'll be more of him to come in further chapters. I'll update asap… thanks! Ta!