Twenty-five minutes later, Jae and Jula had finished their meal.
"I guess we should ask someone where the lord general's office is." muttered Jula, wiping her mouth with a kerchief.
Jae sighed in exasperation.
"I guess so."
Sidling up to Col. Tavington, who was leaving the banquet hall, Jae asked, "Please sir, will you direct my sister and I to Lord Cornwallis' office?"
"Well, I suppose so." Col. Tavington drawled.
Jae rolled her eyes.
"Not now. I'm not in the mood, and I don't have the time. Just give me the damn directions."
Col. Tavington quirked an eyebrow, an amused smile creeping up the corners of his mouth.
"Well you're a fiery one. Alright, his office is just outside the banquet hall, down the hall next to the main set of stairs; it's the first room on your right."
"Thanks." Jae replied shortly, and was about to go back to her sister when the colonel grabbed her arm, holding it in a vicegrip.
"Just a warning to you, Miss Barrington; I might find your.. attitude amusing at the moment, but you had better watch your tongue, or believe me, you will receive some serious consequences from not only me, but other officers as well."
"What about Lady Tavington?" Jae asked.
"What about her?" replied Col. Tavinton with an edge of sarcasm.
"Well, she seems pretty strong willed. How come she gets away with it?"
"Mary is my wife; not to mention, she's your superior; she can fend for herself, and, if need be, she'll use a pistol to do it. Anyway, everyone here knows that if they're going to say anything offensive to or about her, they'll have me to deal with. You, on the other hand, aren't so lucky."
"Well thanks for pointing that out." Jae replied edgily. "We'll just be going then."
"Very well then.."
Jae walked back over to her sister, grabbed her by the arm, and pulled her out of the banquet hall to Cornwallis' office and knocked on the door.
"Come in." a voice called from the other side.
Upon entering Cornwallis' office, Jae and Jula took careful note that everything in this room was perfectly in its place.
God, what is up with all these perfectionists! Stupid army!
"Take a seat, ladies." said Cornwallis gesturing to a couple of chairs across from a large desk he was sitting at.
"Thank you, sir." Jula replied.
"So, let us begin. Apparently, yesterday night when you two arrived here, you were, as Col. Tavington put it, "scandalously clad" in what he remarked as being very odd, provocative clothing; yet it looked like nothing he had ever seen before. He mentioned trousers, but they were of a foreign material, as well as shirts, but their design, like the trousers, was also foreign."
"And..."
"Well, I guess what I'm trying to say here is where are you two from? And where do your loyalties lie?"
"Milord, with all due respect, it would be very difficult to explain to you where we came from, maybe less difficult seeing as you obviously have noticed differences between the people of your society and us, noted in the way we were clothed yesterday; but it would still be difficult just the same. Yet, we do have loyalty to you and your men, and I hope that will suffice enough for us to stay, at least until we can find a way home." replied Jae politely.
"You don't know the way home?" Cornwallis asked.
"No, milord, we don't, it's rather complicated; in fact, this whole situation is complicated, and we would be better off just not explaining it to you but allowing you to find out bit by bit." said Jula.
"Oh? And how, do you suppose, we will find out?"
"We're really not quite sure." Jae admitted. "However, if things go the way we want them to, you should be finding out some things about us very soon."
"So please, try not to be offended by our lack of answers at the moment, you'll get them, we promise." added Jula.
"Alright, very well. You two look trusting enough. However, during your stay, you are not permitted to leave the grounds, is that clear?"
"Yes sir." Jae and Jula replied in unison.
"Also, being as they already know you at least a little bit, I am placing you in the care of Col. Tavington and his wife, Mary. You will follow all of their wishes; if not, they have the authority to discipline you in whatever way they see fit."
Great...boot camp... Jae thought to herself.
The lady is fine...but why him? thought Jula bitterly, but replied, "As you wish."
"Yes, as you wish." added Jae. "After all, my sister and I are guests here."
"And as such, it is necessary that we find you two some suitable quarters to stay in." replied Cornwallis. "In the meantime however, this meeting is over, and you are free to go."
"Thank you sir."
Stepping out of the office, Jae and Jula walked briskly up the main set of stairs, talking animatedly when suddenly, Jae ran into something solid.
"Oh, so you're the new arrivals." a snotty voice from above drawled.
Great... O'Hara...