"Lady Charlotte, you will be leaving to a different setting today. We'll get back to you very soon," Benjamin Martin told her.
She felt fear in her stomach. In the few days of her captivity, she didn't understand why she was there. The militia probably wanted only to scare Tavington by kidnapping her. She was confident, at least hopeful, she would come across british patrol on the road and she would plead with them to bring her back.
She was shown her way to the back of a wooden cart. Martin made her took her shoes off and gave them the man who would be driving them. She understood again that she could not run away barefoot in the forest yet again.
Three other people took place in the cart with her. She recognized the new bride, Gabriel's wife Anne. She guessed the couple with them was her parents. Anne talked with her mother the whole time. Charlotte didn't want to have anything to do with them, she sat backward in the back of the cart, her thoughts wandering as the fields passed and went. She never felt this dirty in her life; her dress was spotted with mud; her hair tied in a loose braid. Dark circles under her eyes appeared from the lack of sleep. She hugged her knees and tried to keep her spirit up, but she couldn't help a tear from falling from her eye.
She lost track of the time, but her rumbling belly let her know it was around lunch time. The cart slowed down and she heard someone came closer on a horse.
"Everyone is requested to church."
She spun around in a second and recognized Captain Wilkins. She opened her mouth, but she no word would leave her mouth. Wilkins locked his eyes on her; the first thing he saw was the dark bruise on her face. She haunted his dreams since the day he first saw her on the deck of that ship; he could not be mistaken. He dismounted his horse and came closer to her, helped her down the cart. He ordered the nearest private to fetch for the colonel. She held on to his arm, she felt so shaky she thought she would collapse. He saw her hand grasping his sleeve and he couldn't help but put his hand over hers, trying to reassuring her though his touch.
"Lily?" she heard the most familiar voice said.
She turned around and saw William walked toward her. Tears felt from her eyes as he took her into in strong grip; holding her tightly against his body. She heard his breathing in her ear, smelled his distinct odor. He loosened up his grip to look at her.
"What happen to you face? Did they hurt you? Tell me."
She was still in choc, she couldn't form a sentence.
"Wilkins, take 10 men with you and see that you escort my wife safely to the Fort. You shall leave in few minutes. I want her safe and sound."
"To be sure we'll travel safe, I propose we stay at the Pennington Tavern for the night, before we resume the rest of the travel to the fort. Hence you might join after you're done here."
"Good idea, Wilkins. Get set," Tavington ordered. "Lily, you'll travel with Wilkins and I'll meet you tonight," he said as he caressed tenderly the colored side of her face.
She nodded as she locked her eyes in his. He lowered his head and gave her a soft, delicate kiss on her lips. He squeezed her arms as a sign of support and mounted his horse. Wilkins came easily lifted her on his horse, he was the tallest man she ever met. He then mounted right behind her. His presence so close to her body felt somewhat wrong, but secure. She could breathe for the first time in the last days. She was still looking around, hoping she would not see any militia's men near them.