After a short gallop ride and a few minutes later they arrived at the fort. It was not far from the camp where the rest of the soldiers were. When the guards saw them, they opened the gate and let them in. Tavington and Bordon trampled their horses towards the stables, descended and handed them over to the soldiers. They took off their helmets and went into the big main building which was built in the middle of the fort. General Cornwallis would be waiting for them there. They walked down a corridor and were killed by pomp and splendour. There were also here some gentlemen who did not want to do without their amenities. War or not. But to choose expensive carpets for a war fort as a furnishing was one such thing that William only acknowledged with one eye rolling. They arrived at a massive wooden door. This double door was already half open and they were received by the Lord's adjutant. He accepted their helmets and kindly offered them into the room. Both officers entered one by one and saw Cornwallis and O'Hara standing at a large table with a card spread out. They talked. Tavington and Bordon looked at each other and made good mines. Because they both didn't really want to be here at all. The Colonel cleared his throat and the next moment the Generals turned their eyes to the two officers.

"Colonel Tavington, Captain Bordon! It's nice to finally have you here." Cornwallis walked up to the Colonel and as he stood right in front of him, Bordon immediately took up position. Tavington didn't. The Captain did not pull a mine and William smiled slightly. "I see you both seem better!" Tavington just raised his eyebrow questioningly. "General O'Hara told me about an incident this morning. The officers seemed to lack posture." Now William and James looked directly at the General and William's gaze went on to O'Hara. He returned the Colonel's gaze with a hemic grin. That damn bastard, William thought. "My lord, I don't quite understand," Tavington replied. "Colonel Tavington, I don't need to tell you how to behave towards other officers. Especially those above you in rank!" Cornwallis looked at him insistently and held his head slightly slanting. "Did we understand each other Colonel?" The looks of the men met. "Yes, my Lord." Cornwallis nodded his head contentedly. "Wonderful, and if that's settled now, we can move on to the actual part." Finally Tavington also took a stance and pulled the air sharply into his lungs in order to let it slowly escape again. Cornwallis went to his desk and asked the gentlemen to follow him. "Gentlemen," said the General, searching at the same time his records and documents in front of him. Bordon and Tavington did not move from where they were standing. The Colonel allowed another look in the direction of O'Hara. He still showed his disgusting grin. One could even read a certain satisfaction from his face. Tavington only slightly pulled up his left eyebrow and turned his mouth to an arrogant smile. "Here it is," and Cornwallis held a letter in his hand. "Gentlemen and if I may ask." He hinted at the men and politely asked them to come closer. While O'Hara stepped right next to Cornwallis, the Colonel and Captain remained on the opposite side of the desk, eagerly waiting for the things to come. In William the restlessness rose and he wanted to leave this room as soon as possible. Only Bordon seemed to carry it all with composure. "I had the last few weeks a distinct and pleasant correspondence with a family living here in South Carolina. A very well-off family with their roots in England". While Cornwallis told this and read it from a letter, William and James looked at each other only briefly and Tavington twisted his eyes just bored. "We would be very pleased to welcome you to our estate, General Lord Cornwallis. Respectfully Stuart Lehman." If the Colonel had wanted and been able, he would have let go a sigh. Another aristocrat's family and how I love it. The thoughts spin their own image in his head. But why did the General tell all this? What was the point of sharing this information with him and the Captain?

"A really lovely family," O'Hara said, arrogantly raising his head. This was enough for Tavington to freeze all his facial features. With a slight sideways glance from Cornwallis, he immediately recognized the reactions of the two men and skillfully tried to counteract. "Yes, a very charming family. Extremely generous and with the best contacts". With this sentence the General looked directly at the Colonel. But the Colonel only raised his left eyebrow questioningly. "My Lord," Tavington replied. "That's why I discussed with General O'Hara in advance that it would be best if you would accompany us." William only looked at him questioningly and before he could give an answer to the sentence, he continued: "I just want to make sure that nothing happens to us on the way to the Lehmans. Be it through the colonials or militias. It is good to know to have you at my side, Colonel Tavington!" What should he do? Accompany him and the General? Why? Wouldn't it be better to choose a low ranked officer for this task? A Captain or Lieutenant perhaps? But not a Colonel! He really had better things to do than play the watchdog. Especially when the General was nearby. Because then the trouble was inevitable.

"With all due respect, my Lord. But don't you think someone else could do the job?" Tavington's gaze wandered back and forth between O'Hara and Cornwallis. The Lord noted this and looked briefly at the General. "My Lord, I also think this task is perfect for our Colonel." O'Hara's words and his arrogant grin felt like a slap in the face to William. "I agree with General Cornwallis," he said, turning his head towards the two officers and looking at them with a penetrating look. It's an order! Did we understand each other there?! "On this occasion, the Colonel can also show what a true gentleman he is." O'Hara did not omit his grin when he threw this sentence at Tavington's head and followed immediately. "It would be too bad to waste your potential Colonel. After all, the people only know you by the name of The Butcher!" The Colonel had a lot of trouble holding on to himself in this last spoken sentence. Painfully biting his teeth together and the left hand behind his back, he clenched to a fist. "I'm sure the Colonel knows how to behave toward such a family." Cornwallis sent Tavington a look that said everything. But William was annoyed by O'Hara's remarks. "I think you're overestimating yourself, General." "Do you mean Colonel?" Both men looked at each other with an ice-cold look. "You General O'Hara, I would love to see you on the battlefield. In the face of the enemy." "You might like that! "It would be very interesting to see if you can let your words speak for themselves!" "You Colonel should have noticed how I gloriously defeated the enemy. At that time in the fight for the city of Pittsburgh." O'Hara pulled up the corners of his mouth and made him smile so arrogantly. "Of course, General, and I would add that this was your first and last accomplishment in this war." "How dare you Colonel Tavington?" "Just the truth, General." Now it was William who grinned arrogantly and made the General look pale in the face. O'Hara looked as if he had been pushed to the head. But that didn't last long and he countered so immediately with a sentence that Tavington should hit directly. "It's really a shame Colonel that you're so the opposite of your highly acclaimed father! A man like you, Tavington, who comes from such a prestigious family, should know exactly what the priorities are! William's facial features petrified and now it was he who turned pale and let his gaze wander into emptiness. O'Hara knew exactly how to meet Tavington. He beat him with his own weapons. The words did not miss their effect. In the military leadership everyone knew about the Tavington family. William's father, General Tavington was a respected man and the complete opposite of his son. So it was not surprising that William tried to step out of the great shadow of his father at any time. What he did sometimes more or less well. "With all due respect, General, but leave my father out of this." "Why Colonel? Are you uncomfortable being confronted with the truth?" The point was reached where William finally reached. He pulled his eyebrows together and his otherwise so bright blue eyes turned dark. Now it was up to Cornwallis to defuse the situation.

"General O'Hara, Colonel Tavington. I would ask you both to continue this discussion at an appropriate time." "My Lord, it is a real pity to end this conversation. Just when it got so interesting. Right, Colonel Tavington?" He said nothing about it and just looked at the Lord silently. "Enough now! Let's get down to business." Cornwallis was getting tired of making these eternal speeches. But he had to do it. Also because of his own nerves. He did not always agree with Tavington and his actions, which he gave him more than clear to understand. Sometimes it was so that the words arrived and were understood. But on some days, they missed their effect completely. Yet Cornwallis held on to Tavington. Perhaps in the belief that at some point William would find the solution to his real problem on his own. But until then it seemed to be a long and rocky road. Until then the Lord Tavington tried again and again to steer into the right path.

"We will leave tomorrow morning and will not need long to arrive at the Lehmans. I would ask you Colonel to select some of your Dragoons to accompany us. There don't have to be many. Half a dozen should be enough. Furthermore, I have instructed Major Howard to leave some of his men to us. This should be enough for us as protection and defense if we are attacked." "My Lord, I don't think a dozen men are enough for your protection." "Colonel Tavington, wasn't it you who recently took it up against 20 militias alone?" Cornwallis did not want to hear any objections and immediately took the wind out of the sails of the Colonel. For he had already opened his mouth in one movement. "Enough now. Here is your order Colonel Tavington. Choose a few men and be ready to march on time tomorrow morning. Have we understood each other Colonel?" "Understood my Lord!" "Colonel Tavington and if you have any more questions, I would ask you to leave. The General and I still have some preparations to make regarding tomorrow." Cornwallis wanted to turn away and dedicate himself to the General when Captain Bordon whispered something to the Colonel. Tavington nodded his head in agreement and a grin appeared on James's face. "There was one more thing, my Lord," William said. "I hear Colonel." William now had Cornwallis full attention. "If we don't have active duty tomorrow, the possibility would be..." Cornwallis interrupted him and he wasn't really surprised by the Colonel's concern. "You are in the service of, Tavington. Today, tomorrow and the next days. You and your men!" "But my Lord. I..." "Enough now and Tavington, I don't want to have to tell you again." The grey eyes of Cornwallis looked curiously into the faces of the officers. "My Lord, I suppose the Colonel was thinking of the possibility of getting off duty tonight. Am I not right, Colonel Tavington?"

O'Hara, of course, had to pour oil into the fire again. As it has always been his way. Cornwallis nodded his head. "Off-duty," he repeated. There was a silence and even before Tavington or Bordon could say a sentence, it was O'Hara who used this moment in his favour to dissuade the Lord from this idea. "If I may add this, my Lord. The Colonel and his men had already been off duty yesterday and allow me to mention that you look quite attacked Colonel Tavington." O'Hara now played all the cards. Also to know that he still had an ace up his sleeve. He turned to Cornwallis and captured his reaction. "Where the General is right," said the Lord. "Your request is denied Colonel." The face of O'Hara showed an arrogant smile full of satisfaction. This was what Tavington would have liked to have beaten off his face. The grin Bordon had just had vanished just as quickly as the good mood in the room. "My Lord," William replied. "That would be all, gentlemen. See to Colonel Tavington that you and your men come to rest. Maybe get some more sleep that night. Did we understand each other there Colonel?" Tavington, contrite, agreed with him. There was no other option for him either. As they were about to leave, O'Hara Cornwallis whispered something. He called both officers back.

„One more thing, gentlemen. Pack your things, please." Tavington and Bordon looked at each other speechless and William raised his left eyebrow. "My Lord?" "It would be quite possible during our absence for the front line to shift and we want to be prepared for anything." Tavington just nodded, turned around on his heel and hurriedly left the room. With momentum he opened the door that the adjutant actually wanted to open for him, ran past him grumbling, pulled the helmet out of his hand and walked with big steps through the corridor towards the large and bright reception hall. Bordon was behind him the whole time. While he was still running, he put on his helmet. "What does this man think he is?" William scolded. "Who? Cornwallis?" James asked and William just twisted his eyes and suddenly stopped and turned to him. "O'Hara!" He said out loud and that one name made his pulse shoot up. "I promise James I'll figure out how to get rid of this General!" His eyes got a strange sparkle. "William and with all due respect. Your leadership qualities in all honors. But please reconsider. I don't want a new commander over the Dragoons." James was always the rock in the surf. As so often he brought William back to the ground of facts. He was exactly the opposite of the Colonel. If he was the spring breeze, William was the storm. Both knew each other since their training in the military academy. They complemented each other wonderfully. Sometimes one glance, one gesture, was enough to make the others understand where the boundaries were. When they were among themselves, they called each other by their first names. When they were together with soldiers and officers, they invoked their rank. William looked at James and a light smile scurried over his lips. "James, as always you have the talent to highlight that positive from the most difficult situations." Tavington folded the sheet with the command and stuck it into his uniform jacket. "That's why I'm your Captain, too. Your right hand and above all your friend William." Tavington nodded contentedly and grabbed James' right shoulder. "I will soon have to propose you for promotion to a Major!" "Thank you, but no. I'm very happy in the current situation." "Loyal as always." "As always." William patted James on the shoulder. "We should get out of here." Both officers started moving and went out of the building. When they had reached the stairs and the first steps behind them, a familiar voice called after the two men.