Hey guys. Sorry for not updating sooner, I haven't had the internet so haven't been able to upload or anything.
Hope your still going to read and review.
x
.:Chapter Three:.
Anna sat herself down at the dinner table and placed her napkin on her skirts. She was late to dinner with General Lord Cornwallis. She had managed to sleep in, for some reason her maid was not there to wake her in time.
"Miss Beaumont' Anna looked over to the voice that had spoken to her, and found Colonel Tavington smirking over at her.
'Is there a particular reason for you been so late?" He was sitting next to a curious looking Lord Cornwallis.
Anna sighed, she couldn't tell him that she had slept in, she would most likely get told off from Lord Cornwallis, and then her maid would most probably be sent away, and Anna didn't want to get anyone in trouble. Anna would simply have to lie, something she didn't mind doing in front of Lord Cornwallis.
"I was ill this morning. Thought for a while I wasn't going to be able to come down, but came round eventually" She lied, as she accepted a glass of water of a servant.
Colonel Tavington smirked at her, and Anna saw him shake his head slightly.
"Your feeling alright now though? No feeling like your going to faint on us?" Lord Cornwallis joked, and Anna laughed slightly then shook her head.
Lord Cornwallis gave her a kind smile, and Anna returned it.
She declined her meal as she really wasn't hungry and got a nasty looking glare of one of the servants serving Colonel Tavington. Anna frowned, and looked down at her plate then looked over at the window and saw Charles O'Hara stood smirking at her.
Anna quickly looked away from him, if she had to look at his smirking face any longer, she would end up doing something she would regret.
Anna sighed, and thought about the beautiful grounds outside the walls of the Fort. Thinking about when the war would be ended, and she would be able to go out and explore. She desperately wanted to escape the grounds, even for a few hours.
"Anna?" She quickly looked over at Lord Cornwallis and Colonel Tavington.
"Yes" She asked, in a bored tone, that she didn't mean to be there.
"Are you alright. You seem very distant?" Lord Cornwallis asked.
Anna smiled.
"Yes, I'm fine. Sorry I wasn't listening. What have you been talking about?" Anna laughed slightly and then put her full attention on them, knowing that they were probably discussing some battle strategy or anything to do with war.
She was caught of guard when it wasn't.
"We were talking about the ball that we are going to be holding her soon, as we are not yet in North Carolina" Anna saw Colonel Tavington roll his eyes, and Anna wanted to know exactly why.
"Pardon my interruption Lord Cornwallis, but why are we not yet in North Carolina?" Anna asked, her eyes on Colonel Tavington.
"I'll let our Colonel explain that" Lord Cornwallis answered, whilst stirring his cup of tea.
Colonel Tavington rolled his eyes once more and then looked over at Anna, who had a slight smirk on her face.
"Well, Miss Beaumont. Our men, who have been out the walls, have been attacked. They are been sent out to different parts that we have managed to capture, and then they are shot dead. Even the ones carrying out orders to collect dresses for you, or clothes for Lord Cornwallis. The militia doing this are lead by a man, who the men have named 'The Ghost' " Colonel Tavington told her.
Anna lifted her head, and nodded, deciding in her head that it was maybe better to stay inside the walls for a while.
"Thats why you haven't received any new dresses" Lord Cornwallis told her.
"I didn't even notice' Anna suddenly remembered something.
'My maid. Sally, where has she gone?" She asked suddenly, Colonel Tavington noticing concern in her voice.
"She in the cells" Charles O'Hara answered for Lord Cornwallis.
Anna frowned and looked over at Colonel Tavington.
"On what charges?"
"Giving information to the militia" He smoothly answered, a slightly gleam in his eye.
Anna stood up suddenly causing the chair she had been sitting on to fall backwards and hit the ground hard.
"What have you done to her?" She shouted at Colonel Tavington.
Lord Cornwallis quickly stood up and pointed his finger at Anna.
"You will apologize to Colonel Tavington. He has not laid a hand on your maid, and nor will he. She is to be sent away at dawn tomorrow" Lord Cornwallis forcefully told her.
Anna bent her head low and then looked up at Colonel Tavington and gave him a cold stare.
"I apologize for my out burst" She quietly told him.
Colonel Tavington smiled at her and then nodded, and Anna sat down on the chair that a servant had picked up for her.
"Now, before you interrupted me, I was talking about the ball that we are going to be holding. You are to accompany Colonel Tavington" Lord Cornwallis sternly told her.
Anna's eyes widened, and her breath caught in the back of her throat.
"It seems to me that Colonel Tavington's reputation needs a bit of a boost. And you are the answer. When the guest see you with him, they will think that you are going to calm his brutal ways with the militia" Lord Cornwallis spoke in a tone that Anna knew she would not be able to argue with.
"And when is this ball going to be happening?" She asked, looking over at Colonel Tavington who in return, was looking at her.
"On the 29th. Which I believe is your birthday as well"
Anna nodded, and thought about the evening she would be spending with William. Anna frowned, feeling slightly strange as to thinking of calling Colonel Tavington William.
"May I be excused?" She asked.
Lord Cornwallis nodded his head, and with a curtsy to all of the gentlemen in the room, Anna quickly left.
Once in a good distance between the room which held the 2 men in and herself, Anna fell against a wall and her hand flew to her mouth. She felt so angry. She was been ordered to go to a ball with a man the public were calling 'the butcher', and knowing of his reputation made it feel even worse. But, Anna couldn't argue with Lord Cornwallis, she knew that was an losing battle.
Anna was shaken from her thoughts when there was a tap on her shoulder. She spun around, and came face to face with Colonel Tavington, his face was close, she could feel his warm breath on her face.
"May I help you?" Anna asked, a little rude.
Colonel Tavington's eye brow raised, and he had a slight smile on his face.
"I was just wondering why you left the room so suddenly, but I suppose your just have a tan trum about having to attentend the ball with me" He answered, his smooth voice making un wanted shivers go down Anna's back.
"Possibly. But you shall never know, as I'm leaving now" She sternly answered, and then began walking up some stairs.
Tavington quickly smiled and then began following after her.
"There's a dress maker arriving today. Your to be fitted at 3pm" He told her, now following her up the stairs and into the corridor which held her room.
"Very well. I'll make sure I'm not busy with boredom at that time" And with that Anna walked into her room, slamming the door behind her.
Colonel Tavington frowned when the door was slammed in his face, and he felt anger surge through his body. He quickly opened the door, and marched in, slamming it behind him.
"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOUR DOING?!" Anna shouted at him.
Colonel Tavington came in front of Anna and stared into her eyes.
"You'll do well not to speak to me like that girl" He sneered at her, his eyes blazing with anger.
Anna felt herself un noticeably shake with fear at the look in his piercing blue eyes.
"Please. Leave my room Colonel" Anna shakily told him.
Colonel Tavington smirked and then brought his hand up to rub Anna's cheek. She turned her head away and then her chin was forcefully grabbed, and she was turned to look at Colonel Tavington.
"If there is any behaviour like this at the ball, then I shall be forced to hurt you. And, to be honest, I don't want to hurt you. I think you'll find...Anna, that we could get along, if you stopped thinking about pathetic stories your brother told you" He calmly told her, looking down into her big eyes.
Anna looked back into his own cold blue eyes, and then regrettably nodded.
"Very well Col - William" Anna quickly reminded herself.
William nodded, and then let go off Anna's face, where her hand quickly came up and rubbed the skin which now had slight red marking on it.
"I shall see you at dinner tonight Anna" William told her.
Anna looked over at him, and forced herself to smile.
"It'll be a pleasure" She answered.
"I think you'll find the pleasure will be all mine" And with that William left the room, leaving a confused and shaken looking Anna.