Ten Years-1998 August
"Do not underestimate her, Colonel. She is far more like you then even you realize."
~Vivian Tavington~
~WT~
Ten-year-old Olivia Tavington had been playing contently in the garden outside the library. After awhile, she grew tired of the dolls, the tea set and took herself back into the library. She half expected her grandmother to be reading there, but soon found that the room was empty.
As she fingered several of the books, she began to wonder once again, about her family. Olivia had never shown much interest in it before, but this was just simply an outward appearance. In reality, she had read all she could, sometimes two and three times. No one, other than her grandmother, knew of this. Olivia kept her acute fascination with the Tavington family to herself.
Stopping in front of a low shelf, she pulled a large volume from it, and went to sit in front of the fireplace. She studied the book in silence for a long time. Opening it, she quickly turned to one particular photo, a painting of a very distinguished and handsome man.
Olivia stared at it for a moment, and then lifted her gaze to the painting above the fireplace. This was the exact same painting as in the book, and she would have known it anywhere. She often found herself coming to the library just to sit and stare at the man in the painting.
Grandmother Georgiana had once caught her staring longingly at the painting. Olivia had expected her to rebuke her for doing so. Much to Olivia's delight, her grandmother simply began to explain all about the man. It was from that moment on, that Olivia found herself fascinated.
And, in love.
She was torn from this memory by the roar of her father's voice. She jumped up quickly from the chair and turned to face him.
How she hated this man who had sired her.
"How dare you sit and stare at that painting! Have you not been told to stay away from it? Why are you so damned disobedient?" He snarled.
Whereas Olivia had been a content little ten-year-old girl playing with her dolls, she now bristled with fury and anger. It made her appear far older then her ten years.
"I will stare at him if I want to! You have no right to tell me what I can and cannot do!"
Byron Tavington stared dumbfounded at her. How could she speak to him in such an insolent manner?
"This is entirely your grandmother's fault!" He hissed. "Had I not allowed her to raise you…"
"How dare you insult my grandmother!" Olivia balled her fists.
"She raised you to be just like her! Defiant, cold and disobedient! I should have known better."
"Thankfully, grandmother knew better…"
Byron raised his hand to strike his daughter. He never even came close to doing so. Before either knew what was happening, Byron was lifted off his feet and flung across the room. He landed in a heap against the wall.
Colonel William Tavington quickly crossed the room, grabbed Byron by his collar, and drug him back to his feet.
"You will not touch her!" Tavington growled.
Byron struggled to free himself from the Colonel's grip. When he found that he could not, he simply glared hatefully at him.
Olivia stood silently watching as Colonel Tavington shook her father violently. Had she actually loved her father in any way, she would have stopped it. But, as she hated Byron more than anything, she enjoyed watching her guardian and saviour threaten the man who sired her.
"How dare you!" Byron sputtered.
"How dare I? I believe you have this terribly wrong. It is not I, who has dared to strike Lady Olivia! You are the fool who meant to do her harm."
Byron glared steadily at the Colonel.
"She is my daughter! I will punish her as I see fit! And you, sir, will not stop me!"
Colonel Tavington tightened his grip on Byron's collar. Olivia smiled slightly, as her father's face went from a bright scarlet, to a sickening blue.
Tavington pulled Byron closer his face only inches away.
"In my day, you ignorant bastard, I would have had you hung!"
Byron laughed suddenly.
"By all means, Colonel Tavington, try and hang me now! You would not get away with such atrocities in England! This is not your day and age, and therefore, you have no authority here!"
"That is where I do believe you are wrong, Byron .Both Colonel Tavington and Byron looked to see who had spoken. Georgiana stood just inside the doors, hands on her hips, and a cold sneer planted firmly on her face.
"Georgiana…" Tavington began.
"Do be quiet, William." She said softly. She turned her frosty glare upon her son, who had ceased his struggles against the Colonel, and now was staring at his mother hatefully.
"Byron you are a genius at being a bloody fool! I took Olivia away from you because you could not be trusted to raise her in the proper manner! And, because I could not trust you with her safety! The fault lies only with you! I did not trust you then, and I do not trust you now."
Byron Tavington stared at his mother in disbelief.
"Yet, you trust him?" He replied coldly. "Old woman, your trust is sadly misplaced!"
"You will not speak to Lady Georgiana in that manner…" Tavington shook Byron.
"I will speak to her as I please!" Bryon gasped. The Colonel's grip had tightened once again.
"No, you will not." Tavington snarled at him.
"William, please remove your grip from my fool of a son."
"But, Georgiana…"
"He knows better than to try anything. Not with you here to protect us. He would be utterly stupid to even try."
The Colonel, despite his misgivings, released his grip on him. When he did, Byron crumpled to the floor once more. He glared up at Tavington.
"Why ever did they bring you back here?" Byron hissed. "This family would have been better off, had you just stayed dead!"
A well-aimed kick from the Colonel to the side silenced him quickly.
Georgiana laughed softly at this.
"Why I did not drown you when you were born…yes, this family would have been better off without you, Byron Tavington."
"Father would have stopped you!"
Again, Georgiana laughed.
"No, I do not think he would have." She smiled at both Tavington and Olivia. "Being as he was the one who insisted on drowning you, not I. I was the one who stopped him!"
Byron snorted.
"I doubt that, Mother."
Georgiana turned to Olivia.
"Fetch me your grandfather's journal, darling. I wish to prove to this idiot once and for all, that even his own father, despised him."
Olivia nodded and hurried over to one of the bookshelves. She withdrew a large leather book and returned to her grandmother's side. Georgiana smiled down at her.
"Thank you, my dear. Now…" She thumbed thru it until she came to a particular page. When she had found what she was looking for, she went over to her son and shoved it under his nose.
"There you sniveling little fool, read what your father said about you!"
He stared at her for a moment. He looked down at the book in his hands. Did he really want to know what his own father had thought of him? As if, he had not known already…
"…my own son…a monster! How did I sire such a creature? I had so hoped that he would be different…that he would put to rest the sneers of those who despise the Tavington family! But no, he has done nothing but disgrace us even more!"
"I have begged and begged the Colonel to reconsider his stand on my son! Nevertheless, to no avail! If only I were such as the Colonel…I would be strong enough to kill the fool, myself. But I am not."
"Had my beloved Georgiana married William Tavington instead of me, this monster would not exist. This is my fault. I had hoped he would not be as the others…a false hope if ever there were one! The blame lies entirely with me…Georgiana could not have created this creature. She is too pure…too good…too kindhearted."
"The Colonel has returned to the Hall today. He has been gone for three months. He has claimed it was on business to the Crown, but I believe it was so he did not have to deal with my son. I cannot blame him for that. If only my days in the House of Lords kept me away so long. Alas, they do not, and I am forced to return."
Byron glared at the three staring at him. How he hated them…
"I found that monster trying to destroy Colonel Tavington's painting today. Georgiana whipped him herself, yet it did nothing to him. He seems to relish in the punishments. Perhaps, if the Colonel had a hand in it…it would be efficient, harsh and brutal. Just what he needs. Despite being his father, I would do nothing to stop the Colonel."
"I would encourage him."
"And you call me the monster?" Byron snarled at his mother. Georgiana merely pointed to the book.
"Tavington advised me to send Byron away as soon as I can. I have spoken to Georgiana about this, and she agrees. It would be best for all."
"That ass struck his mother today. I was away, so I did not know of this until I returned. Tavington took great pleasure in punishing him. Had my foolish brother not stopped the Colonel, he would most certainly have hung him. Damn Edward for interfering!"
"And I, his father, took great pleasure knowing the Colonel could have, and would have done just that. I would not weep for the death of a demon. As I know my beloved Georgiana would not."