The weeks wore on and the war continued. Benjamin Martin continued to be a problem to the British army. Tavington, who was assigned to take care of the matter, was losing favor with Cornwallis at each humiliating ambush on the British. Tavington's anger escalated until he was on the brink of explosion.
Despite his smug victories over the redcoats, Benjamin Martin still wasn't satisfied and wouldn't be until Colonel William Tavington was a broken man.
His spies had been carefully watching Tavington and the girl who so foolishly married him. A feeling was lodging itself in Benjamin's mind - a strange premonition. It was as if the eye of a hurricane was passing over them all, convincing, so easy to trust in.
But soon the calm would pass and the storm would rage on, more deadly than before.
Tavington walked through the doorway one particularly tiring afternoon, expecting Vivienne to come running at his homecoming as she usually did, but today only silence greeted him.
Tavington warily scanned the dim little home, listening. A soft noise seemed to come from above, and Tavington ran up the stairs and burst into the bedroom, expecting the worst.
Vivienne lay in a fetal position on the bed, unmoving but very much awake. She sat up at once when Tavington called her name. He sat down beside her, worry etched on his face.
"What's wrong?" he asked with alarm. She licked her dry lips and tentatively reached forward to take his hand.
"Ah, it's nothing. I just . . . don't feel like myself today, " she said slowly. Tavington was surprised to hear more caution in her voice than fear. His eyes narrowed slightly in suspicion, but he didn't push her any further.
"If you are all right, I have some papers to complete before tomorrow." He stood and left the room, his footsteps sounding farther and farther away . . .
When she was absolutely positive he was out of hearing distance, Vivienne rushed over to close the door, collapsing against the wood, sobbing her heart out. How am I going to tell him?
Vivienne was pregnant. She had missed three of her monthly courses, which had never happened to her before.
Tavington had made it clear he wanted nothing to do with children, and Vivienne wouldn't put it past him to leave her if he found out.
She put her hand on her still-flat belly and forced herself to take a deep breath. She wouldn't start to show for several more months. That was enough time to figure out how to tell him . . .