I was very excited to name this chapter "A New Hope." I am a huge Star Wars fanatic. I just finished reading these great books about Darth Bane. . . SO amazing! Anyways. . . ahem, on with the story :-)
Tavington wanted nothing more than to hold Vivienne close that night, but Susan had attached herself to his wife and was clearly not planning on releasing Vivienne any time soon.
The three of them slept in Tavington and Vivienne's large bed, Vivienne only waking occasionally to cry out in desolation. Tavington woke when she did and tenderly stroked her hair until she went back to sleep.
Early in the morning, when it was still dark outside, Tavington woke to see Vivienne lying on her side, staring at him. He glanced down - Susan was fast asleep. Gingerly, he sat up and lifted the girl so she was lying more near the foot of the bed and he eagerly swept Vivienne up in his arms.
It felt so wonderful to have her close, safe, familiar. Vivienne was only silent a moment before she began to cry softly.
"I'm sorry, I just . . . " she whispered through her tears.
"No," he insisted, "You have been through so much pain. You deserve a good cry, my darling."
She cried into his chest, soaking his thin white shirt, which he swiftly removed. As he wrapped his arms around her once again, Vivienne curled into him, pressing her lips together to cease her sobs.
"We need to get away from here - this house, this war, these memories . . ." she murmured.
"I am not withdrawing from this war until Benjamin Martin is dead," Tavington hissed, anger rising quickly in his voice. How could she even suggest he let the man get away with such an offense?
Vivienne pulled away from him, sharply grabbing his biceps and fixing him with an intense stare.
"No! That's what he wants you to do - he wants to kill you, and that cannot happen." Vivienne took a deep breath.
"Cornwallis promised you land in Ohio, didn't he? We can go there now - tomorrow! We can escape all of this and no one will find us." Her eyes were round with hope and desperation.
"Vivienne, you know that isn't possible - there is a battle at Camden just days from now - it could very well be the deciding factor of who wins this damn war. The Continentals will have a far better chance if I am absent - "
"Does it matter, William, whether England wins this war or not? It shall not affect us. I have lost my child," her voice cracked, but she closed her eyes, summoning the strength to finish. "I will not lose my husband too."
"But Martin - "
"Will be no more than a myth to us," Vivienne interrupted again, a sad smile slightly lighting her face. Then it disappeared, her face serious once more.
When Tavington made a move to protest, Vivienne pressed her finger to his lips.
"Promise me," she breathed "Promise me you won't be foolish. Promise you will speak to Cornwallis tomorrow about Ohio."
Tavington's lips parted beneath her touch and closed around her finger, his tongue sliding along the length of it. She closed her eyes, reveling in his touch. He released her finger and leaned in to kiss her down-set lips.
Tavington knew he could never lie to her, not after he had nearly lost her, could still lose her. Vivienne was bruised and cut from the nearly lethal pummeling she had received. Her body was still recovering from expelling the premature baby from her refusing body - another shock as big as this would likely kill her.
As much as Tavington wanted to lie to her, to sneak away and murder the man who had scarred his wife so terribly, he would not.
He was about to wrap his arms around Vivienne and lay back down on the pillows when Susan crawled back in between them, still asleep, and flopped down. Tavington met Vivienne's eyes over the small girl and he chuckled softly before falling back on the pillows, drifting off before his smile faded.
"Vivienne."
Vivienne was called out of her much-welcomed numbing sleep. She felt the light stubble on her husband's chin as he kissed her awake. Vivienne felt warm and happy, forgetting the events of the previous day. But as she sat up, her eyes her eyes met Tavington's, and the dark memories rushed back into her head, hitting her with enough force to send tears surging from her eyes.
Tavington swallowed as he watched with pity Vivienne's recollection of her trauma. She hugged her knees to her chest and breathed shakily, trying not to cry, but he could see the dark tear spots already dotting her dress.
"Ssssh," he wrapped his arms around her, thankful for Susan's strange desire to visit his horse first thing in the morning. He needed time alone with his wife.
"Everything will be all right. We leave this place for Ohio first thing tomorrow morning."
"Do you promise you won't go after that man?" Vivienne looked at him sternly, her desperate eyes pooling with her desire to protect him. Tavington swallowed his doubts.
"I promise. I shall go to Cornwallis today to resign."
Vivienne lifted her head to kiss his lips, her tears wetting his cheek.
"You want what?" Cornwallis' ears must have been playing tricks on him.
"To resign from my duty as Colonel so I may take my wife away from here. We will stay on that plot of land in Ohio that was promised to me." Tavington stood straight, though there was a heavy feeling in his chest threatening to weigh him down.
"Colonel, our upcoming battle with those ruffian Continentals is drawing near - too near for you to give up," Cornwallis spat "And I never promised you Ohio. I offered it as an incentive if you were to capture Martin, which you failed to do."
Tavington suppressed his steadily increasing anger. He couldn't strangle the foolish man no matter how much he desired to. Britain needed Cornwallis for the upcoming battle.
"Very well then. I suppose I shall have to search out a home for my family on my own."
Cornwallis huffed in frustration as he walked to the other side of his desk.
"I see no reason why Vivienne cannot stay - "
"Have you ever lost a child, General?" Tavington's interruption was sharp, edged with concealed anger. Cornwallis' mouth gaped and he licked his lips.
"Well, no, but this - "
"Then that would explain your not seeing reason." Tavington turned on his heel and smartly stepped to the entrance of the tent. He turned back to face his Lord General before exiting.
"Good day to you, sir. I do hope the British prevail."
Cornwallis squeezed his eyes shut and clenched his fists. The nerve of this insufferable bastard! No wonder Martin wanted him dead. . .
At least I don't have to deal with him any longer, Cornwallis thought optimistically as he exited the tent to tell Captain Bordon of his promotion to Colonel.
By the time Tavington arrived back at the house, Vivienne had already packed away most of their few possessions in a horse-drawn wagon. She looked up as he reined in his horse, a forced smile on her face.
"How did it go?" she asked as Susan ran out of the house with a pile of blankets. Tavington drummed his fingers on the edge of his saddle, not wanting to disappoint her any further, but having no choice.
"Cornwallis refused me the land in Ohio and was upset about my resignation." He sighed. "Vivienne, I will find a place for us to stay - you needn't worry about it."
"I trust you, William," she said gently, knowing how he hated not being in control.
"Even living in a simple hut is better than living in this house." Vivienne glanced at their home, remembering the times she would sit in her chair and sew for her baby, now lost.
Feeling her throat constrict with sorrow at the thought, Vivienne turned back toward Tavington, again forcing a smile.
"The sooner we're out of here, the better," she said softly before going back to the house to finish the packing.
As Tavington watched her go, he realized how deeply she was cut by the death of their child. He himself had felt momentous grief at the sight of the dead baby, more than he thought he would feel.
He sucked in a breath of the summer afternoon air and was reminded of Vivienne's dream of a little country house with children playing in the yard.
Dismounting from his horse, Tavington resolutely marched into the house to help his wife pack.
I will give you that dream, Vivienne, so you can forget about this . . .
Vivienne carried a bundle of clothes out to the wagon, calling back to her husband that there was one package left in the house.
Tavington saw it and marched over, lifting the heavy box in his arms. He sighed, expelling the nervous thoughts of their future that had been troubling him. He knew now what to do. Determinedly, he carried the last box out to the wagon.