Thanks E! You pretty much beta'd this one for me!
4.
Captain Bordon sat at his desk in his tent one afternoon, attempting to block out the sounds of his wife's singing and concentrate on the task at hand. Paperwork!
Although in the last few weeks Bordon seemed to be getting along better with Teddy, he felt that his life had started to fall into a before and after.
Before Teddy came into his life, things were less complicated, easier to handle. He never felt like he needed to answer to anyone other than a superior officer and occasionally his father. Now he had Teddy always questioning where he was going and when he would return, knowing that he could not share that information.
He thought foolishly that they may have come to an understanding about what would be expected of her. However, she still managed to do all the things that drove him insane. Such as now- Teddy was hanging her wash out for all the world to see, and singing.
"I met a young gii-iirl there with her face as a rose….
And her skin was as faaaa-aiiiir as the lily that grows…"
God help him. Bordon sighed and sat rubbing his temples.
His thoughts were soon interrupted by the arrival of Colonel Tarleton.
Although Banastre Tarleton was his superior, he and Bordon knew each other well enough to dispense formalities and Bordon simply gestured to the racket Teddy was making.
"Do you hear her singing?"
"Well who could miss it?" Ban said. Then seeing the grimace on Bordon's face he quickly added for reassurance, "It's lovely."
"Do you not hear what she is singing, Colonel?"
"I laid this girl doooown wiiiith he-er face to the sky
I took out me raaaamrod, me bullets likewise
Saying, Wrap your legs roooo-und me, dig in with your heels
For the closer we get, Ohhh, the better it feels..."
A slow smile started to creep on Tarleton's face and he quietly sang along.
"The birds, they were singing iiiin the bushes and trees
And the song that they saaaang was, Oh! She's easy to please
I felt her heart quiver and I knew what I'd done
Says I, Have you had enooough of me old sporting gun..."
"Colonel!" Bordon chided.
But Tarleton simply glanced at him and then turned in the direction of Teddy's voice and in a rather dreamlike voice said, "I…. adore her."
"I think she does it all just to spite me, you know," Bordon said suspiciously.
Tarleton ignored Bordon's complaint and tossed a sealed missive on the desk.
"Cheer up Bordy! The honor of our presence has been requested. We have been invited to a ball. I know how much you enjoy those," he said laughing sarcastically.
Bordon hated balls and Tarleton knew it. He just could not resist ribbing him a little under the circumstances, knowing that Bordon was still distressed about his new wife. But Tarleton liked Teddy Bordon a great deal. She reminded him of his younger sister Bridget in her attitudes and humor. He had also heard through the gossip mill around camp, that Bordon had married her as a favor to a friend of his- to assist Teddy in finding a way back to her family in Trenton. It gave him a certain respect for both of them and he could only regret that it would eventually end.
"I'll be expected to take her," Bordon said tersely.
"Take me where?" Teddy said as she breezed into the tent. She greeted Tarleton with a warm hello and a smile and then repeated, "Take me where?"
"We've been invited to a ball at Middleton Place," Bordon informed her.
"Oooohh!" Teddy said, her face brightening. She plucked the invitation from Bordon's hand and glanced over it.
"See?" Tarleton smiled approvingly. "She said, 'Ooohh.' I think she enjoys attending balls."
"She may very well enjoy them," Bordon replied. Then he leaned back in his chair and directed his gaze to Teddy, saying with a sigh, "But can she behave at a ball?"
"Of course I can!" Teddy said indignantly. "I was married to an officer before I married you, remember? You don't think he and I were invited to balls?"
Tarleton observed the volley between the couple with great interest. For a moment he couldn't help but feel a little of Bordon's pain. Teddy was a firecracker; a definite challenge to Bordon's reserved nature. Together, they were just down right entertaining.
On the day of the event itself, Bordon and Tarleton were both every interested to see Teddy make her appearance at Middleton Place. And when she finally came down the staircase to meet them, Bordon was astonished and Tarleton was smitten.
The burgundy taffeta gown she wore served to compliment her complexion and coloring, giving her hair a darker, richer appearance- if that were possible. The gold trim and ivory lace gave the simple cut gown an elegance that was not too ostentatious. Her hair had been arranged in intricate plaits and ringlets on the back of her head and her jewels were simple as well but tasteful. Bordon could not find fault and breathed a small sigh of relief as she took his proffered arm. He had to admit, his little wife looked damn fetching.
To both officer's dismay, Teddy was not seated anywhere near either of them at supper. Tarleton wanted the company but Bordon's motives for wanting to sit near his wife consisted of a need to keep a close eye on her.
After supper Teddy found herself on the terrace watching the guests stroll on the expansive lawn. Her husband was not with her. He was on the lawn next to the walkway chatting with Captain Wilkins, who Teddy had come to know as a very charming Loyalist. He was tall, rather nice looking and he probably should have been a grenadier. But he had recently bought a commission with the Dragoons, and as usual he was using his Southern charm to chat up a couple of ladies while Bordon looked utterly bored.
Teddy was thankful for that. Her husband had barely spoken a word to her since they left camp. Had Andrew been fawning over these women like Wilkins…..
She caught Banastre Tarleton stealing up beside her and turned and smiled. She knew she could always count on him for a laugh. To Teddy, his friendship was worth the risk of a little gossip.
"Teddy my darling…Teddy my duck…lets stroll through the garden and I'll give you," he broke off raising an eyebrow and finished dramatically with, "…a flower." He bowed slightly and presented Teddy with a yellow rose that she guessed he had swiped from one of the massive arrangements inside.
She gratefully took it from him with a smile and twirled it between her fingers. Then she snapped the stem, jamming the blossom into her hair and turned her attention back to her husband and his company.
Noticing Teddy's constant glances at Bordon and his female companion, Banastre said nonchalantly, "It looks awful."
"What does?"
"Her hair," Tarleton said with disgust. "Those pearls…they're awful."
Teddy smirked. "I was contemplating the cut of her gown."
Tarleton continued to mock with a tisk, "And that print! Who killed the couch?"
The two chuckled for a moment.
"Thank you, Banastre," Teddy said with sincerity.
"You're welcome, dearest," He returned with a grin, leading her towards the ball room.
Teddy never had so much fun dancing in all her life as she did on that night. That is of course after some of the younger officers in attendance bribed all the musicians to play something livelier. When they did, the dance floor filled quickly with couples trying to join the sets.
The older folks took themselves elsewhere, finding the music and loudness of the country dances a bit too stimulating. But Teddy was having the time off her life and she danced with everyone who asked her.
Banastre was an amusing partner as Teddy knew he would be and Captain Wilkins was of course delightful as always. Teddy danced with a few of Ram's fellow officers. They all shared their condolences and commented on how well she looked and wished her the best.
Teddy even managed to get a few dances in with Bordon. This seemed to surprise most of his friends who claimed he rarely ever danced.
Bordon was amazed with Teddy's behavior. He could not believe he was with the same woman that had been raising hell with him constantly for the last two months. She was assured and graceful without being audacious. And God bless her for not being a giggling twit like some of the ladies he had been compelled to speak with that night.
He was pleased when he was able to persuade her to take a turn with him in the gardens Middleton Place was known for.
As they leisurely strolled the torch-lit pathways under trees draped with Spanish moss he felt the need to say something.
"I assume you are having a lovely time this evening, Teddy?"
"Yes, thank you," she answered almost awkwardly.
It was then that Bordon realized he had never really paid her any compliments so he tried to remedy that.
"You look stunning by the way. I meant to have said something earlier."
Teddy glanced up at him with a faint blush on her cheeks.
"Thank you. I was thankful for the ladies maid. She was such a help getting me dressed. Do you realize how difficult these gowns can be?"
"Only when I'm trying to remove one," Bordon said wryly.
Teddy gasped and turned to him rather shocked. "Andrew Bordon," she said with astonishment. "Did you just make a joke? You did!"
Bordon could say nothing to confirm or deny the accusation. He could hardly believe he said it himself. Still, the sound of Teddy's laughter rewarded him and he wanted to laugh along with her.
When Bordon mentioned that Colonel Tarleton concurred with his opinion, he meant that as a compliment as well, but Teddy went a little on the defensive.
"Oh do stop harping on me about the time I spend with Banastre," she said with an irritated tug on his arm. "I know of his reputation, I'm hardly an idiot about those things. I think of Ban as the older brother I used to wish I had. Someone who'd defend me for a change. And not because they're honor or duty bound, but because they know I'm in the right."
"Calm down," Bordon gently ordered her. "I was not accusing you of creating a scandal with him. It was truly meant as a compliment."
Teddy smiled and Bordon was relieved. He really did not want to argue with her this evening.
"I suppose you would never dare do anything that would cause a scandal. Would you, Andrew?"
Something in her tone challenged him and he couldn't help but take the bait. He wanted to flirt with her for some reason although he had no idea why. She would probably turn it around on him like she usually did and then he'd be standing there like a fool, not knowing what he said wrong.
"Only enough to create gossip for a few days," he answered. Then an idea struck him and he led her into a busier section of the garden where he knew a few other guests would be roaming about.
"Observe," he said, gesturing to a couple of old ladies who were about to pass by. He turned to face her and pulled her close. "Participate if you wish."
Bordon slowly leaned in and kissed Teddy on the lips to a chorus of whispered comments such as, "Oh my word!" or, "Shocking!" and his all- time favorite, "Well, I never…"
Teddy was indeed stunned. Not so much over the reaction they were receiving but by the fact that Bordon had the nerve to do such a thing. He had actually kissed his own wife-in public!
But that moment was all shattered the instant a supply ship anchored on the Ashley River suddenly exploded.
Bordon and Teddy stood there in shocked silence and somewhere in the distance they heard the shrill voice of a woman exclaim, "Oh! Fireworks…How lovely!"
Just for the record...The title of the song Ban and Teddy sang is called The Bonnie Black Hare, and it was rather bawdy to say the least. You can Google the lyrics and find YouTube videos of people singing it even today. So apparently, it's still popular but God only knows when it was actually written.
Middleton Place is still in Charleston and is well known for it's historic value and it's exquisite gardens.