Permission Granted

Several moments after Tavington left the Lord General, he met with Catherine in their room. It still rattled him about O'Hara, and he still wished to strangle the bastard, but as always, his wife cooled his angry temper. They had a few minutes before she was to see her father, so they took their leisure, and made love slowly.

As they lay in each other's arms, their bodies cooling from the throes of ecstasy, they discussed his meeting with the Lord General. And, how he so desperately wanted to strangle General O'Hara.

"If given even a small chance, I would hang him!" William snarled.

Catherine stroked his chest and nodded in agreement.

"You and I both, love."

"He is trying to ruin my career," William hissed between clenched teeth, "What have I done to warrant such spiteful treatment from him?"

"You exist." Catherine said slowly.

William simply nodded at this. He wondered why O'Hara existed, and why on earth, he had to exist here. Could Cornwallis not send him to one of the other Generals? More importantly, how did he even become a General?

William was shaken from his thoughts by Catherine slipping out of their bed.

"Must you leave our bed so soon, my pet?" He winked seductively at her.

Catherine returned the wink with one of her own.

"Father will not wait forever, love. I must go, before he sends that sniveling lapdog to fetch me. Something I'm sure, you do not want."

William agreed with her. He definitely did not want O'Hara gracing their room. It would taint everything, including their bed.

"Yes, I do see your point, Catherine." He rose from the bed and began dressing. "Hopefully, O'Hara will not be there."

"One can only hope, Colonel." She laughed softly at his expression of distain.

"Ah Catherine, my dear!" Charles Cornwallis stood from his desk, and hurried around it to embrace his daughter.

"Father, I have missed you." She kissed his cheek lovingly.

He motioned to a comfortable chair by the fireplace, and when she had been seated, he dove right into their meeting.

"Now, before I go into what happened with your younger sister, I have something I wish to say to you about someone else."

"Oh?" Catherine eyed him.

"Yes, it has been brought to my attention by a certain officer that you have married…" He watched her expression at this statement.

""I see. Who might I have married, Father?"

He smiled slowly.

"I do believe you know who he is, Catherine. A certain high ranking officer of the Green Dragoons."

Catherine's mouth opened slightly. Oh God…how?

O'Hara. That little bastard she thought angrily. I will inform William, and he can settle this with the little fool.

"High ranking officer?"

"Yes, that is what I said." The Lord General grinned. Catherine did not seem fazed by this news, but she did seem particularly angry by it. That was odd.

"Colonel Tavington and I, Father, are merely friends."

Cornwallis smiled.

"So, it is the Colonel? Ah yes, I did think you would be attracted by him…" His smile faltered a little, "At least, you married well, my dear. Not like Aimee…horrible affair that."

"One you cannot undo, as I am sure you realize?" Catherine smirked.

"I know that all too well. He may also be an officer of His Majesty's Green Dragoons, but he is far from being a prosperous catch."

Catherine sighed. She knew immediately where her Father was going with this. Money and title.

"Colonel Tavington does not have a title, nor does he have much money…"

Cornwallis raised his hand to quiet her.

"I know this, which is why I am prepared to offer him, and you, both."

Catherine stared at him. What was the old man up to now?

"What is the price for this, generousness, Father?"

"Nothing but your happiness, my dear. And, possibly an heir."

Ah, there it was. The old man wanted an heir to his vast fortune and title. Of the three Cornwallis daughters, he had set his sights on her…Mona was dead to him, as she was to Catherine, and Aimee? Aimee might as well be.

"I will need to discuss this with Colonel Tavington…" She replied.

"Why do you still call him Colonel? He is your husband after all, therefore refer to him by his Christian name." Her father insisted.

"Fine, I will need to discuss this with William." As if her father even remotely knew her husband's Christian name."

"By all means, but I had every intention of discussing this with the both of you tomorrow evening at dinner."

"That would be a perfect idea, Father." Catherine smiled.

"Very good…"

Catherine stopped him.

"What exactly do you plan to offer William?"

Cornwallis looked at his daughter for a long moment before he answered.

"An inheritance and a title."

"Oh?"

"Lord and Lady Tavington."

Catherine grinned. She liked the sound of that.

"The Lord Colonel…" She stopped speaking. She could hear that woefully obnoxious O'Hara outside the study doors.

"Yes, that would henceforth be Colonel Tavington's official title."

"If he accepts, of course."

Cornwallis grinned.

"Do you believe he would not?"

Catherine shook her head quickly.

"I cannot assume to know what my husband would do, Father. You know him as well as I do, he does nothing he does not wish to do. But…" She sneered lightly, "He may be quite acceptable of this offer."

"If he is not?" The Lord General inquired.

"I am certain I can persuade him to accept."

"Very well, my dear. Now, allow us to turn to other matters…"

"My dear little sister, the traitor."

Cornwallis shuddered.

"Yes, I…"

Catherine looked murderous.

"What is to discuss? She has deserted us for the Rebels. She went willingly, Father."

"Colonel Tavington said as much in his report. He also, informed me of your words regarding your sister, if were to bring her back."

Catherine's face was stone like and unreadable.

"If, you even so much as bring her within fifty yards of this fort, I will hang her. She is a traitor to King and Country. She is a traitor to the Cornwallis family. And, she is a traitor to myself, and my husband. Bring her back here, and you will be burying her soon after."

Cornwallis simply stared at his eldest daughter.

He did not doubt she would do exactly as she had stated.

"But, my dear daughter…"

Catherine sneered at him. Funny, he thought to himself, she looks so like Colonel Tavington when she did that…they were, he mused, well suited to each other.

"Mark my words, Father, she will hang. With or without your permission."

Cornwallis sat back in his chair and studied the dying embers of the fire. After a moment, he returned his gaze to his eldest child.

"You are so much like the Colonel, my dear."

"Thank you kindly, Father. He has taught me much in the last few months."

His gaze lingered on her face.

"With or without your permission."

The harshness that the Lord General was known for returned once more.

Thank God his wife was gone…

"Permission granted."

A/N: Tavington has found his Muse AND his student. Want to know what happens next? R and R and find out!