Benjamin Martin and his militia rode directly to their hidden base at Black Swamp after making a clean getaway from the Miller farm, confident that the Green Dragoons would not be able to track them through the swamp.
Though they'd not acquired as many horses as originally intended and hadn't had time to plunder any equipment for them, they'd still ended up with six healthy Thoroughbreds that would have cost dearly if they'd had to have paid for them.
Once they were well away from the farm, the men started chatting animatedly amongst themselves, congratulating themselves for doing so well on their first raid on a Tory homestead.
"I'd say we taught them dirty Tories a good lesson," Rollins commented to the men who rode near him, spitting a large wad of tobacco after speaking, as if to punctuate his statement.
"Right you are, Rollins," Sam Sawyer agreed. "And I had me a good bit of fun there, if you know what I mean."
"That I do," Rollins replied with a feral grin. "It's too bad I didn't get the chance to have the same kind of fun."
"There will be other farms and other women," Sam assured him. "You'll get plenty of chances, I'd wager."
"If it wasn't for those fucking Green Dragoons showing up, I'd have had a chance this time," Rollins noted darkly. "I can't wait until Martin lets us take a crack at those bastards. I'm aiming to take revenge for what Tavington did to my sister's family. I won't rest until I make that bastard pay."
"Don't worry, we'll get our chance pretty soon, I'd think," Dan Cooper put in. "I know that Ben's been in contact with Harry Burwell, who intends to use us to help the Continentals the next time there's a battle."
"I can hardly wait," Rollins said, licking his lips in anticipation of the mayhem to come. "But I'm thinking I'll like doing these raids better. More chance for fun and more chance for good plunder."
Looking sideways at John Billings, who hadn't said a word since they'd left the Miller farm, Rollins called out to the normally talkative man, "Hey! Billings! What's the matter with you? You haven't said hardly a word all day."
"It's my teeth again," he replied, groaning in agony. "I hurt so bad I can hardly move."
"Why don't you take some laudanum," Gabriel Martin said from Billings' other side. "I know you got some when we were in Pembroke."
By this time, the group had reached their campsite and were in the process of dismounting. Billings moved gingerly, taking his time getting down from the horse.
Turning to Gabriel, who was now standing by him in concern, Billings said, "I drunk up the last of it last night so I could sleep. I've been in misery all day and all I want to do now is lay down."
"I could go into Pembroke and get you another bottle," Gabriel offered. "Father wanted me to go into town to place another order with Mr Howard, so it wouldn't be any trouble for me."
"I'd be much obliged," Billings told him gratefully. "Maybe you should get two bottles."
"No problem," Gabriel said. "I'll be happy to do it."
About a half hour later, Gabriel Martin emerged cautiously from the woods onto the Pembroke road. He immediately kicked his horse into a gallop, wanting to make it into town while it was still daylight. Gabriel had been most eager to run the errand for his father and also to do the favour for John Billings, as this gave him the perfect excuse to spend some time with Anne. He knew that as the militia became more active and especially when Burwell started using them to support the Continentals, that there would be little time to spend courting Anne.
As he reached the outskirts of Pembroke, Gabriel was immediately struck by the distinct odour of smoke, which became stronger as he continued on. Looking up, he saw a pall of smoke lingering over the village. He urged his horse on, eager to find out what had happened.
As he pulled up in front of the smoking ruins of the Howard store and home, his mind could not at first grasp what his eyes saw. For a long moment, he stared dumbly in shocked disbelief at the wreckage before him.
Finally snapping out of it, Gabriel jumped down from his horse and ran up to the remains of the building. "Oh, dear God!" he muttered to himself. "Anne! Where are you?"
"Oh, she's not there," a voice behind him called out. "She and her mother are over at her aunt's house."
Gabriel turned to see fourteen year old Jeremiah Hawkins standing behind him. The youth had tried to join the militia after the meeting at the church and had been quite disappointed when he'd been told he was too young.
"What happened here?" Gabriel demanded, still in shock.
"The Green Dragoons," Jeremiah told him briefly as they walked the short distance to where Mrs Howard's sister lived, with Gabriel leading his horse. "They showed up suddenly around noontime."
"Damn," Gabriel swore under his breath.
"They ransacked the Howards' store," Jeremiah continued. "Then they hanged Mr Howard for treason and burned down the store. And no sooner had they done that, than they were gone!"
Gabriel swore again, knowing this must have been done at the same time that he and the militia were raiding Miller's farm. It amazed him at how quickly Tavington had figured out that Peter Howard was supplying the militia.
"What did they do with Mr Howard's body," Gabriel asked quietly.
"Reverend Oliver is going to lay out the body at the church, considering they can't do it at home," the youth explained. "They're going to have the funeral tomorrow."
By this time, they'd reached the home of Anne's aunt. As Gabriel tied his horse to a tree out front, he said, "Thanks for your help, Jeremiah. I need to go inside and talk to Anne and her mother alone, but I may see you at the funeral."
After the boy had left, Gabriel knocked at the door. It was opened almost at once by Mrs Howard herself.
"Gabriel!" she cried out, opening the door wider and beckoning him inside. "Is your father with you?"
"No, he sent me to town with a list of supplies he needed," Gabriel told her. "I didn't know what happened until just now. I'm so sorry."
"Thank you," Mrs Howard said quietly. "I'm glad you came."
"I'd really like to talk to Anne and make sure she's all right," Gabriel said. "I'd been looking forward to seeing her all during the ride into town."
"Anne isn't feeling well," Mrs Howard began slowly, looking distinctly uncomfortable. "She's been through quite an ordeal and I thought it best for her to lie down and rest."
"Is she sleeping?" Gabriel asked. "I would really like to see her, if at all possible."
"I don't think she's slept much," she said softly, thinking that it would probably do her daughter some good to see him. "She's in the upstairs bedroom. Why don't you go on up? I'll make some tea for us while you're up there."
A moment later, Gabriel tapped softly at the door, then slipped quietly into the room. He found Anne facing away from him standing by the window looking out. The bed covers were turned back and rumpled, betraying a restless time spent there.
"Mother, I am not hungry," Anne said in a sharp tone as she heard the door open behind her. "Please leave me alone!"
"It's not your mother," Gabriel said softly as he came up behind her, putting a gentle hand on her shoulder. "It's Gabriel."
Anne winced slightly to feel the pressure of his hand on her shoulder, as her neck still hurt from where Tavington had choked her.
Noticing the slight flinch, Gabriel moved to face her, who did not raise her head to meet his eyes.
"Anne," he said softly, putting one finger under her chin to lift her eyes into his gaze. "It's all right now. I'm here and I'll protect you."
As her head tilted up, Gabriel immediately noticed the livid bruises on either side of her neck.
"Anne!" he exclaimed, his jaw almost dropping open in shock. "What happened? Who did this to you?"
"Tavington. It was Tavington," she told him, her voice trembling. "He nearly strangled me to death." Gulping back a sob, she continued, "I tried to rest after we come over here, but every time I closed my eyes, all I could see were his cold eyes, staring at me with absolutely no emotion as he was choking the life out of me."
Grabbing on to his shoulders, she cried, "Oh, Gabriel, I thought I was going to die! I've never been so frightened in all my life!"
"Did he do anything else to you?" Gabriel demanded. "Did he…take your virtue?"
"No, thank God," Anne whispered, shuddering at the thought. "I think he was too intent destroying our home and hanging Father to take time to do that."
After a pause, she said slowly, "But if Josiah, the stable boy from the Miller's farm, didn't come along looking for Mr Wilkins when he did, I don't know what else Tavington and his men might have ended up doing. They left in a hurry after Josiah talked to Mr Wilkins."
Gabriel had been trying to control himself as Anne told him what had happened, but now he found himself shaking with barely suppressed rage.
Looking intently into her eyes, he vowed, "I swear to you that I will kill that man for what he did to you and your family, even if it's the last thing I ever do!"
He took Anne into his arms then, holding her in wordless comfort for several long minutes.
A short time later, the couple went downstairs to supper after Mrs Howard sent the serving girl upstairs to check on them.
"We lost everything," Mrs Howard told Gabriel as they waited for the food to be served. "Not only have we lost Mr Howard, but Anne and I have been left with only the clothes on our backs. Everything else was either plundered by those barbarians or burned up in the fire."
Sighing loudly, she continued, "I suppose I should be grateful that we were allowed to escape with our lives. We can stay with my sister as long as we need to, and I've heard the ladies from the church are planning a sewing bee to replenish our wardrobes."
"And Father and I will do everything we can to help," Gabriel told her. "We will deal with the Green Dragoons as soon as we can, I promise you."
"We appreciate that," Mrs Howard said with a brave smile..
"And I really should go back right after supper to tell Father what happened," Gabriel decided. "He needs to know what happened as soon as possible."
"Please don't go, Gabriel," Anne begged, clutching his arm in fear. "What if the dragoons come back?"
"They won't be back tonight, at least," Gabriel told her. "Last we heard of them, they were at the Miller farm." Seeing the terrified expression that remained on Anne's face, he relented. "But I'll stay here tonight, if that will make you feel better. I'll have to leave at sunup, though, so I can tell my Father in time for him to come to the funeral."
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/
The next morning, William Tavington left a sizable number of men behind at the Miller farm under Lieutenant Ogilvie's command when the rest of the dragoons left to return to the fort.
Though he was eager to get back to give his report to General Cornwallis and intended to make the trip with all possible haste, he knew that the partisans would return to finish what they'd started if the farm was left unguarded.
Several hours later, Mary Miller sighed in relief when her brother told her that the fort was less than two miles ahead. They'd left the farm not long after sunup and had been riding for most of the day with few rest stops. Though Mary was an accomplished horsewoman, she was weary and was ready to be settled behind the security of the fort walls.
The day had started off on a rather tense note, when Colonel Tavington had questioned her decision to ride sidesaddle, telling her she'd not be able to keep up if they needed to move quickly to avoid rebel patrols. He'd even told her she'd have to ride double with a dragoon if she wasn't willing or able to ride using a standard saddle. Tavington had only relented when James had assured him that she could ride just as well sidesaddle as they did with standard saddles and that she would have no problem keeping up with the dragoons. The Colonel had held firm, however, in denying her request that Susan would ride with her on her horse. Instead, Susan had ended up riding with Jim, with her uncle's arms wrapped protectively around her.
Despite knowing that she was perfectly safe surrounded by the dragoon column, with Colonel Tavington, Captain Bordon, and Jim riding close by her, Mary could not relax during the entire journey, fearful that the partisans might appear at any moment from the woods to finish what they'd started at the farm. Though she knew her feelings were irrational, she could not help but sigh with relief to know their journey would soon be at an end.
Susan, however, had looked upon the move as a great adventure. At this particular point, though she rationally understood that her father had died, she could not completely grasp on an emotional level that he was gone forever. She'd been full of questions for all the dragoons near her during the ride, which Mary knew was Susan's way of distracting herself.
"Uncle Jim, are we nearly there yet?" Susan asked about a minute after he'd told Mary that they were about two miles from the fort.
"Yes, Susan," he answered patiently. "I just told your mother so just a moment ago. Weren't you listening?"
"I'm sorry, Uncle Jim," she replied. "But I was watching a little dog on the side of the road that was running along with the horses."
"There are several dogs kept as pets at the fort, Susan," Bordon put in from the other side. "And quite a few cats as well.
"Mum told me there would be children my age at the fort," the young girl announced. "Are there many?"
"Quite a few," Bordon replied, chuckling. "And I daresay you'll make plenty of friends in no time."
A few moments later, the forest lining both sides of the road gave way to a large meadow. William Tavington, who had been riding a bit ahead of the family group to give his ears a rest from Susan Miller's incessant chatter, now looked back over his shoulder at the little girl and told her, "Look off into the distance on your right and you'll see the fort."
Both mother and daughter looked where the Colonel had indicated, eager to finally see their new home for the foreseeable future.
As for Tavington, he was glad to see the journey at an end as well. As a rule, he didn't much like having civilians riding with his dragoons, as their presence tended to upset the usual routine of the group. He'd been put out with Mary Miller's insistence on riding sidesaddle, as he was used to having his orders obeyed without question. She'd also been the cause of them having to stop more often than Tavington thought prudent, considering the level of partisan activity in the area.
As the gates of the fort swung open to admit the dragoon column, Tavington looked forward to giving his report and recommendations to Cornwallis as quickly as possible, then to disappear with Charlotte into their quarters.
/\/\/\/\/\
Next chapter as yet unnamed.