William Tavington followed James and Mary Bordon back into the house after Marcus Tapp had left, taking Ruth with him. He would talk with the sergeant major later, but first he needed to deal with Bordon.
As soon as the door had closed behind him, Tavington turned to Bordon and growled with barely controlled anger, "Upstairs. The library. Now." He could not wait until after dinner to handle this problem.
Mary looked up at her husband in worried concern, He patted her arm and murmured, "It will be all right," before following his commanding officer up the stairs.
As soon as the two dragoons had entered the library, Tavington closed the door behind them with a resounding click. After throwing his bearskin helmet on the sofa and seating himself behind his desk, he indicated with a careless wave of the hand that Bordon should sit.
No sooner had Bordon done so, than Tavington glared at his second in command and snapped, "What in the bloody hell just happened out there, Bordon?"
"Mary went to Ruth to help her out of her current predicament by offering to adopt her baby," Bordon began. "Ruth refused quite vehemently and apparently ran to Tapp immediately to tell him all about it. Tapp confronted me no sooner than I'd arrived back here and handed my horse off to the groom."
"When I arrived, I saw you take a swing at the man," Tavington said. "You are normally a sober and level-headed officer, Bordon. What on Earth did he say to make you lose control in such a fashion?"
"Err, I'd really rather not say," Bordon said, shifting uncomfortably at the reminder of Tapp calling his manhood into question right in front of Mary. "Let us just say that he impugned my honour."
"You will be more specific," Tavington said tightly, drumming his fingers impatiently on the desk. "That is an order."
"Tapp said that I should have come to him for advice on how to get Mary pregnant," Bordon reluctantly replied. "If duelling were still legal, I would have called him out for that!" After a moment, he said heatedly, "As it is, I demand that he be flogged for speaking to me in such a manner."
Tavington ignored Bordon's demand, then said coldly, "I thought I had told you to take your wife in hand, Bordon, as she's been affecting your concentration on your duty. It seems as if her obsession is now spreading and creating dissension in the ranks as well. Let me tell you this, Bordon, I simply won't have it. We have a job to do and I will not have your wife stirring up the men."
"I did not give Mary permission to speak with Ruth," Bordon stressed to Tavington in a weary voice. "She took it upon herself to do so."
"And you had no idea she intended to do it?" Tavington, asked raising an eyebrow.
"I knew she wanted to adopt, yes," Bordon admitted. "But I'd told her I had serious reservations about doing so, but I did promise to think about it when she pressed me on the matter."
"It would seem that you most certainly do not have the matter in hand, then," Tavington said severely. "I have an upset servant and an angry Sergeant Major because of your wife's careless behaviour and it must end immediately. Is that clear?"
"How do you intend to deal with Tapp?" Bordon demanded in a truculent tone. "A man of his rank has no business speaking to an officer in the manner he addressed me. He deserves to be flogged."
Bordon was about at the end of his patience with how Tavington had long been letting the insolent, amoral Marcus Tapp get away with doing pretty much whatever he wanted to do and especially how he'd he'd taken Tapp's side against him on several issues. Now, with Tavington essentially blaming him for the altercation with Tapp, it was the last straw for the red-headed dragoon.
"I believe I asked you if my orders were clear, Captain," Tavington gritted out. "And how I deal with Sergeant Major Tapp is my decision alone. But I will tell you that I have no intention of having him flogged."
"And why not?" Bordon demanded, his indignation building. "He was clearly in violation of regulations and should be flogged, which is the recommended punishment for insubordination."
"For one thing, it was your wife who instigated the problem," Tavington began. "Secondly, I don't blame Sergeant Major Tapp for his reaction. I cannot say that I would not have done the same thing if I were in his shoes. His only mistake was not bringing the matter to me and by confronting you directly. And lastly, you escalated the problem by resorting to fisticuffs. The fault lies largely with you and your wife and if you were not an officer it would be you who would be getting a punishment." Sighing loudly, Tavington said, "I suppose I must give him some sort of reprimand for not going through proper channels, but that will be as far as it goes."
"So, that is how it's going to be, then?" Bordon said coldly, "You're going to ignore regulations and let my authority be undermined in front of the men?"
"I must do what I think is right," Tavington insisted.
"And so must I," Bordon shot back. "You will have my request for transfer on your desk in the morning. I no longer wish to serve as your second in command."
"And I will accept that request," Tavington said sourly. "You are dismissed."
"Mary and I will be moving out as soon as I can obtain another billet, then," Bordon informed him before leaving the library.
Stalking down the hall to the bedroom he shared with Mary, he threw open the door to see her waiting anxiously inside.
"Pack your things, Mary," he growled at his wife. "We're moving!"
"What happened?" Mary asked, almost not wanting to know. "I could hear your raised voices but I couldn't tell what you were saying."
"Tavington took Tapp's side, that's what happened!" Bordon spat. "He said the incident was a our fault! I'm tired of it, Mary! He lets that bastard do whatever he wants to do whenever he wants to do it. This isn't the first time he's taken Tapp's side in a dispute and I, for one, am tired of having my authority undermined in front of the men."
"Oh, my," Mary said helplessly. "Where are we going to go?"
"I don't know just yet," her husband said. "Anywhere but here. I intend to put in for transfer first thing in the morning. I'll not stand by and remain in a unit where a Sergeant Major has more authority than a Captain."
"I don't blame you," Mary said loyally. "Perhaps it's for the best."
"It most certainly is for the best!" Bordon growled. "I should have done this a long time ago. Colonel Tavington is an excellent cavalryman and for that I've been glad to serve under him, but he's woefully lacking as a judge of character."
"I'm afraid you're right," Mary agreed, patting his arm sympathetically. "You deserve so much more than the way you've been patronized here."
"Perhaps Tarleton will have an opening for me," Bordon speculated. "I'll check at headquarters first thing in the morning."
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Ruth and Tapp had arrived back at the Powell home just in time for dinner. As they entered the home, Tapp guided her to the dining room and said, "Let's eat. A good argument always makes me hungry."
She followed him hesitantly to find six sergeants from various units sitting around the heavy oak table, which included the bald, rawboned sergeant she'd seen earlier.
"Another one for dinner, Hannah," Tapp said to a matronly, middle aged woman who had just set a large bowl of potatoes on the table. Hannah was the wife of an older sergeant seated at the other end of the table.
Tapp looked around and pulled an extra chair for Ruth from the corner and placed it by the one empty seat at the head of the table.
Ruth wasn't all that hungry, as she was still upset from what had happened that day. But she made herself eat, as she knew it was better for the baby if she did. She did not speak much, but allowed the ribald banter between the sergeants to pass right over her head.
A couple of the sergeants looked at Ruth, then smirked lewdly at one another as they noticed that Ruth appeared to be pregnant.
One of them turned to Tapp and said, "Much easier this way, huh, Tapp, because you don't have to worry about any by-blows if you bring one home who's already got herself a bellyful, eh?"
"Too late for that," Tapp replied dryly. "I'm afraid this one is my own handiwork."
All the men laughed heartily at this, with a couple of them clapping him on the back in congratulations. Hannah smiled at Ruth and said, "Oh, that's wonderful! I'm sure you'll make an excellent mother."
Both Ruth and Tapp felt rather uncomfortable by the congratulations of those around them, though Ruth gave Hannah and the rest of the group a hesitant, shy smile.
A short time later, after the couple had left the table, Ruth looked up at Tapp and said, "I'm awfully tired. Where will I sleep?"
He looked down at her with a lopsided grin. "Why, with me, of course! Where did you think you were going to sleep?"
"I wasn't sure if you ever wanted to sleep with me again," she said in a small voice, blushing in embarrassment.
"Of course I do," Tapp assured her, gazing down her with his pale eyes full of arousal. With a shrug, he added, "It's not as if I can get you pregnant twice, you know." Taking her hand, he said, "Come on, then. I think I'm up for an early night, myself."
"I don't want to inconvenience you," Ruth demurred, though not too strongly, for she ached to lie in his arms once again.
"It's no inconvenience at all, trust me on that," he said, chuckling lowly, as he leaned down to gently kiss her cheek. "I've missed lying with you."
"As have I," Ruth admitted with a glowing smile.
"And there's no way I'd let you sleep alone at this place," he warned her. "You'd have to fight off some of those randy sergeants during the night, so it's better if you simply stay with me where I know you'll be safe…from them, at least."
"But will I be safe from you?" she asked with a wicked smile playing about her lips.
"Most assuredly not" he replied, chuckling again, squeezing her hand.
"I was hoping you'd say that," she said, as he closed the door to his room behind them. It was the same room where she'd nursed Mrs Powell nearly a year before.
"What's wrong, Ruth?" Tapp asked as he caught the pensive expression on her face and she walked around the room closely surveying it.
"Oh, I'm fine, but I knew the woman who owned this house and I nursed her during her last months in this very room," she said wistfully. "She was one of Miss Charlotte's friends."
Tapp nodded briefly in acknowledgment, but didn't quite know what to say. Instead, he turned down the covers of the bed and took off his uniform jacket, carelessly throwing it on a nearby chair.
"I don't know about you, but I'm ready for bed," he hinted as he sat on the side of the bed to remove the rest of his clothing.
"It's a bit cold in here," Ruth said, shivering, a few minutes later, standing in only her shift.
"Come here," Tapp said, already lying in bed having avidly watched her as she'd removed her clothes. "I'll warm you up."
"I'm sure you will," she said, giggling, as she slipped gratefully under the blankets with the naked Marcus Tapp, who took her into his arms after pulling the covers over them.
As he bent his head to kiss her, he became suddenly aware of her pregnant belly between them. He slipped one hand over her belly, rubbing back and forth to get a complete sense of the child - his child - growing within.
"Here's one difference from the last time we were together," he murmured lazily. "Seems like he's going to be a big one." Ruth's pregnancy had not seemed entirely real to Tapp until this very moment.
"Of course he will," Ruth replied softly. "Just look at his father."
"When will the baby come?" Tapp asked.
"Late July or early August, I would think," Ruth said. "I've visited the midwife and she said I was doing well."
"Good, good," Tapp said nervously, his fears of commitment rising to the surface once again. His hand strayed to the bottom of her shift and under, leaning forward in order to feel her stomach without the barrier of cloth between them.
As he leaned forward, Ruth felt him, already rock hard, pressing against her thigh. She reached out to stroke him, eager after months of being deprived of his company. Her effort was rewarded by a low, needful groan from Tapp, who was now peeling off her shift.
He eased her down gently onto the mattress, then partially covered her to keep her warm. His warm hands explored the new contours of her body as his mouth took hers hungrily.
After a few moments of this exquisite torture, Ruth begged, "Please, Marcus. Now." She felt as if she'd go mad if she were not joined to him this very instant.
Fortunately, Tapp did not make her wait, and for the next half hour or so, she became well re-acquainted with the man she loved.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/
"What is going on up there?" Charlotte Tavington stood at the bottom of the stairs, hands on hips, as William appeared on the landing. "I heard raised voices and slammed doors." Pausing a second to take in more air, she asked, "And have you seen Ruth? I've been looking for her and she's not anywhere in the house!"
"Come in here, and I'll tell you," Tavington said, leading her into the dining room, then shutting the door behind them. The table was set and servants were already placing dishes on the table. "It's a bit of a long story."
As the couple seated themselves around the dinner table, Tavington began, "It seems as if Mary took it upon herself to tell Ruth that she wouldn't be fit to raise her own child and that she should give the baby to her and Captain Bordon to raise."
"Oh, dear" Charlotte said, frowning. "Mary mentioned to me that she wanted to do this and I'm afraid I didn't take her quite seriously. I can't imagine that Ruth took this very well."
"No, she didn't," Tavington replied with a mirthless laugh. "She was terrified and ran straight for Tapp."
"I suppose I can safely guess that the Sergeant Major was even less pleased than Ruth by Mary's proposition," Charlotte said, then took a bite of food.
"You could safely say that, yes," Tavington said with a wry expression. "Tapp was livid. Bordon had left for home a few minutes before I did and by the time I got here, I found Tapp and Bordon in a heated argument. I came through the gate just in time to see the captain throw a punch at Tapp. I managed to stop it before Tapp could retaliate."
"That's not like the captain at all!" Charlotte remarked. "He's usually so calm and collected, no matter the situation."
"Mary has him off balance with this baby obsession of hers," Tavington confided. "It's been adversely affecting the performance of his duties for months. In fact, I'd even previously ordered him to get the matter under control."
"It would seem as if he did not," Charlotte observed. "I feel sorry for Mary, but I can see where her preoccupation could distract Captain Bordon. She's changed quite a bit over the last few months to the point where she made me feel uncomfortable around her simply for having a baby of my own. I sympathize with her feelings, considering that I lost my own first baby, but I refuse to feel guilty for the baby I now have."
"Nor should you feel that way," Tavington assured her.
"So what happened upstairs just now?" Charlotte asked again. "And Ruth, where is she?"
"Ruth went back with Tapp to his billet for the night," Tavington reported. "I think Mary Bordon really frightened her."
"And the sergeant major allowed that?" Charlotte asked, raising an eyebrow.
"It was his suggestion," Tavington told her.
"Well, it would appear as if maybe one thing might work for the best here," Charlotte said. "It seems as if Marcus Tapp cares for Ruth, after all, if he is seeking to protect her."
"Perhaps," Tavington agreed sourly. "Or perhaps he simply wants to spite Bordon. But you may be right, considering he risked his career to protect her."
"Are you going to punish him?" Charlotte asked anxiously.
"No," Tavington said. "Bordon demanded that I have him flogged, but that's not going to happen. Tapp isn't the one who started it, nor did he throw the first punch. And he did what I would have done if someone had treated you in a similar manner. It's hard to fault a man protecting the mother of his child."
"I don't suppose Captain Bordon was satisfied with that explanation," Charlotte surmised.
"No, not at all," Tavington said. "In fact, he has asked for a transfer to a different unit."
"And did you accept the request?" Charlotte asked.
"I did," he replied. "I think it may the best thing for all concerned if Bordon made a fresh start elsewhere. He's a good officer and I'll miss him, but he's shown that he cannot keep his mind on his duties and I don't need a second in command who is not focused."