"You can't go" Cassandra begged, looking up at her husband with tears streaking down her face.
"I must" William argued, crossing to her and taking her hands in his. "Do not fear my love, I will come home to you"
"Injured" Cassandra blurted out, her eyes widening as her husband looked at her.
"I beg your pardon?" William said stiffly, "Do you by chance have some information that I do not?"
Cassandra turned her head away, unable to look her husband in the eyes, unable to relay the information that she knew. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you what I knew" she whispered.
Gripping her chin in his hand, Tavington turned her head so that she was facing him, "Whatever it is you know, I must insist that you tell me. Especially considering the state you are in, and your allegations that I will be injured if I leave your side this morning. Cassandra, my love, is it not enough for you to know that I have escaped this war unharmed? I am perfectly capable of watching myself out in the field"
Cassandra shook her head, "I can't explain it in a way that you will understand" she murmured, "But I know that today is the day you ride into Pembroke searching for Benjamin Martin" she noticed the surprised look in her husband's eyes that she would know the name of his ghost, something that he had been careful not to share with her. "I know the Captain Wilkins is the one that told you of his identity. I know you burned the house of his late wife's sister, and I know you were unsuccessful in finding either her, or the Martin children..."
Cassandra took a deep breath, "I know, without a doubt, that despite your promises, you will ride into Pembroke, you will order the villagers to gather inside the church, and I know that whether or not they give you the information you seek, you will burn them alive."
Tavington's eyes widened as his wife spoke. How could she know the secrets he had kept so carefully hidden from her? How could she know his intentions today when he had spoke of them to absolutely no one?
"Cassandra... what would make you think such things about me?" he asked her, feeling her tremble beneath his touch. "Are you having those nightmares again?" he asked her, remembering the vivid dreams she once had.
"Please, William, do not ask me for that which I cannot explain to you. Please know that I have only your best interests at heart, and those of your men. After..." she had to swallow hard to get out what she knew was coming, "After you burn the church, and you ride off... you'll make camp at what you think is a safe distance. However, it is not safe. Benjamin Martin's eldest son, Gabriel... his new wife will be in the church. And he will lead a hard ride to find you. And... and he does William" Cassandra turned now, her eyes searching his. "A fight ensues, several of your soliders are killed and you" Cassandra raised her hand to lay it against his cheek, "You my love, are shot by Gabriel and left to die..."
Tavington pulled back as though she had stuck him, "Whatever are you talking about" he asked, gripping Cassandra's shoulders hard, barely resisting the urge to shake her. "What madness is this? You seem so sure of what will happen, Cassandra, what secrets have you been keeping from me?"
Cassandara watched him, the look she saw coming into his eyes causing her to cringe back. "You will think I am mad" she whispered.
Tavington's lips twitched, "I already think that I'm afriad"
Blowing out a breath, she turned away from him. "I am from the future" she said, "I don't know how I came to be here, but the main house was my home. I was born and raised there. And my history books are ripe with information about you, Colonel William Tavington, the bloody butcher"
Tavington rose abruptly, leaving his wife on the floor as he paced the room. "I do not know" he began, his tones clipped and cool, "how you came by this information, but I can assure you, it is impossible. You hit your head, evidently harder than I had thought that night I found you. And it is causing you to have these dreams which make little sense. I shall summon the doctor to look at you before I ride out"
'A doctor?' Cassandra thought, shaking her head, she didn't need a doctor. She looked up from her position on the floor, her eyes beeseeching. "I beg you, do not call the doctor. Ride today if you must. I have tried to warn you, tried to stop what I should have known was inevitable. It was a foolish hope of mine to think I could change history.
Tavington studied his wife for a moment, he could not understand what had caused this sudden, and strange behavior in her, but he was worried about her. Crossing the room, he picked her up from the floor, and carried her to the bed. "Allow me to fix you something before I leave" he told her. "And promise me you'll stay in bed until I return"
Cassandra nodded, too worn to argue with him as he tucked the quilt up around her.
Pacing around the kitchen as he waited for the fire to heat the water for the tea, Tavington considered her words, and the fear he had seen in her eyes. She truly believed what she was saying. She honeslty believed herself to be from the future. 'It must be the dreams again' he thought, remembering the night she had awoke in terror, having claimed she saw him burn a church full of people. It seemed now her dreams were crossing into her waking state, making her believe things. Could he now, follow through on the idea she had given him when he saw how even the thought was affecting her?
Crossing to the cupboard, he pulled out a small vial the doctor had given him when he had first approached him regarding Cassandra's dreams. It was a powerful drug, that would provide her with a restful nights sleep, or Tavington reasoned as he tipped a few drops into her tea, a few blissful hours where she wouldn't worry about him. He was after all a soldier, and soldier had a duty.