Chapter 64 Duty Beckons

The Tavington's carriage bumped along the road to Winnsboro. The mid July morning was mild. Storms had come through the area the night before helping to cool the air and take some of the humidity away. The windows were down on the vehicle, letting the cool country air blow gently through the carriage.

Melanie Tavington sat on the seat across from her husband, facing him. The young woman was quiet, her hands folded in her lap. She looked down at the floor, only occasionally glancing up to look out at the passing scenery. The day for William to report to duty had arrived.

Relations between the couple had been strained the last two weeks. They'd played mental and emotional games with each other during their most intimate moments at night. They hardly spoke to each other during the days and spent barely moments at a time in each other's presence. Melanie had not been able to forgive her husband for causing her miscarriage, as well as living with a beating that she'd received from him recently.

Mrs. Tavington had been anxious for the general to leave, hoping that his return to duty and subsequent absence would do them both good. Strangely though this morning, the young woman was apprehensive, almost dreading that her husband was to leave. As furious as she had been at him, she felt that she would miss him.

William, handsome in his red general's uniform, looked across the coach to his quiet wife. He always thought she was beautiful, and he knew he would miss her. Though they hadn't gotten on very well the last two weeks, he wanted to be home a little longer with her, hoping that relations would once again smooth out. Yet, he felt the strong pull to get back to duty.

"Come….sit next to me, Melanie," William coaxed.

She complied, moving over to the seat across from her, sitting down next to her husband. The couple sat quietly for a moment, then Will lean into Melanie just a little and began to nuzzle her neck. He slid one of his arms around his wife and began pulling her skirt up with the other.

Melanie fought him lightly, pushing his hands away, trying to keep his hand from pulling her skirt up any higher.

"William, stop," she protested, trying to push him away. "This isn't the proper place or time."

He continued advancing on her, his hands now traveling all over her body, still trying to get under her skirt. "I may take my wife anywhere I please," he whispered in her ear playfully.

"No, Will, don't", she begged, "The windows are down. People can see us!"

"I care not," he replied. "I won't see you for awhile. I want you one last time before I leave."

Slipping his other arm around her, he pulled his protesting wife up onto his lap facing away from him. Her legs spread naturally on either side of his lap. William reached down and pulled her skirt up to the top of her thighs.

Melanie now felt embarrassed in this scandalous position. She wondered if passersby could see into the carriage and see her spread eagled on her husband's lap. Will's hands moved up her legs and disappeared under her bunched up skirt. The fingers of his right hand slid into the soft folds of her quim, finding her bud, beginning to caress it. The fingers of his left hand slid into her moistness, pushing in and out of her.

Again, the young woman tried to fight against the pleasure. But William's kisses on her neck, then his voice softly coaxing in her ear made her lose all resolve. She loved feeling his fingers within her, and his other fingers massaging her pearl was too much for her. Her head dropped backwards onto his right shoulder. She arched her back against him, reaching back and up behind her with her left arm, hooking it around Will's neck.

"Go ahead and cry out darling," he coaxed, his breath on the shell of her ear, "show me how much you will miss me."

This was all it took for her. Melanie could fight no longer. She yielded to the pleasure and let herself go.

"Oh…..ah….oh….William!" she moaned as she came.

Her husband, pleased that she climaxed, moved her body with strong arms off his lap and pushed her down onto her back on the coach seat. He positioned himself above her, his right leg kneeling up on the seat and his left foot planted on the floor of the carriage. Tavington pushed his pants down enough to free his stiffened manhood. Pushing her skirt up a little higher, he plunged his hardness into her wet womanhood.

He thrust quickly and hard into her at first, then slowed himself down, wanting to stay in control. As he pushed in and out of her with long, slow strokes, he kissed her ears and neck, speaking softly as he did.

"You're going to miss my body against yours," he whispered against her neck, punctuating his words with a thrust.

"You're going to miss my mouth on your nipples ," Will sighed against her ear as he slowly pulled himself nearly all the way out of her.

"You're going to miss my fingers in you," Tavington murmured, then languidly slid his length back into her.

"You're going to miss my tongue between your legs," he breathed against her cheek. He kept his slow rhythm, not missing a stroke.

"You're going to miss my hands on your body," Will whispered, pressing himself back into her.

Melanie was completely lost to him and the feeling, unaware that she had her arms around his body, and just how tightly she held him against her; how close.

"You're going to miss my cock inside of you," he said softly against her neck, heaving himself in deeply, hitting the back of her, making her whimper and moan.

He took her chin gently in his hand and brought her face to his. "You're going to miss my lips on yours." His mouth claimed hers in a devastating kiss which she accepted, no longer wanting to fight it.

Then he stopped his plunging within her, and held himself up on strong arms above her. William looked deeply into her eyes and spoke.

"But most of all, I am going to miss you," he proclaimed, "because… I love you just a bit."

He brought his face back down to hers and kissed his wife, unaware that tears now dotted the corners of her eyes. Melanie held his body tightly to hers, not wanting him to see that he'd brought her to tears. She never expected to hear him say that to her. But she was moved to tears because she could not say those words back to him now.

The next moment, Will, still inside her, raised his body up slightly, reached forward and over his wife's head to grip the edge of the open window as he had gripped the headboard of their bed many times. He used it to help steady himself as he drove his hardness as far into her as he could. Melanie drew her knees up, letting him penetrate her as deeply and easily as he could. After a few more strokes, they came together, with his body collapsing onto hers, panting all the while.

Soon the couple were putting straightening their clothes up again. Melanie raised up to go back to the seat across from her husband, but he clutched her wrist, stopping her.

"Please…..stay next to me for the rest of the ride," he said.

Melanie simply nodded her head and remained seated near him. She stayed quiet, watching the scenery out the window of the carriage, now more confused than ever. This man who she deemed a fiend and the killer of her unborn baby, whom she had hated the last two weeks, had just confessed love for her. What was she to do? What was she to think?

Lost in thought, the girl lost all track of time and even William sitting next to her. The coach coming to a stop brought her out of her reverie.

Mrs. Tavington looked out the carriage window to see dozens of red coated soldiers milling about, some alone, some with family members. She saw quite a few parked carriages and wagons, as well as horses tied about. To her, it looked like they were one of the last to arrive.

William helped her out of the wagon as Ezra the slave dismounted the coach and hastily gathered the general's luggage. Tavington then walked to the back of the coach and unhitched his steed from it, checking the saddle and arranging the saddlebags on it.

For some reason, Melanie wanted to grab Will's hand. She walked to the other side of the carriage where he stood looking over his horse. Just as she reached out to him a private appeared.

"General Tavington, you're needed for a quick conference over there right away, sir," he informed.

"Thank you," the officer said as he handed the reins of his steed to the private. The young soldier immediately led the horse away to William's position within the battalion.

Melanie pulled her hand back as Will had dashed away and was out of her reach instantly. She let out a disappointed sigh.

Melanie watched the bustle that went on. Officers were gathered, conferring over maps and talking with guides. The baggage wagons were being loaded. Mostly, soldiers were bidding farewell to civilians.

Soon, she saw the Wilkins' making their way toward her. At the same time, Will returned as well. The two officers and neighbors greeted each other. Melanie and Bridget hugged.

"I'm not ready for this," Bridget confided, "I don't want to let him go."

Mrs. Tavington said nothing, simply shaking her head in agreement.

After the men greeted each other's wives, James spirited his wife away to meet some colleagues. Melanie and William were alone again. Moving over to stand near him, she took his hand. When he felt her hand in his, he smiled down at her, then raised her hand to his lips, brushing a light kiss on it.

"Will—"

"General, I need your signature on this," a young lieutenant called as he ran over to the couple, interrupting the girl.

"Certainly," Tavington replied. He quickly let his wife's hand slip out of his to take the clipboard that was handed to him. Mrs. Tavington watched as her husband quickly read over the paperwork, then signed it.

Melanie heard shouting across the way, and looked at her husband in as he turned to look that direction wanting to see what was going on. He took a few steps away from the woman as he shouted to another officer, checking on things. She looked down at the ground, disappointed, moving dirt about with the toe of her shoe, hands clasped behind her back.

When she looked up again, she saw that Will looked settled and stood quietly, looking over the men busily readying to leave. He turned his head to notice his wife looking demurely at him. The officer smiled and made his way back to her. "I'm sorry darling, you were saying—"

A quartermaster came running their direction, waving some papers in his hand. "General Tavington, we didn't get everything requested……."

His voice got lost as Melanie tuned it out of her mind. Another distraction for her husband. She sighed in disappointment. The young woman wanted William alone for just a moment to talk briefly before they parted.

Melanie looked on as the supply officer and her husband looked through the manifests and quickly made decisions about what to do. As they did, the young woman inched up quietly behind her husband and slipped her hand back into his free left hand hanging by his side. He instinctively held it as he listened to the quartermaster finish up.

As soon as the man hurried away, Will turned back to his wife. Timidly, she spoke again.

"William—"

Once again, they were interrupted by a small group of soldiers walking with purpose toward them. Tavington let go of his wife's hand and moved to meet the men, knowing they were in need of the commanding officer.

Melanie watched in passive frustration as her husband was besieged by men needing orders, confirmations, and various other last minute things from the General. She heaved a heavy sigh and resigned herself to the probability that she would not get another minute alone with him before the battalion moved out.

As she looked about, she noticed that most of the soldiers had assembled into ranks, ready to march. She saw that most of those lucky enough to have horses were already on them or mounting at that time. The woman saw the teamsters on their wagons, reins in hand, ready to roll. And lastly, she noticed the women and families standing off to the side, ready to wave goodbye as the men left.

Soon the men were gone and the area around them seemed deserted and quiet. Melanie looked about as William approached her again, expecting to see more soldiers needing his time.

The two finally met and an awkward silence passed between them. As Melanie gazed at him for what would be the last time for weeks or months, she thought him exceptionally handsome in his long red general's coat with gold braiding and his riding boots.

Tavington broke the silence. "Well, this is it. I'm the last one," he said looking back at all assembled and ready to leave, now waiting on him. Melanie looked about and noticed most of those men looking at the two of them during this intimate moment between the general and his wife.

"They're waiting on me to be able to leave," remarked the officer, "Seems I'm the commanding officer in charge of this division. I'm to lead the column."

"Just like you did in the cavalry," she added softly.

"Yes, nothing new," her husband agreed, "except it's a very large regiment."

This worried Melanie, but she kept it inside. It frightened her that Will would be leading the battalion in full general's uniform. The rebel snipers had standing orders to shoot highest ranking officers first. She knew that Will had known this for months.

"I'm proud of you," Mrs. Tavington stated timidly.

"Thank you, wife," he replied with genuine humility.

"I've seen to everything," the officer said, "Business will be fine. You have Mr. Andrews to help you."

Melanie smiled slightly and nodded her head.

"You will be safe there even after the hospital camp is gone," William stated, tying up the last loose ends with his wife. "The servants have strict orders to protect you."

Again, Mrs. Tavington nodded silently.

"Goodbye, darling. I'll write as soon as I have the chance," he said. "I'll miss you."

Melanie nodded, hiding emotion and tears.

With that, he took both her hands and pulled her body to his, where they hugged each other and kissed respectably and lightly each other's lips, then exchanged kisses on their cheeks. Both knew they were being watched by the entire column.

As he turned to leave her, she reached out and grabbed his hand. "William!"

Melanie pulled her husband back to him, his tall, slender frame now nearly touching hers again. Still holding one of his hands as they faced each other, she reached up and hooked her other hand around his neck. She pulled his body down slightly to where his face met hers, and kissed him deeply and passionately, not caring who saw it.

When their lips parted, still bent down slightly, Will put his forehead against her. His heart was moved inside to see tears in her eyes. "While I have been furious with you the last few days," she murmured, "I will forgive you in time."

"Thank you," he answered softly.

"And even though I am upset with you," she whispered, her voice breaking, "I will still miss you." He brushed his lips against hers in a soft, gentle kiss.

Remembering Alex Bordon dying in her arms while on duty, she spoke, tears spilling out of her eyes and down her cheeks. William brushed the tears from her face with his thumbs.

"I want you to come back," she sobbed, "I want you to come home to me."

"I will," he answered, then kissed her cheek.

He stood up straight, took his gloves from his belt and began to put them on. Melanie wiped her tears away as he made ready to leave.

"Duty beckons," he said bravely with a fond smile to his wife. With that, he turned and walked toward his horse.

Mrs. Tavington moved back into the crowd, Mrs. Wilkins soon finding her. The two women linked arms with each other, leaning on one another as they looked upon their officer husbands for the last time for awhile.

General Tavington mounted, and gave a nod to Major Wilkins, seated upon his mount next to the officer. William donned his three cornered hat and looked back at the regiment.

He called the order. "Gentleman! Forward march!"

Both William and James looked at their wives, touched their hats with their fingers, and gave a last nod to the women. The two officers were soon lost behind a sea of men on horses, and the infantry's raised muskets as the large column moved north on the road out of Winnsboro.