Chapter 7

Colonel Lennox closed his eyes in frustration and pressed his lips together as Captain Fraser entered in his tent. Fraser refused to go to the tent as Carter suggested him, he needed to go talk with Lennox before. He felt exhausted, it took him great effort to go there although he tried to hide it as best as he could, and he entered to the tent straight.

"I have not need to justify myself to you" Lennox replied in a low voice that didn't hide the anger he felt. Fraser looked straight at him. Lennox cleared his throat, he didn't want to discuss that with Fraser. "By the way, you should be in the infirmary you have not fully recovered. You should better take care of himself".

Fraser shook his head. "I've always been proud to fight with you side by side but I no longer recognize you Francis. What were you thinking when you talk with Miss Heywood like that? Should a woman not be able to refuse a man without being mistreated?"

Truth to be told, Lennox never expected Charlotte could refuse his marriage proposal. He was sure Colbourne had poisoned her mind against him. Lennox wasn't able to think there could be another cause for her refusal. Now he was eager to leave Sanditon and all those ungrateful who now were complaining about the British Army regiment presence. He didn't want to hear anything of Sandinton's people.

"I suggest you hold your tongue. I won't let you talk to me like that" replied codly.

"The honour demands a frank apology to Miss Heywood" Fraser insisted.

"You should not forget I am your commanding officer..." Lennox started to lose his patience; he didn't want to hear him anymore. "From now on, no one can go outside the camp without my permission and it is completely forbidden to have any contact with anyone from Sanditon".

Lennox was rescinding the permission to all the soldiers to go to Sanditon out of pure spite.

"But sir, in few weeks we'll be leaving England, they need some free-time..." Fraser felt his world falling apart.

Lennox clenched his hands to fists on the table. "I didn't ask for your opinion Captain Fraser. It is an order. Clear and simple"

Fraser gritted his teeth. He nodded and struggled to keep a neutral expression "I'll let know to everyone".

Fraser left Lennox's tent devastated. How could he be able to meet Alison again and express his true feelings if they were forbidden to leave the camp and there was no way he could send a letter to her?

OoooooooooooooooooooooooooO

On their back home, Charlotte explained to Alison her conversation with Lennox.

"He proposed" Charlotte whispered hoarsely, her eyes closed. "I said no and then he – he called me a servant and he gripped my arm. I was so scared Alison. I could see the anger and the contempt he looked at me as I have insulted him. If Captain Fraser had no appeared I was sure he would have hit me"

"I am so- so sorry. All this time I promoted him to you and today I left you alone with him".

Charlotte shook her head. She didn't want to talk of him anymore. "I'm sorry you didn't have the chance to talk with Captain Fraser" replied.

Alison shook her head, her lip wobbling with suppressed emotion. She started crying in earnest, covering her face with her hands. "It is over for me Charlotte. Soon they will leave England for good and I won't be able to tell him-".

Charlotte kept her arms around her sister, and laid her head upon her shoulder, fully enveloping Alison in her embrace. "No! It is not. It has barely even begun. I am certain of it. Don't give up yet Alison".

OoooooooooooooooooooooooooO

Weeks passed by and Alison didn't get any letter or visit from Captain Fraser. She tried to occupy herself as best as she could with reading, sewing and walking but nothing seemed to be able to hold her attention for more than a few moments, her melancholy stole her joy.

Alison was lost in thoughts until she suddenly heard the door creaking softly. She hastily put the letters written by Captain Fraser pretending to be Carter back in her small pocket and let her gaze wander to the opening door. Her friend Georgiana entered the room and gave her a shy smile.

"Alison?" Georgiana asked as she stepped in.

Alison turned around with tears in her eyes. Georgiana rushed over embracing her.

"No news yet?"

Alison shook her head.

"You can't keep reading his letters over and over again. We need to do something. You are not some fragile damsel waiting in the castle for his prince charming to come. If he doesn't come, we will go and find him. Dry your tears Alison, we'll go to the camp".

And they went but meters before arriving there, they found some soldiers on duty.

"Sorry ladies, you can't go on. We have strictly orders to not let anyone enter the camp"

"...neither leave" mumbled the other soldier. The first one sent him a cold look to keep his mouth shouted.

"But we need to speak with Captain Fraser. It's a matter of live or death" Georgiana explained.

The first soldier shook his head. "I'm sorry but our orders are clear. Please turn around and go back home".

Alison looked at the other soldier who seemed keener to help them but he avoided looking at her. Georgiana could see it would be useless; they will not get anything of them. "Come on let's get back home".

Alison said no word on their way back home. Georgiana tried as best as she could to cheer her up. "We'll think of something. Do not lose hope. While they are still camped here, there's still hope".

OoooooooooooooooooooooooooO

Meanwhile in the camp, Fraser forced himself to get up. He had already recovered from his physical injuries but he hadn't slept properly since the incident. He missed her, he missed her smile, her laugh, he missed teasing her and how she could always surprise him. He shook his head as if doing so would somehow remove such dreary thoughts from his mind. When he left his tent he saw the combat practice had already began and today he decided he wanted to join them.

During the combat practices soldiers used to cheer for their favorite fighter. But this combat practice was different; it could be sense in the atmosphere. As Carter approached, the loudness he encountered was deafening. He stepped in where currently a fiery fight was taking place.

"What the hell-" Carter mumbled when he saw Fraser fighting with another soldier.

Fraser hefted himself up to face his opponent. Although the guy was clearly more sluggish than his friend, Carter could see that Fraser had already taken a lot. His lower lip was split and he had a laceration in his eyebrow surrounded by traces of sticky blood.

"Captain Fraser seems unbeatable!" another soldier explained excited to Carter. "It's his tenth combat. He is fighting non-stop challenging us to win him".

Once Fraser was close enough to Carter, he tried to grab Fraser's and he whispered as he tried to hold him back. "Come on, man! This is ludicrous! You can barely stand!".

Fraser glowered at him and shook off his hand as he stumbled forward into the circle again. A violent blow caught Fraser in the side at the lower end of the rib cage, causing him to gasp for air and groan in pain. Fraser lost his balance and stumble sideways. He was clearly doing everything he could to stay on his feet. Carter jumped between his friend and his opponent and raised his hands in surrender. He was sure that if he hadn't interfered, Fraser would have kept fighting until his final breath.

"Hold on, fellow! The fight is over. You've won!".

He turned around and grabbed Fraser by the upper arm and led him to the tent. Carter shook his head in disbelief as he looked at him. "What has gotten into you Declan? Are you trying to get yourself killed?"

He waited a few seconds, but there was no response. "If you needed to get your sorry ass kicked that badly, I could have done it myself" joked Carter.

"I'm not in the mood to talk" Fraser sighed as he closed his eyes unable to maintain eye contact.

"I should get the doctor…" Carter began.

"No! He has more important things to do... I'm fine. It's just a couple of broken ribs and some minor bruises. Really Will, I'm fine". He said with that vehement voice that allowed no objections.

'I must do something', Carter thought. 'You have helped me plenty of times; I cannot stand and do nothing'. With that thought he left the tent, sure what he should do next.