Four days after the Applebury Ball, William still brooded over the fact that Effie had walked away from him without a single word. Those four days had consisted of him drinking half to death.
John walked up into the office of the Weatherby home, instantly spotting William slouched down at his desk with a glass of whiskey in his hand "My God, what's wrong with you?" Major Borden groaned as he looked his commander up and down "You look like you've been dragged through a hedge backwards by your hair"
William lifted his glass and took a sip from it "What do you wish to hear? That you were right all along? That the woman didn't feel the same in the end?" He scoffed before downing the rest of the amber liquid, scrunching his brow and squinting his eyes at the taste. Though when he reached for the bottle, John quickly took it away.
"Come on mate, it was only a woman"
"No, no, she wasn't just any woman…"
"What of the money Miss Midland has?"
"I do not want money, John, I wanted her and I was stupid enough to think that she felt the same" William spat before reaching for the hair ribbon on his desk.
"Alright" And with that John walked from the office and back into his chambers. Borden sighed and thought about it for a moment. He had known him since he had first joined the dragoons. In all fairness he had expressed fondness for multiple women though it always ended when he left with the dragoons. When he was introduced to Miss Midland he seemed happy but now, as John now realised, he would rather have Effie Collins.
John smiled slightly as a plan formed in his mind. Maybe if he sent a letter to the Collins' household informing them that William and himself were 'taking a walk' her father or brother would attempt to convince Effie to come out of her home.
When he had dressed in his uniform, he quickly wrote down a few instructions in a letter for Mr Collins to follow. He gave the parchment to a servant and told him to deliver it to the Collins' homestead. After half an hour the servant returned and told the Major that Mr Collins would take Effie on a 'walk' at 12pm.
As soon as 11:45am rolled around, John barged into the office once again only to see William with arms on the desk, resting his head on them "Come on, we're going on a walk"
"Are we?"
"Yes, to the…" John trailed off as he thought of an excuse "To the tavern"
"The Tavern?" The colonel thought about it for a moment "As long as you buy me the first drink"
"Get dressed, we leave in ten"
William shook his head as he stuffed Effie's hair ribbon into his waistcoat pocket "Very well…" He sighed as he stood up. John tossed him his coatee before walking from the room. Maybe some whore will satisfy his sorrows? Probably not as the harlot wasn't Effie "The hell are you smiling for?"
"Nothing brother mine"
Effie had been rather quiet the days after the ball. She had come up with the excuse that she didn't feel well just so she could stay in bed longer. The ball had been one of the worst and best days of her loved her. He had confessed how he felt and she had run off like a fool! While she was deep in thought, she pricked her finger with the needle "Ow!" Effie quickly waved her finger around just to make it worse by hitting it on the edge bedside table "This day cannot be any worse!"
"Darling?" Her father knocked on the door. Obviously it can!
"Yes papa?" She asked as placed her stitching on the table "You can come in if you like"
When the door opened and Arthur walked in, she noticed that he was holding a tray "I asked the cook to make you some almond cake…" He smiled and walked into the room and over towards his daughter "You need to keep your strength up my darling, besides, it's your favourite"
"I'm not very hungry papa…"
"We both know full well that you must eat something" Arthur put the tray beside her on the bed before sitting down on the edge of the bed "I am sure that you'll be alright" He mumbled before reaching forwards and touching the back of his hand to her forehead "You aren't warm or pale, thankfully" Effie smiled slightly and stared down at the coverlet. Through her eyes welled up with tears as she thought of William. The look on his face when she stepped away from him still lingered in her mind as clear as day. Arthur brushed back some of her hair and tipped her chin up, noticing the water building up in her eyes ``What's this for?" He asked as her shoulders started to shake.
"William said that he loves me"
Arthur scrunched his eyebrows "Is that not a good thing? I thought that you liked him"
"That is the problem papa, I didn't expect him to confess so I…so I walked away from him" Effie knew that she sounded stupid, her father's facial expression showed that. Arthur shook his head and cast a small smile "I didn't know how to react…"
"And you feel the same?" He asked, his smile widening.
"Well yes…I mean…he is rather nice"
Her father took a plate from the tray and offered it to Effie. When she took it, he made a plate for himself "Do you know why I didn't send him away the moment you brought him home?" Effie shook her head as she used her fork to pick off a few almonds from her slice of cake. Arthur rolled his eyes. She had always liked almond cake but not the almonds. Strange, strange girl "I noticed how at ease you were around each other, it was like you weren't even strangers"
"He saved my life…" Effie shook her head and laid her fork back on the plate "And now he probably won't come back…he looked so upset when he left the dinner" She remembered when Adam took her hand, stopping her from rushing after him.
Arthur shrugged "he'll turn up eventually…"
"And if he doesn't, papa?" Effie stared up at her father "He is a soldier, he probably has more to worry about than me"
Her father reached forwards and softly brushed some hair from her face "Do you love that man?"
"I…I feel as though I can be myself around him" She mumbled before shaking her head "But if we were to continue our courtship, he'd be away for numerous months at a time…If we were to marry and have children they would be away from their father"
Arthur let out a sigh "Aye, that is true" He glanced to her bedside table and noticed the numerous letters that the Colonel had sent her "Well…he and Major Borden will be here soon, I think that you may need to dress"
"What…"
"Major Borden sent a letter via a Servant, he and William are supposed to be on Broad Street" Effie suddenly felt a swarm of butterflies invade her stomach. She placed her plate on the bedside table "Now, get ready and meet me in the foyer in fifteen minutes" With those words, her father stood up and walked from the room, leaving Effie alone once again.
Oh lord, how could she face him after what she did…
As the colonel walked along the path of Broad Street he felt his head starting to pulse once again. Right then and there he swore that he wouldn't touch another drop of Alcohol for at least another week! However due to the circumstances he was currently in, he couldn't think of anything better to drown in sorrows in. William raised his hand and gently massaged his temple with his thumb in attempts to relieve some of the headache he already had.
"Lighten up will you?" John sighed before nudging his officer's shoulder with his own "I'm starting to think that you enjoy being miserable"
"Why, it's already bright enough outside" William sighed and dipped his head down, shielding his eyes from the brightness of the sun.
When they passed a flower shop, the colonel noticed a young couple picking out a rather colourful bouquet. He stopped for a moment when he remembered giving Effie a similar bouquet the second time they met. John saw Effie around ten metres away with her arm looped around her father's. He turned to face his commander only to see him picking up a rose and giving the florist two pennies.
William raised his head and saw John's quizzical look "For you to put on my coffin when I inevitably drink myself to death" He sighed and stared down at the flower in his hand "In truth I wanted something to preserve in the pages of my diary, a keepsake if you will"
"Maybe you can give it to Effie?"
"Pardon?"
"That is her coming this way is it not?"
William swiftly looked along the path, indeed noticing that Effie was walking towards them. He tried to turn around, only for John to stop him with his arm "How dare you-"
"You'll thank me later"
The colonel straightened up, sudden sobriety taking over his body as Effie's eyes met his. When she was a few feet away he noticed how incredibly gorgeous she was once again.
Effie cast him a bright smile as she unlinked her arm from her father's and walked up to him. Arthur smirked ever so slightly as he walked towards the florist to buy Agatha some flowers "William…I-It's good to see you again"
William didn't know what to say, instead, he offered her the flower he had just bought. And when she took the rose, their fingers brushed together again causing a tingle to rush up William's spine "Effie-" He cut himself off as he formed a sentence.
"About the other evening…" Effie nervously twirled the ring- that he had given her -around her finger. She noticed his expression and felt increasingly helpless. Though when she glanced down at the flower in her hands, a little piece of her fear slipped away.
"I thought that we shared something special as though you were my escape from reality…" William shook his head "if you don't feel-"
"-I feel as you do," Effie interrupted him.
Wait what?
"...You do?" He asked with almost disbelief "T-Then why did you run?"
"I don't know" She looked up at him, taking solace in his eyes when she noticed that they didn't have a hint of anger in them "I guess that I wanted to hear those words so much that I wasn't expecting you to say them…" William didn't say anything, all he did was tip his head forwards and stare down at his boots "For what it's worth, I am sorry" She added.
He rolled his jaw, knowing deep down that pursuing her in this time of war would end in tragedy. It would not be fair on her. Maybe it would be best to end their courtship here and now? If he could, he'd get down on one knee and propose that they marry tomorrow. But it would not be fair for her to be sentenced to a life of helplessly following him around for God knows how many years. In the end his decision was final, thought it pained him deeply.
"Effie I have a war raging in front of me, I cannot…" He lost his words when he saw her saddened expression "I can not do this…"
"I understand"
"No you don't" William reached forwards and took her hands into his "I love you too much to condemn you to the fate of following me around camps until this war is over" He tried explaining "it would be unfair, especially if we were to marry and have children"
"But you know that I would, I'd follow you to the moon and back if it means that I will be near you"
"Euphemia…" William reached forwards and cupped her cheek, relishing in that moment "My Euphemia…" He cleared his throat before smiling slightly "I lay out my soul here and now, I love you and I am not doing this out of spite…"
Effie shook her head as tears filled her eyes "No, no, please William…" She felt him brush away the first droplet that left her eye "Don't do this, y-you're the only man that came back…"
Tavington leaned forwards and kissed her forehead "I'll come for you after this war and I will marry you" He uttered as he brushed some locks from her face "Do not cry my love, you are far too pretty to cry"
The young miss reached up and gently brushed her fingers across his cheek, feeling the stubble that was starting to grow. As if her mind collapsed, she threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly "I will wait for you…I promise" She mumbled into his coatee. He rested his hands on her back and squeezed her tightly "I love you William"
William felt his throat tighten as tears threatened to form in his eyes "Not as much as I love you" He softly cleared his throat and pulled away from her for a moment "I will win this war just to return to you"
"You cannot promise that you silly man"
He looked around them both and noticed that there were barely any people nearby, even though it was the main road leading up to the assembly hall. She knew what he wished to do. And she did not resist it as she wished to do the very same. William tipped her chin upwards with his fingertips, leaned down and tenderly brushed his lips across hers.
"Now, I am leaving with Tarleton's dragoons tomorrow while Borden controls the ones under my command" He spoke before taking a step away from her "This is my goodbye to you my love…" William felt something inside of him snap "Goodbye"
"Until we meet again William, I love you"
"I love you too" And with that, he turned on his heel and walked away from the love of his life. When he saw John, he patted his shoulder and ordered him to walk with him. That was by far the hardest thing he had done in a long time. But it was for the best. Deep down he knew that it was true.
Effie smiled sadly as her father made his way over to her. When her father noticed the tears on his daughter's cheeks, he instantly pulled her into an embrace. She sobbed into his chest and clutched onto his coat like she did when she was a child.
"It's alright now, there, there my sweet girl" Arthur mumbled as he rested his hand on the back of her head.
Effie raised her head "He'll be back one day, he promised me Papa…" She softly spoke "He said that after the war he'll come and find me…"
And she believed him. How could she not? He had given her no reason not to. He hadn't lied to her before. In that moment Effie decided that she would hang onto him with every aspect of her being. It couldn't be that difficult, surely.
