Annie, it has been much too long since we have seen one another. I can believe it has been a two years already. Everyone is doing well in Charles Town. Jedidiah and I are expecting our second child, we feel so blessed and excited for our second baby to arrive. We have been thinking of names. If our baby is to be a boy then we shall name him Micajah after Jedediah's great grandfather. And if the baby is a girl then we will name her Martha after my mother. So much has gone on since you left Charles Town. I know you are aware of Josephine's mother passing, and Sophia and Emmett's engagement. Though I do not think you are aware of Mariah's situation. I don't know if Mariah has wrote to you lately but, well I know I shouldn't be gossiping, but, I assume you remember a Redcoat by the name of Captain Gregory Bordon? Well he and Mariah had been visiting one another constantly. After you left Charles Town Mariah and Captain Bordon became very close to one another, very close. One day while the three of us, Josephine, Mariah and I, were wandering around Charles Town we saw there were notices everywhere about Charles Town women being needed as camp followers for the British army. Of course Mariah thought that would be the perfect opportunity to be closer to Captain Bordon. We tried the best we could to convince Mariah to stay in Charles Town, but she just didn't listen. Before Mariah made the decision to leave Charles Town her parents were thrilled when they found out Mariah had been doted upon by a British Captain. Mariah told us little about her parents reaction when she told them she would be leaving with Captain Bordon. I assume her parents are worried sick about their daughter, I've heard being a camp follower is a dangerous business. And I have also heard many women camp followers are used not only as nurses but also as doxy's! I have not heard from Mariah since she had left, none of us have. I know Mariah hasn't been the greatest friend to us all, but I hope all is well with her. I don't trust Captain Bordon either. Jedediah told me, that while he had been out one night at the tavern with a few of his friends he caught a few glances of Captain Bordon and Colonel Tavington getting comfortable with a couple barmaids. I couldn't believe it when Jed told me...

Annie put down the old letter in her lap forcefully, practically slapping her thighs. She bit her lip and closed her eyes as she rocked back and forward in her father's rocking chair on their front porch. Annie just listened to the sounds of the birds and the laughter of her brothers and sisters in the near distance. It had been the fifth time she read the same letter. And every time she would read the letter she would become angry and saddened by the fact that she knew Colonel Tavington had quickly moved on from her since she left Charles Town. She felt like a fool, for ever liking such a man, but she couldn't help but feel hurt. Annie wondered if William had been with other women while he was trying to seduce her. She didn't doubt it.

Annie was nineteen years old now, and for a whole two years she stayed at home on her father's plantation doing what she had always done. Look after her brothers and sister or helping Abigail around the house. She felt disappointed, Annie thought she should have been married by now, but being married was impossible when she hadn't a man to court her. Since Annie left Charles Town, she and James Wilkins had only sent one another very few letters. Whenever Annie would send James a letter she would have to wait a month or even a few months before she would receive a letter back from James. Annie figured he was far too busy to send letters while being a Dragoon officer. The last time Annie had sent James a letter he never responded.

As Annie continued to rock back and forth she couldn't help but think of William Tavington. Thought she was angry with him, she couldn't help but miss him. She missed his voice, she missed the way he looked at her with his blue eyes. And most of all she missed his touch and the way he kissed her. For a year now, her last encounter with Colonel Tavington had played over and over again in her mind a million times. She wanted to move on from him, but she just couldn't.

"Annie! Come play hide and seek with us please. We are all playing and we want you to join us!" Nathan exclaimed.

Annie opened her eyes and saw that all her sisters and brothers were standing in front of the porch, even Thomas.

"Didn't Father say Samuel, Thomas and yourself need to finish picking corn?" Annie said slightly annoyed. She continued to rock back and forth with her letter still grasped tightly in her hand.

"Yes, but Father also said we could have a break from picking corn. Please, say you will come play with us, you haven't played anything with us in forever!" Samuel spoke up. Annie stared at her brothers and sister and thought for a moment. She realized that it had been quite some time since she last played with her siblings. And the reason for her lack of playfulness was because she was feeling rather miserable. Annie was sick of feeling miserable and she thought perhaps it would be best if she gave in and agreed to tag along with her siblings for a game of hide and seek.

"Fine, I will play with you all. Where will we be playing hide and seek. In the house, fields or forest?" Annie asked finally standing up from the rocking chair. She noticed her siblings each had a smile on their faces.

"The forest, there are better hiding places there. And the last time we played in the house you and Abigail scolded us, and told us that if we wanted to play hide and seek, then we should go outside and run around instead of causing an annoying racket inside the house." Margaret replied.

"Abigail never said that, Margaret." Annie answered.

"I know Abigail never said that. But you did remember? And I swear you had that same letter in your hands when you did. Who is that letter from Annie? It seems to put you in a foul mood whenever you read it." Margaret said as she began walking up the stairs. Annie feared her sister would take the letter from her so she quickly balled the piece of parchment in her hand.

"No, its nothing Margaret. Come lets go play now, shall we?" Annie said ushering her younger sister off the porch. Annie decided her shove the letter in her pocket and forget about Colonel Tavington for now. She didn't want the letter and the thought of William interfering with her mood any further. Annie followed while her brother Thomas stayed behind and walked beside Annie.

"Are you feeling alright Annie? I've noticed, well all of us have noticed you seem to be aggravated lately." Thomas said, concerned for his sister's wellbeing. Annie smiled.

"I'm fine, Thomas. Do not worry about me, I just haven't been feeling right lately, that's all. I'm sure I will be back to my normal self in no time. Thank you." Annie replied.

"Is it because of James Wilkins?" Thomas asked. Annie stopped for a moment and looked at her brother.

"What? Have you been reading any of my letters Thomas!" Annie said defensively.

"No, no. Please don't be angry with me. I would never go through your things. One day while I was in the dinning room I overheard you and Abigail talking about James, I heard you say that it seemed he had stopped writing you. It's alright Annie, don't worry about James Wilkins." Thomas said.

Annie proceeded to follow her siblings Thomas walked beside her.

"I'm not angry with you. I suppose it is James that has been bothering me lately. It is as though he has forgotten about me and has decided to move on."

Thomas nodded and didn't press the matter any further with his sister. He knew what was bothering her so much and he would leave her alone. Annie and the rest of her siblings walked in silence until they reached the tree line of the forest. Margaret turned around and began to explain that she wished to be the seeker and that she would count to one hundred, giving the others time to find their hiding spots. Once Margaret was finished explaining she ran to the nearest tree buried her face in her arms and began to count loudly. Annie decided to take William with her and let Susan go with Thomas since each of them were so young, she did not want them getting lost or hurt. Little William grabbed his sister's hand and began running wildly deeper and deeper into the forest.

"Not to far William, we have to give the rest a chance to find us you know?" Annie laughed as her brother continued to run and giggle.

Annie grabbed her brother and picked him up in her arms before he could run off. William began kicking and ordering her to put him back down.

"There William. See we can hide behind that big rock there. Alright? We will surely win if we stay there." Annie insisted.

William looked over and spotted the large rock, he nodded. Annie let her brother back down and allowed him to run to the rock, Annie followed closely behind. Crouching down behind the rock together, Annie stayed quiet while her brother kept whispering and giggling.

"Shh, William you don't want to get caught now do you?" Annie whispered.

William looked up at his sister with a smile and covered his mouth with his small hand. Annie smiled back. Everything was quiet except for the sound of twigs and leaves breaking and rustling under Margaret's feet. Annie peered over top of the boulder and noticed Samuel sitting with his back up against a tree, Annie tried getting his attention while Margaret's back was turned.

"I got you Nathan! Help me find the others." Margaret shouted. Nathan agreed and followed his sister around. While Annie was looking in another direction, she didn't notice Nathan come up beside William and grab him from behind. Annie let out a small shriek and got up from her spot and began to run while Margaret chased her.

"If I get you Annie then you loose!" Margaret laughed. Annie gave out a laugh as she held her skirts up and ran further and further back to the tree line where they first entered the forest. Annie turned her head around to see if her sister was gaining on her, but when she did she tripped on something below her. She felt herself fall, and topple down what seemed to be a small dirt covered hill.

"Annie, no!"

She heard Margaret shout from behind her. When Annie finally landed she became immersed into water. Her head went under the water for a moment and she could feel herself inhale and swallow the soiled water. Annie noticed it tasted awful, it hadn't taste like normal water at all. Annie panicked and sat up quickly rubbing her eyes so she could open them. Once opening her eyes Annie looked around and gave out a loud scream from the sight she saw all around her. There were bodies of dead Redcoats floating down the wide creek. Their wounds created a trail of blood that changed the colour and taste of the water. Annie didn't want to spend another second in the water she quickly climbed up the small hill she fell down moments ago. While desperately trying to climb back up the hill she could feel her boots slipping and sliding from under her and her skirts were getting caught under her feet. A sense of relief washed over her when she noticed her brother Thomas lend her his hand. She grabbed onto his hand tightly and he help pull her up and over the hill. Annie coughed and the back of her throat stung from the water she inhaled. Thomas noticed his little brothers and sisters were gazing at the numerous dead bodies slowly floating by. Thomas grabbed his siblings and forced them away from the scene in-front of them. Annie turned around and took a few more glances at the floating Redcoat soldiers. She noticed most had their eyes shut while others stared with lifeless open eyes up at the green tree branches hanging above them.

"What's wrong I heard someone scream!" Benjamin Martin panicked as he jogged into the forest with his pistol in hand, he stopped in his tracks when he noticed what the screaming was about. He looked down at the dead soldiers in the creek then back up at Annie and Thomas, he noticed Annie was shivering from fear and her clothes and hair were soaked.

"Come, all of you. Come back around the creek and get back to the house." Benjamin instructed to his children, each of them complied and began to make their way back to the house, their game of hide and seek was over.

Cavalry and infantry training among the Dragoon officers had ended and both Captain Bordon and Lieutenant Tarleton found themselves back to their tents, each man laid down in their cot and took some time to de-stress themselves from practising their skills with the more inexperienced officers. Of course training with Colonel Tavington was neither fun nor easy.

"That bastard never give us a break does he?" Banastre laughed. Bordon laughed back.

"No I'm afraid not, and all these inexperienced pups are not making training any easier. I swear you would think for some of them it was their first time ever riding a horse, or firing a pistol. I don't know what William is keeping them around for?"

"Perhaps he sees potential. I mean those men are not as bad as you make them out to be."Banastre said. Gregory let a laugh escape his throat.

"Perhaps you are the one who see's the potential, not William. And they are as bad as I make them out to be Ban. Did you see that one man?" Bordon paused to think "What was the lad's name, Em- Em-"

"Emmett Greene?" Banastre said.

"Yes him! Don't tell me you didn't see him get bucked off his horse and fall on his ass today?" Bordon laughed, playing the image of Emmett falling off his horse over and over again in his mind.

"Yes, I did." Banastre paused to roll over on his side. "Do you recall that one time when you yourself fell on your ass after falling of your horse. I believe it was only a few weeks after you joined the Dragoons, remember? It was you me and William. Your horse got spooked and started rearing and bucking. You should have seen the look on your face when you landed on the ground." Banastre laughed as he tried to recreate Bordon's facial expression.

"Oh, I can't breath, I can't breath! That damn horse! Remember you said that Gregory? The wind was knocked right out of you!"

Bordon just rolled his eyes and tried to block out Banastre's howls of laughter. Bordon looked over to his left and noticed a familiar black haired women enter his tent. He quickly sprung up from his cot and walked towards his mistress Rosanna. Bordon became very cautious and quickly looked outside his tent to see if anyone in particular was planning on entering his tent. Rosanna gave a laugh.

"Gregory you look so uptight. Don't worry, I didn't see her. I made sure to check if she was around before I came here." Rosanna assured him. Banastre got up from his cot and rolled his eyes when he noticed Rosanna. Bordon believed Rosanna had only been his, but Banastre knew Bordon was not Rosanna's only man around the camp. She belonged to few other men from time to time including Colonel Tavington and even himself at one point. But Rosanna had known Bordon for some time, and Banastre could tell Bordon was her favourite judging by how much time the two would spend together. But that changed over the course of eight months, Bordon and Rosanna had rarely been seen together, due to the fact Mariah was now present in Bordons life.

" I know it's just. You know she can't see you here with me. She would never forgive me, you must be more desecrate with your visits. You can't come around here during the day. And soon you know you won't be able to come around here at all, not when the baby is born." Bordon replied. A look of anger and disappointment spread across Rosanna's face. She hated Mariah, Mariah was getting in the way of everything she wanted.

"I have known you for much longer than Mariah." Rossana spat." And now that she is having your baby, that is suppose to change everything. Do you expect me never to talk to you again, once the baby is born? Gregory you can't do this to me. You know I love you." Rosanna hissed. Banastre tried his hardest not to listen to Rosanna speak, he could hardly stand her and it nearly made him sick every time she spoke. Everyone who knew Rosanna knew she was a lying and manipulating woman.

"No, no I should not have said that. I apologize Rosanna. I don't know what is going to happen after the baby is born. I care for you, but I also care for Ma-"

"Please do not say her name. Just promise me you will meet me in my tent tonight. Giselle and the others will be gone tonight and I want it just to be us. Please tell me you will come to me tonight Gregory?" Rosanna begged. Bordon nodded. Rosanna gave a smile.

"I look forward to seeing you tonight." Rosanna said before she gave Bordon a kiss and quickly made her way out of his tent. Bordon stood staring at the tent's entrance. Bordon slightly jumped when he heard the Roast Beef call begin and echo through the camp notifying the officers it had been lunch hour.

"Thank God, I'm starving. Not only does that training tire you out but it makes you hungry as-well. Come Greg, let's see if we can find Will wandering around somewhere." Banastre said, Bordon decided to follow Banastre out of their tent. Bordon and Banastre couldn't find Tavington while they were making their way to get some lunch so they each decided to begin eating and let Tavington find them himself.

"I do really feel bad for you Greg, women problems are never easy, especially when you are dealing with a woman like Rosanna. You know I don't know why you like her so much. Well I mean I know why you really like her," Banastre laughed. "But Rosanna is unlike any woman and I don't mean that in a good way. I think she is a liar and a manipulator, and she manipulates you pretty well." Ban finished. Bordon was about to protest until Tavington joined their conversation.

"Lying, manipulating. You two wouldn't be talking about Rosanna, would you now?" Tavington loudly scoffed. Bordon turned around and gave William a menacing glare as he seated himself beside both Bordon and Banastre.

"Can you two be any more discreet. Please lower your voices, someone could hear you. Mariah could hear you for God sakes! Then what, hmm?" Bordon hissed. Tavington patted Bordons shoulder and sat down beside him.

"Calm down Gregory, it's not like anyone doesn't know already about your affair with Rosanna." Tavington said lowering his voice.

Bordons face went from stern to worried in an instant. Banastre and William tried holding back their laughter when they noticed Bordon start to panic and looked around at the other men wondering which one of them knew of his mistress Rosanna.

"I'm only teasing you Gregory, trust me. No one knows of your little mistress, not even Mariah. The only two that know are Banastre and I. And we will be sure to keep it that way. We don't need any unwanted tension between you Mariah and Rosanna." Tavington said before he began helping himself to some lunch.

"There is already unwanted tension, between Rosanna and I. Mariah will be due to have that baby any-time now and I don't need Rosanna coming around me while I am trying spend some time with Mariah and my child. Mariah will want me to be apart of her and the child's life as much as I possibly can. I can't just go run of with some wench like Rosanna and be with her for the rest of my life. Things are different now." Bordon finished. Tavington and Banastre gave each other a look of disbelief.

"My, Gregory, you have changed over these last eight months. Ever since Mariah came into your life you have become a new man. I remember when there was a time when all you wanted to do was drink and sleep with beautiful women."

"Well if you hadn't already noticed, I am going to be a father, William. I am afraid my days of sleeping around drunkish with barmaids, are over." Bodon paused taking a bite of his ham. "Oh. By the way. I've just remembered something I had been wondering about this morning. Do you remember Mariah's old friend? What was her name again?"

Banastre spoke up.

"Oh yes! it was during our stay in Charles Town when you and Will met her. The pretty brown haired girl. We stayed in her aunt's home."

"Miss Annie Martin." Tavington said without a moment's hesitation.

"Ah, yes that was her name."

James and Emmett sat together not far off from Tavington and the other two officers. Both James and Emmett ate quietly together. James put his food down when he started to overhear Colonel Tavington's conversation. He swore he could hear him mention Annie. Instead of proceeding to eat James decided to lean in a little closer, and listened very closely to what the men were saying. If they had been talking about Annie, then he was interested to know what they were saying about her.

"-I nearly had her to. It was the day she and her family were departing Charles Town together. She was coming down the hall and I stopped her, I told her I wished to speak with her for a moment in my room. She agreed to enter my room, and when she did she realized there was nothing I wanted to talk with her about and that's when I kissed her. I was so close, we were there in my room in the bed together and her mute little sister came into the room and saw us." William explained. It had been years now since William had seen Annie. He thought about her sometimes, he found himself wondering what it would have been like if it had only remained the two of them in his room, alone together.

"I'm sorry Colonel, forgive me but. Are you saying you also knew Annie quite well?" James asked, trying to conceal the anger in his voice.

"Listening into our conversation from over there are we? Mr. Wilkins I had forgotten you once told me Annie and yourself were very close friends," William paused. "What I had just recently said Mr. Wilkins is in-fact true, every word of it. I took an instant liking to Miss Martin when I first met her in Charles Town. She was intriguing and I think she felt the same about me." Tavington noticed a look of jealousy and anger was spread across James's face.

"We were almost more than close friends at one point in our friendship, sir." James slightly sneered.

"Is that so Mr. Wilkins? And when was that?"

"One day back in Charles Town, I had asked Annie if I may have the privileged of courting her. She never said yes or no. I received a letter from Annie a week or two after she left Charles Town. She wrote to me explaining that she would have preferred I asked to court her in a more traditional formal way, and in-front of her family. I had little time to try to visit Annie back at her father's plantation. Since I decided to join the Dragoons." James finished explaining.

"Strange. Whenever Annie and I were conversing with one another she had never mentioned to me that you had been an admirer of hers. I'm interested Mr. Wilkins. Do you still hold any feelings towards Annie?" William smirked.

"I think that hardly matters any more. As it seems I believe Annie had fallen for another man in Charles Town. Perhaps that is the real reason why she had never really accepted my courtship. Thank you Colonel Tavington." James stood up from where he was sitting and marched off, far away from everyone else. Emmett placed his food down and sprung up from his seat to follow James.

"Well...That was interesting." Bordon said. Banastre just laughed.

"Interesting indeed Gregory." Was Williams only answer.

The men proceeded to finish their lunch. While eating Bordon heard a familiar voice from behind him. He turned around to see Mariah with her large swollen belly approaching him. He gave her a large smile and stood up from where he was sitting to greet her with a small kiss. Mariah smiled widely.

"Hello, Lieutenant Tarleton, Colonel Tavington. Can I speak with you for a moment Gregory. It's about the baby." Mariah said, a sense of panic struck Bordon. He wondered if something was perhaps wrong with the baby or Mariah.

"Of course. Come." Bordon told her. Grabbing her hand he lead her to his tent to talk. Entering the tent Bordon helped Mariah to a chair for her to sit in, her back had been quite sore lately she could hardly walk at times due to the weight of the baby.

"Thank you. It's getting harder and harder each day, carrying around the baby. I was doing the laundry just a few moments ago and the pain in my back from bending over is excruciating, Gregory." Mariah complained. Bordon grabbed a chair and sat himself down in front of Mariah.

"Just sit down for a while. Now, tell me, what is wrong with the baby?" Bordon said with concern. Mariah gave a laugh.

"I never said there was anything wrong with the baby, Greg. I noticed a few days ago that I have been bleeding, I don't think it is anything to worry about. I do not bleed much, I think the bleeding means I am almost due to give birth. It should be any-time now, it's almost been nine months. Oh, Gregory I am so excited! I wish the baby was here already." Mariah smiled. Bordon couldn't help but smile aswell, but that smile soon faded. The more Bordon realized that Mariah was almost due to go into labour the more he realized he wanted and needed to leave Rosanna once and for all.

"Are you alright, Gregory. You are not still worried about being a father are you?"

"I'm fine Mariah. Of course I am worried about becoming a father. Becoming a father is a very exciting yet stressful thing indeed. But I know wherever I may fail, my child will have the most wonderful woman as their mother to love and support them." Gregory replied.

"You will not fail as a father, I know it. I am scared to Gregory, but I believe that we will be just fine." Mariah smiled. Bordon stood up from his chair and walked towards Mariah. He slowly leaned over and kissed her gently on the forehead.

"I love you Mariah. Now you need to get some rest, I don't think it would be wise for you to continue with your chores and such. Infact I want you to stay here for the rest of the day and night if you can and give your sore back a break."

"Perhaps you are right. Very well, I will stay here." Mariah replied, getting up from her chair she slowly walked over towards Bordon's cot and laid down.

"Good, I will see you later this evening. Goodbye for now my dear." Bordon answered. leaving his tent to let Mariah rest.