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Bordon's Girl	By : JScorpio Category: M through R > Patriot, The Views: 2666 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I don't own "The Patriot" or its characters and make no money from this story

Chapter List
- 2
- 3
- 4
CHAPTER
2 Serious Trouble
A loud knock on the door woke Colonel
William Tavington up. This angered him as he was nearly asleep.
He�d taken the overnight duty alone so that
the other two commanders, Major Bordon and Captain Wentworth, along with the
provisional, Lieutenant Scott, could all have the evening and night off. In the
morning after his duty ended, Tavington had to deal with some problems that had
popped up instead of going right to bed after his breakfast. These minor
incidents kept him awake until lunch.
The hours of stress and little sleep had
given him a headache to nurse, making it that much harder to fall asleep. He
had finally dozed off when the knocks roused him.
He groaned and rolled over on to his
stomach. Maybe if he didn�t answer, they�d go away.
After a moment, there was another knock.
�Colonel Tavington,� a voice called through the door.
�What!� he snarled from his bed.
�We have a message for you!�
�I�m off duty. Give it to Major Bordon.�
�We can�t. He�s indisposed at Fort
Carolina.�
�Well, then give it to Captain Wentworth
or Lieutenant Scott.� William rolled back over and pulled the covers up over
his head.
�We can�t, Sir,� the voice said. �It�s for
you only.�
Tavington grew more irritated. All he
wanted to do was get some blasted sleep. �I am not on duty! Either shove it
under the door or come back later!�
There was protest. �Can�t
Sir. Our orders are to give you the message, then escort you to the
Fort.�
�Oh, bloody Hell,� Tavington swore,
agitated to have to get up. He pulled on his breeches and walked to the door.
His long, dark hair was down and hanging loosely over his shoulders, and
stubble was over his jaw.
Once at the door he flung it open, clearly
upset. Two young English army Privates stood in the hallway.
�Sorry to have disturbed you, Sir,� said
one of the men.
�Yeah, give me that,� the Colonel said,
yanking the paper from the young man�s hand. He slammed the door behind him and
read the note.
The soldiers stood outside the door as he
did. In an instant they heard distinctly through the door, the Colonel�s
reaction to the contents of the note.
�God Damn it!�
In a couple of minutes, Colonel Tavington
composed himself and woke up a bit. He opened the door back up to the Privates still
standing in the hallway.
�Would you please fetch Major Bordon�s daughter and bring her to the coach.�
The two privates then trotted down the
hall to find her room. As soon as they left, William slipped into his uniform.
*
* * * * *
Tessa Bordon was writing a letter to a
friend in England when there was a rap on her door. �Yes,� she answered as she
opened the door to two Redcoat Privates.
�Are you Bordon�s
girl?� asked one of them. He had a thick cockney accent and was �rough around
the edges�. The other Private, who was clearly a little more refined, elbowed
his companion, silently reminding him that wasn�t the
proper way to address her.
�Excuse us. Miss Bordon, is it?�
�Yes,� she affirmed again.
�Colonel Tavington would like for you to
meet him as soon as possible to accompany him to the Fort.�
�Why?�
�He�ll explain to you, Miss.�
Tess was puzzled and wondered why she
needed to go with Colonel Tavington. It wasn�t unusual
to have an escort to go to the Fort, but the escort didn�t usually consist of
the brigade commander. She reasoned that it must be some sort of official
business.
She stood before the mirror and
straightened her rumpled dress. Tess then twirled her long, wavy, strawberry
blonde hair into a neat twist and pinned it to the crown of her head. A few
wisps and curls escaped from it.
Tessa was now 19 years old and had grown
into a very beautiful young lady. She had come over to the Colonies 4 years ago
when her brother�s cavalry unit was called to serve. He was the second in
command of the brigade. Major Bordon was also the only father she had ever
known. He had protected and sheltered her, almost too much. It resulted in her
shyness. Though she was well mannered, she didn�t
speak much, except when she was spoken to.
Tess Bordon had been a good girl and
almost never did anything bad or wrong. She adored her brother and never did
anything to get him angry at her. He had raised her well. Tess called him
�father�. That�s what he was to her.
When she was finished getting ready, she
took a quick look out the window of the suite that was home to the Bordons. Tess glanced out over the activity at Surrey Hills
Estate. She did not see her brother, but she did see Colonel Tavington talking
with some soldiers by a coach. She ran from the room to meet him as instructed,
not wanting to keep him waiting.
Miss Bordon was met at the coach by
Colonel Tavington and two other Dragoons, Lieutenant Scott and Captain Wilkins.
Scott was a provisional commanding officer who was now temporarily third in
command of the unit due to Major Bordon�s
incarceration. Captain Wilkins was a Loyalist and an American. Scott was
required to go as part of his new officer�s duties. Wilkins was asked to go
purely for strategic purposes. Since he was from this area, it was hoped he may
know the girl Bordon was found with or know others who knew her, and fill in
the story from there.
Captain Wentworth, the usual Third officer
of the company, stayed behind on duty and in command of the Dragoons until
Tavington returned.
Scott and Wilkins cordially greeted Miss
Bordon. The Colonel said nothing. She could tell that he was extremely upset
about something.
Tess looked around for Geoffrey, wondering
why he wasn�t there. It was known that Colonel
Tavington preferred to take Major Bordon with him to Headquarters for official
things. She didn�t think this too out of the ordinary,
though. He may have been out on a patrol assignment, which explained to her why
Scott went in his place.
�Is my father going,� she asked anyway.
Her question was met with silence and
strange looks exchanged between the officers.
�Well, tell her!,�
the Colonel ordered, clearly irritated. �Show her the message!�
�I�m afraid I�ve some bad news for you,�
Scott began. �Your father was arrested today and is being held at the fort.�
�Why?� she asked, looking at the three
men.
�Suspected treason,� Wilkins answered in a
concerned tone.
She was handed the message which she tried
to concentrate on, but her mind swirled in disbelief. �This is ridiculous! He�d never��
�He was caught in the act of��.,� Scott
stopped short, then continued, �well�.he was�..alone�.with a rebel woman.� The
new third in command was uncomfortable saying this to a lady.
Tessa tried to read the note again. This time,
she concentrated more on its content. She was completely dumbfounded and could
say nothing.
The group then entered the coach for the
short ride between the estate and the Fort. There was a very awkward and heavy
silence. Tessa could tell that the Captain and Lieutenant were nervous around
the Colonel today.
Tavington�s words tore a hole in the thick quiet.
�Well, what did you know of this, hmmmm?�
he blurted out angrily to Miss Bordon.
She was taken aback and immediately
intimidated. �Nothing! I had no idea of it.�
�Come now,� he countered, seething, �You
are his daughter. You had to have known something of it!�
�Nothing, Sir,� she replied, shaking her
head. A look of panic flushed her cheeks.
�Are you sure? Because
if I am going to stick my neck out on the chopping block for him, I need to
know everything so that I may be prepared.�
�I�.I don�t know about it,� Tess
stammered. �He never told me a thing.�
�I find that hard to believe!� William
shot back. His patience was gone and his emotions swirled. He couldn�t even tell himself what he was the most angry at. He
was mad at Bordon for courting a rebel woman and not telling anyone. He was
furious that he was caught in the act of sex with her. William raged at the
thought that his own second in command, someone he trusted, may have committed
treason. He was upset that he was now short an officer. Tavington was upset
that Bordon was incarcerated. He was agitated that Bordon�s
own daughter seemed not to know any details that might help him defend
Geoffrey. He really didn�t need all this. The war was
stressful enough without personal problems within the Dragoons.
�I think she�s telling the truth,�
Lieutenant Scott defended. �I can understand that since he was with a rebel
woman, he may have not wanted her to know anything, just to keep her innocent
and to shield her from trouble in case this happened.�
�But, yet, we don�t know the extent of his
involvement with her,� Wilkins stated. �She could be just a town prostitute.�
�I doubt it,� Tavington remarked. �There
are whores in the camp. Why would he need to go into the village to find one?�
Scott and Wilkins looked at each other and
decided not to continue the conversation. There was not much dealing with
Tavington when he was in this foul of a mood.
After another moment of silence, the
Lieutenant spoke up. �Not a good business, this.�
�Damn straight it isn�t,� Tavington
snarled. �I need him with the Dragoons, NOT in prison!�
Tess grew more scared of Tavington�s temper, which was legendary, by the moment. She
was seeing it first hand and up close. She pushed backwards against the
cushions of her seat, as if trying to melt into them and hide from the angry
commander seated across from her.
�Lieutenant,� he continued in a bark,
�forget the �provisional�. You�re now third ranking
officer�maybe permanently. I don�t know!�
�You�ll just have to get him out, Sir,�
Wilkins spoke up boldly.
�I don�t know if I can get him out of this
one,� said Tavington, bluntly.
�If anyone can, it is you,� Scott pointed
out on a positive note. �You�ve got so much influence with the Generals. You
may tire of their reprimanding, but it is clear to us that they respect you.�
�I hope you�re right,� Tavington remarked,
looking out the window. He sighed and was quiet the rest of the way there. He was
trying to prepare himself to see Bordon and interrogate the officer who
usually handled the interrogations. He was also trying to put together a
report in his mind to defend his second officer to the Generals, and,
hopefully, have him cleared and freed.
*
* * * * *
In a few minutes, the coach pulled through
the gate at Fort Carolina. The group went into the main building where they
were shown down to a holding area in the lower levels, where some of the jail
cells were. A guard escorted Colonel Tavington through the door from the
holding area to the cells.
�I�m going in first,� he said. He wanted
to talk to Bordon initially alone. �Wait here with her. Don�t leave and do not
talk to anyone.� His tone implied that he meant his instructions to be
followed.
Lieutenant Scott and Captain Wilkins
waited for some time with Miss Bordon in that area. There was no conversation.
Tessa felt much anguish. She was nervous to see her father, but anxious to hear
his part of the story.
After a little longer, the officers were
asked to join their leader in Bordon�s cell. Tess was
all alone now. Her emotions whirled inside her head and her insides were in
knots.
A few more minutes passed and Brigadier
General Charles O�Hara appeared in the area. He greeted Miss Bordon and waited
with her for the three officers. They soon emerged together to meet with
O�Hara.
�Sergeant, please let her in to see Major
Bordon,� O�Hara directed. �She is his daughter. Miss Bordon, you carry no
weapons on you?�
�No�none,� she answered.
Tess was led through the door by the
guard. She looked back over her shoulder to see the two tall figures of O�Hara
and Tavington walking together down the hallway, both clasping their hands
behind their backs, looking official as they walked. They were engaged in a conversation,
probably about her father, she thought.
Once in the cell block, she could see
Geoffrey�s cell in the center in front of the door. There was only a very small
window at the top of it and a cot.
�Father,� she cried and ran to the bars.
�Tessa,� Bordon shouted as he met her
there. They then embraced as best as they could through the bars, both with
tears in their eyes. The guard broke their embrace to open the barred door. He
admitted Tessa through and in to join her father.
�What happened,� she asked. �They said it�s treason.�
�My God, No!,� he
protested. �I loved Susannah. I was going to marry her. She was carrying my
child!�
Tessa reached out and hugged him again.
They held each other a moment. He pulled away and kissed the girl�s forehead
and led her to his cot, where she sat down. Geoffrey stayed standing as he
recounted his story to her.
�I met her in town a year ago. We fell in
love but we always had to meet secretly. With the war on, I wasn�t
sure how the military would react to me seeing a Colonial woman. We hoped to
keep it secret until it ended, then we could pursue
this openly. But, she became pregnant.�
He turned away, not wanting to show her
anymore of his pain and shame. Then he added an afterthought. �I had planned on
marrying her, anyway.�
He continued on as Tessa listened quietly.
�We were together today when the infantry came upon our hiding place.
�Where is she at now,�
asked Tess, innocently.
Geoffrey�s head dropped down, and then he
turned from her. As he turned back to face her, his eyes were brimmed with
tears. Suddenly, he collapsed in a heap at her feet. He folded his arms and
rested them across her lap. He buried his face on his arms as he wept
uncontrollably.
This upset his younger sister terribly.
She fought back her own tears, trying to be brave and comfort him.
She smoothed his hair back and rubbed his
head and shoulders with her hands in an effort to comfort him as he sobbed.
�She�s dead.�
Tessa couldn�t
believe it. She never even got to meet her father�s lover.
�Oh, God, Tessa, they shot her!� he cried.
�She was in horrible pain and gasping for breath as I held her.�
He trembled and shook his head on his arms
as he continued to weep into her lap. �She died in my arms. She kept trying to
say something about the baby. Oh, God, Tess, it was horrible. I just��.I��I
loved her so much! We were so happy.�
Tess sat there, stunned. She was at a
complete loss. All she wanted to do was to get Geoffrey out of there, and help him
get through this painful time. He had always been there for her since the night
their parents were killed 19 years earlier. And now, how could she be there to
comfort him if they were separated by prison bars?
*
* * * * *
At the same time that Tess was consoling
Geoffrey in his cell, William was in Lord General Cornwallis� office, giving
his perception of Bordon�s predicament and pleading
the man�s innocence.
Cornwallis and O�Hara had already
questioned Geoffrey and knew his side of the story. They needed to hear the
Green Dragoons� commander�s take on the situation.
Tavington�s presence always commanded attention.
William was tall and slender, his body well sculpted and muscular. His red and
green uniform short cropped jacket, and black breeches stood out from the usual
English army uniforms of long coats and tails buttoned back to show contrast.
His close cut uniform denoted cavalry and was practical for riding. His helmet,
black plumed and brimmed with dark satin sash, was a fierce and awesome sight.
He stood tall and regal, as usual, with
one hand behind his back in what could be called �officer�s stance.� His jacket
was now unbuttoned, showing his green vest. His long, auburn hair was pulled
back into the tight, regulation braid queue and wrapped tightly with a dark
ribbon. Tavington held a glass of wine in his hand, sipping it occasionally as
he talked to Cornwallis and General O�Hara.
�This is not a matter to be taken lightly,
Colonel,� stated Lord Cornwallis.
�Yes. I agree. And I view it seriously,�
William replied. �This is difficult from where I stand. But the point is, Major Bordon is needed badly by our unit. I can�t have him in prison. He is a loyal and trusted second
in command. He is well respected by all and a mentor and good influence to the
younger soldiers.�
Tavington sipped the last drops of his
wine and put the glass on a small table. He continued. �By all military
standards, he is an officer of the finest caliber. He is an excellent
swordsman, rider, and marksman. He handles most of our interrogations and has
built a trustworthy rapport with the local Indians. He constantly holds himself
and the Dragoons to high standards of military conduct. He is fiercely loyal to
King and Crown.�
Tavington paused for a moment to let his
superiors reflect upon his speech. Then, he went on. �I do not believe nor will
I ever, that he could commit treason. Not even in the
throes of deepest passion.�
�But you did have your doubts at first,
did you not?� asked O�Hara. He got up from his seat and stood between the
Colonel and the Lord General�s desk. �You looked quite shaken when I retrieved
you from his cell.�
�I was in shock, mostly,� the Colonel
answered. �Admittedly, when I received the initial word of his arrest, I was
furious with him, assuming the worst and rashly thinking he had betrayed us.�
William reached over to the table and picked up the crystal wine decanter. He
poured himself another glass and topped off the two Generals� glasses as he
continued to speak.
�But, given Major Bordon�s
impeccable military history, his good standing, and after speaking with him, I
believe that this was not a dubious union. I feel that it was innocent and that
they were victims of war and circumstance. He was going to do the honorable
thing and marry her. And, with this, he was ready for any consequence he might
have been handed. He was willing to be released from active duty and sent home
to England for re-posting. He also stated he would have accepted discharge,
honorable or dishonorable, in order to show that he would not compromise his
country by marrying the enemy. He is a soldier through and through and loves
duty, so he would not make such a sacrifice lightly. After all, he had a
reputation and a future family to think of.�
Tavington took a pull on his wine as the General
O�Hara sat back down. Lord Cornwallis shifted in his seat. William delivered
more of his thoughts on the subject.
�I don�t believe the woman was a spy.
Captain Wilkins knows much of the intelligence of this area regarding the
locals and such. He could not recall her as a known or suspected spy, or even
as a person of questionable character. Bordon�s only
crime, if it can be called such, was falling in love with the enemy. The Major
is beside himself with grief over the death of this woman and his unborn child.
He showed it openly and blamed himself for everything. If it were not for his
daughter to think of, I believe him distraught enough to kill himself.�
General Cornwallis sat forward in his seat
and folded his hands on top of his desk. �Well, he should have known better
than to get involved with a rebel woman.�
�Yes, my Lord,� Colonel Tavington agreed,
�and he did state that. He did not set out to meet and marry a colonial woman.
It just happened.� William stopped for a moment. His azure blue eyes looked all
over the room, down at the floor, and out the window, as if he was struggling
for more words to benefit his Major.
O�Hara broke the silence. �But, he did
keep it a secret,� he said. �Some will point out that that action, in itself,
implies guilt.�
�Yes, I know,� Will conceded.
�But, it doesn�t necessarily mean that he is guilty. I believe him when he says
he kept it a secret out of fear for both their lives and reputations. Also, I
have faith that he wanted no one besides himself and the woman, to have
knowledge of this so that if he did get caught, he would not endanger anyone
else. I have no doubt that he wanted to be responsible for his own actions, not
to involve any innocent parties. He didn�t even tell his own sister�his ward of
the last 19 years.�
�Nonetheless, he did have intimate
relations with a rebel during a war against them,� remarked Cornwallis.
�Surely my Lord must know from experience
that a man can not control who he falls in love
with,� Tavington indicated. �It is a strong emotion to fight and is dictated by
mysterious forces.�
The two Generals laughed as Tavington
smiled. None of the three men really understood love, but knew it as
undeniable.
Lord Cornwallis stood up from his desk.
�Unfortunately, it is not up to me to decide. His case will have to go before
the Inquest Board. They have their hands full with this war and the various trouble that both soldiers and officers get into.�
Cornwallis walked out from behind his desk
to join his two officers in front of it. O�Hara stood as well. The three now
stood in conference in front of the massive desk as the Lord General went on.
�They are busy with many cases right now. Who knows how long it will take
before they can hear this case.�
Tavington shook his head. He was trying to
do his best to have Bordon released, or at least find a quick solution. These
words deflated his hopes.
�But, I really need him with the
Dragoons,� Will protested, then fell silent. He turned
away from them and took a couple of steps forward. Cornwallis sat back on the
edge of his desk and crossed his arms. O�Hara traded questioning glances with
him.
The Colonel turned back to face his
superiors. He came up with a solution, and offered it. �Sir, what if I can
insure that he won�t flee��
�You and I both know you can�t guarantee
that,� interrupted Cornwallis firmly.
Will heaved a disappointed sigh and looked
down.
�I�m sorry, Colonel,� lamented Cornwallis.
�I know Major Bordon is needed, but he�ll just have to cool his heels in jail
until the Inquest can take place. And, you�ll have to find a way to function
without him.�
�Yes Sir,� Tavington obeyed.
�Colonel Tavington,,�
began Cornwallis. His tone was sincere and sympathetic. �If it�s any
consolation, I believe in his innocence. I think General O�Hara agrees with
me.� With that statement, he looked over at O�Hara, who nodded his head in
agreement, confirming the feeling.
Cornwallis continued. �Your dedication to
all of your men is admirable. Your plea on Bordon�s
behalf here today is a very strong one. It is so strong, in fact, that you
needn�t concern yourself with coming back in to repeat it incessantly to us.�
Tavington laughed at this as his two
commanders smiled and chuckled. William was known to harass whomever to fulfill
his Dragoons� needs. He was devoted to his men.
�You will have a written report from me on
this in a few days,� stated Colonel Tavington.
�Very well,� Cornwallis answered.
�Thank you, sir.� William buttoned his
jacket, readying to leave.
Cornwallis stood up from leaning on his
desk. �Colonel, I�d like to have a word with your Intelligence officer. Wilkes
is it?�
�Captain Wilkins,� Will answered.
�Yes. I�d like to see if he can get me
some more information on the dead woman,� stated Cornwallis.
�I�ll send him right up,� said William.
With that, he bowed his head respectfully to the two Generals and headed out of
the office.
As he opened the door to leave, the Lord
General called after him. �Colonel Tavington.�
�Yes, my Lord?�
�You understand that if Bordon is proven
guilty, he could be hanged.�
William sighed and looked defeated. �Yes.
I know.� He left the office.
In a moment, he reached the cell area in
the basement. Lieutenant Scott and Captain Wilkins were quiet as they waited on
Miss Bordon to finish.
�Captain Wilkins, you are to report to
Lord Cornwallis in his office now, please, at his request.�
�Yes, sir,� he obeyed and left
immediately.
Colonel Tavington looked into the
cellblock at Bordon�s area. He was sitting close to
his young sister on his cot. Their hands were clasped together and both looked
weary and forlorn. It was clear that both had been crying. Tavington knew that
they loved each other much and had a close relationship.
�Ready to leave, sir?� asked Scott.
Tavington turned back to face his young
Lieutenant. �Uh�..let her have as much time with him as she needs, then one, or
both of you please escort her back to the estate.�
�Aye, sir,� replied Scott.
William then excused himself and turned to
leave. He walked back through the halls of the main house with his helmet under
his arm. He said nothing to anyone. As he reached the door, he saw a supply
wagon was readying to leave.
�Where�s this wagon going, soldier?� he
asked.
�To Surrey Hills Estate,� the driver
answered.
�Ah. May I ride there with you?�
�Yes Colonel.� With that, William climbed
on to the wagon. He sat with the driver on the front, but said nothing. The man
could see that the officer was lost in thought.
William was still in disbelief that this had
happened to Bordon. He felt bad for his second in command, but selfishly felt
bad for himself as well. Bordon was important to his
unit and very needed.
Why didn�t he
come to me about this, he asked himself. Maybe I could have helped with the
situation. Damn. He didn�t even tell his sister. Why
did he have to go and fall in love with some rebel woman.
Why couldn�t the timing have been better. Couldn�t love have waited for victory and the end of the
war?
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Bordon's Girl