Forget (Colonel William Tavington story)

Chapter 15

Once Marie was able to get up and walk around, she just spent most of her time in the gardens, she didn't want to be around Tavington. 

Marie came running out of the gardens, tears were running down her cheek. Tavington saw the distressed girl and raced over to her, "What happened?" He asked, he saw a tired Bella in her arms. 

"She- Th- There was a snake," Marie's voice was shaking, "It was about to b- bite me and B-Bella was just t-trying to p-protect me." Marie cried, kneeling down in the grass. 

Tavington sat down next to Marie, Bella looked over at him and gave him a pitiful look. He slowly stroked her forehead. "Good girl..." He whispered, petting her softly, "You are such a good girl Bella." Her tail was wagging slowly. Marie let a tear fall down and kissed Bella's forehead.

"I love you Bella, such a good girl." She says but then lets out a cry as the puppy closes her eyes and goes limp in her arms. Tavington wraps an arm around Marie as she cries into his shoulder. 

"We could give her a proper burial, if you want..." He offers with a sad smile, she doesn't respond, all she does is sob. He hugs her and tries his best to comfort her, "Let's go inside, okay?" 

Marie gives him a pitiful nod, he helps her up, wrapping his arm around her shoulder, he leads her inside the mansion. Marie goes to her room and locks the door. 

............

Once they buried Bella, Marie just shut down completely. She stopped coming to breakfast and dinner, she would rarely show herself, she would just hide in her room and not come out. Spring was on its way, flowers started to bloom, the weather was really beautiful. 

About a week later, as Marie walked through the gardens, she heard whimpering. Getting curious, she looked around and saw a beagle. Its paw was bleeding and it's ear was slightly ripped. 

"Oh my!" She gasped and picked the animal up, the beagle whimper and tucked its tail between its legs. She went to her room and got to the bathroom. She cleaned the dog up, "Let's see here... okay. You're a girl. No collar..." 

She set the beagle down on her bed, the animal walked on the mattress before curling up in a ball by her pillow. Marie gave the puppy a slight smile and pet her, "What shall we name you then... how about... Daisy?" 

The dog barked and wagged her tail, "Daisy it is then." 

'Daisy' wagged her tail and fell asleep. Marie smiled and got under the covers of her bed, falling asleep with her new fur-baby. 

Tavington, in the middle of the night, entered Marie's room to check on her. She was asleep, he noticed the Beagle who noticed him and got up to sniff his hand. 

"Hello there little one." He whispered, "Go back to bed." 

Daisy obeyed Tavington, yawned, and plopped back next to Marie, going back to sleep. He smiled at Marie and leaned down to kiss her cheek as she slept. 

"I love you Marie..." He whispered, she stirred. 

"Mmmm..." She mumbled, "I love you Will...." She said in her sleep, turning over and cuddling her pillow as if it was him. He smiled and stroked her hair before leaving her room and going back to his own. He laid on his bed, one arm behind his head whilst the other was reading Shakespeare's "Macbeth". He thought of Marie and drifted off to sleep, hoping one day in the near future, she would forgive him for all the things he'd done to her.