Love and Loyalty

~1~

'Victory! Cornwallis' surrender at Yorktown!'

When William looked back, he felt nothing but shame for his actions. Although he was mortified by the British defeat at Yorktown, he could not help but smirk. That dammed fool Cornwallis! If he'd let him use his tactics maybe they would've won! And maybe he wouldn't be practically begging on the streets!

Over the last ten years, he'd somehow managed to scrape together enough money to be able to travel to North Carolina, then somehow Virginia. He was less known there, though he used the fake name of 'William Thorne' to make certain that no one would recognize the damaged 'Tavington' name. He wondered what had happened with his mother and his younger sister, even his father. After a few years, he traveled to Ohio to see what could have been his. If he somehow won the battle against the ghost...if he didn't run from Cowpens. The cries of the people he had killed started to come back, and the only way to deal with it, in his opinion, was by drinking. He heard the subtle cock of a musket before drowning out the sound by drinking the rest of his ale.

"Another..." William mumbled as his tankard landed on the bar.

"You've had enough" The bartender sighed and took away his cup. Without a thought or care, William leaned over the bar and swung his fist at him. It took two men to restrain him, which even surprised both parties "Right that's it! You're barred!"

William stumbled out of the tavern and fell against the hitching post "Why are you doing this to me!?" He drunkenly cried before regaining his balance "Just kill me!" then a crack of thunder echoed through the trees "Oh fuck you!" Around half an hour later, he found himself laying on a pile of hay in a barn. He couldn't care if it was abandoned or not. It wasn't exactly like it would make a difference to his unworthy life.

'you need to promise to find happiness' Emily smiled and gently scratched his jaw 'promise me that?' William shook his head and brushed her hair from her face 'find it, Will...'

"Don't leave me...I'm not strong enough

'You are...'

'I love you'

But there was no response.

~~~

"And why are you keeping him in the spare room miss?" Asked an unfamiliar voice as William cracked his eyes open "Your heart is one of gold but he could be dangerous"

"Well, he was asleep in my barn, sauced out of his mind" Another unfamiliar woman spoke as he regained consciousness "He doesn't look dangerous"

Just at that moment, he hauled the contents of his stomach onto the floor beside the bed. Oh god...what had he done?! He quickly sat up and scurried to the other side of the bed "Who are you?! Where am I?!"

The two women looked over at him and one with a less caring look than the other "Sir, you passed out in my barn" the younger-looking of the pair spoke before casting a small glance at the pile of bile on the floor "get Edwin please" She said to the coloured woman beside her.

"I- who- where?" William stammered before realizing that he was just in his breeches "who undressed me?"

"Omari" The woman raised her hands slightly in an attempt to calm him. Whoever the younger woman was, she was quite beautiful. She had gorgeous eyes and deep chestnut locks. But her eyes captivated him the most, so bright and full of life. Unlike his rather dull grey ones "I was informed late last evening that you were asleep in my barn, I thought you'd like a comfier place to sleep"

"You helped me?"

"Yes"

"Thank you"

"You're welcome, mister- what is your name?"