The Last Marigold

~XII~

William shot Banastre a smirk before glancing towards James who also happened to be looking his way. A sudden crack of musket fire echoed off some nearby tree and a few second later, Banastre was almost crushed underneath his horse. In a fit of rage William shouted "Take no prisoners! Fire at will!" James and William quickly jumped from their horses and rushed to Banastre's side, only to hear him groaning "Jesus Ban...say something"

He winced as he turned his head to the side and tried moving his arm "Get this...beast off...me" He gasped out before feeling as though his ribs would break.

"I will- arghh!" William felt white hot heat graze his neck "bastards!" He shouted before reaching up, only to feel his blood running from the wound. After a few minutes, he composed himself and looked back down at his pinned friend "It's not that bad...C'mon Ban"

A few hours after the battle had ended, the three officers found themselves in a nearby church seeking treatment. Luckily for Banastre, he suffered no injuries along with James. Though William was lucky that the musket ball didn't nick his artery. He was almost certain that in the future Banastre would tease him about almost dying from a stray shot!

"Where too now?" James asked as he picked up his little knapsack and satchel "back to the camp I hope?"

William stood up and redressing himself in his coatee "Yes...I will request new orders" He reached up and felt the gauze on his neck "What of the men? how many casualties and fatalities? How many letters must I write?" He asked as the three of them funnelled out of the church and ventured towards their horses "I have a meeting at seven"

"Non as they were all from my regiment"

"Thank god"

"They replaced my steed rather quickly, this stallion was Major Maxwell's, the boy passed an hour ago" Banastre patted the horses neck before untying the reins and pulling them backwards "A fine lad he is, aren't you?" He smiled as the horse tipped his head up and down as Banastre stroked his forehead "Don't throw me off and I think that we'll get on splendidly"

"Alright stop flirting with your horse Ban" William sighed as he mounted his horse "And did you say major Maxwell? Penelope's husband? Well, who's breaking the news to the poor lass?" He asked as the two officers looked straight at him looked "and why must I?"

"she likes you much better than the both of us, Banastre paid her little coin the last time they met" James added before spurring his horse into a trot "and she fancies you"

"It's quite obvious Tavy"

"I don't like breaking bad news, will you do it Ban?"

"Do I get to sleep with her afterwards?"

"No, no you do not" William snapped before tightening his hold on the reins "She will not be treated like a whore anymore, do you understand me?" James cased a confused look at Banastre, who in turn shot William a scowl "Don't look at me like that Ban, you need to understand that that woman is now a widow, she may not have loved him but she may have cared for him"

After he had said his piece, the three of them went quiet for the rest of the ride back to the camp. Once they were there, William ventured into the officer's mess tent and got served some beef, bread and a cup of rum. He took out Marigold's latest letter and carefully read through it. He never thought that he could miss a person as much as he missed his flower. Of course he missed his family, his sisters barely wrote to him even after he got word of his mother's death. But now he had Marigold, the only good thing left in his life.

Banastre saw William sitting alone and sat across the table from him "Missing your woman?" he asked before looking down at the food on his plate, forking his food only to leave it resting on the edge of the plate.