𝑀𝑦 𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑡𝑙𝑒 𝑃𝑎𝑡𝑟𝑖𝑜𝑡 | 𝐶𝑜𝑙𝑜𝑛𝑒𝑙 𝑇𝑎𝑣𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑡𝑜𝑛

17

The past couple days I have been preparing to move, i'm quite exhausted now, but William and I have been spending quite a lot of time together.

"Kitty, are you ready?" William asks while walking into his tent.

"Yes, I believe I am." I shoot a small smile at him.

"Alright, shall we leave then?" He extends his hand.

"Of course." I blush while taking his hand.

He leads me out of his tent, and we make our way towards a carriage.

"After you miss." He opens the door to the carriage.

I quickly step into the carriage, with William following me close behind.

He pulls the curtains down, giving us some privacy, as he sits across from me.

"Will I still be in your company?" I ask.

"What ever do you mean?"

"Will I still be able to see you?"

"Of course, my dear."

"Thank you William." I say while pulling out a rather large book, with blue felt covering the front and back, with gold embroidering.

"What is that?" The Colonel asks whilst eyeing the book I was holding.

"It's a story my friend Catherine gave me, I quite like it, it's one of my favorites."

"What is it called?" He cocks an eyebrow.

"La Belle et la Bête."

"You know French?"

"Of course, it's Catherine's mother's native language."

"What ever does it translate to?"

"The Beauty and the Beast."

We talk for about an hour, before my eyelids grow heavy, and I fall asleep.

***
As I wake up I find myself sunken in silk blankets. I quickly pull the light blue covers over my shoulders, due too the fact I was freezing.

Just then the door opened, and the familiar face of an old lady with white hair walks in.

"Joan!" I announce excitingly.

"Hello, kind girl. I have been ordered to inform you that Colonel Tavington wishes to see you." She kindly says.

"Thank you Joan." I smile, which she returns before leaving to room.

I huff before getting out of bed, I slip my shoes on before leaving the bedroom.

I try and navigate my ways through the endless halls, as I turn around I run into a tall figure of a man.

"WILKINS?" I yell in disbelief.

"Kitty?" He looks down at me.

"What's going on here." The familiar voice of the Colonel sounds from behind me.

"Nothing sir." Wilkins immediately stands straight up.

"You should know better than to sleep with girls half your age." William snarls.

"We weren't sir." Wilkins says nervously.

"Leave." The Colonel orders.

William watched closely as Wilkins leaves the hall, then turns to me and cups my right cheek, making me look up at him.

"He didn't hurt you, did he?" He asks worryingly.

"No, he didn't do anything."

"Are you sure?" He continues, still holding my cheeks.

"Yes, why are you so worried anyway?" I curiously ask.

"He has a thing for younger women, although he's married, and has kids of his own. It makes me sick just thinking about it." He speaks with a hint of disgust in his voice.

"Well he used to be a friend of my father's, now I know why he's been disappearing the past couple months."

"Ah yes, I apologize."

"It's okay."

I notice him staring deeply into my eyes, before he breaks eye contact, and looks down at my lips.

"I wish for you to meet someone."

"Who?" My face lights up thinking about meeting someone new.

"You will see." He says while leading me towards to huge doors, before they open. Revealing the men that sit just inside.

"Ah, and who might you be?" One of the men speak.