Rogues Always Wear Black: A Steamy British Historical Romance Novel (Forbidden Kisses Book 1)

by Catherine Mayfair

  At the bottom of the hill was a large creek, and the bubbling of the water splashing over rocks was a welcoming sound.

  “We should let their horses drink,” Luke said, his voice an unsurprising deep baritone. Constance was still amazed at the size of the man. His hands had to be at least thrice the size of hers!

  “I should check on my sisters,” Constance said.

  Stephen nodded, and he and Luke led the horses to the bank of the creek.

  Constance motioned to her sisters to follow her, and they moved down the creek bank to a place she hoped would be out of earshot.

  “I do not believe these men mean to harm us.”

  “They do not,” Emma replied. “In fact, I believe Luke is the kindest man I have ever met.” She wore an odd smile that made Constance want to groan.

  Mary nodded. “She is right. I think we are safe, too. I do not detect any trouble from them.”

  “We are not trouble,” Stephen called out and then laughed.

  Constance shot the man a glare and then lowered her voice to a whisper. “Let us be careful of their words and actions, nonetheless. I believe they are fine, but we must remain alert.”

  Her sisters voiced their agreement, and then they filled the canteen. Constance wished they had more than one, but at least they had that.

  Soon, the group was traveling once again. The forest path never seemed to change; it was no wonder Constance had gotten them lost!

  “I assume you are not married,” Stephen said.

  “No,” Constance replied. “And it is a matter of which I would prefer not to speak.” A memory of four years earlier flickered in her mind, and she pushed it back into the recesses of her memory. Dwelling on the past did no good.

  Stephen looked at her. “Forgive me. I only want to know more about you.”

  Their eyes met, and she saw kindness behind his eyes. “It is a sore subject, and therefore I do not want to talk about it. It has nothing to do with you.”

  They walked for some time in silence, the only sounds their movements and the murmurs of Emma and Luke as they spoke to one another.

  “She is typically quiet,” Constance said in wonderment. “I’ve never seen her this talkative.”

  “Luke is the same,” Stephen said, his voice amused. “Perhaps the quietest man in all of England.”

  “Have you known each other long?”

  “Many years,” Stephen replied. “He is a good friend and a most trusted confidante.”

  She stepped over a rock, being more careful where she trod. She could not fall again. “Why do you live in the woods?”

  “That is a good question. However, I do not believe a simple explanation will suffice. You will have to see for yourself later.”

  As they continued to walk, Constance thought about the events that led to this day. The stepfather who had sold her and her sisters and the men who had wanted to marry them. Though they had been rescued by Stephen and Luke, they were still lost, and that fact was more than a bit unsettling.

  “My stepfather wanted us to marry men for whom we did not care,” Constance said, breaking the silence and deciding to trust the man. “Vile old men who paid a hefty sum for our hands in marriage. They openly spoke of us as if we are nothing more than possessions.”

  His eyebrows rose. “And your mother? Did she wish this as well?”

  “She has been dead many years,” Constance replied, a tear stinging her eye. “Five days ago, we fled into the night, making our way to London. On the second day, we encountered a friend of our stepfather, and that is why we decided to travel through the forest.”

  “That was wise to stay off the main roads,” Stephen said. “However, these woods are far too dangerous for ladies such as yourself to traverse alone.”

  “I know this,” Constance snapped. She had led her sisters into a muddle that nearly starved them. Then a man came close to kidnapping her. A woodswoman she certainly was not! She sighed. “I’m sorry. I’m tired, hungry, and feel more lost and confused than I have ever felt in my life.” Her predicament was not his fault. In fact, he was the one who had saved them and therefore she had no reason to snap at him.

  “We will stop soon to eat. Tonight, you will rest where we live.”

  She shot him a frustrated glare. “And tomorrow? What then?”

  “Tomorrow,” he repeated thoughtfully. “I do not know. What is in London? Family? Friends?”

  “Neither,” Constance replied, feeling defeated. “It was the only place in which I thought we could become lost.” She could not stop the light snort. “I suppose we have already accomplished that.”

  Stephen laughed and this time she found the sound sweet and joined in with him.

  “That you have,” he said. “We will talk more of this later tonight, but know this. I will help you and your sisters find the refuge you need. The men who seek you will never find you.”

  Though Constance had known the man only for a few hours, somehow his words comforted her. She found herself trusting him and hoped that she was not wrong.

  ***

  They had stopped and eaten a light meal of dried meat and bread earlier in the afternoon, which helped replenished the strength of the women. Constance felt her steps more solid, her worry not as great. She did not know what the future held, but she looked forward to the small cottage that they would stay in tonight. At least they would not be forced to sleep beneath the stars another night. Even a pallet on the floor would be a welcome relief after the rocky forest floor.

  They had moved down a steep hill, the trees appearing closer together, and before she knew it, they came into a clearing. Constance's eyes went wide, soaking in the small community in front of her. Two groups of stick huts, perhaps a dozen or more in total, surrounded a rounded common area that held several fire pits. A man with long, dark hair attended to an animal haunch of some sort, and the smells made Constance’s mouth water and her stomach rumble. She hoped Stephen had not heard.

  “Welcome to our home,” Stephen said.

  A boy of perhaps twelve rushed up to him. “Glad you’re back, Stephen,” the boy said as he grinned up at the man.

  Stephen patted the boy’s head in reply. “Charles, I would like you to meet Miss Constance,” he said. “And her sisters, Miss Mary and Miss Emma.”

  The boy smiled and bowed to them. “It’s an honor to have you as guests,” he said. Then he turned to Stephen. “Should I take their horses?”

  “Yes. Feed and water them, as well. Collect their belongings when you are done.”

  As the boy led their horses away, Constance was overcome with awe as she looked around the small area, noticing nearly a dozen people, a few of them women.

  “This is your home?” she asked. “How long have you lived out here?”

  Her sisters and Luke approached.

  “Many years,” Stephen said with a smile. “You are safe here. No one will harm you or your sisters.”

  “I would hurt anyone who would hurt any of you,” Luke said, making a fist and slamming it into the palm of his other hand.

  Emma gave a sigh of awe and then grinned at the man, and Constance shook her head at her.

  Stephen simply laughed. “Let me introduce you properly to everyone,” he said. “The young boy who took your horses is Charles.”

  He extended his hand toward Luke. “You have already met our vicar, Luke, a man of faith and steel.”

  Luke gave them a nod, and Constance wondered if the man was truly a vicar. She glanced at Emma and had to stop herself from rolling her eyes as the girl continued to grin at Luke. Constance tapped her sister on the elbow, and the girl lowered her head. She knew she had been caught making eyes at the man!

  Stephen motioned them to follow, and they walked over to one of the nearby fire pits where a man stood over a cookpot. “This is Robert the Rogue,” he said, and the long-haired man lifted a hand in greeting. “He is a former thief, gambler, and of course a rogue, which is how he came by his name.”

>   “A rogue!” Mary exclaimed with excitement. “I have heard of men such as yourself, men who woo women with their words.” She gasped and covered her mouth. Constance was glad her sister had caught herself, but the girl really had to learn to curb her tongue!

  Robert the Rogue, however, laughed. “Never fear. I am a former rogue. I have put those ways behind me. Unlike my friend here.” He grinned at Stephen before returning his attention to the women. “My cooking is the best in all of England, and tonight you will dine as you never have before.”

  “We look forward to tasting your victuals,” Mary said. “I’m hungry and could eat every portion and drink an entire bottle of wine myself!” She smiled when Robert laughed, but Constance shook her head in frustration. Had her sisters’ manners disappeared completely?

  “Now, girls,” she said in a low admonishing tone, “we are to conduct ourselves as ladies wherever we are. You know this!”

  “That includes while in the company of a rogue, a vicar, and the Man in Black,” Luke said with a chuckle.

  “The Man in Black?” Constance asked. “Who is that?”

  Stephen doubled over with laughter, his hands on his thighs. “Surely you have heard the tales of the Man in Black?”

  Constance shook her head and her sisters did so, as well.

  “The man who is so handsome that any woman who looks at him falls in love?” He seemed taken aback when they shook their heads again. “The man whose wit is as sharp as his blade?” He removed his dagger and twirled it in his hands.

  Constance gave him a blank stare. “I’m sorry, but we have not heard of such a man. I presume you speak of yourself?”

  A look of disappointment crossed Stephen’s face, but it was gone in an instant as he returned the dagger once again. “I am that man,” he replied.

  “A legend in his own mind,” Robert called out from behind him, sending Constance and her sisters into a fit of giggles.

  “Jealousy is Robert’s only vice that remains,” Stephen replied with a wink. “Come, let me show you something.”

  They followed Stephen to the hut furthest on the right. Constance smiled at the small structures that appeared to be perhaps half the size of her bedchamber in Lankster Manor. They were adorable!

  “Each of these huts belongs to different people in our group,” he explained. Then he pointed to the one straight across the common area from where he stood. “That is mine. You will sleep there tonight.”

  Constance knew her cheeks had to be a bright crimson. Surely he did not expect her to share his bed as some sort of payment for his heroic deed? Perhaps he was truly as much a rogue as Robert jested.

  However, he chuckled. “Do not worry; I will sleep in the one beside it.”

  “Of course,” Constance replied. “I was not worried at all.” How had she become so competent at lying? More than likely it was a result of too many years spent lying to her stepfather. That had to be it.

  Stephen wore a mischievous grin that told her he knew exactly what she had thought, and she wanted nothing more than to slap his face for even making her think such a thing. Rogue indeed!

  As they moved past his hut, a woman older than Constance by at least ten years with long blond hair and a burlap dress came out of one of the smaller huts.

  “Sally,” Stephen called out to her, “come meet our new friends.”

  Rather than greeting Constance and her sisters, the woman’s face lit up in a pretty smile and she rushed to Stephen and threw herself into his arms. “You left without telling us again!” she admonished. “Do not do that again!”

  Stephen laughed as he twirled her around once. “I promise I will always tell you where I’m going,” he said. “Now, let me go before you suffocate me!” He placed her on the ground, and she turned to Constance and her sisters.

  “It’s a real pleasure to meet you,” the woman said, lifting the sides of her dress and attempting a curtsy. Then she giggled, leaned in, and lowered her voice. “I’ve never curtsied to real ladies before.”

  “I see,” Constance replied, though she was unsure how to handle the situation. The woman had a playfulness about her that belied her age and said she would be pleasurable company. “Well, we are pleased to make your acquaintance, Sally. I am Constance, and these are my sisters, Emma and Mary.”

  Soon, others joined, and more introductions were made. Each new person was as kind as the one before, and though they wore tattered clothing, their smiles shone brighter than any aristocrat would have worn on most occasions.

  Another woman stepped out of one of the huts, her long, red hair flowing behind her. With green eyes and high cheekbones, she was everything a lady aspired to be. The only difference was this woman wore men’s clothing! Yet, even in her white shirt, brown breeches, and knee-high boots, she was stunning. Constance had never seen a woman so beautiful or one who held herself so regally.

  Her gaze held little warmth for the newcomers, but that gaze did not remain on the women long.

  “Louisa,” Stephen said, “this is Constance and her sisters, Mary and Emma.”

  All three smiled and greeted Louisa, but the woman shot them a glare and ignored them completely. “You left without a word,” she rebuked, a hand on her hip. “I worry for your safety, and you come back with three…” Her words trailed off, and she looked them over with disgust. “Ladies?”

  Constance might not have known the woman, but she knew when she was unwelcome. Then she looked at the hut from where she had come and realized why - she had come from the hut beside Stephen’s. Perhaps she was his intended. She must have thought Constance’s intentions were not honorable!

  Before Stephen could respond, Constance said, “Your husband,” she was unsure how to address him in relation to this woman, “was kind enough to save us from a highwayman. Though we are more than thankful for his help, I have no romantic notions toward him.”

  The woman’s eyes widened. “Oh?” she asked. “No romantic notions, you say?”

  Constance shook her head, yet guilt overtook her. Had Stephen not kissed her earlier? Yet, that was his doing, not hers.

  “Well, now I feel safe,” Louisa said, although her words were drenched in sarcasm. She turned to Stephen. “We must speak at once.”

  Stephen nodded and turned to Constance. “Please, rest near one of the fires or explore the grounds. I will return shortly.”

  “Thank you,” Constance said. As she and her sisters made their way to a nearby fire, she glanced over her shoulder. Louisa shot her a glare before following Stephen into the hut.

  “Pay her no mind,” Robert said as he stirred a bubbling pot. “Louisa is as fiery as her hair, but she means no harm. Newcomers are always greeted the same by her.”

  “I believe I may have offended her. I made it clear I have no intentions toward Stephen.”

  Robert sighed as he tapped the spoon on the edge of the pot. “They’re not courting, and they aren’t married, but they fight as bad as any husband and wife.”

  “Oh,” Constance replied, though she was still confused.

  “They are our leaders.” He motioned behind him. “Come on. Take a seat.”

  A log had been cut in half and each end was placed on a stump to create a long table. On either side of that were two more logs to create benches. Emma and Mary looked at Constance, and she nodded.

  “How long have you lived here?” Mary asked as she sat at a place Robert indicated. “And why do you all live here?”

  “Mary!” Constance scolded. “We should not ask such personal questions of someone we just met.”

  Robert smiled as he cut off thick slices of meat and placed them across a nearby stone. “It’s all right,” he said. “Her questions are fine. I’ve been here nearly seven years now, I’d say.” He shook his head as if what he said was unbelievable. “As to why, I’ll let Stephen explain.”

  “Explain what?” Stephen asked as he joined them. “Are you telling tales about me again?”

  “Perhaps I am,” Ro
bert replied with a grin. “These ladies’d like to learn more about this place and why we’re here.”

  “I see. I suppose I will tell them, then.”

  “I’ll bring some drinks,” Robert said, leaving the four alone.

  Stephen sat across from Constance, his eyes meeting hers. Perhaps it was the late evening or the remains of the fire, but she felt her body heat up all the same.

  “Do you feel safe?” Stephen asked.

  “Why, yes, of course,” Constance replied.

  However, when Stephen pulled out a knife from a hidden sheath at his side, she could not stifle a gasp as he twirled it in his hand with a wide grin. “That is good,” he said, replacing the knife in its sheath. “Though your gasp is as loud as your whispers.”

  Constance was exhausted, hungry, and above all, not one who took well someone poking fun at her. “Your little games with your knife and words are childish,” she said with a sniff. “You should conduct yourself as a gentleman and forgo your arrogance.”

  “Fair enough,” he said with a nod. “My apologies.”

  Constance doubted the man’s sincerity. In fact, she did not know what to make of him. He lived in the woods, wore all black, yet spoke as a man highly educated - when he was not being sarcastic. “Now I shall tell you who I am and how we came to be here.”

  “Thank you,” Constance said and then glanced over as Robert came up with several crude wooden cups and a bottle of wine.

  “Ladies,” he said, passing them each a cup and then filling them. “Food’ll be ready in a moment.”

  “You are a kind gentleman,” Constance said. “It is nice to meet one after so many days.” She gave a firm nod and then looked at Stephen, who gasped. Whether to mock her or genuinely aghast, she did not know, nor did she care.

  “Though I am known as the Man in Black, my true name is Lord Stephen Chambers, Seventh Earl of Hartford and the sole heir to my family estate. I have been in these woods for nearly a dozen years.” He did not say this with any smugness but rather as a statement of fact.

  “That cannot be,” Constance said. “A lord does not live in such…”

  “Squalor?” Stephen said, taking the bottle of wine from Robert. “Living as vagabonds? Conversing with former rogues and thieves?”