Glancing back at Mary and Emma once more, she could not ignore the longing on their faces. If what Stephen and Louisa had to offer was worthwhile, they would remain.
“As I said before, Mary and Emma must come first,” she said firmly. “If I believe your plan is not what will be best for them, we press on to London.”
Stephen took a step back and bowed, which made Constance giggle. “I have never told a lie,” he said with a wink. “I promise that, if you return with me, your dreams for you and your sisters will come true.” He extended his hand. “So, Lady of the Woods, will you return with me?”
For a moment, Constance hesitated. Who was she, truly? She was a woman who was tasked in caring for Mary and Emma, a woman who had grown in new ways over the past months. She could not spend her days in worry, and therefore decided to once again trust her heart.
“Who can resist the Man in Black?” she said with a small smile. “For many think him a rogue, but I know him to be a man of honor. Yes, we will return with you.”
As she said the words, her heart told her that she was making the right decision, and the Man in Black would indeed make her dreams come true.
Chapter Eighteen
They arrived back at the camp to cheerful greetings, and Constance could not have been more pleased she had decided to return. How could she have thought London was a more fitting place for Mary and Emma? Or for herself?
Charles ran directly to her and threw his arms around her in a tight embrace. “I’m so glad you’ve returned,” the boy said, his broad smile covering his face.
“We’ve missed you,” Luke said, and Constance laughed, trying to breathe with her face buried in his chest. He hugged Mary, and when he went to hug Emma, Constance had never seen such redder cheeks.
“We will return our things to the hut,” Mary said, her smile as wide as Charles’s had been. “It’s time we settled back into our home.”
Sally came barreling out of her hut, almost knocking Constance over with her hug. “You’ve returned!” she squealed. “I knew you could never leave us. You can’t bare the thought of not washing clothes and teaching manners and etiquette, can you?”
This made them both laugh. “I suppose we cannot at that,” she replied. Sally hugged her again. “Everyone’s missed you. Luke, Robert, everyone who learned you had gone missed you. We’re just glad you’re back. You’re never leaving again, are you?”
“I do not know,” she replied. She could not lie to her friend, but she also did not want to disappoint her. “I will be speaking to Louisa later concerning several matters, though I’m not exactly sure what we will discuss. Many factors will contribute to whether we stay or leave.”
“May I ask a favor?” the woman asked. “And you must say yes.”
Constance laughed. “All right. What can I do?”
“If you decide you’ll leave again, take me with you. We’ve become great friends, and I don’t want to be far away from you.”
Constance’s heart went out to the woman who was once forced to give her body to men at their will. Now she was the most cheerful person she had ever met. If Constance decided to leave, and if the others did not mind, she would gladly take Sally with her.
“I will take you…” She was unable to complete her thought, for the woman threw her arms around Constance once again. When the hug broke, she thought the woman’s eyes had misted, but Sally hurried away before she could verify this.
As she walked toward the campfire, she glanced over and saw Louisa near the far end of a row of huts. The woman was speaking to Stephen, and when he walked away, Louisa motioned to Constance. This had been an encounter she both dreaded and anticipated. Would the woman berate her again? Or would she apologize? Constance could not imagine the latter happening at any rate.
“You wished to speak to me?” Constance asked as she neared the woman. An uneasiness fell over her. Stephen had said that Louisa was sorry for her treatment of her, but the woman had lied on more occasion when it came to Constance.
“Follow me, please,” Louisa said. Her voice gave Constance no indication of her intent, and she glanced around, uncertain if she should go with her alone. She shook her head. It was not as if no one saw them together now, and if Louisa thought to harm her, Stephen would be none too happy.
Constance followed Louisa into the woods for a few minutes before entering a clearing. The trees were much thinner in this area, and the ground was covered with leaves, brown and long since dead.
“You walk with much lighter steps than you did before,” Louisa said. “Even your breathing is silent.” Was that admiration in her tone?
“Thank you,” Constance murmured. “I have been practicing.”
Louisa nodded and leaned against a tree much like Stephen did on occasion. “When you first arrived, I was torn. Part of me was happy that you and your sisters were safe from the men who wished to have you. Part of me was jealous of you.”
Constance raised her brows. “Jealous? I cannot imagine why. You are a very formidable woman. Why would you be jealous of me?”
The woman smiled. “You are kind to say so,” she replied. “But what you say could not be further from the truth. I was jealous of the way Stephen looked at you. For so long, I waited for him to admire me in such a way, and when he turned his attention to you, I knew I had lost any chance to have him for myself.” She shifted uneasily against the tree. “I must admit it was more than that, however. I have been envious of your strength, as well.”
Constance’s eyes widened. “My strength?” she asked incredulously. “I have only been learning your ways for a few months. I cannot imagine what strength I would have that would be an envy to anyone.”
“It is a strength that comes within you,” Louisa replied. “The determination to learn, to look after your sisters in confidence.” She sighed. “When we spoke by the river before you left, I was angry and sent you away. However, your words to me concerning what a friend does, they haunted me. Oh, you may see a woman who leads a group of struggling people, a woman who is able to give orders. The others may even look up to me because of it. Yet, you are nothing but giving, a woman who will do whatever it takes to help others. I have never washed a single article of clothing or helped serve a meal, all because I thought myself above such tasks. It never occurred to me that I should be forced to do such menial tasks. Then enters a woman of noble upbringing, a lady who jumps right in as if leaping into a roiling stream.” She shook her head. “But even more so, you have earned the trust and admiration of everyone in the camp and did not have to interject yourself into that position.”
Constance was unable to speak. Never would she have ever believed this woman could be so unsure of herself.
“Did Stephen tell you how I came to find him?”
With a nod, Constance replied, “He told me how you were traveling in your carriage and came upon him on the road after he and his mother were attacked. It was you who cared for him as he recovered from his injuries.”
“That is true, but he did not tell you who I was, did he? Or rather, who I still am?”
Constance shook her head. “I’m not sure I understand.”
Louisa sighed. “Let me tell you the entire story.”
“I would like that,” Constance replied. She walked over to sit upon a stump, and Louisa sat on a boulder nearby, a distant look in her eyes.
“My name is Lady Louisa Dewhirst, Marchioness of Blackwell. My son, Charles, is the heir to the Dewhirst family fortune made in shipping and control over a vast amount of land.”
Constance stared at the woman wide eyed. She had heard of the Dewhirst, everyone had. “My stepfather has spoken the name on many occasions, typically with envy.”
Louisa smiled. “He would not be the first. Like you and your sisters, I was forced into a marriage I did not want with a man thrice my age. I was with child when Peter passed a year after our marriage and was returning to my estate when I came upon Stephen and his mother.”
So
much became clearer to Constance. This woman was all too well-spoken and educated to be of the lower class, and it also explained how she had been able to help Stephen all those years ago.
“It was during this time that I thought I loved him, a pure love that I had always wanted but never had. However, Stephen was determined to find the man who had killed his mother, and therefore, he insisted on returning here. I supported him in his decision, and because of my love for him, I brought Charles to live here, as well.” She shook her head. “A silly notion, I know, but I was enamored by the man. No, I was enamored by the idea of the man.
“Charles was just a babe in arms when we came to live here, but he has thrived. As to Stephen, I thought I loved him as a woman would love a man she wished as her husband, but I have realized I loved our friendship more. Stephen has a way of making others smile, and we have a strong bond, but - and I know this is going to come across as very strange - but in all these years I never once thought about us together, not in the way a husband and wife would be together. I simply wanted to be at his side.”
“You should know that I do not wish to break that bond,” Constance said quietly. “I truly do not.”
Louisa smiled. “I know this now. Constance, I am so very sorry for what I did to you. Everything - your willingness to help your sisters, your determination to learn our ways despite your upbringing, everything you have done for the good of the camp…you are a far greater lady than I could ever imagine being.” She chuckled. “I had thought it was I who would teach you, but it is you who has taught me, and for that I am grateful. I ask that you forgive me. I do not wish to be your enemy but your friend.”
Constance was overcome. She had been uncertain that this woman would truly be sorry for her actions, and she had gone far beyond a simple apology. “We are friends,” she replied as she embraced Louisa. “And friends forgive one another.”
Louisa dabbed at her eye with a kerchief before asking, “May I ask a favor? Or rather two?”
“Yes, of course.”
“Whatever may happen to Stephen, will you always look after him? The man is prone to his own arrogance, and I fear he will only harm himself.”
Constance laughed. “Men can tend to be as such. But yes, I will do this.”
“The second concerns Charles. The boy admires and respects you. Will you continue to help him grow to be the man he is meant to be?”
“It will be an honor,” Constance replied, knowing it would be easy to keep both promises.
Louisa looked around the clearing. “I suppose we should return. Thank you again.”
“You are most welcome,” Constance replied. As they made their way down the path, she said, “My sisters…that is, Stephen said you may have a way to help them?”
Louisa nodded. “We do, and tonight you will learn how.”
***
That night after dinner, Constance sat with Mary and Emma inside their hut, where she told them the truth concerning Louisa. From the woman’s cruel words to their newfound friendship, she left out nothing. The cluster of small candles on the crude table cast flickering light on the three.
“So, do you mean to say that you care for Stephen?” Mary asked, confusion marring her otherwise beautiful face. “That is, do you love him?”
“I do care for him deeply, but that is not what is important at the moment. Tonight, we shall learn what he and Louisa wish to share with us concerning our future. What that will be, I cannot say, but I will say this. Whatever happens tonight, or even a year from now, we will remain together somehow. Our bond as sisters cannot be broken.”
Her sisters smiled, and Emma leaned her head on Constance’s shoulder. “I hope you know that Mary and I are thankful for everything you have done. Phillip was always so cruel to us, and the fact he wished us to marry those men continues to haunt me.”
“What if he finds us and forces us to return?” Mary asked, her eyes wide with fright. “I cannot marry Lord Montgomery! I cannot!” Her eyes filled with tears, and Constance pulled her close.
“That will not happen,” Constance said as she kissed the top of Mary’s head. “I will do whatever it takes to be sure it does not.”
Emma looked up at her. “Whatever you choose tonight, I know you will make the right decision for us.”
“I appreciate you saying so,” Constance said with a smile. “I want to thank both of you for maintaining your ladylike demeanor despite our rugged situation. Your willingness to help without complaint has taken away a lot of my burden.”
The door to the hut opened and Sally peeked in, her mop of blond hair falling over her shoulders. “They’ve sent me to collect you.”
Constance nodded, and she and her sisters followed Sally out into the common area of the camp. A fire roared in one of the pits, Nancy and Walter talking together beside it.
“Where are they?” Constance asked. “Louisa and Stephen?”
“Follow me,” Sally said. “They’re not far.”
They followed Sally out of the camp by the light of a waning moon. A gentle breeze pricked her skin, and at least ten minutes passed before they saw the glow of another campfire between the trees. Louisa stood beside Stephen with Robert and Luke across from them. Why did they want to meet so far away from the main camp?
“This is scary,” Mary whispered. “You do not think we are to take a blood oath, do you?”
Emma giggled, and Constance shook her head.
“Enough of that nonsense,” she admonished, though she did wonder at the secrecy. When they arrived in the ring of light, her heart skipped a beat when four sets of eyes turned on them, not a smile among them. Had she angered them in some way? But no, that was foolishness.
“You know our stories,” Louisa said. “And we know yours. Have you told your sisters who I am?”
Constance nodded. “I have.”
“Excellent. All three of you are now standing inside a circle of trust. Those of us already here have vowed to protect one another and guard our secrets as well as our lives. Everyone here is in agreement that you are now a part of that trust.”
Constance glanced at Mary and Emma and was pleased to see them smiling. “We are honored,” Constance said, “and we will adhere to never speak a word spoken here.”
Louisa smiled. “We know that. You have seen what we do here and how we help others. For some time now, I have been longing to return to my estate, not to put this life behind me but to begin to prepare Charles in the role he must fill. Because of my position in society and what it can offer us, I often host parties. Those in the camp fill the roles of the household staff. We are not the only members of this circle; four men are at my house now, one of them Patrick, who you met.”
Constance thought back to their first day in the camp and remembered the man who was kind though he spoke little.
“Their roles are important, for they help keep up the appearance that the house is fully functional. In doing so, I am able to keep my life here secret.”
“A very clever ruse,” Constance said with amusement. “If you need our help, we will do what we can. We are not afraid of hard work, and if we were to receive training, I’m sure we could assume the role of any position in the household.”
“No,” Stephen said. “That is not it at all.” He glanced at Louisa and grinned. “I’ll let Louisa continue.”
The marchioness – Louisa was a marchioness! - gave him a scathing look but then returned his grin. “I appreciate you allowing me to continue with my own explanation,” she said with a sniff. “During my parties, those who play the role of servants listen to the conversations of the guests. Most of the aristocracy view servants as no more than pieces of furniture and tend to be more loose of tongue around them. From there, we gather whatever information we can.”
“But how are you to know that our guests will reveal any pertinent information?” Mary asked.
A tiny smile played on the corner of Louisa’s lips. “Because we invite those we already believe to be invol
ved with…how should I put it? Unscrupulous dealings. Thus far, none have suspected the reason for these gatherings, and because they are among like-minded people, they assume I am one of them.”
“They act as spies!” Emma gasped before putting her hand over her mouth.
Louisa chuckled. “That would be the best way to describe their work, yes. So, will you be willing to join us?”
Constance did not need time to consider. “Yes,” she replied. “We will do whatever we can to help. Especially if it halts the cruelty of some men.”
With a nod, Louisa said, “When I return to my home, I do not plan to leave again for some time. In fact, I will only return to the camp on occasion. I will grow lonely without my friends, to be sure, but it is what will be best for Charles. What I want to know is if you - all three of you - will join me at my estate. Not as servants but as my friends.”
“You mean you want us to live at your home?” Constance asked in shock.
“Indeed. I need friends to help me settle back into my old life, ladies of society who can accompany me to town and share in my good fortune. I know Charles would benefit greatly from the help of two teachers he admires.”
Constance was stunned. This was better than she could have hoped for. Now Mary and Emma would be returned to society. “Of course. Yes, we would be honored.
“Wonderful!” Louisa said. “However, that is not all.” She nodded to Stephen.
“I will remain here at the camp for the foreseeable future to find and help those in need. Those who earn our trust will be taken to the estate to work and for training. We cannot continue to give lessons on servitude inside a hut. From there, they can be sent out into the world with what they need to find work, including a glowing reference from the Marchioness of Blackwell. However, Louisa cannot do this alone. If you join her there, you will be able to continue to help others and your sisters can get what they need in order to return to society if they so choose.”
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