Constance was overcome with emotion. “Yes, we will gladly do so.”
Louisa embraced Constance and whispered in her ear, “We will be happy together. I look forward to building the foundation of our friendship. We shall see your sisters married to the finest of gentlemen.”
“Thank you,” Constance whispered back. Once the embrace broke, she said, “I do not know what to say. We have been running for so long, I did not know what the future would hold. My sisters will now have a life they were meant to have, and I cannot begin to thank you enough.”
“There is no need to thank me,” Stephen said with a smile. “The happiness of you and your sisters was promised to you. Your smiles are reward enough.”
When he embraced her, the emotions that she had so carefully packed away bore through her. How she wished they were alone so he would kiss her! But no. Just because Constance had returned did not mean that she and Stephen had a future together. He was to remain in the camp and she in Louisa’s house. She pushed those rising feelings back down and locked them away.
“Oh, one more thing,” Louisa said. “Sally will be joining us, and I understand she wishes to be your lady’s maid. Do you accept?”
Constance smiled. “I would love nothing better,” she replied.
As the discussion turned to their plans for an upcoming party, Constance sighed. Her sisters’ futures were looking brighter, so she was pleased with that. However, as she studied Stephen, she felt a sense of uncertainty. What would her future hold? No, what would their future hold?
Chapter Nineteen
The following days were filled with excitement as Constance, Mary, and Emma prepared to leave for their new home. Though they had little to take with them, Constance placed it all in the burlap sacks. She had enjoyed the time she spent with the various people of the camp, all of whom she would miss.
Despite her enthusiasm for what was to come, Constance worried for Walter, who had become distant since their return to the camp. He could have continued on his own if he did not wish to return, she thought. However, her concern for him grew.
The morning Constance and her sisters were to leave, Constance approached Walter as he stood alone staring into the camp as if an outsider.
“Good morning,” Walter said as she approached. “You seem in high spirits today.” He did not sound at all interested in her spirits whatsoever.
She gave him a smile. “I am. We are excited to begin our new life.”
“London,” he replied flatly, and Constance nodded. They had told the others in the camp this to keep secret the location of Louisa’s true identity and where her home was located. “Well, I’m pleased for you.” His tone belied his words.
“Walter, you seem upset. Have I done something to anger you?”
He pushed away from the tree he had been leaning against and sighed. “No. I know you cannot tell me the truth of where you are going, but I’m no fool. You are leaving to have tea with the King just as likely as you are going to London. I have been here six months and have done everything asked of me, and still I have not earned their trust.”
“They trust you,” Constance insisted. “As to where we are going, I cannot say. It is not for me to reveal anything.”
Walter looked past her. “It’s fine. I must admit, I will miss Emma very much.”
This man had an interest in Emma? Constance turned to see the younger of her sisters talking to Luke, as was her usual custom after breakfast was completed.
“She is like all the others and pays me no attention.” Walter sounded bitter. “No one seems to anymore.”
Constance placed a hand on his arm. “Emma does not ignore you, nor does anyone else. As to the trust, I cannot speak for anyone else, but I trust you.”
This seemed to placate the man, for he smiled for the first time since their return. Granted, it was not a wide smile but it had a small upturn of the lips at least. “That means much to me,” he said. “I will always remember that.”
He said this without emotion, and for some reason a shiver ran down her spine.
“It seems you have a guest,” he said, jutting his chin past her. “I shall leave lest I get in the way.”
Before she could respond, he hurried away and Stephen joined her.
Stephen greeted Walter, but the other man merely responded with a grunt.
“What is wrong with him?” Stephen asked. “It’s not like him.”
“He feels left out,” Constance replied. “He feels as if he is not trusted and that he cannot earn anyone’s favor.”
Stephen snorted. “He’s trusted enough by some. Louisa does not trust him at all, and I must admit I’m uncertain whether he is trustworthy or not.”
“Why is that?”
“The man has never worked,” Stephen replied. “He spent many years in prison, and he was a highwayman when we met him. Though we extend an amount of trust to anyone wanting to remain in the camp, the inner group believes he still has not earned their confidence. The truth is, he does little to contribute to our cause at the basic level, how can we trust him to do what is required at the highest?”
Luke had gone off to do whatever it was he needed to do, and Walter had walked up to Emma. Thoughts of when Constance and her sisters had left and how Walter had found them came to mind. Emma had mentioned her discomfort around the man. Had he not said that he had been working for a family who had dismissed all their servants?
“Constance?” Stephen said in a quiet voice. “Are you all right? You look frightened.”
For a moment, she did not respond. Her heart beat with such force, she found it hard to breathe. However, when Luke joined the pair, she breathed a sigh of relief. “Yes, I’m all right.” She turned and furrowed her brow. “When you found us in the village, when Walter was with us?”
“Yes? What of it?”
“He told us that he had been working for a large house that had fallen into financial ruin. So much so that he was dismissed with most of the staff. He said nothing about prison or being a highwayman. It is strange, but before you walked up to us, he had said that he was angry at not being trusted. Then he said he had an interest in Emma.” She looked back to see Walter frowning once again. “I do not trust him either.”
“I will speak to him later,” Stephen said. “I’ll also inform Louisa of this. However, it is of no consequence at the moment, for we leave tomorrow. Are you ready?”
Constance nodded but watched as Walter stalked away. “Yes, I am.”
“Good, there is one more thing to teach you. Your final lesson.”
“Final lesson?” she asked, her curiosity piqued, and not only for learning something new. “What is it?”
“You must join me to find out. Will you accompany me?”
“I will.”
She followed him from the camp. What more could the man possibly teach her, especially now that she would be returning to civilization?
***
They had walked only a short distance when Stephen raised his hand to signal Constance was to stop. Constance glanced about, wondering what this final lesson could be. He had already taught her to walk without making a sound and listening for the faintest noise. When she went to ask, he placed a finger on her lips, causing a bolt of electricity to course through her.
“Listen,” he whispered. “Even the birds know the Man in Black.” He winked, curled his thumb and forefinger, tips touching, placed them to his lips, and whistled. The sound was like a bird singing, and when a true bird replied, Constance’s eyes grew wide. He repeated the action, the bird responding the same, and she squealed in delight.
“That was wonderful!” she exclaimed. “Will you teach me this?”
Stephen nodded. “I will. Put your fingers together like this.” She copied him, curling her fingers and touching them together at the tips. “Place them just under the tip of your tongue, like this.” She followed his action. “And blow.” The last was muffled between his fingers in his mouth. Once again, the melodi
ous sound of a bird warbling filled the air.
When Constance blew, however, the sound that emitted was more like a horse stuck in mud. Stephen roared with laughter, and Constance thought her face would ignite the nearby trees they burned so much.
Dropping her hands to her side, she said, “I have never been so embarrassed in my life. I have made a fool of myself.”
“Think of what people will say,” he said still chuckling. “When they hear the great tales of the Man in Black and his assistant who sounds like a bellows.”
“Assistant?”
He grinned as he unsheathed his knife. “Of course,” he replied as he twirled the weapon in his fingers. “Every great man needs a woman who helps him.”
“I suppose you believe you are that great man?” she said with a sniff.
“But of course. Who else could there be?”
Constance pursed her lips. “And my title?” she demanded. “Will I just be your assistant. Surely we can find a more fitting name that is like yours?”
He tapped the blade against his chin. “I suppose that is true. Constance the Whistler?” He shook his head. “No, that would be a lie.”
Constance punched him in the arm. “You are a horrible and arrogant man!” she said, though she laughed as she said it.
“So I’ve been told.” He paused again. “Constance the Wonderful? Or perhaps Constance the Wise?” he sighed and held up a finger. “I have it. I have the perfect title.”
“Do tell,” Constance said, eager to hear what title he would bestow upon her.
“The Lady in White,” he replied. “Is it not fitting that if I am the Man in Black that you should be the Lady in White?”
“I suppose it is,” Constance replied as she looked down at the white shirt she wore, the same shirt he had given her upon their arrival at the camp. “Thank you for such a great title. I will carry it with me wherever I go.” She realized her voice had a breathiness to it, and that same desire that had filled her when they had kissed returned. How she wished he would take her into his arms as he did that day, for she would not resist.
Yet, such an act would only result in hurting them both, and she tore her eyes away and looked at the surrounding trees, the grass, the rocks, anything but him. It was all she could do to remain standing.
“The whistle I showed you?” he said, his voice husky as he took a step toward her. “You must practice it every day, for it is a way to communicate without revealing it to others. Perfect it. You will know you have when the birds reply.”
Constance nodded. “I will.”
Stephen looked down at her, his eyes filled with pain. “If for whatever reason you need me, if trouble comes your way, you need only whistle and I will come.”
Constance thought her heart would lift her past the trees and into the heavens. “I will remember that,” she whispered, her heart pounding to the point she thought it would burst from her chest.
When he took several steps away, it was as if air returned. “Very well. Continue.” He clapped his hands together once, as a king making a demand, and Constance could not help but laugh. Stephen was many things - arrogant yet humble, quick to anger, yet kind, but most of all, he was a man who had her heart. She did not know what the future held, but she knew the man would always be close by.
Chapter Twenty
Constance left the camp the following morning at sunrise, Louisa, Luke, and Charles in the lead, Mary and Emma following next, then Sally and Robert, and Stephen and Constance taking up the rear. Her eyes felt thick and heavy; she and her sisters had been so excited about their journey to their new home, they had stayed awake until late into the night talking about what their lives would be like once they returned to society.
Despite her weariness, however, Constance maintained her vigilance as Stephen had taught her. They would not be truly safe until they reached their destination, or so Stephen had said, and she would not be the cause of any harm coming to her sisters because she allowed herself to become distracted.
She and Stephen had been discussing those who had remained behind, including Patrick. “I only spoke to him when we first arrived,” Constance said. She did not know his surname, did not know any of the group’s surnames in fact, but that mattered little. “He was kind enough when we met, but I sensed he preferred to be left alone.”
“That is true,” Stephen said with a laugh. “It is not out of spite he acts so. He is a trusted friend, but he prefers to grunt rather than converse. It has always been so since he first joined us.”
The horses wound their way down the path distinguishable only by the fact the grass lay flatter than that which flanked it. More than likely it had been created by the forest wildlife, which, according to Stephen, was why they used it now. Few could track as well as he, and they were determined not to be tracked, especially on this journey.
As if appearing out of nowhere, the forest opened to a large field of green. Several cottages dotted the horizon and fewer trees.
“Is this Louisa’s land?” Constance asked. The sun was still high over the horizon, not to set for at least another hour. She had expected them to ride for days.
“No, we shall not arrive at her estate until tomorrow,” Stephen replied with a grin. “I’m sorry, my lady. You will be forced to sleep out of doors once again.”
Constance mocked a sniff of derision. “You speak as though it’s a burden to me to be in nature. It does not bother me in the least.” Stephen grinned but said nothing, and Constance glared at him and brought her horse to a stop. “So you do think it is a burden to me.”
“I did not want to tell you this, but you must know.” He gave a heavy sigh and shook his head. “No, I cannot say it.”
With another glare, she said, “What? You must tell me!”
“You will not become angry?”
Worry filled Constance. “No. What is it?” Had all she had been told been a lie? A means to console her? Did she appear so fragile that people thought to handle her with kid gloves?
“Very well,” he said as he turned to her. “At night, you speak in your sleep.”
Constance gasped. “I do not!”
He gave a sad nod. “It’s true. You speak of wanting to be served, of wanting a more comfortable bed and food worthy of passing your lips.”
Constance was horrified. She had been thankful for all she had been given at the camp, and to think she spoke complaints in her sleep! “I’m…sorry. I did not know I felt this way. I did not mean to complain.”
“Oh, there is more,” Stephen said. “But I cannot repeat the rest.”
Her cheeks burned. More? What else could she possibly have said? Then a thought occurred to her. Had she murmured her feelings for Stephen? She certainly hoped not! “Please,” she whispered, knowing she had to be red to her ears by now. “I must know. Otherwise, how am I to try to stop it?”
He sighed. “You repeat the word ‘gullible’,” he replied. “For an hour straight, that was all you said.”
“Gullible?” she asked in shock. “Why would I ever say the word…” Her words trailed off, and Stephen began to laugh. Making a fist, she punched him in the arm. “Stephen Chambers, you are a horrible man!”
“That may be,” he said, still chuckling as he rubbed his arm, “but it is better than being gullible.”
Constance glared at him and tapped at her hip. “You forget that I now carry a knife, so do take care with your words.” She was not truly angry with him, but he did not need to know that.
“A point well taken,” he said.
For a moment, it seemed as if nothing else in the world mattered but the smile they shared. Her heart raced and she desperately wanted to tell him what she was thinking at that very moment, that she had grown to love and cherish him.
Stephen cleared his throat. “We should go,” he said, “before the others realize we are not with them and begin to worry.”
She looked out toward the open fields and nodded. As they returned to the others, she t
hought of the man beside her. The man who had not only helped them but had captured her heart. Constance was many things, and even perhaps a bit gullible - she would never admit as much to him! But one thing she knew for certain. She was a woman in love. There was no sense in denying it any longer.
***
They had camped for the night beside a small stream and left the following morning just as the sun peeked over the horizon. It was nearing midday when the horses began to climb a large hill covered in high grass, and Constance was enjoying a conversation with Louisa.
“It seems your sisters are quite taken with Luke and Robert,” the woman said, giving Constance a sideways glance. “Does this worry you?”
“I must admit it does,” Constance replied. “Not because of who the men are but because I wonder what Mary and Emma will do when the men return to the camp. They do not seem the type to live in a grand house and attend balls.”
“Have you asked yourself the same concerning Stephen?”
Constance nodded, for she had given it quite a bit of thought over the past week. Once the party was over, Stephen would leave, and she would not see him for several months.
“You know,” Louisa said as if what she was to say was of little consequence, “I would not worry if I were you. What you two share will never be broken by time or distance.”
Surprised, Constance turned to the red-haired woman. “Thank you for saying so. I have no desire to meet another man, but I do find myself admiring Stephen very much. We have time to see where our interests lead us.”
“He has eyes for no other woman, I assure you. Regardless of where your paths lead you, take heart in that you and your sisters will find solace in friendship in my home.”
“We know this, and again, I thank you.”
Louisa gave her a small smile. “Remember, it is I who am thankful. I follow your example, and your sisters will tutor Charles. What more can I ask for?”
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