What had I done wrong? He was about to kiss me, and then decided not to. Was it because of something I did?
Jennifer could not get the notion to leave her mind that she was inexperienced, just as he had said, which made her feel humiliated. She indeed had assumed he was visiting a woman's bed, for why else would he leave half the night? But when he set her straight, he also humiliated her by calling her a virgin. Yes, of course it was true; indeed she had never even been kissed, but why did it make her feel so inexperienced and foolish?
Jennifer rolled onto her side with her back to the door, and gave a huff of annoyance. How dare he?
Before long, her anger gave way to her exhaustion and she fell back into a deep slumber. It wasn't until the following day when she awoke did she remember the humiliating fight between them, and the almost kiss.
When she awoke, Jacob was still asleep on the ground. She watched him for a time, and then decided that she would make breakfast for the both of them. In part, it was to thank him for taking her in, but it was also in her attempt to show him that she was not a child.
She baked a fresh loaf of bread, made fried eggs with herbs, and baked carrots in a coat of fine sugar.
“Something smells amazing,” Jacob sat up, wiping the sleep from his eyes.
“I have made breakfast, and just set the tea.” Jennifer said ,hobbling on her crutch.
“You made breakfast? You are in no shape to be standing for long periods of time,” He stood up and poured himself a cup of water.
“I feel a little better, and the crutch helps immensely.”
Jacob nodded his head, and then walked outside. Jennifer bit her lower lip, expecting that he would have been more excited about her attempt at breakfast. But it seemed that he was still in the process of waking up from sleep.
* * *
Ten more days passed, and indeed, Jennifer's leg was beginning to heal very rapidly. The colour had almost returned to normal, and it was only slightly swollen and tender. She was still utilizing the crutch, for she did not want to apply too much weight and re-injure herself, further delaying her trip to London.
At night, Jacob had stayed the entire night completely in the cottage. She awoke every night, only to find him sound asleep in front of the fire. The question and mystery of what he was doing ate away at her. She needed to know, exactly what could he be doing if not warming the bed of a woman?
It was not until two nights later, did she find an answer.
She woke in the middle of the night once more; this time, Jacob was gone. She waited, expecting for him to return from outside, but after waiting a good twenty minutes she got dressed and moved about the cottage. He was not in the washroom, so she went out to the stable. Champion was gone. He indeed was off in the night once more.
In that moment, she remembered the leather bag he had with him when he first found her in the Black Forest. She knew that it was nowhere in the cottage, or she would have seen it, because she had become quite familiar with every inch of the small one room place. Therefore, it must be in the stable.
She poked her crutch into a pile of hay – nothing. She searched around walking the interior of the stable wondering where she would hide such a thing.
It was then that she noticed fresh dirt recently upturned in the corner of the stable inside the pen. She walked in and kneeled down to move the dirt away. The leather strap appeared.
“There you are.”
Jennifer pulled the bag from the dirt. It was very clever to hide it in such a place, for if anyone came in while Champion was there, they would have to face that stallion kicking and being rebellious.
She opened the leather flap.
“Oh my goodness,” She said, not believing her eyes. This is what Jacob was up to all along. He had been telling her that she should make a promise to keep his identity silent, and to not ask questions about his line of work. Looking at the bounty in the bag, she knew exactly why.
When Jacob returned, she was sitting in the chair by the fire. He had an angry look on his face and she knew why. He did not like her waiting up for him. But this time, she had many questions and he was going to answer them.
“What are you doing up? Have we not spoke of this already?” He pulled off his cloak and threw it on the ground in an angry manner.
“You are a bandit, are you not?” Jennifer came out right with it. Jacob froze. Jennifer watched as his eyes moved from her face to the bag beside her in the chair.
“What have you done?” He walked steadily toward her and yanked the bag from her side.
“I searched for answers and I found them,” She said.
“You stupid girl. This is a none of your business,” He put the leather bag on the kitchen table.
“Where did you get that, Jacob? That bag is full of jewelry, gold cups, banknotes, and deeds, important documents, and wills. What is all of this?” She shouted.
“I have already told you. None of your business! That is enough!” He shouted so angrily. Jennifer felt scared for the first time since meeting him. His face was dark, his eyes flashed with anger.
“But I am right, are I not? You are a thief in the night. You take things from people, that are not yours. By the looks of it, very rich people. That is why there were dogs and men coming our way that night in the Black Forest. They were hunting you, the thief, and this is your loot!”
“You know nothing of a hard life you are but a child! Being a criminal is sometimes the only way. THEY will give you nothing – you must take it, Jennifer!”
“I am very aware of a hard life, Jacob! I have been the head of my family since I was but eleven years of age! Do not tell me I know nothing of a hard life! But this is wrong!”
“Your wrong is my right. I will not be judged by a mere child. I have had enough of your words except for one thing...”
“And what is that?” Jennifer breathed hard as her chest heaved up and down.
He strode to her, getting very close, looming over her. Like this he seemed menacing.
“You must promise to tell no one of this. Silence is a virtue, Jennifer, and you will learn that one day. The less people know, the better. I need you to promise to keep this a secret, to your grave.”
“I...”
“Promise!” he roared at her. He stepped closer still. Jennifer found him as big as a giant.
“I promise, Jacob,” her voice was weak and filled with fright.
“Then that is the end of this talk.” Jacob yanked the bag off the table and opened the door to the cottage, stepping into the night. He slammed the door behind him.
Jennifer let out a sigh of relief after holding her breath. She had never seen a man filled with such angry passion before; rage. It was dark, dangerous, and to her surprise... she liked it.
* * *
chapter
1 4
* * *
Jennifer held on tightly, wrapping her arms around Jacob. Not necessarily because they were going fast on Champion, but because she wanted to. This was the last ride together.
Weeks had passed, and she was now healed. It was time for her to be on her way, and that meant taking the Post Carriage to London to continue her journey to find work. To her, it felt like forever since she had left the small village of Cottered, but in truth it had been almost three weeks complete.
It was early morning, and she noticed that Jacob had changed into what one might assume to be farmer clothing. A white tunic that hung loose over plain trousers and dirty boots. In the last few days he had even grown out his beard, a dirty blond stubble covering his face. She assumed it was to hide his identity, or to make him less easy to identify.
It was the last few days of August, before the turn of the month to September. It was later than she wanted to arrive in London, but circumstances being what they were, she had no choice. She was grateful that at least it was not winter.
But this ride, the last ride that she would have, or speak with Jacob, was a bittersweet feeling for her. The two had
many ups and downs, constant arguments, but there were also the good times of playing cards, making food together, and just how tender and gentle he was in taking care of her. In truth, she had come to care deeply about this mysterious man, the criminal bandit.
They made their way together to the Hertfordshire Inn, her original destination when she first left.
Outside, the Inn was very busy in the early morning hours. There were many carriages arriving that had travelled through the night, as well as those leaving after having spent the night at the Inn. Jacob stopped Champion in front of the door, and tied the reins to a post.
Jennifer started to climb down off the mount.
“Wait, do not jump off. I do not want you to re-injure yourself,” Jacob said, and put his hands around her waist, and pulled her close to him. Jennifer was inches from his face, she wanted him to kiss her. Instead, he just stared into her eyes, and set her gently on the ground.
“Thank you,” She said.
“You are most welcome.”
“No, not just for that, for everything. I truly owe you a thank you.”
“Again, you are welcome.”
Then he looked around and leaned in, Jennifer thought he was going to give her a kiss, at least on the cheek. Instead, he lowered his voice to quietly say, “Do not use my name. Is that understood?”
She nodded her head yes.
“Good. Let's go inside, shall we?”
He untied her carpet bag from the saddle, and carried it inside for her.
The main room was bustling with activity. He grabbed her arm and led her toward the front counter. “I need to purchase fare for one on the next Post to London, if there is room.”
“Yes there is. It is arriving in 45 minutes. That be three shillings.”
Jennifer's eyes grew wide at the number. She never assumed it to be that much. Her family could use that to eat for the entire winter. Jacob pulled out a coin purse and handed the man the coin, while the man scrawled out the ticket and stamped it with the Inn emblem.
Jacob handed the paper to Jennifer, then turned back to the man, “I will also have a loaf of bread and cut of cheese, wrapped for the journey. As well as two hot meals now, and two mugs of ale.”
“That be three and a half pence,” the man replied. Jacob paid.
“We will be at the table in the corner,” Jacob said. The man nodded.
Jacob grabbed Jennifer's arm and led her through the crowded tables to an empty table in the corner.
“Thank you for paying my fare, but I do not feel comfortable with it.” Jennifer said.
“Because of where the money comes from?” He said quietly in a stern tone.
Jennifer nodded her head yes.
“Do not worry, your conscience is clear. You are not a criminal.”
Just then, a tavern wench appeared, placing two mugs of ale in front of them.
Jacob looked to Jennifer, “Drink. If you are lucky it will help you sleep on the journey to London, it is nearly a six or seven hour journey.”
She took the mug in her hand and had a sip.
“Now listen to me closely, Jennifer. When you arrive, the Post will stop at London Bridge Station. It is possible it will be nightfall by then. I do not want you walking to your destination to look for work at night. It is very dangerous. Instead, follow my directions carefully. Walk west on St. Thomas street to Borough High Street. Walk south until you come to the George Inn. Pay for a week’s lodging,” he slid a shilling across the table.
“Oh, I cannot take...”
“Take it.”
She was silent and took the shilling. “It is a reputable establishment. This will be a place to rest your head while you search for work. Only search during the day and make it back to the Inn by sunset. Do you understand that?
“Walk west on St. Thomas and south on Borough High Street to the George Inn and pay for a week of lodging and only be out and about during daylight hours.”
“Good. The Inn is very close to the station, not but a ten minute walk.”
“Here you are. Cold ham, roasted carrots, and potatoes,” The wench set down a large tray of food in front of them with enough serving for two.
“Thank you, that will be all,” Jacob nodded.
Jennifer watched as he picked up his fork and knife and began to cut the ham, and pushed a portion her way. She started to eat, though she had no stomach for it. In truth, she felt a weight of sadness for leaving Jacob. At any moment, she thought that he might ask her to stay. Perhaps she could overlook the criminal activity because now she cared for him, and knew that he had a good heart, even if he was stealing from the rich. Her heart went out to him, she wanted him to touch her even more, and to scoop her into his arms and carry her the way he had been when she was injured. Instead, they ate in silence. The bustle of the room made up for the lack of sound between them.
A few moments later, the tavern wench appeared with the bread and cheese wrapped for Jennifer to take with her, and because Jennifer wanted time to slow down, it sped up rather quickly. Forty five minutes passed at the blink of an eye and she found herself standing outside the Inn watching the Post carriage approaching as fast as may be.
“Take care of yourself ,Jennifer. The Post does not change horses here, and they only stop for a minute to keep on schedule. Therefore we must say our goodbyes at this moment,” He said.
“Thank you. I want to repay you at some point.”
“That will not be necessary, nor would you be able to find me. I move around quite a bit. Take care of yourself, stay safe in London.” Jacob pulled her close embracing her, and Jennifer felt her heart warm, and her stomach filled with butterflies. She wrapped her arms around him, laying her cheek upon his strong chest.
The post horn sounded, alerting passengers of its arrival. Quickly it stopped in front of the Inn.
“Passengers! Any passengers here!”
“Here! One!” Jacob shouted in reply to the driver and handed him the ticket. Then he took Jennifer's bag, as he opened the door and she climbed in. He then returned the bag to her to sit on her lap. There were already two passengers inside, a man and a woman that looked to be travelling together; an older couple.
“Stay safe,” He said as he stepped back from the carriage.
“I will. Goodbye,” She said, aching to say his name once more, but she had promised not to use it. He gave her a brilliant smile as the coach pulled away.
Jennifer sat staring out the window . A part of her imagined Jacob riding up on Champion to beckon the carriage to stop, to declare that he wanted her to stay with him, but that was just a silly girl’s imagination.
She leaned back, allowing the light buzz from the ale to wash over her, allowing her eyes too close for just a few moments.
“Are you from these parts, miss?” The woman sitting across from her asked. Jennifer noticed they were dressed modestly, and she was glad for it. She did not want to be sitting with people of higher means and feeling inappropriate in her brown dress.
“Yes, I am from Cottered.”
“Have not heard of that one. But we have heard of this area, and the Black Forest.” The man said.
“Yes, and of the Black Bandit.” The woman said with wide eyes.
Jennifer's eyes widened. “What do you mean the Black Bandit? I have not heard of this.”
“You have not? It is right near a legend where we be from. The Black Bandit is a highwaymen that robs carriages and those that cross his path. He is said to wear a black cloak and a black mask over his face.” The woman said. “He has never been caught.”
“And, he roams near the Black Forest. There are those that say he is not man at all, but a phantom.”
Jennifer's heart was beating faster. For she knew they spoke of Jacob Leary, but she did not know until this moment that he was an infamous bandit. So infamous that legends had grown around him, and some thought of him as a ghost.
“That is most intriguing. I have not heard of such a thing, but I am a country g
irl from a small village; news would not reach us of such a thing.”
“Have to be careful out here. It is said that he is even more ruthless than the Frank James Highwaymen. And those men be fierce.” The man said.
“I understand,” Jennifer said. Then she averted her gaze out the window, formally ending the conversation. She needed to process this information. Jacob, why did you not tell me? How long have you been doing this work? And will you ever stop?”
Jennifer knew now why he wanted her to keep his secret.
I will keep your secret, and you shall keep my heart.
* * *
chapter
1 5
* * *
The sound of the post horn alerted Jennifer that they were entering the city of London. It was very late in the afternoon, and Jennifer excitedly pushed her head out the window. The smell of charcoal and smog hit her face, as she looked up into the dark sky. She knew that it was still daytime, but the sun was struggling to filter in through the black smoke that lingered over the London chimney tops. Each chimney contributing to the cloud of black in its own right.
I have arrived.
A smile came across her face, she was finally in London. Now she would be able to continue her mission of providing for her family.
The carriage slowed, there was much traffic on the cobblestone streets of both carriages, pedestrians, and lone riders on horseback. All around, people were walking with such haste, each setting about their own business. Others stood around, soliciting, calling out their wares or purpose.
“Newspaper here! Get your evening edition of the newspaper here! “A Newsboy shouted above the crowd.
“Come to a meeting! The New Labour must unite into a union! Fight for your rights of human decency. Down with the workhouses!” Another young man shouted. There was something about him that reminded Jennifer of Jacob. A man aged twenty years with a passion in his heart. He handed out flyers.
The Post carriage continued through London and she could see the waterfowl birds overhead letting them know that the river was close. She had seen the Thames River once, when visiting her aunt in Dartford, but this London section of the river would be very different indeed.
Passage of a Desolate Woman (#2, the Winds of Misery Victorian Romance) (A Family Saga Novel) Page 7