“If you say so,” she said before walking away.
He closed his eyes in frustration. Perhaps he should give in to her wants and marry the woman to keep her happy. Her sacrifices in the past, and the ones she continued to make, all contributed to her being a great part of the camp’s success. However, he did not love her, and therefore could not make such a commitment simply to appease her. They worked well together, but marriage? It would be doomed to fail from the first day, and that was unfair to them both.
“Stephen?”
He opened his eyes and turned toward the timid voice to find Constance standing beside him, her hands clasped in front of her. Had a more beautiful woman ever existed?
“The knife lessons?” she asked. “Did you still want to teach me?”
He smiled. “I was waiting for you to ask.” He glanced toward Louisa, who had just left a small group of men and was heading toward the horse line just at the edge of the huts. Maybe he should speak with her again. But no, she barely kept her temper under rein. Perhaps it was best to allow her to calm first.
“I believe we are causing more trouble than we intended,” Constance said. She, too, was looking in Louisa’s direction. Had she seen them arguing? “I do not know what to do to please her.”
“Louisa is fine,” Stephen said, though it was not the truth. “The matter is with me, not you.”
“If you are sure,” she said.
“I am.” He hoped he sounded more certain than he felt.
She looked to where Mary spoke to Robert as he skewered a skinned deer onto the spit.
“Do you worry for their safety around the men?”
Constance nodded. “It is not proper what we are doing, and I feel as though I’m setting a bad example for them. I do not believe any man here would hurt them, but they are ladies and…” Her words trailed off.
“I can assure you that Robert and Luke,” he motioned to the tall man who was showing Emma a saddle, “will not only remain gentleman around your sisters, but they will give their lives for them without hesitation. They would do the same for anyone in the camp, so you have no need to be concerned.”
Sally ambled by, and he called her over. “If any of the men in this camp were to mistreat her sisters in any way, what would you do?”
The girl grinned widely. “I’m quick with a blade,” she replied, “and silent on my feet. He’d not hear me coming into his hut under the cover of darkness to cut his throat!”
Constance gasped and covered her mouth when Sally laughed and walked away. “The women here are a bit ruthless,” she mused. “I feel as if I should admonish their actions, but I actually find myself admiring their strength.”
“They are strong. And your sisters are safe. Now, shall we teach you a few things about using a blade?”
For a moment, she blanched, but she nodded nonetheless. This would be an interesting lesson indeed!
***
Constance followed Stephen about two hundred paces from the camp, and she could not stop the uneasiness of leaving her sisters unchaperoned with men. Everything here seemed in complete contradiction to how she had been brought up, and her mother would have been horrified.
However, her mother, just as her father, were gone, and for some reason she could not explain, she trusted Stephen. The others appeared to have complete trust in him, and she had seen no cause to believe otherwise. Yet, letting go of her concerns was proving harder than she expected.
“Now, this is a good spot,” Stephen said, coming to a stop in a small outcropping of trees. The sun shone through the branches and dried leaves lay beneath their feet. He removed a knife and held it up for her. “A blade is a friend to those who need it. Not only for protection but as a tool to aid in hunting, preparing game, and a host of other tasks. But it is your safety you must always keep in mind, and thus the reason for learning how to use it correctly.”
She nodded. “I understand,” she replied, though she doubted she would ever need it, especially once she returned to civilization.
“Now, observe how I hold it.” He rested his thumb outstretched along the handle while his fingers gripped the wood. “When we carve a point on a stick, add pressure with your thumb.” He moved in a downward motion to demonstrate. “But, if one closes the thumb here,” he moved his thumb so it wrapped around the handle, “one can thrust with it. The elbow must remain close to the side.” He thrust away from them and then returned his arm close to his ribs to thrust again.
The idea of using a weapon made her shiver, and she wanted nothing more than to be done with the lesson. She must have been mad to believe she wanted to learn such barbarousness. “Thank you,” she replied. “I appreciate the lesson.”
He chuckled. “We are far from done.” He twirled the knife in his fingers and then offered her the handle. “Now, you show me.”
She took the knife, her heart beating against her ribs at holding such a weapon. It was not the notion of a lady having to use a knife that bothered her but rather the act of hurting another person.
“You hesitate as if you do not wish to try,” he said.
“I am no warrior,” she said with a small laugh. “I do not think I will ever have the need to use such a weapon.”
Without a word, he grabbed her, turned her around, and took the knife from her like she was a small child being relieved of a toy. It was as if he did so in one motion it happened so quickly. His breath was hot on her ear as he whispered, “That man who tried to kidnap you? He cared not that you were a lady of the ton or a servant in a household. You do not realize the extent of harm he could bring on you. Or your sisters. Do you wish them to be hurt because you are concerned about appearances?”
Constance felt both shame and anger at his words. “I would never want them hurt,” she said, fighting back tears. She would not cry! “You are cruel and only brought me here to make a fool of me!” She knew her words as untruth, but she could not stop them from tumbling from her lips.
He released her but kept hold of her wrist. “I am not here to hurt or mock you. I was once like you in that I did not know how to handle a blade, and it cost me dearly.” He winced, and pain flashed in his eyes, but he did not expand and she did not ask. “I would rather you have this knowledge and never use it than to find yourself in a situation where you need it and did not know.”
The man was wise in what he said. “You are right,” she replied. “I am finding all this overwhelming and ask your forgiveness.”
“There is nothing to forgive.” He handed her the knife once more. “Now, show me how you would use it to cut.” He picked up a small branch from the ground and handed it to her. It was no thicker than her finger and as long as her arm. “Go on. Do not be afraid of it.”
Constance nodded. She had to concentrate in order to grip the handle as he had shown her, but once the knife was in her hand properly, she could see the wisdom of the grip.
“Excellent. Now, hold it away from you.”
Constance held the branch and knife outstretched, but the blade only slid down the bark of the branch, which drew a chuckle from Stephen.
“Here, allow me to show you.” He moved behind her once again, and Constance found her breath catch as he took both her arms and drew them in toward her. “Now, start at the top and bring the blade down,” he whispered, his lips dangerously close to her ear sending a tingling down her neck. A sliver of the bark came off with the blade. “Good. Now, do it again.”
She did as he asked, his hands covering hers, and a bit more of the bark slid off the branch. She had to force herself to concentrate on the task with him holding her so closely.
“Perfect.”
He could not have been more right, for she laid her head against his firm chest. She looked up at him, his eyes brown as chestnuts staring down at her.
“You are a good teacher,” she whispered as his hand moved up her forearm.
“I’m glad to know I…please you.” He had a huskiness to his voice, and his fingers were like
feathers on her arms, sending shivers down her spine. For a moment, she wished he would kiss her, to quench the burning feeling overtaking her body.
Then, to her surprise, he did just that. Fire swelled inside her as the tips of his fingers trailed down her forearm. His kiss made her legs weak, and if not for the strong arms that held her close, she would have fallen to the ground. She hoped he never let her go.
However, just as she thought this, he blinked twice and took a step back. Constance had to steady herself. She hoped he had not noticed! What was wrong with her acting the infatuated fool? He only wanted to teach her, not manhandle her! Yet, had he not seen the same desire in her eyes? Who could blame him for granting her wish?
“Continue,” he said, and he took another step back, proving her thoughts.
Constance nodded, unable to form words. She pushed away her silliness and focused on what he was asking her to do. Soon, the stick had a point.
He took it from her and smiled, his finger tapping the sharp point. “You are a quick learner. I’m impressed.”
“Thank you.” She pushed aside her embarrassment and replaced it with pride. “I am quick to learn new things. Now, will you teach me how to stab one who means to harm me?”
Stephen laughed. “I will, though you should know the lessons will become harder. Do you think you are prepared for such a task?”
She returned his smile. “If the Man in Black is my instructor, I think I will be able to do anything.” Though she meant the words in jest, she found them comforting. And somehow true. Now all she had to do was keep her head on straight and stop acting the lovesick girl!
Chapter Seven
It had been five days since they arrived at the camp, and Constance found herself relaxing more with each passing day. The worries of her former life had begun to fade, and she found her new home both exciting and adventurous. Most of the camp members had yet to return from whatever foray on which they had gone, including Louisa, but when she had questioned Stephen as to their whereabouts, he had brushed her off with a light “They will be back soon.”
Though Stephen had argued against it, Constance knew that she and her sisters needed to help around the camp, and it was for that reason they had walked nearly twenty minutes and were now hunched over large boulders on the bank of a river at a section that created a small pool.
“I have never done such hard work,” Mary said as she looked down at her pruned fingers. “I now have a new appreciation for what our servants have done for us.”
“As do I,” Constance said with a laugh. “Who would have thought the Shepherd Sisters would be squatting over the bank of the river washing clothes?”
“While wearing burlap dresses,” Emma added. “They itch!”
They laughed again. Sally had provided them dresses more appropriate for their current living arrangements, and though they were nowhere near the quality to which they were accustomed, Constance thought it a kind gesture.
“We can’t have you ruinin’ your pretty dresses,” the girl had said with a firm nod. The woman was a joy, and Constance could see the two of them becoming the best of friends.
The river by which they worked stretched far, and Stephen had told her that it went on forever, seeming to have no end. The sound of the cool water flowing over the rocks just downriver was relaxing. Constance found the work hard but also satisfactory; it felt good to do her part.
She paused for a moment and studied her sisters with a mixture of pride and sadness. They had kind hearts, and their ready agreement to do chores had brought on a sense of pride, but the fact they were forced to do so also made her sad. In some ways, she felt as though she had failed them somehow, and the guilt weighed heavy on her.
“You forget we are sisters,” Mary said, pulling a pair of breeches from the water and rubbing them against the boulder. “I can assure you we are fine.”
Emma nodded agreement as she placed a shirt she had already washed into her basket. How had they known what she had been thinking?
Constance sat back on her heels. “I know. I feel as though I have kept you both safe by being here, yet at the same time I know mother would be upset you are forced to work.” She looked down at the river, shame flowing over her as easily as the water flowed down the riverbed. “I’m sorry I have failed you. I did not know what else to do, and I still do not.”
Two shadows fell over her, and she looked up to see both women standing over her.
“I know I speak for Emma,” Mary said, “but we are safe and happy here with you. You have shown great strength and bravery, and we admire you for that.”
Constance thought her heart would burst; she felt such joy.
“You forget,” Mary continued, “we could have been preparing for our wedding to those vile men.”
“And that would have broken our hearts,” Emma added. “Mother would never have allowed it, and you, taking her place, have fulfilled her wishes and stopped it from happening.”
Constance accepted their embraces, and they stood each holding the hand of the others. Water flowed around their ankles and a gentle breeze blew through their hair, the scenery as beautiful as her sisters.
“I love you both so much,” Constance said. “And I have decided we shall remain here for a while longer.”
This made both girls smile. “How long may we stay?” Mary asked. “Robert has asked me to join him on a hunting expedition.”
“And Luke is a master of leatherworking,” Emma said. “He has created the most beautiful saddles, as well as other things, and he has offered to teach me the craft.”
Constance could appreciate her sisters’ excitement at the prospect of what they could learn, but she feared their admiration of the men should be held at a tight leash. They were much too young to lose their hearts, and the temptation was much too great. She was reminded of her lesson with Stephen, the man whispering in her hear, his hands upon her. Yes, much too young!
She shook the thought from her mind; she could not monitor her sisters day and night. “Though the men have been gentlemen in their words and actions,” she said in her best instructing voice, “we must, above all, remain ladies. We cannot forget from where we came. Whether we wear silk or burlap, our conduct must express the ladies we are. In saying that, you will be allowed to wander about the camp and speak to whomever you wish. And yes, learn skills from these men, as they will be a necessity if we are to remain here for any amount of time.” When the girls squealed and began thanking her, she raised a hand. “However, I put my trust in you. Do not disappoint me by making choices that are not becoming of ladies of our station.”
“We will not,” Emma said, and Mary voiced her agreement. “This is a grand adventure!”
Mary nodded. “Emma is right. I believe we will one day look back at these times with fondness.”
Constance sighed. “Perhaps. Now, we have work to finish. Once everything is washed, we still must hang the clothes to dry, and it is nearly noon already.”
“My washing is done,” Emma said. “May we swim? I have not done such a thing since I was ten, and we are already wet.”
Constance placed a finger on her lips. It would be nice to enjoy the coolness of the river. Plus, with all they had endured over the past week, it would be a pleasant reprieve. “I cannot see why not. Everyone is gone from the camp, or almost everyone, so we are free to do as we will.”
Mary and Emma laughed as they removed their dresses and threw them on the boulders they had been using for washing. In only their shifts, they walked out into the pool until the water reached their necks while they were standing.
“Do you like Stephen?” Mary asked, taking Constance by surprise. “I mean in a romantic way.”
Constance clicked her tongue at her sister. “Why would you ask such a thing?”
The young woman grinned. “It’s the way you smile at him,” she said, fluttering her eyelashes. “I’ve never seen you so happy.”
Constance shook her head. Where did these girls g
et such silly notions? However, as she considered it, she realized that when she smiled at Stephen, she did feel happy, especially when he returned it. That was not necessarily romantic, for she had locked away those feelings long ago and vowed never to bring them out again.
“What a silly thing to ask,” she said. “Especially with a wet face!” When Mary frowned, Constance cupped her hands in the water and splashed her sister.
“Why, you!” Mary gasped, her mouth open wide and her eyes blinking. “You are horrible!”
“It is these woods,” Constance replied. “They bring out the mischievousness in me.” Then she did the same to Emma.
Soon, all three were splashing at one another, and then they swam to their hearts’ content. A few times they stopped to talk about their future, whether they would remain at the camp forever or go on to London, but then they returned to swimming and simply enjoying themselves.
One thing Constance realized was that the thought of leaving Stephen did not settle well with her.
***
They had spent at least an hour swimming, and with a smile and a happy heart Constance led her sisters back to camp. Upon arrival, she noticed that those who had left days earlier had returned, and Stephen and Louisa stood apart from everyone, their heads together.
Louisa was beautiful and Stephen handsome, and Constance wondered why the two were not a couple. It was not her business but she was curious all the same.
“Ah, clean clothes,” Luke said, startling Constance from her thoughts.
She looked up at the wide smile of the man as he took the basket from her. “Thank you, Miss Constance.”
“You are most welcome. But,” she shook a finger at him, “I must insist you call me Constance. No more ‘Miss Constance’ from you.”
He shrugged. “If that’s what you want.” He turned to the other two. “Your baskets, please.” Her sisters gave him their baskets, as well, and Constance did not miss the smile of admiration on Emma’s face.
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