Mary the Highway Woman

By David Stevens

At eighteen Lady Mary Fitzroy suffered the indignity of being held up by a highwayman and relived of her purse. The incident would firmly remain in Lady Mary’s thoughts throughout her formative years.
By the age of nineteen and some months old, and after being gifted with a book called ‘Robin of the Hood,’ she, like the character portrayed within the story, decided she too must help the poorer people. Confident that the only way forward for her, and to assuage her ambition to provide assistance where it was needed, was for her to steal money or valuables and divide them up amongst the poor, she became ‘Mary, the Highway Woman.’
Mary had not anticipated an encounter with Sir Michael Casby, Captain of the King’s Guard.

• Language: English
• Publisher: David Stevens
• Release date: Mar 2, 2021
• ISBN: 9781005607548

David Stevens

Dr David Stevens is generally regarded as one of the world's leading project strategists, particularly in value management, value engineering, risk management, partnering, project alliancing and strategic planning.His academic qualifications include three Masters degrees MEng (Hons); MSc (Environmental Psychology); MA (Literature); and a PhD, (Psychology). The framework and theoretical basis for his facilitation techniques are derived from his specialisation as an organisational psychologist. He is a member of the Australian Psychological Society. Dr Stevens was an Adjunct Professor at the School of Engineering and Industrial Design at the University of Western Sydney for ten years (1999 – 2009). He has acted as an external examiner of doctoral level theses. He has authored 7 books, one of which is a major international text published by McGraw Hill. He has held several board positions and has been Chairman of an Australian Standards Committee.

Book preview

Prologue

At sixteen Miss Mary Fitzroy, for revenge and personal satisfaction stole a jewelled necklace from the locked room of Lady Melanie Forbes-Crumby, a guest at her parent’s home. The following day she claimed to have found the necklace dropped in the grounds of her father’s Manor House Farm, which she then returned to its owner with hidden glee. Her intent to ensure that justice, as she perceived it, was done upon Lady Melanie at the hands of her stern father, who was also a guest of Mary’s parents.

During the theft she was discovered and then later assisted by Sophie, her lady’s companion.

At eighteen both ladies were to suffer the indignity of being held up by a highwayman and relived of their purses, the incident would firmly remain in Lady Mary’s thoughts throughout her formative years.

By the age of nineteen and some months old, and after being gifted with a book called ‘Robin of the Hood,’ and having read it carefully, she, like the character portrayed within the story, in her naivety decided that she too must help the poorer people. Especially the children around her home. She convinces Sophie, now her best friend, companion and a trusted confidant, that the only way forward for her and to assuage her ambition to provide assistance where it was needed, was for her to steal money or valuables and divide them up amongst the poor. Thus, she became ‘Mary, the Highway Woman.’

Her first attempt at such brigandry led her to meet a handsome, young, and unknown to her recently retired Captain of the King’s Guard. He was travelling in the company of Lady Melanie Forbes-Crumby, they both being on the way to her, Mary’s own birthday party.

Her first robbery netted her two purses and little else, but did fire the imagination and desires of the said Miss Mary.

The Captain, for reasons of his own, suspected that the highwayman was in fact a young woman, and his interest was piqued. He hesitated to shoot her in the back, which he could easily have done as she rode away from them.

At the birthday ball he danced with Miss Mary and found her quite irresistible, yet also quite feisty, both of which he approved.

A horse ride together the next day settled any doubt as to his attraction to her and hers to him, but an accident set the precedence for their growing relationship in a most unexpected way for her.

And so the story progresses…

Chapter 1

The carriage was being driven hard, thundering through a stormy night, daylight had faded three hours since, and now the carriage, lit only by a pair of dim oil lamps, raced along the main road. Miss Mary Fitzroy aged twenty years and two months old, sat in turmoil in the compartment of her father’s carriage. She was accompanied by her companion of choice; Sophie, a friend whose father travelled a lot. He having interests all over the known world. She was a young woman of nearly the same age as Mary, one who had become both her companion and her much trusted friend.

Many thoughts would bloom in Miss Mary’s mind, triggered by the events that had taken over and now ruled their lives, for a while at least, thoughts and deeds that had led to this hasty carriage trip of escape! Miss Mary listened to the thundering sound of the rain, accompanied by the closer thundering sound of horse hooves. She knew that just beyond the safe dry confines of her carriage a man rode guard over them all. A man she had first met at pistol-point and had later fallen in love with over the ensuing weeks.

A man determined to save her from the consequences of her own actions, because he too had fallen in love. Together but apart, each filled with their own thoughts hopes and fears for their futures; they passed along the road through the storm and the dark of night into a future together, but unknown.

I remember the night well that Sophie had swiftly become a trusted friend, the night that I had been caught by her sneaking out, intent on my first ever theft! I sit back into my leather carriage seat with the rain falling outside and think back over the happenings and adventures that led me to my current situation. The book I have written rests next to me as I make my escape.

I remember clearly that I had told Sophie I was going to meet a man, but instead I was setting out to accomplish something far more daring than a mere tryst of love with a person below my station, I had hinted to her! I remember us being in my bedroom together, my darling companion apparently dozing in my chair. Earlier that evening was when I told her about my upcoming meeting.

Sophie, exhausted after a long day out together shopping, turned sideways pulling her knees to her breast into the position in which she preferred to sleep. Whilst wishing me a pleasant evening, before she appeared to fall to sleep comfortably in my bedroom chair.

Little did I know at that time, that Sophie, as soon as I departed out of the balcony window, would follow me! She would watch me as I crossed the courtyard, narrowly avoiding being seen by the horse-master, as he walked out from the stables and across the courtyard to his home. She followed me as I rounded the far corner of the house, and to her amazement, she told me later, she watched as I had climbed the ivy-strewn wall up to the top most of the balconies. There I disappeared from her sight into my parent’s house once more.

To Sophie it seemed a most odd thing for a lady of quality to be doing, because all I had to do to get to that room was walk through a few passageways, climb two flights of stairs, and I would arrive outside of the door to the room she watched me climb into.

Sophie had stood in the shadows of the stables, looking up wondering what I, her charge and friend was up to? Three minutes later I descended the ivy, and with a quick hesitant look around, which she also watched, I ran from the scene. Sophie took to her heels after me and caught up with me as I prepared to climb back up to my own room.

Where have you… I mean what were you doing climbing up the building?

Sophie demanded of me. I remember her intense concerned look and her question quite clearly because of her pale face and the slight squeak that had slipped into her voice. It always makes me smile, whenever I think back to that first night’s adventure.

I can see myself clearly, even now several years later. I had looked at her wondering what to say. How could I explain what I had been doing? Clearly Sophie had followed me and knew that I had not been meeting someone for a tryst, but had instead been sneaking back into the house, like a thief in the night!

Later Sophie, we better not get caught out here. I told her firmly.

I turned away from my friend. At least I had gained a few seconds to think and try to come up with a suitable explanation, not I realised, that that was likely. I had to tell her the truth that night, and hope that Sophie could understand my actions, and would play along with my intent. Safe once more in my bedroom I turned to help Sophie over the balcony-ledge. Once we were both safe and inside of my room, it became quite obvious to me that Sophie was not going to allow me to fob her off with some concocted story. Only the truth would suffice.

Wasn’t that exciting? I remember asking her.

I was smiling at my companion, filled to the brim with excitement at what I had just done. Judging by the flushed look to Sophie’s cheeks she would have to agree with me, or I hoped that she would. She did eventually!

I held up my find. I held it out letting the oil lamp flicker strange patterns from the single diamond, set into a solid gold frame and hung from a thin chain. It had been a present from its owner’s father, an expensive family heirloom. A gift to show a father’s love for his daughter, and I had just stolen it from that daughter, from within my parent’s guests bedroom!

Without explaining I broke the thin chain, pulling apart the links and hearing them screech as the gold links failed. The gasp of shock from Sophie told me I had her full attention. I looked down at my hands seeing the damage I had just caused and felt elation in doing what I had done.

That is Melanie Forbes-Crumby’s necklace! I recognise it from the ball last night. You have taken it… stolen it… broken it… why? She choked out as I remember clearly.

To be able to look back on that night is such a pleasure, despite the feeling of fear that grew in my breast, as I tried to explain to Sophie what I was about that night. How Sophie would view me from that night on concerned me a lot. If she did not see the justice in what I had just done, if instead she decided to tell either my father, or heaven forbid Lady Melanie herself, then my deed would have been worthless and my credibility impinged. With a deep breath I looked at Sophie and tried to explain, to convince her that wrong as theft was, I had acted rightly in this case.

I have borrowed it, not stolen it! I intend to see that she gets it back tomorrow. Of course, the chain is now broken, but if everything works out, then she will learn not to be such a unending prig to everyone, and a prize bitch to me at any opportunity she receives. You know what she is like. You saw her just as I did, and I know that you liked her attitude to everyone at least as little as I did. This, I held up the broken jewellery, is my way of ensuring that she gets some of what she deserves!

This is my way of getting even with her. Believe me when I say that she was also a perfect snot to everyone at school. She made everyone’s life that she perceived as being below her station, a living hell, including mine! I even thought of asking Father to find me a new school, but that would have been letting her win. So tonight, I decided that I would teach her a lesson. Tomorrow she will notice that this bauble is missing. If she acts like she normally does, she will accuse all and sundry of stealing it. I intend to let her do exactly that, and after she has caused an almighty ruckus, then and only then will I discover this bauble out in the gardens. I intend to present it back to her, in front of everyone and especially her father.

I know that her father will be most displeased that she has apparently worn it in the grounds, where she lost it. Who knows, she might even get some of what she deserves from him, and I, we I stressed, will get the pleasure of watching her get taken down a notch or two. If it works out right, we will have the pleasure of watching, as she has to apologise to everyone she has accused. It will be a perfect revenge and an absolute delight I am certain for us to watch, and all it took was a quick trip across the courtyard. Whilst I know that she is downstairs out of the way with her mother and mine, discussing my upcoming birthday party no doubt.

So now you know. I hadn’t intended for you to find out, I did not want you involved in anyway. How could I have known that you would be so nosey as to follow me? So now you have to decide if you go along with my scheme and say nothing and let her take the consequences, or do you betray me and let her win yet again. You decide Sophie, you decide right now, as you must?

Just as I hoped there was no hesitation in my Sophie to decide. The grin on her face as she understood told me quite clearly, that she was going to enjoy tomorrow nearly as much as I was. Sophie, like me, had been subjected to the scorn and ridicule of Lady Melanie. She too had felt the barbed tongue and seen the side of Lady Melanie that she kept hidden from most people. That night was to be the beginning of an even closer relationship between us two, and we would go forward to share a few more daring adventures together, along the way.

We parted that evening much closer than we had ever been. Sophie went to her room; I remained in mine. In the morning I would secrete the jewel and wait for the explosion; then I would take a walk in the grounds with Sophie and discover the bauble. We would, at the prefect time, both rush to the house carrying it. Our seemingly innocent delight would be made quite evident at our discovering my father’s friends and guest’s, daughter’s, lost piece of jewellery. I was going to enjoy tomorrow morning very much; I sincerely hope that Miss, bossy boots, Melanie Forbes-Crumby would not.

With luck her father would live up to his reputation as a bit of a tyrant, and see to it that she paid fully for her perceived misbehaviour. I did hope I could get to watch somehow. Just the thought of her getting some of what she deserved made my excitement flow. I could not wait for the morning to arrive and for justice to be dealt out at last.

The next morning Melanie accused the servants very rudely of theft and demanded that the Justice of the Peace be summoned, even before a thorough search had been made. Mid-morning we enacted my plan perfectly, and I remember clearly the look of horror on Miss Melanie’s face when she saw the jewel dangling from my hand. The hardest thing for us both that morning had been keeping our faces composed, whilst looking innocently at Melanie and her parents. Oh what fun we had that day. The reaction of her father to the news that the stone had been located was interesting, his reaction when he realised that it had been located outside, hanging from a bush was just as I had hoped, explosive. Some how I did not think that miss bossy boots would be desiring to sit down any time soon, not if the squeals of pain I had heard emanating from her guest room were anything to judge by. Oh what fun, what justice, what well-deserved retribution I had caused to be vented upon her, and how easily it had been achieved.

Two years after we had arranged for, and witnessed, that justice had been done on Melanie, Sophie and I were returning from a visit to town. I was looking out of the window of my carriage, as was usual for me. Sophie was reading a leaflet given to us by Miss Rogers the storekeeper. The roll down blinds were not closed, so the storm filled the space beyond the glass, which both fascinated and scared me with its power. I could hear our driver encouraging his team of horses to pull harder. He obviously wanted to return home as quickly as possible, if only to get out of the rain.

I still smile at the memory of that night’s theft and the next morning when the stolen item was found. The sheer excitement of knowing that by my actions justice had been done upon a young tyrant, by another much older tyrant. Since then I have enjoyed mixing in people’s lives only slightly, but that was four years ago now.

I look back to when I was eighteen and returning home on a night very much similar to this night, though I was not then trying to escape from justice and the noose as I am now. I was probably being conveyed in this very carriage. It was then that I had encountered the real excitement of stealing for pleasure more than gain. We were ten miles from our farm gates when the driver pulled the horses up hard and a voice echoed across the night.

Stand and deliver!

A highwayman had targeted us. Sophie and I were about to learn the meaning of both excitement and loss. The highwayman was a bit of a disappointment though when we finally saw him. He was short, greasy haired, and carried only a single, and quite old pistol. Still, despite these handicaps he still managed to relieve us of our purses, but he did little else. That night stuck, as might be expected, in my mind. Everyone made quite a fuss over us once the tale came out. Sophie and I were treated as such victims. Not, I thought, that either of us had really felt very much threatened that night. Just a little annoyed at having to get out of our carriage into the rain, and make a muddy mess of our best gowns, and all for what? A few coins and nothing else. The highway man had taken his ill-gotten gains and vanished into the night. We had climbed back into our carriage and continued on home. Both of us were quite safe, but slightly damper than we had been before his hold up.

I opened the book in which I had been writing my story and placed it on the desk in front of me. By the light of a single candle I began to read my tale of woe! Reviewing my life up to this point through the words I had written since becoming a captive.

‘I look around the austere room wondering what my presence here foretold for me, and knowing full well that it would be bleak and short. At least my Sophie was out there and remained free and untarnished by my actions. She was not captive in here with me, facing harsh justice at the hands of the Courts of England. The why and what and how I came to be a captive is the reason for my writing this tale of woe. I have been brought up before the bench on a very serious charge! I now have to face a very serious punishment for my actions, but the reasons for my actions are not those of the common criminal bent on theft for self-gain. They are the actions of the caring and socially concerned, and very much necessarily needed for the protection and provision of the weak and ill, and especially for all the hungry children. The children who daily scratch out a living in the hidden hovels of our towns and cities, hidden from the sight by those that are better off in our society, forgotten and ignored by all but me.’

I intended to correct the deficiencies and bring about change, if only a little. I have indeed brought about change, but only in my social station and future life. Into the process I believe that I have lost the only man that has ever captured my heart.

My story begins not with an action, but