The Highwayman (Rakes and Rogues of the Restoration Book 3) (39 page)

It was hard to concentrate while someone tickled the back of your legs with a feather, but Lady Arabella Nix was doing her best. “Jack!” She held out her hand in an imperious gesture. “Give me back my pen.”

He placed the pen between her fingers and began nibbling on her shoulder. Though she shrugged him away, she flashed him a smile. “Just a few more minutes, captain, and you shall have my undivided attention. I am nearly done.”

“You are nearly finished your journal?”

“Of our past year’s adventures, yes.”

Jack rolled over onto his stomach and rested on his elbows, looking over her shoulder to see.

And so conclude with a hearty wish and recommendation to all, but Especially my own Sex, to study of those things which tends to Improve the mind and makes our Lives pleasant and comfortable as well as profitable in all the Stages and Stations of our Lives, and render suffering and age supportable and Death less formidable and a future State more happy”

His fingers trailed over the back of her thighs as he read. “You know that I am always ready to help you in the study of things that make our lives more pleasant and happy.”

“Yes, I do.” She closed her journal and put her pen aside, then turned her head to give him a tender kiss.

He grinned and rolled onto his back, pulling her with him. “And now that your journal is finished?”

She kissed the corner of his mouth. “We shall have new adventures. And I will write about them, too.”

I hope you’ve enjoyed reading about Arabella and Jack as much as I have enjoyed writing about them. Although
The Highwayman
is a work of fiction, the two main characters are inspired by, or based on, real historical figures, and many of the adventures in this book are part of the historical record. Nevertheless, I have filled in the blanks with my own imaginings, and freely tweaked the facts and the sequence of known events to better fit my story.

The character of Arabella Hamilton is based on the 17
th
century travel writer and journalist, Celia Fiennes. The quotes, journal entries (and spelling) at the head of some chapters and in the text are hers. She was a remarkable woman for her, or any time. Celia was an excellent horsewoman and an intrepid traveler, braving danger and describing her journey with breathless enthusiasm as she visited every county in England, sometimes with only one servant, in a time when travel could literally kill you, and highwaymen ruled the roads.

She started her journeys in her early twenties, and continued them well into old age, seldom staying still for very long. Despite her claims of ill health (which were the justification for her unusual and independent life) she lived until the respectable age of seventy-six. Some say she was the fine lady upon a white horse at Banbury Cross, where they do lay claim to her. No doubt she’d be pleased to know there is a waymark with her likeness, recording her passage through No Man’s Heath in Cheshire over three centuries ago.

Although she was of good family, and is variously described as humorous, outgoing and intelligent, she never married, which comes as no surprise to me. What husband would have allowed her to continue her explorations as she did, or at the very least not been a nuisance and underfoot? It would take an adventurous and open-minded man not to stifle such an unusual and independent woman. But what if on her travels she had met a handsome highwayman, with a soul as adventurous as her own?

‘What if?’ is one of my favorite questions and for me it is the place where fact and fiction intertwine and stories are born. In this tale, I have borrowed some of Celia’s writings from
Through England on a Side Saddle
and made them Arabella’s. Arabella and Celia share similar adventures during their travels, and I suspect their personalities were very much the same, but Celia never married, had no Irish mother, and though she might have read about him, there is no record of her ever meeting Swift Nick. Hence from the marriage of fact and fiction, Arabella Hamilton was born.

As for Jack, John, James, Samuel, William, Swift Nick, Nix, Johnson, Nevison, the general consensus seems to be that they were all names used by, or ascribed to the same man. The added persona of Gentleman Jack is my own invention, and I have freely used Jack as the diminutive of John. Given all the names he used or was known by, I felt it was no great stretch to take such liberties for the purpose of my story.

By all accounts, Swift Nick was the real deal. A clever, gallant, gentleman highwayman described as tall, good-humored, handsome and generous––who avoided using violence, a notable rarity at the time. A popular hero in his day, he was a favorite subject of broadsheets and chapbooks. Many of his exploits are chronicled in the
Newgate Calendar
, and he is one of only two highwaymen mentioned in Thomas Macaulay’s
History of England.

Nevison, or Swift Nick, was the living embodiment of the old adage that ‘truth is stranger than fiction.’ During, and after his life there was more than enough mystery surrounding him. His early years, parentage, birthplace, and death are all open to debate, and here I have freely created a past from my own imagination, but several of his exploits are well known and the facts generally agreed upon.

The story of the ride from London to York is a generally accounted a true one. He did arrive in time to play bowls with the mayor, use it as an alibi, and as a result was acquitted and later reputedly given the nickname Swift Nick by King Charles II. He was once transported (or forced to volunteer) to Tangier and returned not long after, to partner at times with the well-born highwayman, Captain Richard Dudley, who had led a regiment of foot there.

Swift Nick escaped from prison on more than one occasion, most famously by the ruse of faking plague and playing dead with the help of a physician friend, Dr. Alderson. His ghost was reported to be riding and robbing along the North Road for months until people realized he was actually alive. Even today there are ghost stories and reports about Swift Nick as a phantom hitchhiker, haunting the road from Yorkshire to Nottingham. There are bars and roads named after him throughout the North of England, and visitors to Ferrybridge can see the plaque on the escarpment there, still known as Nevison’s leap.

The most interesting detail of Nevison’s life subject to debate is his death. The
Newgate Calendar
lists him as being hanged at York Castle in 1685 (Celia Fiennes would have been twenty-three at the time). The story goes that he finally killed a man during (or after) a robbery, and was arrested drunk, sitting in a chair at a local inn. The
Newgate Calendar
however, was somewhat of a morality play. Parents read it for thrills and entertainment, and read it to their children as a salutary lesson that justice will be done, and crime doesn’t pay. There certainly seems to be enough ambiguity regarding the account of Swift Nick’s death to raise questions as to whether he was hanged at all.

Why do I say that? While it was the custom to describe a highwayman’s execution down to the last detail, from the clothes he was wearing to where he was buried, the people that visited him, his demeanor on the gallows and of course his last words, this information seems to be curiously lacking for Swift Nick––arguably the most famous highwayman of his time. We have it for Claude Duval, Audrey Roderick, Captain Hines, Sixteen String Jack, William Cox (who was the inspiration for Allen) and many others, but not for Swift Nick, other than a terse remark that he gave a speech and was later buried in an unmarked grave.

There are at least two accounts of a different fate for Nevison/Swift Nick, the first from Captain Alexander Smith, who interviewed the well-born Captain Richard Dudley for his book,
A Complete History of the Lives and Robberies of the Most Notorious Highwaymen, Footpads, Shoplifts, & Cheats of Both Sexes
. Dudley’s words to Jack about ‘keeping close to the text’ when it came to the proper etiquette for a highwayman, were actually said to Captain Smith.

According to Dudley, who was Nevison’s sometimes partner in crime, Swift Nick retired from highway robbery to become a captain in the Lord Moncastle's regiment in Ireland, where he ‘married a great fortune and afterwards lived very honest.’ In support of this, there is also a mention in the personal letters of the Verney family, of a former highwayman turned army officer in Ireland named Captain Swift Nix.

So what really happened? It would hardly do to have a celebrated and unrepentant criminal escape the noose, no matter how glamorous and charming he was, but would Nevison, who had escaped from prison at least twice and transportation once, who was careful not to murder, and who outwitted the law on numerous occasions, really be such a bungler at the last?
Could
the man who was the darling of the broadsheets and chapbooks that flooded the streets of England’s largest cities, arguably the most popular highwayman of his day, really have met such a quiet end? I know what I think, but leave you to be the judge.

In closing I should note that the the song Jack sung,
When The King Enjoys His Own Again
was a popular cavalier ballad written in 1643 by Martin Parker. I hope you will forgive me for using Alfred Noyes’
The Highwayman
to start this tale. It is one of my favorite poems, and although it was published long after the events of this story, it was surely inspired by the romantic appeal of men such as Claude Duval, Captain James Hind, and of course John Nevison, also known as Swift Nick. It is also what inspired me to write this story. Thank you for joining me on this adventure. I hope you enjoyed the journey!

All the best, Judith James

JUDITH JAMES BOOKS AND REVIEWS

Rakes and Rogues of the Restoration #1

Libertine’s Kiss

Nominated Romantic Times Best British Isles' Historical

Booklist starred review

Romantic Times Top Pick

AAR Desert Island Keeper

Judith James’ RAKES AND ROGUES OF THE RESTORATION transports you to the thrilling days of highwaymen, cavaliers, courtiers, and spies. Rich with history and sizzling with passion, these are love stories you won’t soon forget!

#
1 LIBERTINE'S KISS
: England, 1658—Having put a troubled youth firmly behind him, William de Veres—military hero, noted rake and close friend of the king—rises swiftly in the ranks of the hedonistic Restoration court. Though not before he is forced to seek shelter from a charming young Puritan woman. By opening her door to a wounded cavalier, the widowed Elizabeth Walters unwittingly endangers all she holds dear, opens a door to her past, and changes her life forever. Can a promise made between childhood friends lead to a new beginning? Can a debauched court poet and notorious libertine convince the wary Elizabeth he is capable of love? The first in a series of 17th century romantic historicals, an AAR Desert Island Keeper and an RT nominee for Best British Isles Historical, this book tells the story of two childhood sweethearts torn apart by civil war and reunited following the restoration of Charles II to the throne. It features a hero based on the notorious libertine, poet and close friend to the king, John Wilmot Earl of Rochester

“Fueled by sizzling sensuality and sharp wit, James’ refreshingly different historical deftly re-creates the glittering, colorful court of Charles II while also delivering an unforgettable love story.”

~John Charles,
Booklist
starred review

“There are books I love to the point of wanting everybody I know to go out and buy a copy.
Libertine’s Kiss
is one of those rare books. Judith James juggles poetry, Restoration court culture, and fairytale references with an almost perfect sense of timing, and the result is a world that springs vividly to life. Rather than simplifying the historical details of the day, the author weaves their many threads into her story, letting readers see her world in its many layers of light and dark just as her characters would have. The result is a story that is sweeping and epic. I find myself wanting to compare it to something, but there is really nothing out there quite like this.”

~Lynn Spencer,
All About Romance
Desert Isle Keeper Review

“Historical details, poetic quotations and fictional characters based on real individuals blend perfectly in
Libertine’s Kiss.
Judith James’ characters are wonderfully crafted...William and Elizabeth’s story is compelling, sexy as can be and expertly told...
Libertine’s Kiss
is everything a historical romance should be and more. Don’t miss this one!”

~Joyce Greenfield,
ReaderToReader.com

“Readers will find this poignant love story enthralling and unforgettable.”

~Kathe Robin,
Romantic Times
top pick

“
To get a 9 out of me, an author has to give me characters I can relate to, people who have problems that they face with bravery, honor and humor. The characters need a setting so vivid I feel like I’m there. The plot must avoid easy romance clichés, and the author has to use English in ways that make each sentence a pleasure to read.
Libertine’s Kiss
is most definitely a 9.”

The Season
top pick

“Libertine’s Kiss
is a captivating story of love lost and found. Penned with clarity and emotion, its poignancy is tangible...a wonderful story of passion, promises made and broken, and a love that stands the test of time.”

~Joyfully Reviewed

“Readers will not be able to resist this charming tale of childhood sweethearts who are reunited later in life to become each other’s salvation.”