Five gentlemen of the hunt

Slightly quicker than Randy Fuller had anticipated he heard the sounds of horses approaching the foot of the falls. Clearly these men had given no thought to stealth. Even over the roar of the falls their approach was difficult to miss, although had he been caught unaware in his cave instead of perched atop the falls expecting their arrival it may have succeeded. As the riders reigned in their horses Randy looked eagerly for Lord Marlton.

"Damn." He sighed in frustration. Milling about the pool below him were four of the gentlemen of the hunt he had seen earlier and an older man that he recognized at once as Major Talbot, Lord Marlton's secretary and aide. Perhaps it was just as well that Lord Marlton had not been among the horsemen he acknowledged as he uncocked the musket. ****? Yes he wanted that certainly but did he really want to shoot the man from the cover of the forest? Probably not.

He watched in a mixture of amusement and anger as a man in a startlingly bright vest was selected to watch the horses while the other four scaled the narrow path clumsily. Charlotte, he remembered with a smile that softened his face had negotiated that climb with more grace than these gentlemen even in her flowing skirt.

"Forget about her!" He berated himself sternly. Any hope that she might have sympathetic feelings for him were dashed by the immediate arrival of these armed men. She certainly hadn't hesitated for even a second before she went crying to her father. The abduction and **** of a Peer of the Realm - a helpless maiden at that - could now be added to his growing list of crimes.

From below he heard the disappointed cries of the hunters who realized that their quarry had gotten away. Soon after the shouts that Lord Marlton’s bed had been found. More than anything else Randy had left behind in that cave he regretted the loss of his bed. Not just the hours of labor it had taken him to haul the great frame from the distant road to his cave or the level of comfort he had as he lay in it. What Randy liked most about the great bed was the knowledge that he was sleeping in a better bed than the Lord Marlton himself. From his position above the men as they climbed back down from the cave he heard one of the brash hunters clearly when he swears to avenge Miss Charlotte’s heinous ****.

What pleasure he might have had from Lord Marlton's discomfort at the rumors that would spread like wildfire about his dishonored daughter was squelched immediately by the knowledge of the harm he had done to Lady Charlotte's reputation.

No amount of denials on either his part or hers would outweigh the delight of the rumor mongers at hearing of this incident. When a beautiful maiden is captured by an outlaw and held alone for several hours there could be only one possible outcome. The captured maiden doesn't escape, nor is she released untouched. Randy felt a stirring in his loins as he considered how close those rumors had come to being true.

Why had Lady Charlotte said anything? She must have known what people would say. Was her anger at him so strong that she'd risk her future to bring him down?

"Damn!" Randy said again and slowly moved away to a well hidden but much less comfortable hide-out.