The Highwayman

1

Loren galloped down the road, on his horses back. His dark hair was tied back, from his face, with a black ribbon. His hat cocked on his forehead and his claret velvet coat flew on the wind behind him. His heart beat fell into rhythm with the thundering of his horses hooves, for with every step he neared the inn.

"Whoa!" he called, for his horse to stop, a little way away, so no one would hear him coming.
His horse slowed and clattered into the dark inn yard. The silver light of the moon caught the butts of his pistols and they gleamed in the moonlight, while the hilt of his rapier twinkled in the starlight.

He rode to a window and tapped, with his whip, on the shutters to find that all was locked and dark inside. A light caught his eye and he urged his horse toward the window, from which the light came. He whistled a tune and then she appearred. The most beautiful woman that he had ever laid eyes upon. Bess, the landlord's daughter.

She flashed him a splendid smile as she plaited a dark red ribbon into her long black hair. The moonlight reflected in her dark eyes and made her delicate, fair skin all the more radiant.

"I thought you'd never come," she whispered, her voice soft and smooth.

He looked up, into her beautiful face, "My darling, I always come." He produced a blood red rose from his coat and held it up to her.

"Oh, Loren," she sighed, "how beautiful. Tell me, where did you get it?"

One corner of his mouth turned up in a smile, which crinkled the sun-kissed skin around his stone grey eyes, "I saw it in somebody's garden on my way here," he answered, "its beauty reminded me of you, so I had to bring it for you. I would have brought a whole bunch but I had little time to see you as it is."

A smile played on her crimson lips as she held the sweet smelling rose to her nose, "Thank you."

Loren gazed longingly into the eyes of his beloved. Little did he know that somewhere in the dark old inn yard, Tim, the ostler, watched and listened to here him say:

"One kiss, my bonny sweetheart, I'm after a prize tonight, but I shall be back with the yellow gold before the morning light; yet if they press me sharply and harry me through the day, then look for me by moonlight, watch for me by moonlight, I'll come to thee by moonlight, though hell should bar the way."

With that, Tim jumped up and ran, with a rustle of leaves, to report him to the authorities. Loren's head snapped round, for he had heard the rustling.

"What was that?" he demanded.

Bess shook her head, "I heard nothing, it must have only been a small night creature."

He stood in his stirrups and reached for the casement but he could barely reach her outstretched hand. She loosened her hair and let her glossy black waves tumble out the casement over his chest and he kissed her hair. He inhaled, deeply. Her sweet perfume overwhelmed his senses. Then he tugged on his rein and started to move away.

"Loren," she called him.

He backed up to her window, "Yes?"

She held the rose out to him, "Take this with you, and let it remind you of me as you travel."

He took the rose from her hand and held it to his nose, he then tucked it into a button hole in his coat and galloped away to the west.