Stand and Deliver Horuce Green was a self proclaimed gentleman of the road. He spent his days at crossroads in the English countryside robing those of affluence and wealth. His nights he spent in the pursuit of pleasure. Occasionally after a particularly successful day, he would wonder into one of the nation's bustling cities and spend the wealth he acquired from his victims as opulently as they would have. He was a relatively handsome man with long dark hair and an always masked face with almost effeminate features. He wore expensive clothes, stolen of course, and a black longcoat. The most striking aspect of his appearance, however, was his eyes. They were bright green and blazed with an intelligence you wouldn't expect from a highwayman. He was secretly coveted by women throughout Britain, both peasant and noble, though they wouldn't admit it to their husbands. Every once in a while he would use his charm to his advantage to con a wealthy woman or have some fun with a poor one. He did this rarely however, finding it poor sport to pray off of women's desire. He preferred obtaining what he desired in a more noble and romantic way. He would wait by the king's road until he saw wealthy looking travelers. He would then ride in rapier and pistol drawn demanding his victims to "Stand and deliver. Your money or your #life." These famous lines, of course, struck enough fear into his victims so that he almost never had to resort to the latter part of this age old threat. Despite his glamorous and roguish #lifestyle Horuce felt empty. He couldn't tell what, but there was something that he wanted, no needed, that he didn't have. Every once and a while these feelings would return and he would casually dismiss them and drown them in his ale. Horuce wasn't always a villain. There was a time when he aspired to be a good man. As a child he was enamored by the nobility and he wanted to be like them. He saw their wealth and luxurious #lifestyle and wanted it for himself. He also wants to help people like the lord his parents had been serfs to. Lord Charles Fairfax was a good man and during a bad harvest would spend some money from his own coffers to ensure his surfs didn't starve. He also didn't tax them abusively, like other lords did. When Horuce was about fifteen, Charles died and was replaced by his younger brother James Fairfax. That was a cruel year in that not only did a good man die, but a terrible famine hit. James not only refused to help his serfs, as his predecessor did, but raised taxes. Trying to survive under these conditions put too much strain on Horuce's parents and resulted in their deaths only a few weeks apart. The deaths of his parents had a profound impact on young Horace who swore to never love or care for another human being again, and began his successful highwayman's career. His heart was as black as his mask and as cold as his blade for the next eleven years. All this changed one cold January evening when as he stole a woman's jewels, she stole his heart. It hasn't been a very productive day for the highwayman. It was rather cold and a light layer of snow was beginning to coat the ground. He was about to retire for the evening into a nearby town where he could get a warm room and maybe a warm woman, when he saw a carriage in the distance. The sun was beginning to set and he thought that maybe he should use some of the money from this raid to get a warmer coat than the now rather tattered one he was waring. He rode toward the carriage and pointed his pistol at the driver. "Stand an deliver. Everyone out of the carriage. Your money or your #life." He said as he had over a thousand times before. Out from the carriage came a young woman and her escort. She was a little above average hight with raven black hair and bright blue eyes that surprisingly seemed calm. Horuce couldn't tell why, but something about this woman seemed different then any other woman he had seen before. "What do you want?" She said shaking him out of his revelry. "You heard me. Your money or your #life." He said as he dismounted and pointed his sword at her throat. "Have you no honor? You would slit a lady's throat?" She said to Horuce. This threw him further off guard. He had seen many reactions from women, but never anything like this. He had seen them cower in fear, melt in his arms, or throw themselves at him, but never stand up to him like this. "I said give me what money you have on you." He said as he ripped a jeweled necklace off her neck. "Do you know who I am? I'm Horuce Green. The most feared highwayman on this side of the English Channel." "You're Horuce Green. I don't believe you. The stories said he was a noble man, a gentleman thief, not a common thug who feels he can take whatever he wants from a woman by force." For the first time in his #life the highwayman was at a loss for words. He had never faced this much resistance from any one of his past victims, male or female. "That's it." He said after about twenty seconds. "Your coming with me love. I'll show you a little respect." He then grabbed her up and forced her on his horse. He then mounted it as well and pointed his pistol at the driver. "You two stay here. I'll be back to deal with you later." He then rode off with his reluctant prize. They rode for about twenty minutes in silence before she broke the silence with a frustrated "Where the hell are you taking me." "Does it matter?" Her captor said in the most calm voice he could muster. Even now she didn't shown any fear. Who was this woman? They rode in silence for another ten minutes, before Horuce broke the silence this time. "Who are you?" He said casually as if he was trying to see if she was worth anything for a ransom. He always thought ransoming someone was beneath him and not as elegant as other crimes, but she likely didn't know that." "Really. You want to ransoms me. How low a crook are you? If you must know I'm Catherine of House Sussex." "Does your father have any money." "He's lord of Sussex, of course my father has money. He cares about that a whole lot more than me." The highwayman's curiosity was further peaked by this odd comment, but they arrived at his destination before he could inquire further about her family #life. The two had reached a large cavern in the middle of the woods. He didn't know why he had taken her here, but he wasn't sure where to go with this strange captive. The cave was the closest thing to a home he had. It was large and spacious and behind a hidden door he installed lied the treasure he had amassed from years of plunder. He knew one day he would likely grow old, few people fought back against him so it's unlikely he'd be killed, and he didn't want to starve on the streets so he saved a cavern off gold. He of course never slept in the cave , he preferred the forest or comfortable rooms in inns, but he came here often to contemplate #life and stash his savings. He tied Catherine to a chair he kept in the cave and realized he didn't know what he'll de next. "What do you intend to do with me next?" She asked as if she could tell he had no plan and she wanted to annoy him. "What the hell!" Horuce exclaimed. "Why do you persist on annoying the man with a gun who has you tied up. Is your home #life so bad that you don't care about your well being?" To his surprise this comment seem to hit home and the strong persona the woman had been putting forth shattered and she showed her distress. It wasn't fear as much as extreme sorrow. She began to quietly cry. Making her so miserable hurt Horuce in a way. He wondered why he seemed to feel guilt for the first time in years. "I'm sorry. I don't even know why I care, but I'm sorry for what I said." The prisoner's misery quickly turned from misery to fury. "Yes I do have a horrible home #life. No one has ever given a damn about my #life and what I wanted, and as I was on the way to be forced to marry a horrible, cruel, and unmannered man, I was captured by another one. So no I don't care about my well being, because no one else ever has." The prisoner's comment struck a cord on Horuce's heart. He could understand her loneliness and misery. He had felt the same way for most of his #life. It was now that he realized what he had wanted for years. What whenever he felt like he realized he drowned in his ale. For years he had cared about no one, but himself and now he also came to the realization that no one else cared about him. The cave was quiet for several minutes as both it's odd inhabitants contemplated their plight as well as the others. One had grown up in a castle surrounded by people but always truly alone. The other had lived a #life of glamour and romance, but never had someone to share it with. Eventually Catherine broke the silence and said "So what's your sad story?" Horuce then let out a #lifetime's worth of emotion. He told her everything from his parents death to his numerous unfulfilling conquests. She then responded by telling him the less exciting but equally miserable tale of her #life. The two talked throughout the night and well into the morning with the only friend they had both had in years. Eventually Horuce said. "How about this. I untie you and we run away together. I've saved up enough money for us to sail to the new world and start a new #life. It won't be easy, but it'll be a lot better then this #life." The future Miss, Green agreed to the former highwayman's request. Epilogue: The two lovers got married and moved to England's colony in Massachusetts. There they prospered and Horuce used his clever mind and charisma to become a very successful businessman. Eventually he even winded up governor of the entire colony. Catherine had six kids with Governor Green and their oldest was named Fairfax after the kind old lord. Horuce's many admirers eventually got over the loss of their secret idol and found a new alluring rogue to covet. The escort and carriage driver were of course fired but later moved to England's Indian colony as house servants, where they discovered a gold mine.