Scoundrel With A Noble Heart (sequel of Disgraceful)

Chapter 21

Stranded in a foreign town with nothing but the clothes on his back, Matthew knew no other way to survive but to return to his old ways. He stayed in a blind alley near the market town, where he could easily blend with the locals while picking out his targets.

He'd resolved to go on with his life, but not a day passed that he didn't think about Arabella. Her images pervaded his dreams and consumed his waking hours. He imagined her reaction the minute she found out he was gone. He'd promised to stay, but he'd left her without a word. What would she think of him? It was likely that she hated him now. Not that it mattered. Sooner or later, she would return to her family, and when she reentered society, she would meet a man of her class, and soon forget about him.

Determined to put his misery behind him and get on with his life, he plunged into the bustle of the market town. As he pretended to jostle through the crowd, his hand unobtrusively made its way into some man's pocket, and a coin purse soon found its new seat in his. He sneaked out of the market into a secluded alley to appraise his loot, then headed to the outskirts of town in search of some deserted shed or any unused building to shelter. On his way he used the money to buy a hot muffin from a street vendor, his first decent meal in a few days.

He was trudging slowly along the remote path when he heard a rumble of hooves from a distance, coming on fast behind him. He moved out of its way and continued walking, but as the horse drew near, the sound became ominously loud and close, he turned around to see the beast barreling down on him. With a startled gasp, he jumped to the side to avoid it, and stumbled into the sideroad ditch. Dirt splattered all over his face and clothes as he hit the muddy bottom. As he struggled to get out of the narrow channel, the rider slowed down and wheeled his steed around, and Matthew stopped dead in his tracks.

In his short alliance with the robber gang, he barely talked with this man but he could still place him perfectly.

Impossible. He had fled far enough from their territory. How could this man find him?

The man's face contorted into an ugly scowl.
"It's time you meet your maker, son of a bitch!"

Matthew took a step back.
"Look, I don't have a problem with you-"

"You killed my brother!"

"It was an accident-"
Matthew ceased talking when he saw the man reach into his coat and pull out a gun. Quick as a flash, he spun around and dashed into the woods.

From behind him, he could hear the man shout and spur his horse. He kept running
without looking back. Sharp branches that hung almost to the ground slapped and scratched him as he traversed deeper into the forest.

From a distance, hoofbeats pounding on the strewn forest floor, coming closer, then suddenly an explosion of gunshot split the air.

A bullet whizzed past his head with inches to spare, and he dived for cover. Anxious to keep out of firearm shot, he stayed down, clawing his way across the leafy ground, but soon he discovered that he couldn't move fast enough, so he got back to his feet and pushed through dense thickets until he reached a clearing. He staggered to an abrupt stop at the steep edge of a fast-flowing stream.

His eyes roved over the open space in frantic search for a hideout and found none within sight. From behind him, hoofbeats grew louder, and he looked over his shoulder to see his pursuer coming into view. Knowing that he had nowhere else to hide nor retreat, he braced himself and plunged into the water.

He hit the stream with a mighty splash. Soon as the initial shock and the momentary numb feeling in his limbs passed, he propelled himself upward and surfaced. He fought to swim across the river as the current dragged him off his feet, but soon he realized that he had got swept downstream and under. He thrashed about in blind panic as his head started to slide under the surface. As he groped desperately for a grip, his flailing hand struck something hard and rough. He grabbed it, holding onto it with all his might. When he was certain he'd found a steady lifeline, he pulled himself along it, and discovered that he was clinging to a limb of a fallen tree. He looked up across the stream and glimpsed the receding shape of his pursuer before the pull of the water carried him away.