Captured by Him ~ The fourth novelette from "Different Desire", a Gay Victorian Romance and Erotic novelette collection

and work the fields instead. We tried our best, but we could not pay the landowner , and we had to move. My mother was not from Derbyshire , and we did not have any relatives that would take us in. My mother was … Well, different, I suppose. She made a lot of people uncomfortable. She was rather eccentric , and sometimes she would speak gibberish. She would mix up the past with the future and talk about things which still had not come to pass.”
    Milton was qui et; he did not dare interrupt.
    “So we moved into the forest. My mother, my three younger brothers, and I. We lived on berries and small game. It was a harsh life ; however , the loss of my father had made my mother even more deranged. She started to see things. She would talk to people who were not there , and she would say strange things … ” Badger said, his eyes staring beyond the stone wall of the root cellar, lost in the memory.
    “Then came the third winter. It was one of the worst winters for as long as anyone could remember. We ran out of food and did not have much dry firewood left. We tried to save it for as long as possible.
    “It did not work,” he said. He paused before he continued in an empty voice . “And then, one morning when I woke up , I … I was the only one left alive.
    “Barely half-alive , I left our scanty hut and tried to get down to the road. I would never have made it, but I was lucky , I suppose. I stumbled upon a gang of fugitives, highwaymen, just like I am now. They had food and fire, which was all I needed, so I stayed with them. I buried my family later in the spring.”
    Milton wanted to say something, but he could not figure out what. In the end , he awkwardly patted the other man’s arm and said softly , “I am sorry.”
    “Ah, well. It was a long time ago,” Badger tried to smile and shrugged. “Anyway. I brought you a toothbrush and a clean shirt. It is not the most elegant shirt in the world, I am afraid. And I thought that perhaps you would like to clean yourself up before you left. The others are collecting the ransom and should be back in a couple of hours , and then you are free to go.”
    Badger gestured to a wooden bucket filled with water on the floor and gave him the toothbrush and a sand-coloured coarse linen shirt.
    It was not really a toothbrush, like the one Milton was used to , which was made out of carved bone, and there was no tooth po wd er available either. It was only a peeled and slitted twig. Hesitantly Milton put it in his mouth and cleaned his teeth. At least it tasted fairly refreshing, he noted.
    He looked at Badger, trying to decide what to say so that the other man would leave so that he could wash in privacy.
    “I … I think I will have a proper bath later at home instead,” Milton said.
    “I have heard that all nobles were dirty. I mean, underneath all those fancy clothes, but I never believed it. Until now , that is,” Badger said teasingly and added , “At least I take a morning dip in the stream every day or wash off during the winter.”
    “I just prefer to have a proper bath in a copper bath tub, that is all,” Milton said dignified ly . “But it matters not, I suppose.”
    Since he did not want to confess how uncomfortable he was with Badger see ing him almost half-naked, Milton had no alternative than to start washing himself with the cloth as casual ly as he could manage.
    “Are you going to take all day?” Badger asked. He was leaning against the wall and watching him with a peculiar look on his face.
    “I beg your pardon?” Milton said and tried to dry off the excess water with the damp cloth.
    “Well, I ’d like to have a look at your wound one last time before you go.”
    Insight dawned upon Milton. “Oh,” he said , oblivious that water was dripping down his shoulders from his wet hair. “I see … Thank you, but that will not be necessary.”
    “Do not be childish.”
    “I am telling you, it is perfectly fine,” Milton said stiffly, trying to keep panic from entering his voice.
    “You really are being ridiculously silly! It is time to change the bandage anyway. Look, you have managed to get it completely soaked.”
    “I most certainly will not allow it!” Milton tried to protest and took a step backwards. His heartbeat increased rapidly as Badger came closer , and he felt his mouth go dry.
    “Lay down now so I can have a look at your wound , or I will force you to,” Badger said slowly, clearly starting to lose his temper.
    Milton