The Gift of the Hunter

Robert, the Earl of St. Germain, lies wakeful in his marriage bed. His vast lands are prosperous, kept peaceful by loyal vassal lords. His sons, and their sons, are well-grown, hale and hearty. He is blessed indeed. Yet, he thinks, he would sacrifice all he has in exchange for a single hour with the lover he once knew, an hour to hear his voice, to hold him and to feel his touch.His mind drifts to that long-ago May morning when, restless and troubled by the preparations for his wedding, he sought solace in the cool of the woods that lie near the castle. Racked by the desire that burns in him, a desire that would bring his death if it were proved, he plunges into a millstream to try to cool his heated blood. Emerging from the rushing water, he is puzzled by the silence that has fallen on the woods. He starts for the riverbank. A figure stands waiting, a figure from a nightmare... or from his sweetest dreams.