He has

Randy studied Miss Marlton for any sign of weakness and found none. The way she had positioned herself behind the bed with the weight of the heavy musket resting upon the bolster kept the muzzle of the rifle pointed steadily at his crotch. Very slowly, so as to not startle the ever surprising Lady he did as she demanded, placing his hands behind his head and sinking slowly to his knees.

"Thank-you Mr. Fuller," Miss Marlton seemed relieved that she did not have to shoot him. "Now use this leather lead to lash your forearms together." He did as he was told and any thought he might have had of leaving the coils loose enough to work his hands free disappeared when he saw her unforgiving gaze.

"Lay on the floor Mr. Fuller and toss the end of the lead over here." Without missing a beat Charlotte moved around the foot of the bed with the musket aimed now at his chest. Randy wondered if he had miscalculated when he had surrendered without a fight. He had expected the naïve young aristocratic maid to make some blunder, or show some sign of weakness, but with every careful step he was becoming more and more her prisoner. With a sigh he lay on the rough limestone floor of the cave and tossed the leather lead to land at Lady Marlton's feet.

He saw the ring of black iron still encircling her delicate ankle, and he wondered yet again how she had freed the other end of the manacles. As he lay there watching him she picked up the end of the lead with one hand, wrapping it tightly around the heavy timber bedframe that she had been chained to.

"Do not even think about moving Mr. Fuller." Lady Marlton warned as she carefully made her way past where he lay until she was behind him. "I'm afraid I must bind your legs." Her voice lost some of its steely hardness, but none of the resolve. Before he could form a plan that would stop this further binding, he felt a coil of rope encircle his boots and pull them tightly together and then to his surprise his legs were stretched back and he found himself in the position that a hammock might be in as it was stretched out for the night. Only then did Miss Marlton approach his side and begin a careful search of his body.

She took his flintlock and knife first setting them aside on the bed and then returned for a more careful examination. She found the key to the manacles in his belt pouch, but continued her careful search feeling along each of his arms and legs for any other weapons or tools. In spite of the severity of the situation, he found himself responding to the firm touch of her hands as they ran over his back and limbs. She even rubbed the worn wool of his trousers where he sat feeling along his buttocks as he lay on his belly. It was not unlike the way he had examined her when he first brought her to this cave. Randy could not help but wonder if she found his form as pleasing as he had found hers.

"Roll over." Her command was brisk like he was a child in her classroom. He hesitated, not because he had any chance of resisting her, but because of the very distinct bulge in his trousers that would be impossible to hide if he was lying on his back. "Roll over, now." Miss Marlton repeated with a nudge of her boot in his ribs that was not a kick, but carried the threat of one none-the-less. With a sigh Randy rolled onto his back and Lady Marlton continued her careful search of his person. He was not the type who carried small blades hidden about his person, but had there been anything to find, Miss Charlotte could not possibly have missed it.

Charlotte finished running her hands over Black Brand's long limbs - it was best, she decided to think of him as an outlaw and highwayman, not Mary's brother - and turned her attention to the man's muscular chest and lean torso. As she patted him down she tried to avoid his probing stare, but if she looked too far away from his eyes she was confronted with the bulge in his woolen pants. Even just a few hours ago she might have been able to deny what she was seeing, but Charlotte was no longer a maid, and she knew all to well the weapon that this highwayman had hidden under his belt. Unable to avoid it any longer she rested her palm against the hard lump.

"Does it hurt?" She asked when she saw the flicker of emotion on Black Brand's stoic face.

"No Lady Marlton." Charlotte could not meet the questioning gaze of the wicked man, she could not have explained why she wanted to see the very organ that had ruined her prospects as a bride.

"It looks like it must be uncomfortable, like that." She shifted her hand boldly along the outline of the shape.

"Perhaps a little." This time a hint of that cocky smile teased the corner of his full mouth. Turning her back to him so she did not have to see his mocking face, Charlotte pulled firmly on the buckle of his belt loosening it and pulling the ends apart. She heard his gasp, but ignored it as she reached for the buttons of the trousers.

"Lady Marlton," His voice was ragged now. "There is no need to..." No need to do what? Charlotte wondered silently, no need to search him there, no need to release his trapped member? she continued her slow unbuttoning until she was able to pull aside the drop flap and find the lacing of his trousers. Less than a minute later Black Brand's fly was open and his swollen member sprang free from its container.