He offers his help

Somehow, Miss Marlton's accusation didn't surprise Randy nearly as much as it should have. Why wouldn't a man like Lord Marlton have his own flesh and blood **** in her bedroom if it suited his purpose. His estimation of Lady Marlton grew again as he contemplated how hard it must have been for her to live in this great house since the **** of her mother. Who was there to love and nourish that young teen? Certainly not her father, and Marlton's spinster sisters (if the village gossip was to be believed) were even less sympathetic than their brother to the needs of a young teen growing to maturity in this loveless estate.

He only partially understood the entirety of the problem, but he did understand that Worthington's body must not be found anywhere near Lady Marlton's bed chambers.

"I'll lower the stiff swab out the window and let him sleep off his drink in the gardens." Randy assured the young woman, suddenly feeling the need to protect her at all costs. Miss Charlotte nodded her head in relief, but before he even started dragging Worthington towards the window she stopped him.

"No, wait." Her voice was no longer uncertain as she placed her hand on Randy's arm to get his undivided attention. "What's to him from just doing this again some other night?" Randy could offer no assurances of any kind so he said nothing at all while she continued. "I need a more permanent end to Mr. Worthington's presence in my life." For an instant Randy thought this lovely young woman was asking him to **** her attacker in cold blood; as much as he despised the man and admired Miss Charlotte he knew that he could not go that far, luckily before he could piece together a reply Miss Marlton continued with her plan.

"Help me carry him to Aunt Jane's room." Her earnest eyes met Randy's and he found himself agreeing in spite of all the possible perils. He felt pretty stupid about even considering that someone like Miss Charlotte was going to have Worthington's throat slit, compared to that this was child's play. He watched Lady Marlton move once again to the door this time with the smooth efficiency of a officer taking command in a crisis.

"My Aunt takes Laudanum before bed to help her sleep." Charlotte explained to Mr. Fuller as she listened at the door. "More than once when I was younger I slipped into her room while she slept to pilfer her sweets, she never even stirred not even when I knocked over a candle-stick on her bed table." To her relief, when she opened the door the dark hallway was empty; the household had been in turmoil all evening, but now with the return of Marlton and failure to capture Black Brand it seemed that everyone was safely asleep.

"Quickly." Charlotte reached for Jason's shoulder but to her surprise Mr. Fuller easily lifted the man by himself.

"You get the doors, Lady Marlton." He told her with a grin, "I'll lug this sack o' pig offal." There was something playful in the tone of Mr. Fuller's response and for a few seconds Charlotte was able to forget how serious the situation was as they moved together down the hallway to Jane Marlton's suite. "My key opens her door too." Charlotte explained as she silently unlocked her Aunt's door - unlike Charlotte, Aunt Jane would never go to sleep without ensuring her safety. Inside, just as she remembered, was a sitting room with a small card table and plush chairs, and around the corner was the bed with her Aunt passed out under the covers.

"Where should I leave him?"

"Lay him on the bed next to her."

"Are you sure?" Mr. Fuller asked incredulously, and Charlotte just smiled and pulled back the heavy quilted bead spread and patted the mattress by the sleeping woman's side. She could see the doubt on his expressive face, but he obediently lowered Jason into the bed and Charlotte pulled the covers back over the snorting figure and tucked him securely into the soft bed. During the whole operation Aunt Jane once mumbled incoherently, but other than that gave no sign of discovering them or her new bedfellow. Upon leaving Miss Jane's suites Charlotte carefully locked the door behind them to ensure that Jason did not simply slip away without being discovered. Only when they were back in the relative safety of her room did Charlotte start to vent.

"That bastard! I only hope that this will be enough to dampen Mr. Worthington's proclivity to sneak into women's bed chambers late at night." Mr. Fuller chuckled briefly and then his face grew more somber.

"What about Lady Jane?" He asked, "won't her reputation be tarnished?" Charlotte was touched by his concern but in this case it was unfounded. Even as she explained to Mr. Fuller she realized just how successful the whole plan had turned out.

"On the contrary, Mr. Fuller, I expect she will become one of the most welcome of callers in London. Everyone will want to hear first-hand how a dapper young man like Mr. Worthington ended up in her bed. She fanned her face with her hand and mimicked the high-pitched affectation of a London Dame. 'Oh my! The scandal, come here my dear and tell me all the horrific details of your shameful ****." Suddenly cognizant of just who it was in her bedroom and the late hour Charlotte lowered he voice and half-turned away from Mr. Fuller.

"You should go." Charlotte told him, "Over half the armed men in the county are looking for Black Brand right now. If they find you, they'll kill you for sure."

"I doubt they'll be looking for me here. Miss Charlotte." Mr. Fuller did not seem in the least fearful or even angry with her for revealing his lair. He leaned casually against the foot of her rumpled bed, and some small part of her silently prayed he'd refuse to leave. She wondered if she'd even protest if he took her in his arms and kissed her again like he had when he had led her to his lair? Or if her decided to claim for himself the prize that had almost been stolen from her in this very chamber.

Charlotte had little doubt that Mr. Fuller would be a far more considerate lover than the odious Jason Worthington. In fact, she almost hoped to be found on her back with Black Brand rutting between her bloodied thighs. There could be no doubt about her reputation then, and this whole game of suitors, courtship and marriage would be ended in a great explosion of scandal and gossip. However, she would not see Mr. Fuller pay the price for her freedom, she gazed at him boldly wondering why and how he had been here to save her in the first place.