Randy starts to leave...

"Yes, Lady Marlton." Charlotte felt a twinge of disappointment at Mr. Fuller's easy acquiescence to her request. It was ironic indeed that this outlaw was behaving the gentleman whereas her Jason, a knight of the Empire and guest in her house, would have delighted in his cruel **** on her honor. As Mr. Fuller turned to the window she knew she couldn't just let him leave.

"Wait!" She stopped him with the intensity of her hushed whisper, "wait, why did you come to see me?"

Randy hesitated with one hand on the window sill. Why had he come visit Lady Marlton? He certainly hadn't come to save her from the unwanted advances of that London dandy = although he thanked the heavens that he had - but he could hardly tell Miss Charlotte that he hoped to take her in his arms again and press his lips to hers, especially after the scene he had just interrupted.

"I had hoped you would help identify this." He pulled a small leather-bound book from his belt pouch and handed it to Miss Charlotte who was standing once again at his side. "Do you recognize this book?" He watched her face carefully for any hint of recognition, but instead saw only a mixture of confusion and interest.

"I don't think so, Mr. Fuller," Charlotte's small hands turned the book over and held the volume up to the moonlight from the window so she could see it better. "What is it?"

"It's a book of Shakespeare's sonnets," Randy explained trying to hide his disappointment, "given to Mary by someone called 'Jack.' My mother believes that this Jack is the man who seduced Mary, and that Mary loved him in spite of what he had done until the day she died." Miss Marlton's eyes widened as the implication of what he said sank in.

"One of the footmen goes by Jack, and I think one of the garden boys too," she began but almost immediately stopped herself, "but this book is the gift of a gentleman, not a servant." Her eyes narrowed in concentration for a second or two, but then she shook her head sadly. "I'm trying to remember if any of my father's guests were called Jack, but it would have been almost two years ago and none come to mind at the moment." She tried to hand the book back to him with a quiet apology "I'm sorry."

"Keep it Lady Charlotte." Randy told her with a sigh, "perhaps you'll think of something in a day or two." He really should leave, if Lady Marlton was right about her father's plan to **** her into marriage, then every minute increased the odds of discovery, but he couldn't bring himself to go.

"If I do think of who this man might be, how will I contact you?" Charlotte asked knowing that this mysterious outlaw was about to leave her again.

"Do you know the old Papist Chapel that lies East of here?" He asked and she nodded immediately, the abandoned ruins of St. Theresa's was one of her favorite places on all the Marlton lands. "I will be there most afternoons this week, and if I'm not there, leave a ribbon tied to one of the climbing roses I'll come to this room when I can." He lifted one of his long legs over the window sill, and if she did nothing he'd be gone.

"Wait." Once again, she stopped him; this time sliding her body between him and the window. "I haven't thanked you for your help with Jason." Fuller was so close to her as she sat on the ledge; perhaps it was because he no longer towered over her, or perhaps it was the knowledge that she might never see him again but Charlotte was determined to kiss him before he slipped away in the darkness.

Unlike their kisses of the other day, Charlotte was the one who pressed her lips to his. She sensed his initial surprise and confusion that a gentlewoman like her would behave so wickedly, but in a heartbeat his lips parted and she deepened the embrace, boldly slipping her tongue past his teeth and into the warmth of his mouth. He smelled of smoke, pine and leather and Charlotte settled onto his lap forgetting who he was, what he was and the fact that they might be discovered by anyone who happened to be outside at this late hour and looking up at the house. It was only when his hands moved to explore her body through the thin cotton nightgown that she realized just how risky this kiss was.

The precarious window ledge that they perched upon was an apt metaphor, if she lost her balance the fall from this height could result in crippling injuries or even ****. Yet as she felt his strong fingers cup her ass and pull her pelvis tightly against the hard bulge in his trousers Charlotte longed to give to this highwayman exactly that precious gift that Jason had so recently attempted to take from her by ****.