The mood changes

“No, Mr. Fuller.” Charlotte replied properly. “This is not a game, I can't imagine what you could have thought when you came here.” Her heart ached, but she was beginning to understand just how badly she had misjudged Black Brand's intentions. “Have you come to take **** for the loss of your lair?” No sooner had the words left her mouth than Charlotte wondered what she could do if Mr. Fuller had indeed come to punish her for revealing Black Brand's hideout. It was almost like Mr. Fuller had read Charlotte's mind.

“And what if I did, how would you stop me?” His voice was cold and low, but Charlotte well understood the threat behind it.

“If I scream, this room will be filled with servants and family in less than a minute!” Charlotte wasn't absolutely sure that that was true. With her step-brother away on the continent and no visitors currently staying at Marlton Manor only her aunts even had chambers on this level of the family wing. Sarah's room was tucked into the rafters with the other girls two floors up and her father's suite was on the far side of the great staircase. Furthermore, the only men who could pose a real threat to Black Brand were the groomsmen under the direction of Major Talbot her father's man, and they slept in the other wing above Lord Marlton's rooms. Thankfully Mr. Fuller couldn't possibly know how toothless her threat actually was, or could he?

“What makes you think I wouldn't welcome a chance to deal directly with your bastard of a father, Lady Marlton?” His eyes flickered to the side and for the first time Charlotte saw the thick sword-belt that hung over the back of her chair, both the heavy cutlass and the flintlock pistol in the worn leather holster looked alarmingly deadly in the moonlight.

“So is my father correct then?” Charlotte refused to be intimidated in her own house. “Are you truly the kind of man who would sneak into our estate in the dead of night and **** us in our beds?” Her eyes met Fuller's with as much dignity as she could summon. “I doubt Mary would think so.”

Randy was wounded by Lady Marlton's adroit riposte. What did she know about what type of man he was and how dare she bring Mary up after what this household had done to her.

“Don't bring her into this!” Lady Charlotte flinched at the venom in his tone, but Randy didn't care. “You know nothing about her, I bet you never spoke to her once in the eight months she worked here.”

“That's true.” Miss Marlton surprised him with her honesty, most of the people who found themselves threatened by him would say anything to appease him. “Mary worked in the scullery and our paths seldom even crossed,” she continued apologetically “but Sarah knew her quite well.” Perhaps sensing his confusion Miss Marlton explained. “Sarah is my maid, she had nothing but praise for Mary and was shocked to learn that that sweet girl was put in that compromised position.” Randy couldn't believe his luck! Finally someone who could tell him who this 'Jack' was that had seduced his sister and then abandoned her like a mongrel bitch to face her condition by herself.

“Did this Sarah of yours know who Mary's man was?” He asked trying to conceal the excitement he was feeling.

“I don't think so,” Miss Charlotte's thoughtful answer dashed his rapidly rising hopes, “she said it was the topic of much of the downstairs staff's gossip when the cook and butler were out of hearing, but no one knew for sure who the father was.”

“Damn!” How very like Mary to be so careful even when she fell from grace, and then a new thought struck him; digging in his bag he produced Mary's book of poetry and handed it to Miss Charlotte. “Have you seen this book before?”

“What is it?” She asked as she turned the volume over in her dainty hands.

“Poetry. I think Mary's lover gave it to her.” He watched her carefully looking for any hint of deceit as he asked the important question. “Do you recognize it?”