Not immediately

"Freeze!" Randy was momentarily stunned. His trip to Marlton Manor had been partially successful. Although he had yet to meet with Lord Marlton to settle his grievances, Marlton's secretary, Major Talbot, had agreed to meet with him tomorrow to finalize the arrangements for Miss Charlotte's release. As much as he wanted his chance to avenge Mary, a part of him did not want to have to give up Marlton's daughter.

All the way home, Randy's thoughts had returned again and again to his pretty captive and how good she had felt in his arms. The next few days were going to be a trial; how he was going to resist sampling the sweetness of this innocent beauty was a little unclear.

In spite of his absolute intention to keep his self-respect and not do to Miss Marlton what had been done to his sister his mind could not help but wander as he hurried through the moonlit woods. Several different scenarios played out in his feverish imagination. Miss Charlotte waiting for him like an eager lover, naked and excited under the blankets - or perhaps perched demurely on the edge of the bed like a virginal bride awaiting her groom. Randy shook his head like an angry bull as he dismissed that fantasy angrily. Much more likely, Randy admitted to himself, the proud Lady would be as aloof and dismissive as ever.

He had taken Miss Marlton by surprise that first kiss, but she'd be prepared for him when he returned and not likely to respond like that again. Still, if he had the opportunity to kiss her again he doubted he'd be able to resist the temptation of feeling her in his arms again. Randy thought he was prepared for anything that his captive might try, by the time he got back to his lair and stepped through the curtain of mist he was more than ready to take Miss Charlotte no matter how she responded to his advances, what he was not ready for though was what he got.

Instead of, as he expected, finding Miss Marlton chained to his bed at his mercy, he was looking down the barrel of one of his own muskets. It would be easy to hope that Lady Marlton did not have the wherewithal to load, prime and fire a heavy longarm like the Brown Bess he had liberated from the King's foot. However, the firing pan was open and the hammer fully cocked, not only that, but the way she had prepared her firing station and cradled the stock against her cheek suggested that Miss Marlton knew all to well how to fire the flintlock. Randy had seen the effect of a 3/4 inch slug hitting a man at short range and he had no illusions of living after being hit by the ball, the real question at this point was more a calculation of whether he cared about living if he were taken by Lady Marlton.

"Put your hands up, Mr. Fuller." Lady Marlton's voice was sharp and clear and carried every bit of authority that her station demanded. In spite of his attempt to remain in control of the situation he felt his hands twitch and he had to fight the impulse to obey the order. So, not only had she somehow escaped from the shackles he had left her in, but she had also finally deduced his identity; it was hard to despise a woman with her unexpected talents.

"And if I don't?" He asked standing absolutely still as he challenged her. She might still shoot him, but he doubted she'd kill him in cold blood; if she had wanted to do that he'd be dead already.

"Then I'll shoot your nuts off Mr. Fuller." Miss Marlton replied almost sweetly without even a hint of embarrassment as the barrel of the smoothbore dipped to point at his groin. "Are you willing to spend the rest of your sorry life as an Eunuch?" Her voice hardened as she repeated her command. "Put your hands over your head, and get down on your knees."