She cannot explain it.

"I'm not sure Mr. Fuller." Charlotte said as she watched him carefully for any hint of how he might react. "After I freed myself I had every intention to go straight to my father and put an end to you and your wickedness." He nodded quietly but before he could interrupt she continued. "I even considered shooting you myself." She glanced at the two heavy muskets that stood leaning against the damp rock wall of the cavern. "You should store those somewhere else; it is far too damp in here for both the barrels and the powder." This time she saw a tightening of his lips; she couldn't tell if he was annoyed by her thinking about ambushing him in cold blood or the way she chastised him for the poor care of his longarms.

"And why didn't you Lady Marlton?" Her captor carefully lowered himself onto the hearth on the far side of the fireplace - he was far less imposing from this new position. "I gave you cause enough to justify almost any retribution." Mr. Fuller shook his head slowly as he looked around the cave, "instead you chose to retaliate by cleaning my lair and making me tea."

"I found Mary's picture." Charlotte spoke quietly, hearing the truth in the words as they left her lips. "Your mother shouldn't have to lose her son as well as young Mary." While she was speaking honestly she lifted the iron chain that was still bolted firmly around her ankle. "Furthermore, If I returned to my father with this pretty chunk of jewelry around my leg it would be impossible to hide what had happened to me." She laughed bitterly. "You have destroyed my reputation, Mr. Fuller. Everyone knows what a man like you would do to an innocence maiden, especially the daughter of your sworn enemy." His eyes narrowed when her words registered. "And even if my father for his own interests attempted to preserve my reputation, the members of the hunt that rode with me today will be all to eager to return to London with this juicy tidbit of gossip."

"I'm sorry Lady Marlton." Perhaps he truly was sorry, Charlotte conceded to herself - but he was not blameless. Mr. Fuller's actions had shattered her life, even worse than that he had awoken within her a need that she had naively believed she was above.

"I'm not." Charlotte's admission surprised her as much as her captor. "I'm no real beauty, but the men who court me find the title and 20,000 pounds that come with my hand in marriage enough to compensate for the lack of feminine appeal."

"What?!" His gasp of surprise could not have been feigned, but Charlotte could not tell if it was because of the size of her dowry or her frank acknowledgement of her plain looks. She continued her monologue, almost afraid to stop.

"Even if a man swears he would love me if I were a penniless orphan, how could I believe him?" The cup in her hand rattled as she placed it in the saucer and she set them on the ground by her feet before she spilled the warm tea. "You on the other hand have no hope of matrimony. Perhaps your actions were driven by the need for retribution," He started to protest but Charlotte silenced him with a subtle hand gesture, "but I doubt it." Charlotte paused long enough to rest her hand on his warm arm. "For the first time in my life, Mr. Fuller, I felt like a woman; I had neither the strength nor the will to fight any longer." The bold confession was by far the most forward thing she could ever imagine that a maid might say to a man, not even in her collection of erotic romances did the heroine so shamelessly declare her willingness to give herself to a man.

Of all the surprises, shocks and challenges that Randy had faced since foolishly abducting Miss Marlton, this confession was the most unexpected. It was more perplexing than finding himself admiring the woman he thought he despised, or discovering she had escaped from her chains, or even finding her waiting for him without any indication of anxiety. Perhaps the oddest part of the question was her assertion that she lacked feminine appeal. It was Lady Marlton's grace and beauty that had overcome his resolve when he had wrestled her to the bed, he could not imagine a more desirable woman in all of Britain.

"Now," Miss Marlton smiled up at him in a more confident manner. "What happened when you delivered my letter, did you hear from my father before you returned?" The proud Lady Marlton climbed back onto the stool near the glowing fire, picket up her tea cup and took a sip of warm tea. "Has Lord Marlton agreed to ransom his now disgraced daughter?"