Well enough

"It went well enough Miss Charlotte." Mr. Fuller told her in a subdued tone not at all like the confident manner he had when he first took her. "But there are still details to be arranged before I will have my chance with your father." Mr. Fuller recounted how he had sent Charlotte's letter in with a village lad and received a terse note in return instructing him to meet the next day at St. Theresa's with Lord Marlton's second.

"You can not go Mr. Fuller." Charlotte warned the somber man, "my father will not deal with you; he'll have his wardens arrest you instead."

"He cannot take that risk, Lady Charlotte." Mr. Fuller reminded her. "As far as he knows you are helplessly bound in some unknown location; if I am accidentally killed, he would be condemning you to a most gruesome end." Charlotte nodded her head slowly in understanding, still not as confident as Fuller that her father would not take that kind of risk. She barely heard Fuller's teasing query.

"Do you care so much about what happens to your captor?" His question caught her by surprise, she had been very studious in avoiding giving any thought at all to her feelings for the man who had all but ravished her. Were her emotions muddled because this man had been the one to finally claim her? Charlotte took another sip of tea, well she pretended to drink from the now empty china cup, to give her time to think. She dared not look at the man, especially not into his soulful brown eyes.

"I told you Mr. Fuller," She could hear the lack of conviction in her words, aware that this man too must know how insincere she was being. "I will not see your mother robbed of both her children."

"I don't think so, Lady Marlton." Mr. Fuller was suddenly on his feet and standing over her; he took her hand in his and lifted her gently to her feet, and then lifted her chin until she had to meet his gaze. "I think that your feelings for me are as strong as mine are for you." It was a gamble, Randy knew, to press Lady Marlton so boldly but he was sure that there was more to the charming Miss Marlton than she could politely concede.

Randy was careful to give her time to speak, to refute his preposterous claim and to deny she had feelings for him before slowly lowering his mouth once again to her trembling lips. The kiss was as fiery as their earlier ones, not as fierce, but equally passionate and Randy felt his control again waver; luckily Miss Charlotte's mouth opened in sweet invitation and he knew that even if she could not admit how strong her feelings were for him, her body yearned for his as much as he needed her.

Sweeping Miss Charlotte from her feet Randy carried her to towards the bed, determined to taste once again the sweetness of Lady Charlotte's passion.