“You won't have time,” Sally replied. “I see it coming around the bend.”

“Thank heavens,” Ellie said. “I'd really like to put him to bed.”

“You joining me?” Charles said as he staggered to his feet.

“My lord!”

“I wouldn't mind taking up where we left off.” He paused to hiccup three times in rapid succession. “If you know what I mean.”

“My lord,” Ellie said sternly, “the brandy has made your tongue deplorably loose.”

“Has it? I wonder what it's done to your tongue.” He swayed toward her, and Ellie darted out of the way just seconds before his lips would have connected with hers. Unfortunately, this caused him to lose his balance, and he tumbled to the floor.

“Heavens above!” Ellie burst out. “If you've torn open your stitches, God help me, I will flay you alive.”

He blinked and planted his hands on his hips. This didn't lend him much dignity, however, as he was still sitting on the floor. “That seems rather counter-productive, don't you think?”

Ellie let out a long-suffering sigh. “Sally, will you help me in setting the earl on his feet?”

Sally immediately moved to help her, and in a few moments they had Charles on his feet and out the door. Thankfully, three grooms had come with the carriage. Ellie didn't think that the two women would have been able to get him into it on their own.

The ride home was uneventful, as Charles fell asleep. Ellie was grateful for that—it was a most welcome respite. She had to wake him up again when they arrived home, however, and by the time she and the grooms got him up to his room, she thought she might scream. He had tried to kiss her fourteen times on the stairs, which wouldn't have bothered her so much if he weren't drunk, completely heedless of the presence of the servants, and in danger of bleeding to death if he fell and broke open his stitches.

Well, she privately allowed, he probably wasn't going to bleed to death, but it certainly made for an effective threat when she finally lost her temper and yelled, “Charles, if you don't stop this this instant, I am going to let you fall and you can bleed to death for all I care!”

He blinked. “Stop what?”

“Trying to kiss me,” she ground out, quite unhappy that she'd been forced to say the words in front of the servants.

“Why not?” He leaned forward again, his lips puckered.

“Because we are on the stairs.”

He cocked his head and regarded her with a puzzled expression. “Funny how you can talk without opening your mouth.”

Ellie tried to unclench her teeth this time before speaking, but she wasn't successful. “Just keep going up the stairs and to your room, if you please.”

“And then I can kiss you?”

“Yes! Fine!”

He sighed happily. “Oh, good.”

Ellie groaned and tried to ignore the way the footmen were trying to hide their grins.