* * *
For two days the council meeting ran and on both days, Charles battled to rid himself of the thoughts of Lady Beth. Her hair, the fiery, unruly mass invaded his thoughts over and over again. He wished he had defiled honour and reached out to them as they lay on her back. Wished he had felt how silky they were. Through his distracted thought, he heard someone note on the cost and manpower to push back the bandits and another suggested complete eradication, but Charles didn't care for that, he couldn't care for anything else. Brand had inquired if he was well and truthfully, Charles no longer was sure. On the first day, while the gentlemen discussed the bandits and how best to rid themselves of them, Charles thought continuously of Lady Beth, only coming back to the room when inquired to utter a word of agreement.
