And done! A bit of a double entendre at the end there, granted, but it was unintentional. Well, mostly unintentional. And he's given her an easy out to speak her mind to him, too.

For the future of the story, Fanny is supposed to arrive soon is she not? What if Reynard accosts and robs her coach, she complains to the Captain when she reaches their home, and the hunt for the Highwayman begins? How will Diana react when she sees her beloved husband come alive to the call for action, I wonder?