Page 7 of Lady of Providence
“If nothing else, those parades can be dangerous!” Her mother exclaimed, and Elizabeth softened somewhat at the fact that her mother was, in part, concerned for her safety and not just her reputation.
"I'll take an extra groom. Goodnight, Mother."
And with that, she was out the door, off to find her carriage and a groom with broad shoulders.
* * *
It wasthe first time Elizabeth had ever ridden within a funeral possession. It was quite dreary, really, everyone in black as they rode through the dark streets of London, with few lanterns to guide their way.
Two men of the Moreland household rode atop the carriage in order to see to her protection. Her mother was right in that it was one of the reasons women did not attend funerals — the processions, held at night with the nobility upon their horses and within their carriages — were often seen as easy targets, all clustered together in the dim light as they traversed between the home of the deceased and the church. Why they didn't simply move the procession to earlier in the day, Elizabeth had no idea. Perhaps because it was all planned by men, she thought with a wry laugh.
The Clarkes had lived in Knightsbridge for the past twenty years and the church wasn't far, but more people lined the street alongside Elizabeth than she could have imagined. Her grandfather had been a well-known man, and it was somewhat heartening to see them all here paying their respects.
She thought she recognized some of the houses they passed as she peered through the carriage windows, but soon they were replaced by the inky hole of what, during the day, would be the green of Hyde Park.
Her grandfather had loved the park when he had a moment outside of the bank, Elizabeth thought with a smile. She began to review the many memories they shared, nearly all fond. Her reveries, however, were interrupted as the carriage came to a jarring halt. Elizabeth soon heard shouts from her driver and groom, who apparently had been caught unawares as the door banged open, startling her as she jumped half a foot in the air.
"What have we here?"
The voice was raspy and guttural, coming from a mouth hidden behind a black beard. The man was rather large — not typical for a thief, that was for certain, but he hoisted himself up as he began to make his way into the small space with Elizabeth.
"Get out!" she cried as his stench filled her nostrils, but when he looked up at her and grinned, showcasing a few gaps where teeth had used to be, she swallowed hard. He was dressed in a mixture of items, some torn and ragged, others quite fine, which seemed to prove that this was not the first attempt at stealing from people such as Elizabeth.
She looked about her for anything she could use against him — anything at all, but found nothing, until she felt rather than saw the metal grip of the umbrella she held in her hand. Just as the man attempted to launch himself fully into the carriage, Elizabeth raised her arm behind her and then swung with all her might, the pointy tip of the umbrella crashing into the man's nose.
His hands come up to catch the sudden gush of blood but then the door was empty of him as quickly as he appeared — which had actually been a graceful entry for a man his size.
Whatever was she to do? It seemed the procession had continued on without them, and she had no idea where the man had gone. Elizabeth doubted he had been alone, however, for the carriage had stopped nearly immediately as he entered. Even if she could fight off whoever else threatened, she had no idea what state the driver and groom were in, and they would be left alone in the middle of the London darkness.
Both doors of the carriage now opened, and Elizabeth was chagrined to see a man attempt to enter from the other side. She could perhaps take one with her umbrella, but two? Well, she had to try. A random thought entered her mind that her mother had, unfortunately, been right, but Elizabeth pushed it away, for there were currently far more important considerations.
As she shouted for help, Elizabeth swung out wildly from one side to the next, attempting to find tender spaces such as the nose and groin, but they were too fast, working together as one pinned her arms back and the other began groping her fingers, her wrists, likely for jewels of any sort, as he held a hand over her mouth to keep her from calling out once more. They could take what they wanted — Elizabeth didn’t care, as long as she came away unscathed — but her pride forced her to fight on despite the hopelessness of her current situation. She bit the man’s hand, and she heard him curse before he raised his hand back. Elizabeth flinched as she waited for the slap in the face that was to come, but when she felt nothing but the night air against her cheek, she opened her eyes to see what had convinced the man to hold his anger in check.
He was gone. Instead, another figure filled the doorway, one that was very tall, very broad and very… familiar. He let out a bit of a growl as he entered the carriage on nearly a leap. Elizabeth ducked her head as he went barreling behind her, knocking over the man who had held her arms.
She turned in astonishment to thank the man and determine his identity. For as much as she hated to admit that she couldn’t have fought her foe alone, she would never have extricated herself from such a situation without him.
Elizabeth turned and opened her mouth, but no words came out as she could only stare at him in shock.
For standing in the doorway of the carriage, his silhouette illuminated by the light of the moon and the streetlamp behind him, was Gabriel Lockridge, the Duke of Clarence.
CHAPTER4
“What are you doing here?”
Gabriel narrowed his eyes at her words as he stared at Elizabeth, who, despite the aura of certainty and proprietary that always surrounded her, now looked rather vulnerable and alone.
Her hair was disheveled, hanging in tendrils around her pretty, oval face. Her eyes — those violet eyes unlike any he had ever seen before that had always drawn him in, drowning him in their depths — stared back at him, wide in her shock, which she was very clearly attempting to hide from him. She began to tug at her clothing — a hideous dress of black material — in order to make sure all was properly arranged.
“Is that any way to thank a man who just rescued you from such ruffians?” He asked, leaning out and quickly calling to his driver to carry on without him before he re-entered the carriage and slammed the door behind him with such force she jumped as she settled herself back on the seat and folded her hands primly in her lap.
“I had the matter under control, though I thank you very much for your assistance,” she said with a sniff, and Gabriel reached down to see what weapon she had been brandishing against the men who had entered her carriage. When he lifted what he had thought was a piece of metal, he could only stare in astonishment.
“An umbrella? You were going to fight off three attackers with an umbrella?”
“For your information, I had already defeated one with it and I’m sure the next two were close to follow had I more time.”
“As stubborn as ever,” he muttered under his breath as he sat across from her and pulled on his gloves, which he had retrieved from the floor following his brief skirmish. He ran a hand over his own hair to ensure all was in place — it was — before fixing his gaze upon her.
