Chapter 36

CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

" G ood heavens, I almost forgot! Aunt, may I take Flora with me?"

It was two days later, and as Elizabeth was preparing for her outing with Mr Darcy, it occurred to her that she was without a chaperon. She had never walked out alone in London with a single man before, not even before they had been shunned.

Aunt Gardiner looked up from her writing desk in the parlour. "Yes, of course, Lizzy, though I do not know whether it is strictly necessary to take a maid with you."

"It is not?" Elizabeth was puzzled.

"You are widowed, my dear," her aunt explained gently. "You were married and are no longer a maiden. Also, you have been acquainted with Mr Darcy for several years, and he is known to your entire family. Though now that you mention it, it is probably just as well to have Flora accompany you as a chaperon. Mr Darcy seems to be careful about observing proprieties."

Elizabeth had averted her face, lest her aunt see the flush that she felt covering her cheeks. How stupid! I should have known that. It was important to her to protect her husband's reputation, even after his death. She would never reveal Samuel's secret, so the world would have to believe she was an experienced woman, familiar with the connubial act. She was an oddity: a maiden still, but a maiden who had a firsthand familiarity with the unclothed male form, as she had whenever necessary assisted the Melisande's surgeon in the sickbay. When exigencies demanded it of her, she had stitched up torn flesh, helped set broken bones, wiped fevered crew members with cool water, and had even assisted in wrapping a few shattered male bodies in shrouds and sailcloth for their final journey into deep water. Once she had become used to it, men's bodies had not offended or affected her sensibilities. She had become rather numb to them all.

Except one. She was not unaffected by one particular male form: Mr Darcy cut a fine figure indeed. Sometimes he made her feel like a green girl, awkward and bashful and tongue-tied. She could not understand it; never had that happened with any other man. She sometimes had to affect a nonchalance she did not completely feel. Conversely, he could also make her feel completely at home with him, as if she were in exactly the right place in the world.

Shortly after Flora had made herself ready, the elegant Darcy carriage rolled to a stop in front of the door. Within minutes, Mr Darcy handed them in, Flora at first a little flustered at riding in so fine an equipage.

They had a marvellous afternoon—sniffing perfumes at Floris's, standing in the quiet aisles of Hatchard's hotly debating who was the worst of all fictional villains, and examining goods at the Pantheon Bazaar. Flora stayed at a distance where she could see but not hear them. As Elizabeth looked over a display of hats, she clearly surprised Mr Darcy when she admitted that she did not like bonnets.

"My sister loves them and owns many. I thought all ladies were wild about bonnets. You wore bonnets when I stayed at Netherfield," he pointed out.

Elizabeth pulled a face. "My mother liked bonnets very well, especially heavily decorated ones. I had to wear them then. I did not like them because they greatly reduce one's field of vision. I do still own a bonnet or two, but I prefer hats."

Minutes later, Elizabeth was absorbed in inspecting a shawl when she caught a glimpse of Flora hurrying towards her, one hand waving, distress on her face. The next thing she knew, she was rudely pushed against the table from behind by a body pressing deliberately against her. Then, almost immediately, the person was gone.

Elizabeth stood perfectly still, shocked and shaken, clutching the shawl against her chest. Mr Darcy was instantly at her side, his arm protectively around her shoulders. Blinking, she stared at the doorway where the man had escaped.

"What happened? Who…who was that?" she finally managed to say.

"I have no idea. You did not recognise him?"

"No, I…" She took a breath to compose herself but could not repress a shudder. "I did not see his face." She took another breath. "I do not think I know anyone who would do such a thing."

"Flora, did you see that man?" Mr Darcy asked the young maid, who had come to Elizabeth's other side.

"Not his face, sir, he had a hat pulled down over his eyes. I saw him coming towards Mrs Bancroft, but I was too far away."

Elizabeth was shaken. She knew such things and worse happened to women all the time, but she had never experienced anyone, much less a man, inappropriately touching her or asserting unwanted control over her person.

Mr Darcy was distressed; it was obvious. "I did not get a good look at him either. I should have stayed by your side, Eliza—Mrs Bancroft. I must?—"

Elizabeth could see he was reproaching himself needlessly. "Mr Darcy, there was nothing you or anyone could have done. You are here with me now. That is what is important." She became conscious that his arm was still around her, and he must have done too as he carefully lowered it and stepped back.

"Perhaps we should leave and find some refreshments, sir. It would help us both collect ourselves."

They ended the afternoon at Gunter's. Flora was settled at a small table near them, marvelling at her first taste of ice cream. Her nerves still jangled, Elizabeth could not decide between a lemon or a raspberry ice, finally settling on the raspberry. Mr Darcy quietly ordered both, and when the waiter brought her one of each, she chuckled and ate them with great enjoyment.

"I hope you are not disgusted by my sweet tooth," she said playfully as she licked the spoon.

Mr Darcy scraped the last of his peach-flavoured ice out of the glass dish. "I have always found it ridiculous to watch my female dinner partners slowly chewing to death one pea at a time, or denying themselves the pleasure of a well-cooked meal because they wish to show how little food they consume."

Elizabeth sighed and set down her spoon. "Mr Darcy, even though we had a scare, I thank you for an otherwise delightful afternoon. I do not remember when I have had such a pleasant time."

"Neither do I. You will trust me enough to plan other outings in future?"

"I shall, sir."

Elizabeth arrived back on Gracechurch Street to discover that Mrs Fielding had earlier sent a footman round to Jane, Mary, and Aunt Gardiner, with notes begging for the privilege of hosting a dinner party to introduce Gerhard and his concert series to such of her musical friends who might still be in town. She had invited the ladies to tea in two days' time to discuss the matter.

"How was your outing with Mr Darcy?" Mrs Gardiner asked. She had a strangely knowing smile on her face—a smug expression that Elizabeth could not account for.

"It was most pleasant. Truly delightful," Elizabeth began, but paused. Then she laughed. "And amusing. Never would I have expected to use the word ‘amusing' in the same sentence as ‘Darcy'."

She went on to mention the shops they had entered, but then she stopped. "It all went very well until there was a strange incident at the Bazaar. There was a man who seemed to go out of his way to walk by me. He deliberately brushed against me and pushed me against the table. Then he ran away. None of us caught even a glimpse of his face. Mr Darcy was standing several feet from me, and that did not deter him."

Just then Mr Gardiner entered the room.

"Edward! What brings you home so early?"

"I have just heard the most outrageous tale from Mr Darcy!" He turned towards his niece. "Lizzy, he tells me a man, a complete stranger to you both, deliberately pushed you in the Bazaar! He seemed rather distressed that he had not prevented it."

"Mr Darcy went to your office?" cried Elizabeth.

"As any gentleman would! He is concerned for your safety, my dear."

They called Flora in, and she described what she had seen. "He went straight for her, like he knew who she was! Mrs Bancroft, I mean. Then he ran away so fast Mr Darcy couldn't catch him! And he was standing right there!"

Mr and Mrs Gardiner stared at each other, then at Elizabeth. "Lizzy, you have no idea who it might have been?"

Elizabeth shook her head. "I do not. Even if he were someone I knew, which he could not have been since I know no one who would do such a thing, how did he know I would be there shopping?"

After a moment, she continued, "Mr Darcy was quite upset that he could not stop the man, but he tried."

Her uncle shook his head in perplexity. "The random act of a madman, perhaps? I am inclined to keep you close to home, Lizzy, but you are not a child any longer. Still, you will take a footman with you from now on when you go out, even for a walk."