Chapter Nine – A Timely Intervention

Mr. and Mrs. Lucas had originally planned to come to London to collect Mary after their two week trip to Cornwall. When Lady Gardiner wrote and asked to keep Mary, they had been perfectly willing to comply. After all, two young people in love and newly married could find plenty to do with their time alone. But when Madeleine came due, they left Derby and made the trip. They would be there for the delivery and stay on until the holidays were over.

As one would expect and hope, the pair arrived with smiles on their faces and joy in their hearts. From their frequent looks and from the way that one or the other would steal a touch, it was quite clear that they were pleased with their match.

Though they were still loath to separate for any length of time, John found time to speak with Sir Edward concerning his new profession, the potential of investing with Gardiner and Co., and a piece of information which his sister Charlotte had passed onto him. Jane used those times to visit with her sisters, aunt, and cousins. Elizabeth had never seen her cousin happier and it only made her natural beauty even brighter.

Jane was still hurt by her mother's disaffection, her deliberate absence from the wedding breakfast, and their departure from Rose Cottage on the following morning. The rift was deep enough that the newlyweds had not even visited Longbourn when they stopped over at Lucas Lodge. John's parents, Sir William and Lady Lucas had taken the opportunity to warn the couple that Mrs. Bennet and her one remaining daughter were wilder than ever and that Mr. Bennet had done nothing to check them. Charlotte, who now found herself engaged to Mr. Collins, pulled her brother aside to confide about another troubling matter and to seek his advice on how to handle it. John promised to think on it but chose to keep Jane ignorant for the moment. She was already so deeply hurt by the woman.

Madeleine was delivered of another girl, named Evelyn, soon after John and Jane's arrival. All went well and the babe was as beautiful as she was healthy.

Now that her aunt and her child were safe, Jane determined to complete her trousseau and to drag her sisters and cousin along for the fun of it. This would be the first time she was free to shop with her sisters without the intervention and poisonous presence of her mother. She wanted to make the most of it. To support Jane's plans to divest the London shops of their treasures, Sir Edward had insisted on providing a large purse with the proviso that Elizabeth should manage the account, since she regularly helped him with his accounts. In reality Elizabeth intended to fund her cousin's purchases out of her own ever-growing fortune.

-ooOOoo-

A single season in Town had taught Elizabeth to take her uncle and aunt's oft-repeated cautions to heart. "You are a beautiful young woman, Lizzie, and an heiress. Although we have kept the full measure of your wealth concealed, it is widely known that your dowry is equal to the daughters of most peers and better than that of most of the daughters of the gentry," her aunt had cautioned. "The difference, my dear, is that those girls fathers are peers and therefore powerful enough to destroy any man who might be tempted to take advantage or force a compromise. Your uncle may be a baronet with considerable wealth, but he remains a tradesman. They have not yet learned to fear his wrath. So you must always exercise the greatest of caution and never allow yourself to be caught alone."

Elizabeth did not consider herself to be beautiful despite the many assurances of her family. Fanny Bennet had done much to hurt her self-image as a child, despite the fact that Elizabeth despised the woman. Still, she fully understood the attraction of her fortune and the lengths some men might go to get their hands on it. The second ball of her first season proved those cautions when an impoverished, drunk baron attempted to drag her off to a balcony to force a compromise. Only the timely intervention her footmen and then her aunt, uncle had saved her.

After that Sir Edward had employed the services of an unusual woman to teach Elizabeth tricks to defend herself. Brie Holland had grown up in Ireland in a family of brothers. Instead of being the pampered princess of the family, she learned to scrap like the rest of her siblings. Due to her small size she had learned or taught herself a plethora of dirty tricks. When she married, Sean McAllister, a lieutenant in the Army and traveled with him, her pretty face and figure had resulted in several unwanted advances. She had more than proven her capability to defend herself.

An unfortunate bullet had taken three fingers in Sean's good hand, rendering him useless as a foot soldier. The fortunate side of this was that Mr. Gardiner had hired the man and his brother as footmen and bodyguards for his niece, even before he was elevated to baronet. So when the now Sir Edward Gardiner expressed his concerns about Elizabeth's safety, Sean suggested allowing his wife to assist. For the remainder of that first season Elizabeth danced at night and trained to defend herself during the day. As an added protection Brie attended all of Elizabeth's events, supposedly as a lady's maid, but in reality a formidable bodyguard in her own right.

There had been other aggressive suitors in that season, but only two had required physical intervention. The confidence and poise that Elizabeth had learned as a result of her self-defense training had served to warn most of the minor nuisances away.

On the day of this spontaneous shopping excursion, however, neither Michael, Sean, nor Brie were available to guard her. Michael had been dispatched to Liverpool, guarding an important overland delivery. Because the shopping trip was spontaneous, Sean had been dispatched to stand behind Sir Edward at a meeting which promised to become heated. Brie was now with child and still in the early stages of nausea. Brie and Sean had lost two children through miscarriage already, so they were taking no risks this time.

Thankfully John Lucas was new enough in his marriage that he had not yet learned to fear the joint-threats of a group of young women and shopping, so he was willing to act as chaperon.

-ooOOoo-

There are some places where experience and memory serve to afford a person a sense or security, whether real or imagined. For some it is the sights and smells coming from a kitchen, or a favorite sweet shop, or a bakery. For others it is a familiar trail or path with all of the scents and sensations of nature surrounding. For others it is the family stable, where the more dubious scents associated with animals are supplanted in the person's thoughts by the more pleasant aromas of fresh hay and oats, of leather saddles, and of a favorite horse. Although all of these held a certain attraction for Elizabeth, the type of place which held the most power to evoke security was a room full of books.

Elizabeth's dear father and grandmother had taught her a love of books. The times spent in her father's study were among the few pleasant memories of Longbourn. And the libraries of her Uncle Edward's homes, first on Gracechurch Street and now in the much larger house in Mayfair had both been places of wonder and learning for Elizabeth's hungry mind. So it is only to be expected that the allure of a well-stuffed bookstore might make a dent in her otherwise carefully learned caution.

The sisters were currently perusing fashion books and fabrics at Madame Devareaux, one of the premier modistes in London. Normally only the elite could garner a sitting with the lady, but she purchased all of her exotic fabrics from Gardiner and Company, so she made an exception for that family. Elizabeth, her aunt, and her Gardiner cousins had been buying their dresses from the good lady for many years. Now her Bennet cousins were enjoying that same attention.

As much as Elizabeth had been enjoying this unregulated interaction with her cousins without her aunt or youngest cousin's poisonous presence, she had quickly tired of discussions concerning materials, fashions, and the like. Truthfully she allowed Lady Gardiner to handle most of her selections since the older woman had a flawless sense for those things. While her cousins talked on, Elizabeth was increasingly drawn to the book seller's shop across the street. She had first discovered the establishment at the age of eleven and had been a devoted customer ever since. In fact it was the promise of a visit to Paulson's Books which her aunt often used to drag her to the modiste.

Looking about her she saw that Jane, Mary, and Kitty were happily buried in conference with Madame Devareaux, while poor John had fallen asleep in the waiting area. Promising herself only the briefest of perusals, Elizabeth slipped out of the dressmaker's and hurried across the street.

Unbeknownst to her, one of the more notorious gaming hells was also nearby. Though it was morning, one of the regular visitors to that establishment had only just made his exit and wandered down the street when Elizabeth rushed past. The youngish aristocrat, though drunk and tired from a night losing at the gaming table, was nonetheless sober enough to recognize the illusive creature who passed by his view. With an evil smirk he concluded that the night might not have been a total loss after all.

-ooOOoo-

Mr. Paulson had greeted Elizabeth cheerily. Not only was the young miss a beautiful and cheerful addition to any day, but the Bennet girl had been a faithful customer with just the type of hungry mind which the elderly man enjoyed. The two had just begun a discussion on his latest acquisitions when a another person entered the shop.

Elizabeth knew the man immediately. Viscount Malford had been one of the more pointed examples of why she must always be cautious. Now she berated herself for letting her guard down and placing herself in danger. He was dressed fashionably, but his attire was disheveled, his cravat skewed, and his hat missing. In his right hand he held the jeweled walking stick which never seemed to leave him for long, even in a ballroom. Her uncle suspected that it housed a sword.

Two things were immediately clear: the man was drunk in the middle of the morning and he was in a belligerent mood. "Well, well, well. Here you are right when I need something to cheer me up... and look: no uncle, not aunt, and no hulking footman. How very fortuitous indeed."

"Sir," Mr. Paulson interjected sternly, "I will have to ask you to leave my..."

"SILENCE, Cur!" the viscount barked and carelessly swung the cane at the older man. The heavy jeweled top of the walking stick struck poor Mr. Paulson a blow to his head and he immediately crumpled. The drunken man stood there for a long moment looking at the heap on the floor before turning back towards his quarry... who had fled to the back of the store. Despite his befuddled state, he stumbled after her.

-ooOOoo-

Fitzwilliam Darcy thanked his footman as he stepped out of his carriage and proceeded directly into his favorite book seller. Mr. Paulson had sent a message just the previous evening to inform him that he had obtained a copy of the book he had long been seeking from an estate sale.

Paulson, a man nearer in age to seventy than sixty, had procured many of the most cherished tomes which filled Darcy House in London and the vast library at Pemberley, the Darcy's country estate. Fitzwilliam Darcy had enjoyed visiting the book seller since his early childhood, not just because of the variety of books available, but also because in his earlier years the merchant had traveled the world collecting rare volumes. Many the time Darcy father and son had sat with the old man and listened to his tales.

This time when Darcy stepped in, however, it was to find the elderly man sprawled on the floor while the raised voices of a man and a woman at the back of the shop indicated that he had stepped into a conflict.

-ooOOoo-

"Miss Bennet! Miss Bennet! Come out to play! Don't worry, I fully intend to marry you, so my intentions are mostly honorable."

When he turned the corner it was to discover that the girl was not running at all. She had stopped at a pot-bellied stove and availed herself of a fireplace poker. Now the chit was facing him, poker extended like a blade. How amusing!

"Leave now, Lord Malford! You have cause more than enough grief for one day and you will get no satisfaction here."

The man was too drunk and arrogant to realize that Elizabeth held the poker with a stance which suggested notable degree of familiarity with fencing. "Now why would I wish to do that, Miss Bennet? I have long appreciated your fine figure and pretty face and I mean to enjoy my fill of it. I also have use for your fortune. Just think, you will be a viscountess and a future countess. Now put that poker down before you hurt yourself."

Elizabeth was furious with herself for her stupidity and for ignoring her uncle's warnings, but mostly she was angry at how her actions put poor Mr. Paulson in harm's way. That fury made her want to put the poker to work on this vile man. Yet even in her anger she realized that the daughter of a minor gentleman and niece of a tradesman, only recently made a baronet, would have little chance in court against a nobleman's family if she maimed or killed the cur. She had to send the man away without inflicting harm... much as the thought irked her. "You are nothing more than a gambler, a wastrel, and a rake, Lord Malford. I have no intention of allowing you to throw away my fortune in the same manner that you have done with yours. Now leave before I am forced to show you who will be hurt by this poker."

The viscount was unused to anyone but his own father and grandfather speaking about his habits. His former good humor upon finding the tasty miss alone and defenseless now turned to anger. He growled, switched his walking stick to his left hand, and prepared to draw his blade when another voice, this one male, spoke up. "Have a care, Malford," the deep voice warned. "If you draw that blade you will quickly regret it."

Elizabeth watched as Malford spun around, almost stumbling in his inebriated state. Her own eyes went wide as she recognized the man from St. Albans. Shocked, but still cautious, she kept the poker facing the viscount. That man had forgotten her for the moment, however, as he addressed the newcomer, "Well if it isn't Fitzy. Long time since Cambridge, old sod. Can't say that I've missed seeing your scowling face around. Once again you are putting your nose where you are not wanted."

The man addressed as "Fitzy" stood tall and forbidding, one hand holding a sheathed saber while the other hovered near to the hilt. It was not clipped to his belt and Elizabeth wondered where the man had found the weapon. Then she shook off the meaningless thought as he replied to her assailant, "I think that the lady has made it very clear that you are where you are not wanted, Stephen."

"Lady! Hah! She is nothing but a shopkeeper's niece, a strumpet with a bit of pocket change. She and her kind exist to be sport for me and my kind. The chit had the nerve to refuse my calls! Me, a Viscount!"

The tall man smiled, "I would say that shows remarkably good taste. And I do not know where you got the foolish notion that anyone exists for just your pleasure. I know that your uncle, the Earl, does not think so and I am absolutely certain that your grandfather, the Duke does not either. Should we go and speak with them about the matter?"

The viscount growled and gritted out, "Or I could just run you through and take what I want."

Again the tall man smiled, but there was no humor in his eyes, "You can try, but you know perfectly well that the day has not come where you could best me in any contest of arms, be it fists, firearms, or blades. You should very carefully remember the last time you tried to harm a friend of mine."

The viscount snorted but his shoulders spoke of fear as he spat out, "You seem to have a thing for shopkeepers, Fitzy. I will leave this one to you for now, but know that this is not over. Almost sober at that moment, he shot a malevolent glare at Elizabeth. Then he stalked past the tall man and out of the shop, stepping carelessly over the fallen bookseller.

-ooOOoo-

If Darcy expected the girl to collapse in fright and hysteria once free of her assailant, he was quickly disabused of the idea. The moment that Malford was out of the shop she rushed to the front of the store and fell to her knees beside Mr. Paulson's form. So surprised was Darcy that he stood rooted on the spot for a moment too long.

Elizabeth, having touched Mr. Paulson's head and come back with blood on her hand, snapped, "Please do not just stand there! Make yourself useful and send for a doctor!"

Darcy was too startled to take immediate offense at her peremptory tone. Stepping past her and out of the shop, he instructed his footman to hurry down to the next block with the carriage, where his own family physician had set up practice. Then he hurried back inside to lend what aid he could. The lady had a scrap of linen cloth pressed against the old man's head, the source of which Darcy quickly concluded must be her own petticoat.

Elizabeth looked up apologetically, "Forgive me, Sir. I should not have snapped at you after you saved me from doing bodily harm to that drunken lout."

Once again, for the third time in as many minutes, Darcy was shocked at the young lady's words and actions. Only this time he could not restrain his words, "That is what worried you? That you might harm him?" He found that he could not quite keep the amusement out of his voice.

Had she not been so worried for her elderly friend, Elizabeth might have taken offense. As it was the hilarity of the situation also touched her, "As much as I might have been tempted to remove the wastrel from this world completely, even beating him soundly would have resulted in difficulty with his family."

"You might have been doing them a service," he muttered.

He had just reached the decision to introduce himself when several voices intruded. "Lizzy!" Four voices chorused. Turning, Darcy saw that there was one young man and three young ladies. One of the ladies was classically beautiful, with blond hair and cerulean blue eyes, while the other two were quite pretty with the the same color hair and eyes as the young lady who was ministering to the bookseller. He fleetingly noted that all of three females had somewhat similar features. Oddly enough, their features seemed familiar. "What happened? Why did you leave without telling us?" The blond demanded.

The young lady identified as "Lizzy" looked sheepish as she answered, "I only wished to speak with Mr. Paulson and discover if he had any new books. Sadly my foolishness put him in harms way."

The young man removed his top hat and queried, "Fitzwilliam Darcy? Is that you? What happened here?"

It took Darcy a moment to finally recognize the man as John Lucas, who had joined Kings College as a first year just as he was finalizing his own education. "Mr. Lucas, it is good to see you again," Darcy declared, standing, "It seems that Viscount Malford followed...?"

"Pardon, my name is Elizabeth Bennet," Elizabeth furnished, dividing her attention between the old man and everyone else. "Will the doctor be here soon, do you suppose?"

Darcy suddenly knew why the why her features and those of the other three seemed familiar. Despite his distaste for the Bennets of Longbourn, he could not quite dismiss these four. "My coach went to collect him. They should be here any moment... assuming that the man is at his home office. If not then he will notify me and seek out another. There are several with offices in this immediate area."

Just then, as if on cue, the Darcy carriage rolled up and discharged a young doctor. "Darcy! What has happened?"

Elizabeth answered, "A scoundrel struck Mr. Paulson on the side of his head with a heavy walking stick. Either the blow or the fall has torn his skin and caused bleeding. I have staunched the blood as well as I can. His pupils are not pin-pricked, so I think he is not in great peril. I shall leave the rest to you."

The young doctor, startled at the very professional and concise words from the striking young lady, blinked and then knelt down to examine the patient himself. Elizabeth stood now that the bookseller was in good hands. Her next actions demonstrated that she knew the show well. She went to the pitcher and bowl just through a closet door and used the water and towel to wash and dry her hands. John Lucas, still unclear about what had taken place, prompted, "You were saying, Mr. Darcy? Was that vermin Malford responsible for this?"

"I suspect that Miss Bennet is more capable than me to provide a full explanation, but I came upon Mr. Paulson laying on the floor and Miss Bennet holding off the drunken fool with a fire poker."

"He must have seen me and followed me into the store," Elizabeth confessed, "Mr. Paulson attempted to send the man away and received a blow to the head for his troubles."

"Did he harm you, Lizzy," the youngest of the girls asked worriedly.

The doctor spoke up, "Darcy, may I use your carriage to transport him to my clinic?"

"Certainly, Dr. Harris," Darcy replied. Together with his footman and John they managed to gently settle Mr. Paulson on the floor of the carriage. Darcy had already untied his black horse from the rig, since he had planned to ride the park after his purchase. As the carriage rolled away, the men realized that they had drawn a crowd. Tying off his mount to the hitch set for that purpose, Darcy joined John back inside.

"I know that this is an odd situation, but might you make introductions Lucas?"

"My apologies," he proudly gestured to the blond, "Ladies, this is my fellow Cambridge graduate, Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy... of Derbyshire, as I remember. Mr. Darcy, this is my beautiful wife, Jane, her cousin Miss Elizabeth Bennet, and her cousins, Miss Mary Bennet, and Miss Catherine Bennet. All of Longbourn Estate, though Lizzy's history is a little more... complicated."

As the introductions were made, Darcy bowed and each girl curtsied. When John said his last, Elizabeth laughed softly. The sound made Darcy's breath catch. Was there ever a woman who had such an impact on him? She smiled a bit sadly and said, "I call Gardiner House in Mayfair home now, Mr. Darcy, and have little or no claim to my Longbourn roots."

Darcy startled in recognition, "Gardiner House? Is that not the new name for the Terrence town home?" When she nodded, he grinned, "Why, that is only five houses down from my own Darcy House. I heard that someone had purchased the home, but I only recently returned from assisting my friend and have not yet found the time to pay a call."

Elizabeth eyed him carefully and then spoke without inflection, "Most of our neighbors must have similar issues, since we have had few calls from our immediate neighbors. And here I thought that is was due to the fact that my uncle rose from trade."

The other's were shocked at the ill-concealed venom in Elizabeth's words, yet they knew it was characteristic of their cousin. A man or woman might insult her all day long, but let anyone insult the dear couple who had taken her in and she might rip them to shreds. It was Mary who cautioned, "Lizzie..."

Fitzwilliam Darcy, on the other hand, heard the accusation in the beautiful young woman's voice and saw the fire in her eyes... He felt the conviction of words which hit far too close to home, but also felt a powerful attraction. This was no wilting flower who would fall apart at the slightest hardship. This was a woman who would face any enemy. "It is entirely possible that some in the neighborhood might neglect a visit for just that reason, Miss Bennet. My uncle, the Earl of Matlock, would not, but his wife most likely would. Their son the viscount and his wife most certainly would. Their second son and my closest friend, Colonel Fitzwilliam, would think nothing of the matter.

"My sister, who is a dear, kind soul, is also very shy, is not out yet. She has probably already heard that there are young women close in age and longs to make your acquaintance... while at the same time she fears your rejection of her overtures. And as for myself, I cannot say. While I would like to say that your uncle's roots in trade have no bearing with me, it would not be entirely true... though they would not prevent me meeting him in order to take his measure." He surprised himself by meeting her eyes and adding, "Nor prevent me from visiting given the other enticements."

They both blushed and he quickly added, "Mostly I am not a social creature and I am seldom the first to push myself forward to meet a new person. I was telling the truth that I have only just returned to Town. If I had found the time to pay a call, my social ineptitude would be the most likely reason to prevent me. You may be certain that I will visit now."

Elizabeth read the truth in his eyes and colored under his admiration, "Forgive me, Mr. Darcy. Sir Edward and Lady Gardiner are the dearest couple in the world to me. They are all that is good and kind. So when others look down on them I tend to lose the dignified serenity which they have striven so hard to teach me."

Darcy bowed, "I understand and hope to meet them very soon, Miss Bennet."

The constable finally arrived, having been occupied with other matters which, based on the spot of gravy on his coat, probably included lunch. Once the man heard a repetition of events they searched for the key to the shop, locked it up, said their farewells, and went on their separate ways.