Mary was not just bored, she felt utterly numb. Never before had she thought that she would miss the chaos of her home so much, but it had been weeks since she came to London for music lessons. Music was her passion and although she originally believed that there was nothing more to learn, after joining the classes, Mary learned about all of the technical aspects that she could not have picked up on her own. Mr. Watson's lessons allowed her to correct her previous mistakes and become a better composer. However, despite enjoying the lessons, Mary found life in London to be too monotonous for her preference. At Longbourn, there was always the commotion between her mother and sisters that Mary never took part in but was accustomed to. In contrast, her Gardiner cousins were far too tranquil for her liking-appreciating their composure as much as it frustrated her. She missed home; while she is usually quite tranquil herself, it was the very same chaos she disliked that inspired her music.

Mary contemplated taking a stroll, just like her sister Lizzy used to do before the "incident". That event had terrified Mary and made her question how safe Meryton really was. Even though her sister was unharmed, she still worried about the maid that had been abducted from Netherfield. She knew London was too populated for much trouble to occur during the early hours of day, so she decided to leave without her maid; Mary wasn't accustomed to someone constantly accompanying her, and it's not like she intend on seeing some admirer or something.

Instead of wearing the dress Kitty had chosen for her, Mary settled on an old dark gown because the skies were threatening rain. The dress was quite worn out and gave the impression of someone from a lower social class; however, Mary thought that would be best for both the weather and her reputation. After all, lower-class women rarely became targets of gossip, no matter what they did. On top of that, Mary put on her special knee-high boots for wet weather. Finally, she grabbed her black parasol and reticule, which held extra money in case she wanted to buy anything.

As she meandered around London, she noticed it was far dirtier than the countryside; the smog and litter had taken its toll. She decided to take a break at a park bench that wasn't too crowded. She followed a path to her left and was relieved to find a grassy area with an inviting bench. Just as she sat down, it started raining .She stood up and used her parasol to shield herself while looking around at the desolate area which lacked homes. The only sign of life was an old club building on the opposite side of the street, usually kept closed apart from when balls or assemblies were held. Unbeknownst to her, a pair of eyes were watching her from afar.

Alec couldn't fathom why he was following an unfamiliar woman like some mindless doofus, even though they had never been introduced. But this mysterious lady's presence seemed to be magnetic, and the assembly after his interaction with Lord Denbridge and his daughter had become too stifling for him. So he trailed along from a distance and took a seat on a bench far away from the strange yet captivating creature.

Mary suddenly sensed an unfamiliar presence. As she looked around, she found a man sitting far away from her, appearing disheveled from being soaked in the rain and staring at her strangely. Memories of Lizzy's attack came flooding back to Mary, making her feel scared, although she did her best to conceal it. Alec caught sight of Mary's familiar frown and responded with his usual warm smile. That momentary expression brought recognition into Mary's mind; he was the gentleman she had previously seen at Watson's, and his smile had seemed handsome to her. But now his presence was scary, perhaps due to her own biases or the subconscious fears provoked by Lizzy's incident. Before long, these thoughts had taken over, and she turned on her heel in an attempt to flee, leaving behind her parasol in the process.

Alec was perplexed. Why had the lady suddenly taken off? He had kept proper distance between them; yet, she still seemed to be fleeing from him. Without thinking, he instinctively picked up her parasol and chased after her.

As Mary ran, the rain continued to pour down on her, soaking her to the bone despite her boots. Her heart was racing a mile a minute, and she couldn't shake the fear that someone was following her. She could hear footsteps behind her, and she picked up her pace, running as fast as she could. She turned a corner and found herself in a dark alleyway, her heart racing as she saw no exit. She was trapped, and she could feel her breath coming out in short gasps as she tried to calm herself down.

Suddenly, she saw a figure emerge from the shadows, holding her parasol. It was a gentleman she had seen earlier at Watson's. He held out the parasol to her, looking apologetic. "I'm sorry if I scared you," he said, his voice low and soothing. "I didn't mean to startle you."

Mary hesitated for a moment, staring at him with a mix of fear and uncertainty , before slowly reaching out to take the parasol from him. "Thank you," she managed to whisper, her voice shaking slightly. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to run away like that. It's just...I...I thought someone was following me."

Alec's eyes softened as he saw the fear in her gaze. "I understand," he replied gently. "London can be a dangerous place, especially for a lady . But don't worry, I won't harm you. My intentions are purely honorable."

Mary felt a strange calming sensation at Alec's words, and she began to feel relax . Despite the fact that they had just met, she found herself believing his words as his voice sounded too genuine for him to be some real threat. "Thank you," she said with more conviction this time. "I'm grateful for your kindness, Sir."

Alec smiled warmly at her. "It is my pleasure to make your acquaintance, Miss...?"

Mary hesitated as it was highly improper for a young lady like her to introduce herself to an unknown gentleman. But then again, she'd already done many inappropriate things today; taking a stroll without a chaperone, running away like a hoyden—and now this.

"Miss Bennet," she said finally, not wanting to reveal too much information.

Alec regarded her intently before responding. "Well then, I am Mr. Fitzwilliam."

All of a sudden, they heard the sound of a carriage rolling around and gun shots ringing out. Alec glanced around in shock as he realized where they were: the East End of London.

Mary's skin prickled as the menacing noises echoed around her. She'd heard all about the rough parts of London which had been blighted by crime and violence, and panicked at the thought of being caught in such a place. Knowing she needed to get away fast,Mary wanted to scream out loud, but before she could utter a single word, Alec grabbed her arm and dragged them both behind the wall for protection.

Author's Note:

Mary wasn't out at night; she was taking a stroll during the early morning hours and mistakenly went in the wrong direction. Alec was attending a ball which was about to end at that time when he spotted Mary. Since he was bored anyway, he came out to contemplate upon the 'fine dark eyes' of the mysterious lady he had spotted at Watson's.

As you can see, the habit of intense staring runs in their family.But unlike Lizzy, Mary got freaked out and fled.In this story, Mary is a little OOC. She's not the completely righteous and upright individual who never gets bored with the same old one-dimensional routine. This version of Mary is a little more human, someone who needs some spice in her life, even if she doesn't show it.

As someone said, the story shifts from character to character, which it does because it is a story of multiple characters and how one conversation and some other events results in unexpected changes for PnP characters. Lydia and Charlotte will be the main focus, but I also like to give updates on what is happening in the lives of the other characters. This is a long story with many short chapters.

For London plot,

Let's just say...it was necessary for someone to be there, specifically close to the tons because whatever is happening, Alec and Mary will play a major role in it. And yeah their meeting isn't normal, but it wasn't supposed to be, as per my plot, they need to get stuck in the East End for some reason.