Alec was waiting in the pub, expecting someone to show up who had helped him previously. As he waited, he watched Miss Bennet with an anxious expression on his face. He cursed himself for getting them both into this dangerous situation. He noticed a peculiar quality about her; despite being scared, she still managed to keep her composure.
Then, a man walked in, wearing clothes that were far too extravagant for that place, with several gold chains draped around his neck. He was chewing tobacco as he approached them. Alec waved at him, catching his attention. The man seemed surprised by Alec's disheveled appearance, but he still smiled, revealing two broken teeth.
He then glanced at Mary, gazing at her up and down, which made her feel uncomfortable; she wasn't used to receiving attention from men, and if this was what all those conventionally beautiful ladies got, she didn't even want it.
" Your Lordship, it has been so long since we last met! I thought I'd never see you again - and in such a state," the man said with a mouthful of chewing tobacco, but his dialect was surprisingly normal as he eyed Alec's bedraggled appearance. Mary shot him an inquisitive glance and murmured to Alec, "Your Lordship?" That caught Alec off guard, but he managed to maintain his composure and replied to the stranger in front of them, "Neither do I, Carl, but my wife and I find ourselves in quite a predicament here." Carl and Mary were both astonished when Alec casually referred to her as his 'wife.' Raising one eyebrow at Mary, Carl remarked, "Wife? I see."
Mary was dumbfounded; the reality of the situation slowly sinking in. She gave Alec's shoe a hard stomp and muttered through clenched teeth.
"Ahh...yes," replied Alec in a slightly pained voice as his foot was stepped on. "You see, we thought it would be fun to explore the East End like the old days with my friends, but upon arriving, some thugs blocked our path back out during their fight. It would be unwise for me to take a lady anywhere near that direction."
"Your absurd amusement, you rich youth," Carl sighed. "London has plenty of other places for entertainment; why did you choose the East End? Riots are a normal occurrence here. What were you even thinking, bringing a lady with you?"
Alec looked down in shame, realizing the gravity of his mistake. He said, "I know, Carl, I'm an idiot. I just wanted to show her a different side of London, a side that people like us never get to see. But I never imagined it would turn out to be this dangerous."
Carl sighed again and looked at Mary with sympathy. "It's not safe for either of you here."
"I know that, which is why I chose to meet you here; since you are one of the most notorious crime lords of this area. I knew your carriage would be beyond reproach from any local thugs." replied Alec.
Carl paused and inquired, "What's in it for me?"
"Name your price," Alec replied confidently.
Carl thought it over and then said, "No money, just help me free some of my men who were arrested by Bow Street Runners on charges of thievery. If you use your connections to bribe their release, they won't face the noose."
Alec considered this before nodding in agreement.
"You're lucky one of my carriages just came back," Carl casually mentioned. "Otherwise, it would have been occupied by some nobleman. You might know him, since his men have been borrowing them quite often lately."
That caught Alec's attention. "A nobleman using your carriages frequently, and I know him? Who is he?"
Carl smirked. "Lord Denbridge. He often speaks of his daughter's upcoming nuptials with you and how he will soon be connected to the Matlocks. Poor man, he might not realize yet that you already have a secret wife." He said, glancing at Mary. This made Mary's cheeks flush with embarrassment.
Alec attempted to conceal his surprise at Carl's disclosure regarding Lord Denbridge.
"Carl, I will help you with your men. But I need you to find out more about Lord Denbridge and his daughter," Alec said, trying to keep his voice steady.
Carl nodded his head and said, "Consider it done. Now let's get you both out of here before something else happens." Carl ushered them out of the pub and toward his carriage. Alec's mind raced as they climbed into Carl's carriage, thinking about Lord Denbridge and his daughter. Despite making it crystal clear that he had no intention of marrying Lady Cordelia, rumors of their understanding were spreading like wildfire.
Suddenly, there was a throat-clearing sound from beside him. Alec glanced over to see Mary looking at him with renewed anger.
"Your secret wife, my lord?" she scowled.
Alec couldn't help but cough nervously. "Would you have preferred if I had introduced you as my mistress instead, rather than my wife, in front of that ruffian?" he asked.
Mary's anger quickly turned to fury. "First, you scared me half to death with your ominous staring and made me run for my life. Then, you lied to me about who you were? Why did that criminal call you 'Your Lordship'? And why on earth did you say that I was your wife? Couldn't you have said something else - like I'm your sister or something?"
Alec let out a heavy sigh as he realized just how deep of a hole he had dug himself into. "I apologize, Miss Bennet. I never meant to deceive you, but the truth is that I am a viscount. I know this is all a bit much to take in considering our current predicament. But please try to understand that none of this was intentional on my part, and I don't have any sisters." He finished with a nod.
Mary bestowed upon him another icy stare before requesting him to set her down in the vicinity of Gracechurch Street.
