Chapter 14 #2
“Look out!” Mrs. Petersham pulled the waiter and Meredith away just as Felix dove past them back into the fray. But no sooner had he done so than he took another blow to the stomach and doubled over.
“They’re going to kill him!” She had to stop the fight somehow. Meredith released her hold on the waiter so she could run to Felix’s aid, only to be stopped and hoisted off her feet by someone. She squealed as she was set gently down next to a tall man’s hard body.
“Stay here!” Darius shouted at her. He and Warren seemed to have materialized out of thin air, and now dove into the chaotic fight. They tackled the two other men, knocking everyone to the floor with another crush of bodies.
“Darius?” Meredith said and covered her mouth with her hands. “Oh no…”
The day had gone from bad to worse … much worse.
* * *
Five minutes earlier, Darius’s coach had been passing by Berkley Square.
“Seems something strange is happening at Gunter’s,” said Warren, leaning closer to his window for a better look.
“They haven’t resorted to some silly form of human advertising, have they?
” Darius asked. Ever since London started taxing advertising posters, businesses had been finding ways around it.
Usually with a sign, but once he’d seen a man wearing a ridiculously oversized hat with the store’s services written on it.
“Not unless their intention is to scare off customers.”
“What?” Darius pushed the coach curtains back to get a look. Men and women were rushing out of the confectioner’s shop in an obvious panic. Just then, a crash loud enough to be heard on the street caused the young ladies to scream.
Darius banged his fist on the coach roof, a sign for his driver to halt immediately.
“Let’s see what’s causing all the fuss.” Darius opened the coach door and hopped out, glad he didn’t need his cane for once. Warren followed. As they reached the confectioner’s door, he saw a sight that chilled his blood.
Meredith and Frances Petersham were clutching an injured waiter by the arms, looking on in terror as two men pummeled a third. Felix.
His friend’s face was bruised and bloodied, but he looked like the very devil as he grinned while he fought on. But Felix wasn’t winning the fight. Not without help.
Warren cursed under his breath and looked at Darius. “What the devil’s gotten into him?”
“We’ll deal with that later,” said Darius. “Ready?”
Warren nodded. “Ready.”
As they rushed inside, Meredith left the safety of the corner and moved towards the fray, intending to help Felix.
If she got hurt…he’d kill those men. But first he was going to do his damnest to stop her from reaching Felix and the other men.
He ran up behind her and grabbed her by the waist, pulling her back and setting her close to the wall, keeping himself between her and danger.
“Stay here!” he barked before joining Warren’s charge into battle.
Darius landed a blow on one of the men’s kidneys, but he lost his balance a second later and fell. Broken glass and pastries now littered the floor, and a shard cut into his forearm as he landed, but he did not let the pain stop him. Darius got up and struck his staggered opponent hard in the jaw.
The man swayed on his feet briefly, then collapsed on top of his friend, who Warren had knocked out a moment earlier.
Felix struggled to sit up, spitting blood but still smiling. “Pleasant of you to join in,” he said with a laugh, then winced and put a hand to his ribs.
“What the bloody hell happened?” Darius asked between hard breaths.
Felix glanced at the two unconscious men. “These chaps publicly propositioned Miss Montague. They did not take her rejection kindly.”
“I see.” Darius looked toward Meredith, who stared at him wide-eyed, her hands clasped over her mouth. He felt like a villain at that moment. She’d seen the worst of him, brawling like a dockworker in a tavern. She must be terrified of him. No woman should have to see a man be so brutish.
“Come on, on your feet.” He and Warren helped Felix to his feet. Felix still held a hand to his ribs and walked with a limp. Darius turned his attention to the ladies. “Meredith, Frances, wait for me in my coach outside.”
“We have a coach ready—” Frances began.
“Warren shall take Felix home in your coach, but Meredith shall accompany me in mine.” He growled the command lest anyone thought to argue with him.
“Yes, Your Grace. Let me help you, Mr. Burville.” Frances assisted Warren in walking Felix out to the other coach.
But Meredith remained where was, staring at him, her bottom lip trembling.
Blast and Damn!
“Your Grace—” she began, “It was all my fault. I—”
“It absolutely was not,” Darius snapped. “Now wait for me in my coach, Meredith.” With tears in her eyes, Meredith rushed out of the confectioner’s shop.
Darius approached the injured waiter. He removed his card and presented it to the man.
“Tell Mr. Gunter I shall pay for the damages and any lost business. After you see a physician or surgeon, you are to have them send your bill to me.”
The young man’s hand shook as he took Darius’s card. “Thank you, Your Grace.”
“Will you be all right to get yourself to a physician? I can take you in my coach if you wish me to.”
The young man shook his head. “Thank you, but it’s not that bad. I believe I am more shaken than anything.”
“Quite understandable,” Darius said gently. “This is a genteel establishment, and you are not expected to see such violence, and for that I am sorry.”
Once he was sure the waiter would be all right, he left the shop.
The other carriage had already left. A number of women stood across the street, fans fluttering and sharing whispers that somehow managed to reach his ears, but he ignored them.
He knew he must look frightful. Pastries, sugar, and melting ices mixed with blood on his coat and trousers.
He could feel pieces of glass still sticking out of his sleeves.
What a damned mess!
His footman opened the coach door for him as he arrived, and Darius climbed inside.
Meredith was alone on the opposite seat, which meant Frances must have accompanied Warren and Felix.
He didn’t care that she was without her chaperone.
The damage was done and no matter what Prince George said, they would be married soon.
Meredith’s face looked out the window, away from him.
Her lip still trembled a little. One of her sleeves was ripped, and a glint of broken glass was visible in the crown of her hair.
Only now did he realize that some of the blood on the floor of the shop could have been hers.
Suddenly, Darius felt like he couldn’t breathe.
He struggled to fight off the wave of panic he felt.
“Meredith,” he began, his voice a raspy croak.
At the sound of her name, she burst into tears.
He moved to sit beside her and pulled her toward him.
She struggled but then surrendered as he settled her on his lap and tucked her face into the crook of his neck.
Darius rubbed his palm against her back until she stopped crying.
He carefully removed the bit of glass from her hair and tried to still her shaking with his arms.
“Were you hurt?” he asked as he gently brushed his fingertips over her cheek.
“I don’t think I am injured…”
“Then why the tears? Was it because of me? I never meant for you to see me like that. I know I must have frightened you.”
She lifted her tear-stained face. “Frightened of you? Darius, you saved me,” she whispered, her breath still unsteady.
“I am upset because those men heard that I spread my favors. They thought I was willing to go with them to their coach and treated me like some lightskirt in front of everyone. Darius, I believe the Lady Mary Raikes words have ruined me worse than anything that happened in the gardens last night.”
“All the more reason for us to marry.”
Meredith set her head on his shoulder and was quiet a long moment.
Surely now she would see reason, he thought. Marriage to him would be the easiest way for him to protect her now that society had taken a disliking to her.
But her answer was as brief as it was absolute. “No.”
Rather than anger Darius, that one word took all the wind out of his sails.
“I will not marry out of some silly need to be protected.” There was no fear or anger in her voice now, just simple resolve. “I will only marry for love.”
Was the protection of his name and the protection of her body not enough? Did she have to ask for something he feared to give her?
Say it. Say it, you fool.
But the words remained trapped on his tongue, unable to get free. When the coach finally stopped in front of his home, Meredith got out without another word and hurried to her bedchamber.
That was when Darius realized he was losing her. And he had only himself to blame.