“I’d like to learn more, if you’d be so good as to tell me.”
She took him at his word and launched into a detailed description of the movement’s aspirations. “We are fighting for the right for women to vote and to have the same work opportunities offered to them as men. Why should women not?” Aware of how animated she’d become, she paused.
Interest flickered in his eyes. “I admire your dedication.”
“Are you a doctor or an administrator of the workhouse?” she asked, to change thesubject.
“No, a political matter, Miss Parr.”
“You might know my father, Sir Edmund Parr.” She thought it unlikely. Her father was a member of theCommons.
He nodded. “We have met once or twice.”
The carriage rocked violently as the horse broke from its trot. “We seem to be traveling very fast,” she said with alarm as the houses along the road flashedpast.
Lord Lanyon opened the panel to the rear of the roof. “Slow down, driver!”
A loud, rambunctious ditty drifteddown.
“Hoy! Slow down, man!” Lord Lanyon yelled, banging on theroof.
A face appeared above them along with the waft of strong spirits. “Right you are, guvnor.”
“The fellow is drunk,” Lanyon said. He banged on the roof once more, but the horse continued at the same frightening speed, the hansom swaying as they careened along the street. Laura found herself clutching Lord Lanyon’ssleeve.
Suddenly, a juddering was accompanied by a loud crash. Laura was thrown forward, banging her knees against the door. Lord Lanyon’s hands gripped herwaist.
The carriage shuddered to a stop, the horse whinnying and snorting. People crowded around them yelling curses at the driver. He shouted back atthem.
Lord Lanyon removed his hands from her waist. “Are you all right?”
Her breathlessness was not entirely due to the accident. “I think so.”
“At least the dolt has released the doors.”
When Lord Lanyon assisted her down onto the pavement, her knee throbbed and a flash of pain shot through herankle.
She gasped. “I…I’m afraid I must have wrenched my ankle.”
He placed a strong arm around her. There was now a small crowd gathered around the two hansoms which had locked wheels. A bobby in his dark cloak appeared. The drivers’ voices were raised in a heated argument, the crowd interjecting with their version ofevents.
“We’d best leave,” Lord Lanyon said. Before she could answer, he’d tossed their umbrellas onto the pavement and had lifted her into hisarms.
“Really, I don’t think this is necessary…” She lost her breath as he carried her effortlessly across the road, and she a strapping female who prided herself on being athletic and strong. She was placed gently on her feet beside alamppost.
“Hang on there for a minute.” He stepped out into the road and, placing two fingers to his mouth, whistled. Another hansom threaded its way through the bottleneck caused by the accident and pulled up in front ofthem.
“Allow me to take you home,” Lord Lanyonsaid.
“Really, that’s not necessary,” Laura said faintly. If her mother found him to be a bachelor, she’d see them married, even if it took the last breath in herbody.
“I insist.”
Feeling unusually compliant, she allowed him to usher herinside.
He climbed in after her with theumbrellas.
“But Wimbledon is so far out of your way.”
