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But rather than his head splitting open on one of the soiled and disgusting pavements of London, even if Harley Street was better than most, his fall was broken by the body of a young woman. Napier ended up shaken but otherwise unharmed. The shock of the fall was bad enough but they he realised he had been reprieved. But the same could not be said of the young lady. Napier had not even seen the street urchin thief steal her bag, he was still getting his bearings, and so was momentarily confused as to the woman’s frantic cries.

Once she realised that the bag had been stolen she was inconsolable, her cries turned hysterical. They were creating quite the scene and Napier acted.

“Get the one of the doctor’s assistants out here immediately. I am worried what my collision has done to this poor woman.”

His footman turned and ran back up the steps.

“Come down John Coachman please. Quickly now.”

With his coachman helping the gawkers were encouraged to be on their way. The footman returned with the doctor himself.

“How are you feeling Baron? Did you have a dizzy spell?”

“Never mind about me, man. Help me get this young lady off the street. She needs to be thoroughly evaluated, if not for her breaking my fall I would be lying dead on the street.”

He turned to the coachman.

“John, I will likely be some time.”

“I understand my Lord.”

He returned to the coach and Elizabeth was half helped, half carried up the steps into the doctor’s surgery.

--

Even the doctor could not explain why the medication he gave Elizabeth caused her to unburden herself to him, and to the Baron. He had a female assistant on staff to assist with the female patients and between them they had determined that the young lady, whose name was as yet unknown, had not broken any bones. Her entire torso was going to be a mass of bruises but they would fade with time. He gave her something for the pain and it all came out.

“Was she even aware that she was talking to other people?”

“I am not sure but I doubt it, given there were several mortifying parts of her tale.”

The Baron nodded in agreement.

“I would like to hire your female assistant for as long as necessary.”

“Of course, my Lord. Do you mind my asking why?”

“She deserves to be properly chaperoned. And I have to think about what to do with her.”

“You believe her when she said she had £84 in her bag?”

“I cannot be completely sure, but there was an embarrassingly level of truth in her meanderings. I do not think that she would, or indeed could, lie about something like that in the middle of all these stories.”

“I tend to agree. You will be familiar with the phrase ‘in vino veritas’. I do not know why she reacted to a mild pain reliever in such a manner but there was a sense of the same outcome.”

Napier was nodding before the doctor had finished his explanation. It made perfect sense. There had been too many occasions where he had winced once he remembered his speeches from the evening before. It was the perfect analogy.

“The bruising that has already started, for how long will it last?”

“At least 10 days my Lord. It could easily be two weeks until the last of the deep bruises fades.”

“I do not need your assistant for the entire two weeks. If I can borrow her for the next two days then I will find suitable chaperonage for the young lady.”

“McRae is visiting his ailing mother and his dresser will be available. I know his assistant and will get her, or someone similar to your townhouse as soon as possible.”

“My thanks, that would be ideal.”

The doctor dearly wanted to know what the Baron intended to do with the young lady, but was not going to jeopardise his ongoing fees to satisfy his curiosity.