He had been walking for about ten minutes, following the ornate signs for the Serpentine, when he heard a murmur of voices. There was something about the tone that put him on edge and he quickened his pace to get a glimpse of what was round the corner.
‘Get off me,’ a high voice shouted, followed by a low and ominous chuckle.
‘Just one kiss, that’s not too much to ask.’ The man’s voice was refined but slurred and even without seeing him Josh knew he was drunk and out of control.
‘Let me go.’
‘She’s a fighter.’
‘Anyone would be if faced with the prospect of kissing your face,’ one of the companions slurred.
‘Steady on. It’s not that...’ There was a deep groan, the sort emitted when a man was hit in his nether regions.
Josh broke out into a run, rounding the corner and almost barrelling into the three men standing there, one hunched over and still moaning. His eyes flicked quickly across the scene. All three men looked to be in their cups, drunken and tottering, but still a menacing sight for the petite young woman who they surrounded. She had her back to him, struggling to get free from the grip of the largest of the group. The men were well dressed, although unkempt from a night out drinking, which made him think they were gentlemen, in birth if not behaviour. That was a relief at least. Most working-class men would know how to fight at least a little. Bar brawls taught you how to punch to do some real harm and he didn’t fancy facing three men who knew how to handle themselves.
Josh didn’t even shout a warning, knowing surprise was his best weapon. Launching himself at the closest man, he crashed into his back, sending him sprawling onto the ground. Without pausing to take a breath he swung a punch at the second man, hitting him squarely on the jaw and feeling the force of the impact jar up his arm. The man’s head snapped back and he stumbled, blinking with disorientation and clutching his face in pain.
The third man was the one holding onto the woman’s arm and Josh had to manoeuvre himself to make sure he didn’t catch her with his elbow as he pulled back to deliver another punch. He’d lost the element of surprise but the man’s inebriation worked in Josh’s favour as he stood there open-mouthed for a moment before attempting to hit out. Josh dodged the poorly aimed punch and delivered one of his own.
‘Get out of here,’ he growled, watching intently as the men eyed him up before two of them turned back to pull on the third man’s arm. Josh’s eyes met his and for a long moment they stared at each other, before the man allowed his friends to guide him away.
Josh watched them go, making sure they didn’t change their minds, before he turned to the woman shaking beside him. As she looked up at him he was shocked to see Lady Elizabeth, dishevelled from the tussle but still looking radiant in the morning light. Her cheeks were wet with tears and she had a red mark on one where it looked as if one of the men had slapped her.
‘Did they harm you?’ He watched as her eyes focussed in on his momentarily, widening as she recognised him.
‘Mr Ashburton.’
‘Are you hurt?’ he repeated. She seemed dazed, in shock, and not able to concentrate on him. Her eyes kept flitting from side to side as if searching for her attackers. ‘Lady Elizabeth.’ He placed a hand gently on her arm and at the first touch she flinched away, but as he slowly increased the pressure just a little it calmed her. She was shaking under his hand but after a few seconds her eyes came up and met his again and this time he could tell she was starting to relax just a fraction.
‘No, not hurt.’ A hand flew to her cheek and she touched the red mark, wincing as she did so.
‘They hit you?’
‘Yes.’
‘Did you know them?’
She shook her head, looking down at her crumpled dress and beginning to try to straighten it.
‘Come and sit down, tell me what happened.’
Allowing him to take her by the arm, Lady Elizabeth followed as he led her out to a more open area of the park. He reasoned they would both feel more comfortable if they could see who was approaching from all directions without any bushes or trees to hide a lurking figure.
As they sat his knees brushed hers and for a second they both stiffened at the contact. Lady Elizabeth moved away quickly, perching on the very end of the bench so there was a good foot of space between them.
‘Thank you,’ she said quietly, her eyes coming up to meet his. Under her scrutiny he felt his pulse quicken and he had the urge to close the space between them, to sit so his knees touched hers, his hand rested on her thigh.
‘You don’t need to thank me.’
‘If you hadn’t been there...’ She shuddered as she trailed off.
‘Don’t think about it.’
Lady Elizabeth glanced down, frowning as she saw his bloody knuckles.
‘Your hand is hurt.’
Josh hadn’t even noticed the blood. He remembered a jolt of pain as his fist had connected with the second man’s jaw, but in the heat of the moment it had been pain soon forgotten.
‘It’s nothing. It will heal in a couple of days. What happened, Lady Elizabeth?’
She was silent for a little while and Josh began to wonder if she was going to answer him.
‘I always wake up early, well before anyone else in the house. At home I ride along the cliffs for an hour or so before breakfast, but we couldn’t bring the horses to town.’ She smiled faintly and Josh wondered if the poised Lady Elizabeth was in fact almost as out of place in London as he was. ‘I just wanted some fresh air.’
‘Forgive my ignorance
