by Win Hollows
Half an hour later, Laura announced herself in the upstairs family sitting room where Lady Parrington was catching up on some embroidery. "Mother, I'm taking my Dag to the park." Her tone implied that it did not matter if Astoria tried every trick in the book to dissuade her; she was going.
Astoria pursed her lips as she looked her daughter from head to toe. Her plum walking dress was quite acceptable, but the bulky, worn boots and men's work jacket she had on didn't exactly finish off the look well. "Don't you think that's a little risky, Dear?" she said cautiously, lowering her book.
"Not at all. I'm inviting Gia, and we will be going into a wooded area where there is very little traffic."
"Sweetheart, I'm not sure-"
"Mother, please! I need this!" Laura rolled up the arms of her oversized tan coat. "I need to get away and do something fun for once. I know that I'm not supposed to show anyone my Dag, but Gia won't tell anyone, and I know she'd love having her picture taken. Pleeease," she begged.
Astoria rolled her eyes. "Oh, alright, you may go. But not without Jonathan. Take him and Eliza with you, understand?"
Laura grinned, knowing that both Jonathan and Eliza were wonderful chaperones for the reason that they were barely chaperones at all with the right incentive. "Of course, Mother. Whatever you say."
Gia had grumbled about surprises being overrated the entire way though Hyde Park. Laura had picked her up at her family's residence and proceeded to the park immediately, refusing to tell Gia what they were going to be doing. She had instructed Jonathan, who happened to be a very good driver of a team of four, to take them into a heavily wooded section of the park where it looked like no one else would want to traverse. When the carriage finally stopped, Laura was not disappointed in their location. She and Gia stepped out onto a path that led into a picturesque copse of beech and oak trees with a few maples mixed in the bunch. The two women meandered along the path while Jonanthan hefted the heavy wooden box containing the camera behind them.
Eliza walked beside Jonathan, speaking in a low tone than Laura happened to know meant they were flirting. She hoped Eliza was aware that, though she valued her services, she would bear her no grudge if she chose to marry Jonathan and start a family of her own. Jonathan was a handsome, virile young man who had shown himself to be dependable and hard-working. And Eliza was a lovely girl, a wonderful lady's maid who could find work anywhere she chose to go.
Secretly, Laura was hoping they would end up together, as she was fond of them both, although it would mean she would have to find another strong footman who didn't mind carrying around banned equipment for her use.
At a point where the path diverged into two, Laura decided it was time to leave it. Gia was very suspicious of why she was required to traipse through the woods in her ivory morning dress, but refrained from complaining. The trees and bushes were not overly dense, so there wasn't too much cause for alarm. Laura hummed as she led the way under branches and over roots, enjoying the sun on her face. Once they had reached a small mossy opening with a large tree in the midst of it, Laura declared they had arrived at their destination.
"And what destination is this, exactly?" Gia asked, looking around the small clearing.
"You'll see," Laura told her, nodding to Jonathan, who had begun to unload her camera. He knew the drill. "You and Eliza are welcome to explore the vicinity at your leisure. Gia and I will be here for a little while." She went over and took up where Jonathan left off, placing things atop one another and clicking them into place.
Gia curiosity got the better of her. "What on earth is that thing, Laura?" She inched closer, examining the parts as Laura continued to put them together.
She decided to put her friend out of her suspense. "It's called a camera. This is a Daguerreotype camera, and it takes a picture of you that you can keep."
Gia's eyes widened. "I've heard of this! You mean, it's really not a painting, like they claim? I don't see how it's possible. What is the picture, if not paint? And how does it do it without a person? It doesn't have eyes. It's not-"
Laura laughed. "Gia, wait just a moment, and I'll explain it to you. Hold this for me, will you?" She handed her a small metal plate wrapped in an old cloth.
"Where did you get this? I thought you could only get your picture taken abroad."
"Well, that's where I figured I could trust you to keep a secret." Laura paused and held her friend's eyes. "I'm not supposed to have it. It's most likely stolen, actually. My father bought it from a gypsy stall, and no can know it's in my possession. It's patented, you see."
Gia's brows were raised, her violet eyes round as saucers. "Goodness," she exclaimed. A devilish smile spread across her face. "I like the sound of that."
Laura giggled, "I knew you would." Once she had set up the Dag, she positioned Gia where the light would hit her well. Gia sat on an exposed tree root, but only her upper body would be in the photo so that her face could be clearly seen. She was quite excited to have her photo taken, never having thought it was possible. Once Laura depressed the button for the image to start being developed, she had to keep reminding Gia to be still or it wouldn't work.
"Can I moof now?" Gia asked slowly, trying to maintain her smile.
"No," Laura snapped. "How about I tell you something extra secret to keep you entertained?" she offered, settling herself on a fallen log to the side of the photo area.
"Alright." She seemed to like that prospect.
Laura was thankful that Gia couldn't move or speak during her revelation. "You know during the intermission at the Opera the other night? Well, I had to go fix my dress, and I happened to run into Lord Rothstone."
"What?" Gia said this while remaining perfectly still, except for a dart of her eyes towards Laura.
"Yes, now keep still." She admonished. "He helped me find an empty room to attend to my gown in, and things got a little...heated."
"Laura!" Gia exclaimed as loudly as she could while not opening her mouth. “Good or ad?"
"Good, I think. Well, bad too. I don't know!" she threw her arms up.
Gia sent her eyes heavenward.
"Don't move, Gia! Or you'll be all blurry."
Gia growled, which Laura thought interesting since she still had a beautific smile on her face. "Did you kiss?" she was able to ask.
"Yes. Er, quite a bit, actually," she admitted, blushing a bit.
"Hou uz it?"
Laura sighed. "Wonderful. Dreadfully wonderful."
Gia moved her eyes over to Laura. "Oh, goodness," she burst, jumping up from her perch on the tree root. "This is pointless. I can't sit still any longer right now, especially when you're describing kissing Remington Rothstone at the Opera!" Gia stepped toward Laura.
"Noooo!" Laura screeched, rushing to push Gia back down on the root.
Boom!
A crack of sound rent the air, and Laura could feel something white-hot whiz by her shoulder as she moved. Both women screamed and immediately dropped to the ground, crouching with their arms wrapped about each other's heads and arms. Laura could hear nothing but her own heartbeat and the echo of the shot that seemed to go on forever. After a few seconds, all sound faded; even the birds and branches were quiet.
"Is it safe, do you think?" whispered Gia.
"I don't know," Laura answered, raising her head a few inches to look around. Everything was unnaturally still, the leaves near them painted in sharp relief against each other. Her ears still rung from the intense sound of a moment earlier, which Laura thought should indicate that the gun had been shot from somewhere quite close. Something was wrong, but she couldn't pin-
"Laura, you're bleeding!" Gia cried, her hand coming away from Laura's upper arm wet with red blood.
"What? I- Oh my." She looked at Gia's hand and then at her shoulder where a sliver of skin was missing and blood ran down her arm. Why couldn't she feel it? She felt a certain amount of pain in this situation would be warranted, but there was no feeling at all, just a distant cold burning that d
idn't register. She reached up to touch the place where the bullet had scraped her and realized her hand was shaking.
"Laura, we have to get you to a doctor," Gia said grimly. She glanced at their surroundings, hesitant to stand up.
"Miss Parrington!" a voice called through the woods. Laura could hear someone coming crashing through the bushes towards them.
Gia tensed. Laura's heartbeat accelerated more. Their eyes met, neither sure what to do.
"Miss Parrington, are you alright!" The voice called again, and Laura sagged with relief.
"It's Jonathan," she stated.
Gia let out the breath she's been holding.
A second later, Jonathan burst through the trees, eyes roaming frantically until he spotted them hunched down in the moss. He rushed over and kneeled down. "Oh no, you're hurt, Miss."
He began to tear off his sleeve at the elbow and wrapped it firmly around Laura's outstretched arm. Even through this, she didn't feel anything, although her teeth wouldn't stop chattering. Honestly, she'd had worse scrapes during her childhood while gallivanting in the woods. Once, she had tripped over a rock and a stick had stuck itself in her thigh. Her mother had screamed and wailed while Laura's father had taken it out carefully as Laura looked on in fascination. She didn't know what was wrong with her now, but her body wouldn't seem to calm down.
"Oh, my lady!" Eliza shrieked, her hand coming up to cover her mouth as she emerged from the trees where Jonathan had come from a moment earlier. She knelt next to Laura as Jonathan tightened the makeshift bandage.
"I'm fine, really," Laura insisted. "But I would like to know what someone is doing shooting a gun in Hyde Park."
Gia frowned. "It's not allowed, surely. It must have been an accident."
Laura's lips twisted. "I would certainly hope so."
They made their way back to where the carriage was parked by the path, Eliza insisting on holding Laura by her other arm in case she were to faint. During the ride back, Laura's shaking stopped and her arm began to hurt like the devil. Lady Parrington sent someone for the physician as soon as they stepped through the door. Her face went white as a sheet when she saw her daughter's bloody arm and spattered dress, but Laura assured her immediately that it was worse than it looked. Still, she was ushered to her bed, propped up on as many pillows as could be found, and made to await the arrival of the physician and the Constable.
"Mother," Laura moaned. "I'm fine! Stop it!" she swatted away another blanket her mother was attempting to put across her bed.
"You are not fine, you've been shot," she spat, throwing the blanket to the floor. "I can't believe I let you got out today by yourself, I thought to myself, anything could happen, and it did! It's worse than I imagined! What is the world coming to when two young women can't go out for a walk in the park without being shot!" Her voice rose higher and higher as she spoke.
"Mum," Laura said calmly. "You're going to have an apoplexy if you keep distressing yourself like this. No permanent damage was done. It's just a scratch." She patted the foot of her bed.
Astoria sighed gustily and plopped down on the bed. "I'm sorry, my sweet. I just can't bear the thought of you coming to harm, and I can't do anything to prevent it, not if it's as simple as being in the park at the wrong time."
"I know, Mama. Don't fret, I'm alright. And just think, the odds of anything else terrible happening to me now that I've been shot have to be quite high. So, really, I'm safer now, if you look at it that way."
Astoria looked her daughter in the eyes and failed to fight off a smile. Finally, she laughed. "I suppose when you say it like that, it does seem better."
Remington blanched when he heard the news. Laura, shot? It wasn't possible. Who would shoot Laura Parrington? In Hyde Park, no less! He had been at Whites at the time, having a drink with Constantine and rehashing old memories of their wilder school escapades.
One of the other patrons was walking by, chatting with another man beside him. "Yes, that prettily-packaged chit, Parrington. Shot in Hyde Park. Would give my left pinky finger to know who the idiot was carrying their firearm around with ladies present. Apparently, no one's found him yet," he continued until Remington's arm lurched out to stop him.
"Who did you say? Parrington? Laura Parrington was shot?"
"Yes, yes, that's what I said," the man confirmed, happy to spread the juicy story. "Happened this afternoon. Devil of a thing."
Rem's breathing stopped. "Is she-?" He couldn't finish the question.
The man blinked, then realized what he was asking. "Oh no, she's fine, the way I heard it. Barely clipped her." He chuckled.
Remington's vision went red. "I-I have to go," he mumbled, rising.
Con frowned and rose from his chair as well. "Wait a minute, Rem, what's going on?"
"I have to see her. I have to know she's alright." He made a grab for his jacket laying on the arm of the chair.
"Hold on. You heard, she's fine. What-?" He paused, looking at friend, then began to chuckle.
Rem stopped mid-reach.
"You're really gone for her, aren't you?" he remarked.
Rem scowled. "She's- I... Yes, Demn it. But," he said, pointing a severe finger at Con. "If you want your secret to stay a secret from that gel- what's her name? You'd better-"
"Alright, alright, I catch the way the wind is blowing. Go. Save the damsel in distress. Or whatever she is." He waved his friend away, sitting back down in the overstuffed armchair, a small smile still on his face as Rem stalked quickly from the room, coat in hand.
Remington was so intent on simply seeing for himself that Laura was still breathing, he hadn't taken the time to plan what he would say once he got there. When he was ushered into the downstairs parlor, Lady Parrington entered only a few moments later, dressed in a simple day gown and shawl, a look of curiosity on her face.
"Lord Rothstone, what a pleasant surprise. What brings you to our home this evening?" she smiled, extending her hand as he reached for it.
He placed a dry kiss on back of her hand and straightened. "Er," Rem started, realizing he didn't have a very good excuse other than the truth. He took a deep breath. "I had to see Laura, your Ladyship. I wanted to ascertain for myself if she is in good health after today's episode."
Astoria's eyes sparkled knowingly when he used her first name. "How very kind of you. She is resting in her room just now on the doctor's orders, but..." She seemed to have an inner debate for a short moment, then leaned in conspiratorially. "I think it would be alright this once if I escorted you up to see her. I know she would appreciate a concerned visitor since she has been quite bored these last few hours having to stay in bed."
Rem smiled in thanks. "I won't tell if you don't."
"That's the spirit." She winked.
Rem's smile widened. It appeared that mother and daughter were more alike than he had first suspected. He could see Laura's face in Lady Parrington's as she smiled toothily- the nose, the wide forehead, her lively green eyes. It endeared her to him right then and there. All the better, since he intended to have her for a mother-in-law.
She led the way up the stairs in the entrance hall and down a hallway to the right. A voice could be heard coming from the second door on the right, and it sounded none too happy.
"...see why I have to laze about in here when my legs work perfectly fine. In fact, my arms work perfectly fine too, but instead of a scratch, everyone seems to see a gaping wound that's going to cause my limb to fall off at any moment. It's enough to drive a person mad, Reginald. Yesh, it ish," she continued in a cooing tone.
They approached the door, Astoria letting out an exasperated sigh. "She's gets a little stir-crazy sometimes," she whispered to Rem before knocking.
"Yes?"
"Dear, I have a visitor for you. Are you still decent?" Lady Parrington called through the closed door.
"Yes. Oh, is Gia back? She didn't have to come all the way over..." Laura trailed off as the door opened and Remington stepped inside the room behind h
er mother.
"...here." she finished, then gulped visibly.
"Look, it's Lord Rothstone, darling. He came to make sure you're alright. Isn't that lovely?" Astoria led Rem towards the powder-blue bed where Laura was propped up with an innumerable amount of pillows. A morbidly fat, orange cat lay across her lap, eyes half slitted in contentment. Her left arm was wrapped in a bright white bandage that had a small spot of red beginning to show through its layers on the outer side of her limb.
"Um, yes, of course, that's very...nice of him," she smiled briefly, her right hand coming up to smooth a section of hair at her temple. He cheeks had bloomed a rosy shade as he drew closer.
Rem tensed as his eyes studied the injured appendage. Good. The rumors had been right. She looked none the worse for wear, and her injury was obviously not cause for alarm at this point. His pounding heart could finally settle down somewhat. Still, it was almost a physical pain in his own chest to see the small spot of blood that adorned her cotton wrap. "I'm happy to see you're not suffering as much as could have been, Miss Parrington," Rem offered, making a slight bow in her direction.
"Th-thank you, Sir." She cleared her throat. "I am quite well, only a little startled at the event." She resumed nervously stroking the lounging feline draped across her.
Rem saw that Laura's mother had retreated to a chair in the corner of the room and was "immersed" in a fashion plate. He made a mental note to never underestimate Astoria Parrington's subtlety. "With good cause, I would think," he replied, taking a step closer. Laura didn't shrink back, which was a good sign. "It's not every day that a woman takes a bullet in Hyde Park. And I'm quite sure that it's not every day a woman takes a bullet in the arm and does not dissolve into histrionics for weeks on end."
