“This is horrid.”
But it was not I who said it. I turned to the voice beside me to see none other than…
“Lady Verity?” I gasped out in surprise. She was dressed in a soft lavender dress with a matching hat that had white flowers on the side, a pair of short gloves covering her hands.
She tore her gaze from the elephant and looked at me, her brown eyes widening in surprise.
“Dr. Darrington, you have ventured out into the wild as well?” the marquess questioned from behind her, and there I saw the entire Du Bell clan in attendance. They truly did move as one organism.
“Yes, good day to you, your lordship,” I replied, bowing my head to him. “Henry and his sister extended the invitation, as Lord Fancot and his wife could not be in attendance.”
“I am not surprised. Lady Fancot cannot even stand the sight of a parrot,” the marchioness said as she stepped forward.
“And it is only by God’s grace my sister’s cat has lived so long,” Henry said as he and his sister somehow managed to find us. There were hundreds of people here and yet somehow, I managed to run into the one creature I feared the most.
My eyes shifted to hers once more only to see the intensity of her gaze still upon me. Clearly, she had not forgotten what I had said to her. How could she? It had been but a handful of hours ago.
“Well, since you are all here, there is no harm in joining us as we venture.” The marchioness smiled and then looked to her daughter Hathor.
The plots of mothers. I expected Henry to seek his method of retreat so I might go as well, but instead the blasted fool agreed with her.
“Lady Hathor, how are you enjoying the exhibition?” he asked as he moved to her side.
What on earth?
Just like that, we all began to walk again, and once more I was left beside…Lady Verity. She stared back up at the animals with a deep frown upon her lips.
I kept my arms tucked behind me and sought not to distract or annoy her in any fashion whatsoever. If she had asked me to grow wings and fly away from her, I think I could have managed it.
“I thought I was going to enjoy this?” she said softly, and I was not sure if she was speaking to me or herself so I said nothing. However, when she turned to me, her eyes sober, I found myself speaking.
“Are you not?”
She frowned. “It would be normal to do so, would it not? After all, everyone here seems quite entertained.”
“Not everyone,” I said.
She glanced around. “Who else is not?”
“Me.”
“You?”
I nodded, looking to the monkeys as they too called out. “These poor creatures, plucked from their vast forests and nature, stuffed into cages for our amusement. It is rather sad. I must admit I did not think of it when I decided to attend. It was only upon seeing their—”
“Their eyes,” she finished for me, and once more my attention was on her. “They are not happy, you see it too.”
I nodded, not sure why I was smiling. “Yes, I do, but apparently many others do not. They are far too transfixed by the wonder of them existing at all.”
“That is because none of them know what it is to be in a cage,” she muttered.
“I beg your pardon?” I was not sure of her meaning.
Her eyebrows furrowed as she glanced back up at me. “Are you truly as kindhearted as you seem, Dr. Darrington?”
“I do not think myself a vicious person, but I do not pretend to be angelic either.”
“So you are so kindhearted. For only those kind in nature deny being called such.”
“I am not sure of that logic, my lady.” I smiled. “For the cruel will deny being cruel as well. I believe it is best to judge a person by their words and actions.”
“What words or actions of mine have led you to judge me as a person worthy of your affection?” She questioned so calmly, yet all of me shattered into chaos.
I stared back at her. Each time I met her, she stripped me of all reason and ability. I swear I was quite intelligent, but never could I show it beside her. I merely became a fool.
“You have no response? Am I to take it you were struck utterly by my appearance?” she questioned, her head tilted to the side.
“We ought to keep pace,” I said, seeing the gap between ourselves and our party growing and taking a small step forward. When she joined me, I focused on the cobblestones at my feet. “I will not deny that when I first made your acquaintance it was your appearance that so utterly awed me.”
“Is that why you slammed a door in my face?”
“I did no such thing.”
“Well, it was not a slam, but it was very…abrupt…and in my face.”
I recalled that moment before I’d had to tend to her brother. And it was true I was abrupt. “Forgive me, I…I did not know what else to do then but run.”
She giggled, and glanced up at me. “Are you always so honest?”
“About myself? No. I’m rather guarded and temperamental so others will leave me be. But…”
“But?”
“Papa, can we see the birds?” the second-youngest Du Bell girl, the one with blonde hair, Devana, called out as she pointed to the aviary.
“You wish to come all this way for birds?” The youngest girl, Abena, frowned. “There are birds in England. I wish to see the other animals.”
“You both have come to an impasse, what are we to do?” the marquess asked, glancing between them.
“We call a vote,” said Devana.
“We can be kind and listen to the youngest.” Abena grinned, causing her papa and mama to laugh and her siblings to grumble.
“She abuses her status as the youngest far too often, Mama.” Hathor shook her head beside Henry and Miss Parwens. “She is spoiled.”
“As were you at her age,” her mama replied, and then glanced to where Verity and I were standing, looking between us. I felt an urge to take a step away immediately, unsure of what she thought.
“Verity, my dear, what would you like to see? You are our guest and thus you choose.”
They all looked back to her, and she glanced around at the cages before looking over at the aviary. I watched as she took in the sheer size of it and the birds that flew around at the top.