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Lizzie opened and closed her mouth. Was he angry with her? “Is this about my uncle’s visit?” she blurted in a panic. “Because if so, I doubt very much I will ever see him again.”

Benedict’s frown deepened. “Your uncle?” he repeated looking thunderstruck. “What do you mean?”

It dawned on Lizzie that she was barking up the wrong tree. Her wits were most definitely blunted today. “Oh,” she said lamely. “You didn’t mean that.”

“When did he visit?” Benedict demanded.

“It was before Daphne punched me, so it sort of slipped my mind, you see.”

“It slipped your mind?” he repeated incredulously. Then his expression grew grim. “What did he want?”

Lizzie waved a hand. “Oh, it was just a misunderstanding – ” she started, but Benedict crouched down before her, forcing her to meet his eyes.

“What-did-he-want?” he repeated direly.

“To escort me to some sort of charitable institution for fallen women,” Lizzie admitted with a sigh. “At least I think that was the gist of it.”

“What?” Benedict exploded.

“He seemed to be under the impression we were only masquerading as a married couple.”

Benedict seemed to be having some difficulty catching his breath. Lizzie watched him with some concern. “I set him right, of course,” she hastened to explain.

“He wanted to take you off – ”

“No, no – ”

“And you did not come and fetch me?” he demanded wrathfully.

“Benedict, it wasn’t really like that! He just wanted to do his Christian duty by me. Once I had explained – ”

He dragged her up out of her seat, his hands gripping her upper arms. “If he or anyone else from your past should ever appear again, I want you to fetch me, Lizzie. Do you understand?”

Lizzie nodded. “Yes.”

“I want your word on that,” he said grimly.

“Yes, I promise.”

He glared at her wordlessly for a minute, and Lizzie thought it was touch and go. Then he hauled her against his chest.

“Son of a bitch,” he swore viciously, and then his mouth was on hers, hot and demanding, his fingers wrapped around her jaw, urging her participation.

Lizzie reeled under the onslaught and clung to his shirt front for dear life. He was not gentle, but for some reason, she found she did not mind so much. When he tore his mouth from hers, she almost sobbed aloud with disappointment.

“We’ll speak more about this later,” he said with a scowl. Lizzie nodded dumbly, pulling her shawl back around her shoulders for she had almost lost the garment in their tussle. “Don’t let the fire die out,” he said direly. “And put some more ointment on that eye!”

He flung off in a high dudgeon, and Lizzie watched him stride away with some consternation. Glancing back down, she saw Sebastian had not even troubled to raise his head from his paws. His eyes flickered to meet hers for an instant before he glanced away, looking embarrassed by the scene he had been forced to witness. Clearly, Sebastian was only too well aware she was in no danger from her husband however much he might carry on.

Putting a hand to her spinning head, Lizzie lowered herself back onto her seat. She raised her cup to her lips with a shaking hand. She would finish her tea and then fetch those half-finished curtains outside to complete. The fair was at Putney Heath for another three days, she thought. How was she supposed to occupy herself during that time now the Wonderous Females tent had moved on?

Lizzie sat sewing beside the fire for the next couple of hours. She finished her curtains and even had a go at fixing them to the windows. Admittedly, the results were mixed. There were none of the traditional fixings in place, and only a piece of twine slung across to hang them from. Lizzie surveyed the result with dissatisfaction. She would have to ask Benedict to take a look at it. Maybe with some better string they would hang better.

Returning outside, she considered what she could turn her hand to next. Glancing at the sky, she guessed the time to be about four o’clock. If she did not put another log on the fire, then it was about to go out. Lizzie debated a moment. What she really needed to do was prepare some more toothpowder and mouth rinse. For that she would need peppermint oil and cloves as well as the ingredients she had already noted down.

After all, why should she not do a little shopping for some household items? They needed soap, more lemons and sugar too. Connie had paid her yesterday, and she still had not spent most of her previous wages. There were sure to be some shops nearby, and she could easily ask for directions.

Her mind made up, Lizzie returned to the wagon for her cloak and bonnet before setting off in the opposite direction to the fairground, Sebastian close on her heels.