And she ran straight into a rock-solid man.
She found herself in his arms, and the first thing she saw was that he was a perfectly attractive male specimen. However, as soon as that fact registered, she promptly dismissed it in lieu of her problem.
“Steady!” he said.
She realized he held her still and that in spite of the force of their meeting he had managed to take control and keep them both from hitting the grass. The sound of his voice, deep and masculine, seemed to tickle through her mind, and despite herself she was momentarily diverted.
“Thank you,” she said, genuinely relieved that she had not found herself on the ground. Then she saw that Otto had taken on the huge tent with marvelously outrageous might. “Oh God,” she exclaimed as she closed her eyes.
What followed next kept the crowd of spectators (of which Babs guessed there had to be an enormous number) in breathless awe. The tent of red, yellow, and blue released an anguished groan as the steam engine plowed forcefully into the tent’s central oak beam and came to a crashing halt.
Screaming hysterics were heard from within the tent, taking on frightful proportions as merchants and their customers began scrambling for the exit. With air-shattering might and in a domino effect, the tent’s remaining beams began to fall erratically to earth. Caught beneath the weight were silks, satins, pillows, china, and various other sundries. Also caught as the heavy canvas floated heavily down were the Count Otto Stauffenberg and one outraged merchant. All others had escaped.
“People are fools!” the stranger at Babs’ side exclaimed. “The situation calls for calm heads and clear thinking, but they run around screaming in mob form!” At which point, Babs nearly released a scream.
***
Charles, gazing at the spectacle, remarked, “I say …”
“Otto!” Lady Babs cried in distress as she tugged out of the duke’s hold. “He is still in there!”
Charles had seen at once that the young lady his cousin had been holding in a firm grip was a friend. He exclaimed, “Certes! Babs—Babs, what the devil have you been up to this time, minx?”
“Oh thank goodness, it’s you … Chuck …” Babs dove at him and clutched at Sir Charles’s gloved hand. “Otto is in there. He might be hurt … and what do you mean? I haven’t done a thing.”
Suddenly all attention was on the large gentleman emerging from the fallen tent. Otto had found his way out of the massive mess around him and stood brushing at his dust-covered body. His clothes were askew, his top hat was missing, but he appeared none the worse, though he still clutched the vehicle’s steering wheel. He saw Babs and waved happily at her.
However, he was soon involved in a heated argument with an irate merchant who had scrambled out of the fallen tent.
Babs took in the scene and burst with relief into unladylike laughter.
Charles joined her in this, shaking his head to declare, “Of course, it would be Otto! How you two manage to kick up a lark everywhere you go is quite beyond belief.”
“Oh ho!” returned Babs between gasps of laughing. “Look who is talking!”
“Well, at least he isn’t hurt.” Charles grinned, ignoring her remark.
“If you don’t count the fact that your Otto fellow seems to be demented,” said the duke with a grin of his own.
This set Lady Babs off laughing again. When she finally was able to catch her breath she said, “But it was an accident after all …”
“They always seem to be accidents,” returned Sir Charles, chuckling heartily as he watched Otto fend off the merchant.
“Excuse me,” said the duke in a quiet yet strangely compelling tone, “may I suggest that we escort the lady away from …” He looked around at the beadles coming their way. “… from all this?”
“Yes, thank you … but what of Otto?” Babs said looking concerned..
“He will pay off the merchant and be done shortly … but the duke is quite correct. We must get you out of this immediately.” Charles offered her his bent arm, and although she placed her gloved hand on it, she turned to look after the count.
“But … he will wonder where I have gone off to,” she objected.
“No, he has seen me and will know I have escorted you away from the rabble just as I should. Come along, Babs. We’ll see you home before someone recognizes you and your father gets wind of this escapade,” Charles said with a rueful smile.
Babs looked from the duke to Charles as the duke took control.
“Indeed … come along …” The duke then parted a path through the rabble of people straining to have a look at the fallen tent.
Thus it was that the Lord Wildfire had his first introduction to the Lady Babs.