Someone was trying to kill Lady Alexia Maccon. It was most inconvenient, as she was in a dreadful hurry. Given her previous familiarity with near-death experiences and their comparative frequency with regards to her good self, Alexia should probably have allowed extra time for such a predictable happenstance.

Blameless: Book 3 of The Parasol Protectorate (ed. Hachette UK, 2010) - ISBN: 9780748121496