" The workhouse is in Clerkenwell. The orphan asylum is a bit farther out, at Bishopsgate."
"Those places aren't safe for you to go unescorted."
"I'm quite familiar with London, sir. I don't take chances with my safety, and I carry a walking stick for self-defense."
"What good is a walking stick?" Rhys asked absently.
"In my hands," Dr. Gibson assured him, "it's a dangerous weapon."
"Is it weighted?"
"No, I can deliver three times as many blows with a lighter cane than with a heavier stick. At my fencing-master's suggestion, I've carved notches at strategic points along the shaft to improve grip strength. He has taught me some effective techniques to fell an opponent with a cane."
"You fence?" Helen asked, her head still down.
"I do, my lady. Fencing is an excellent sport for ladies- it develops strength, posture, and proper breathing. "

― Lisa Kleypas , Marrying Winterborne (The Ravenels, #2)