A Matter of Circumstance and Celludrones (7 page)

And she was right back to where she’d started, giving far too much
credence to a stupid flaw inside her head that had nothing to do with reality.

“There’s not much more to say than what I’ve already told you,” she
said instead. “You did promise to drop the matter.”

Evelyn looked at her a moment more, then sat back in her bench and
moved her probing gaze outside the carriage’s small window. “And you promised
to at least attempt to enjoy the outing.”

“The midday sun is high and I have my walking boots on,” Lily said
lightly. She’d attended the official opening by Queen Victoria last month and
had been immediately entranced with Battersea Park. The lakes and rock features
were spectacular. One could stroll for miles along the leafy paths and prettily
arched pedestrian bridges laid out over the park. “I’m fully prepared to have a
glorious day.”

The drive cut through a tall ridge of Elm trees and then a flat,
grassy field stretched before them. Large tents, most striped in vivid colours,
had been erected along one side of the field. Ladies in all their finery
strolled back and forth. Well-dressed children darted in and around their
harassed-looking nannies and the activities.

The men, far outnumbering the female contingent, seemed less particular
and their attire ran the gauntlet from three-piece suits with neck cloths to
barely-dressed at all in tweed trousers and linen shirts. Hundreds of
conversations bled into each other and rumbled up into the Aether.

“I never realised risqué sports had become so popular,” Lily said as
the carriage drew to a halt.

“That’s what I’ve been trying to make Devon understand.” Evelyn flung
open the door and stepped down before William had even jumped down from the
driver box. “William, see if Mrs. Browning has arrived.” To Lily, who was
making her own way from the carriage, she added, “I’m sure you’ll adore Mrs.
Browning once you get to know her. We invested in our Pedallosopede together
and thank goodness, for I daren’t keep it at home. Besides, Mr. Browning is
excellent with anything mechanical and he’s taught William to help maintain the
gears and chains.”

Lily, who had no idea what a Pedallosopede was, cast her eye across
the field. There didn’t seem to be any actual sport in progress. The tents, on
the other hand, with banners advertising trades of everything from lemon ices
to parasols to spare parts, were hives of activity. The large marquee decorated
with towering cakes looked particularly promising. It was also in the opposite
direction to which Evelyn tugged her.

“Come on,” Evelyn was saying, “I’ll show you around while we wait for
William.”

They approached a nearby cluster of men and the tight circle spread
open to include them. In the centre, a peculiar sort of cycling machine was
mounted on a wooden block. The front and back spindled wheels were of equal
size and much smaller than the velocipedes that had become so popular around
town in the last year.

A man sat across the main bar on a spoon shaped seat, pedalling slowly
and going nowhere. The wheels were attached to the block in such a way that
they could spin without touching the ground. Extending from each pedal was a
long, flat oar attached to both the wheels and pedals on a hinge system that
allowed the oar to flap rather than spin as you pedalled. Steel pipes rose from
the core of each wheel to form a triangle over the man’s head and what looked
like a deflated windbag hung from the point.

“There’s the steam machine.” Evelyn pointed to a steel box wedged into
the frame structure between the man’s legs. “Pedalling turns the gears and the
generated steam pushes through the pipes to inflate the balloon.”

“Remarkable for such a small machine.” As Lily watched, the windbag
filled with hot air, expanding into a miniature dirigible dome above the man’s
head.

“The challenge is keeping the entire contraption as light as possible.
The more weight reserved for the water canister, the longer we can paddle.”

“How fast does it go?” Lily asked nervously.

“Not very fast at all,” sighed Evelyn. “But there are new improvements
almost every time we meet.”

“Evelyn, there you are.” A slight woman around their age and dressed
in varying shades of grey worked her way into a space beside Evelyn. “Our
parcels have finally arrived. I’ve arranged a private tent for us to change in
and—” she stopped short when her gaze met Lily’s.

Evelyn stepped back, drawing them away from the men as she made the
introductions. “Mrs. Browning. My dear friend, Lady Lily d'Bulier.”

“I do hope you’ll be paddling with us,” Mrs. Browning said with a wide
smile. “It’s simply wonderful to have another female joining our ranks.”

“Thank you, but no,” Lily hedged. “I’m merely here…” Movement over
Mrs. Browning’s shoulder caught her eye. The
Pelladop
—
Peddapol—
the
air paddler
was moving and it wasn’t going forward. It was rising. In
the air! “Um…to watch.”

“Well, that’s simply wonderful too.”

Up it floated, higher and higher.

The man’s foot slipped from the pedal and things got a little wobbly
at the sudden jerk.

There were cries from below.

“Engage the tilt flaps.”

“Steady on. Steady on.”

“Lean to the left.”

Lily’s stomach turned over.

“Mrs. Browning and I met at the Surrey assemblies earlier this year,”
Evelyn said. “She was down there visiting her great uncle, Baron Lambrose. He
farms over a hundred hectares and the manor house is quite charming. He’s well
respected in the area.”

The air paddler seemed to have found his balance again, but Lily was
far from reassured.

If Evelyn had noticed the pandemonium in the sky, she wasn’t letting
it stall her praise of the Browning family. “Mr. Browning is a senior clerk at
the Magistrates’ Court and he’s in the process of negotiating terms to open his
own law office.”

“Will you excuse us for one second, Mrs. Browning?” Lily said sweetly.
She gripped Evelyn by the arm and pulled her aside.

“I know,” Evelyn said. “The Browning’s aren’t of the social standing—”

“It’s not the quality of the company you’re keeping that concerns me.”
Lily prodded at the air paddler with her eyes.

Evelyn’s gaze followed. “He’ll take her up a few more feet and then
change gear to the horizontal flaps and start going forward.”

“Evie, that thing is flying. In the sky.”

Evelyn laughed softly. “What did you think air paddling was?”

“You can paddle air just as well a few inches above the ground while
the wheels stay firmly
on
the ground,” she retorted through a clenched
jaw.

“What would be the point in that?”

“Oh, I don’t know.” Lily glared at her. “Not getting yourself killed?”

“It’s no more dangerous than hot air ballooning. You really mustn’t
worry so, Lily, I promise you it’s safe. Ah, there’s William with the
Pedallosopede.” She waved him over while pulling Lily back in Mrs. Browning’s
direction. “Now, Margaret, you mentioned that our bloomer suits had come?”

Mrs. Browning’s eyes lit up. “I’ve been awfully good and haven’t even
peeked. Do you think we could…?”

“We most certainly should. Bloomer suits,” she informed Lily, “are the
latest in high fashion amongst the New York sporting set, although they’ve
taken to calling it
practical fashion
.”

William arrived, pushing the air paddler alongside and clamping the
detached oars beneath one arm. He was a tall, lanky fellow and his head almost
reached the top of the triangular frame. “Mr. Browning said he’d be along in a
minute to lubricate the chains and he wants to check the steam valves.”

“Thank you, William. We’ll leave you to it, then, while we go and
change.”

Lily declined accompanying them to the private tent. She’d only rain
on their enthusiasm. Which would be fine, except Evelyn wasn’t listening.

William set the oars carefully on the ground and wheeled the air
paddler toward her. “Would you mind holding this, m’lady, I need to find a
mounting block.”

“No, of course not.” She grasped a handle bar in each hand, standing
at an awkward angle to avoid her skirts touching the chains and gears. How on
earth did Evelyn manage to pedal this thing without shredding her petticoats?

A few more air paddlers had taken to the skies, some still rising and
others drifting forward at a snail’s pace, all peddling furiously. Children ran
along the side of the field, cheering them on. The ladies observed in a more
decorous manner while the men shouted up a medley of instructions and
conflicting advice.

Lily couldn’t comprehend the fascination of floating precariously in mid-air.
One over-zealous gust of wind would end up in disaster.

“This is the last activity I’d have expected to find you engaged in,”
came a slow drawl over her shoulder.

She whipped her head around. Lord Adair, with his too-long hair and
impossible attitude. “What are
you
doing here?”

“A pleasure to see you, too, my dear.” He tipped his hat in greeting
as he came around to grip the pipe extending from the front. “I’ll take this
for you. A lady should never be left holding the…” His gaze travelled up and down
the triangular pipe frame. “What is this thing called, anyway?”

He was facing her, his legs braced over the wheel. His three-piece
suit was a dark brown, his shirt and neck cloth a crisp white. A fob chain
disappearing into his waistcoat pocket indicated the customary watch. His jaw
was closely shaven and a moderate stovepipe hid most of his unruly curls. All
the ordinary trappings, but not quite enough to restrain all of the wild beast.

His other hand closed over hers on the handle bar and the intimate
warmth spread straight through her glove. Lily needed no further persuasion to
step back, relinquishing the air paddler into his keeping.

“Did you follow me?” She scowled into his half-grin. “Have you being
spying on me again?”

He had the audacity to look offended. “I called for you at Harchings
House and was informed of your whereabouts.”

“You’re lying. We told no one we’d be here.”

“Now you’re the one being less than honest, unless Ana has been
spying.”

“You asked Ana? Who would ever think to do that?” She shared
everything with Ana, always had. “She’s a celludrone.”

Lord Adair raised a brow. His grin was still in place. “Are we having
this conversation again?”

Again?
That other conversation, the one that had ended with
Lord Adair throwing a dagger at her, had happened inside her head. How much
exactly had their minds shared? And how did he know Ana was unique? As
different from other celludrones, perhaps, as his own man, Neco?

As much as Lily wished to blot the entire memory from her
consciousness, there were too many questions piling up. “We need to talk.”

“For once, we’re in agreement.” Lord Adair chuckled. “But later. I
can’t wait to see you take to the skies.”

“Then you’re doomed to disappointment.”

“Ah, so this contraption belongs to the vivacious Lady Harchings,” he
said, his tone tagging a distinct
I should have known
onto the end.

“Some of us consider life too precious to waste on frivolous risks,”
she informed him frostily. “Not that I’d expect you to understand.”

He lost the grin, looking at her for an endless moment. When he spoke,
his voice was oddly tender on the rumble of his Scottish burr. “I understand.
Your mother died at a young age and under tragic circumstances. You have an
unnatural fear of death.”

Her spine stiffened as she recalled his previous impertinence on this
very topic. It no longer mattered how much had happened inside or outside the
bubble of this one peculiar spell. Apparently either was just as real to both
of them. “There’s nothing unnatural about fearing death.”

“Except when it becomes about fearing life.”

Lily was certain she’d win this argument, but just then she caught
sight of William dragging a wooden block by a rope and a horrendous thought
took precedence. “You didn’t tell anyone else we’d come to Battersea Park, did you?”

“No?” Lord Adair replied.

She felt suddenly light-headed at his hesitancy. Dear Lord, she’d
promised Evelyn. Sharing confidences with Ana had never been a problem before.
No one except for Aunt Beatrice, not even Evelyn, so much as suspected Ana was anything
other than an average piece of mechanical equipment. Until Lord Adair. But as
much as she wanted to blame him, she’d never forgive herself if she were
responsible for an irreparable breach in Evelyn’s marriage.

“Neither Ana nor I told anyone,” Lord Adair said with such conviction,
she believed him.

In spite of her earlier accusation, she doubted he’d be bothered to
tell a direct lie. He didn’t care enough about decorum, or sparing a lady’s
sensibilities, and in her experience, those were generally the reasons people
fibbed.

Once Lord Adair had helped William mount the air paddler, they left
instructions for him to inform Lady Evelyn they’d gone for a walk and would be
back shortly.

“Your man, Neco, he’s an enhanced celludrone like Ana, isn’t he?” Lily
asked as they set off down a narrow path winding through the ridge of tall Elms
that ringed the field. “Does he come from France, too? I thought Ana was one of
a kind, but it’s possible my father made another.”

“Your father made Ana?” Lord Adair held a low branch aside for Lily to
pass through, onto an open field of sweet grass and wildflowers. “Maybe you
should first tell me what else you think you know.”

Lily stooped to pluck the head of a lilac flower as she walked.

“My father was much older than my mother, an eccentric scientist by
all accounts.” She stripped off a petal and watched it float to the ground.
He’d died before her third birthday and she had no memory of him at all. “My
mother said he’d created Ana as his legacy to me, both a gift and a curse, as I
could never reveal she was in any way different.”