Surrender (53 page)

or would you prefer to observe?"

 
Heavens, it is always far more interesting

to participate in an experiment than to

merely observe it. I should greatly enjoy

helping you test your concoctions. It should

prove most enlightening."

Sir Alfred was much flattered, as was

everyone else in the room. doctor
 
Thornby

stepped forward to take charge again.
 
Now

then, I shall put the notebook here on the

table and each of us must write a clear,

concise description of our sensations as we

proceed from glass to glass. I propose we

each start with straight brandy first and

record our reactions to it before we move

on to the various tonic mixtures."

 
Yes, of course," the vicar exclaimed.
 
We

need to be able to judge the differences

between the pure spirits and the spirits

infused with other ingredients. Very clever

of you, Thornby."

Victoria frowned consideringly as a

thought struck her.
 
Might it not be

best if at least one of us stayed with

the pure spirits for the entire experiment?

That way the reactions of those using the

various concoctions can be judged against

the use of spirits alone at every point."

There were several immediate nods of

approval.

 
Brilliant idea, your ladyship," Sir Alfred

said.
 
You are obviously quite conversant

with such scientific investigation tech

niques."

I have had some experience," Victoria

admitted modestly.
 
As it was my idea and

as I have no particular physical complaint

to alleviate this afternoon, I shall volunteer

to stick with the spirits alone."

 
Very helpful of you, Lady stone vale.

Very helpful, indeed," doctor
 
Thornby said.

 
Let us begin." He graciously extended a

glass of brandy to Victoria.

Lucas was appalled at the sight that

greeted him that afternoon when he

returned from a visit to one of his

tenants. A very unsteady Victoria was

being assisted up the front steps by her

maid and two very concerned footmen.

Lucas threw his horse's reins at the groom

and hurried forward.

 
My God, what is the matter here? Are

you ill, Vicky?" He peered at her with deep

concern.

 
Oh, hello, Lucas." She turned a beatific

smile upon him and nearly lost her balance

in the process.
 
Did you enjoy being a

cautious, conservative prig all day? I have

spent my time this afternoon in a far more

useful fashion. I have been conducting a

little
 
." She paused to burp discreetly.
 
A

little experiment."

A spicy cloud of brandy fumes wafted

past Lucas's nose. He glared at the anxious

maid as the truth dawned on him.
 
I will take care of

her ladyship," he announced

in a voice laced with steel.

 
Yes, my lord. I'll run have cook prepare

some nice tea for her ladyship."

 
Don't bother," Lucas growled as he

caught Victoria around the waist.

He got her past the anxious gazes of the

butler, two more footmen, and a couple

of housemaids, and finally, he got her up

the stairs and into bed. As she sprawled

gracefully back on her pillows, Victoria

smiled once more and regarded him with

a dreamy gaze.

 
Lucas, dear, you really must learn not

to look so frightfully menacing. You do

have a nasty habit of glaring, you know."

 
What the devil have you been drinking?"

She frowned.
 
Let me see. Brandy, for

the most part, I believe. Did I explain

about the experiment?"

 
Not precisely, but we can go into the

details later."

 
Oh, dear, does that mean another

lecture?"

 
Yes, I am afraid it does, Vicky," Lucas

said grimly.
 
I will tolerate a great deal

from you, my dear, but I will not have

you coming home foxed in the middle of

the afternoon, and that is final."

 
I believe you will have to read me the

lecture later, Lucas. I do not feel very well

at the moment." Victoria turned on her

side and grabbed wildly for the chamber

pot under the bed.

Lucas sighed and held her head. She was

right. The lecture would have to wait.

As it turned out, the lecture was put

off until the following morning. Victoria

tried to avoid it entirely by waking late

and announcing she would take tea in her

room. But a maid arrived shortly after nine

with a request from Lucas that his wife

attend him in his library at ten.

Victoria briefly considered the odds of

getting out of the nasty business altogether

by claiming to be still indisposed from the

effects of the scientific experiment but the

pragmatic side of her nature interfered.

May as well get the thing over and done,

she told herself as she got slowly out of

bed. She scowled as a faint headache flared

behind her eyes. At least her stomach was

stable again. When her maid appeared with

tea, Victoria drank the entire pot and felt

somewhat better.

She chose the brightest yellow and white

morning gown in her wardrobe and dressed

as carefully as if she were going out for a

formal visit before she headed reluctantly

downstairs.

Lucas rose from behind his wide desk,

scanning her face carefully as she entered

the room.

Please sit down, Vicky. I must admit

you are looking none the worse for wear.

I congratulate you on your excellent

constitution. I know several men who

would be in a much less viable condition

after the sort of
 
experiment" you engaged

in yesterday afternoon."

 
Scientific progress exacts a certain toll,"

Victoria said with dignity as she sat down.

 
I am proud that I have made some small

contribution to the welfare of mankind."

 
A contribution to the welfare of man

kind?" Lucas's mouth twitched.
 
Is that

what you call it? You came home

thoroughly cup-shot in the middle of

the day and you tell me it was all in

the name of intellectual inquiry?"

 
I have done far more risky things in

the name of intellectual inquiry," Victoria

retorted meaningfully.
 
Only consider the

fact that I am married to a man who will

not even let me spend my own money as I

see fit. And all because I fell victim to the

dangers of another sort of experiment."

His mouth hardened into a grim line.

 
Do not try to deflect me by hurling old

accusations. It is your behavior yesterday

that is under consideration here. What,

precisely, were you doing at the vicar's?"

 
Sampling medicinal drafts in order to

log their various effects," Victoria informed

him, her chin at a haughty angle. Just

let him dare to find fault with such a

pure, scientific investigation, she thought

wrathfully.

 
And those medicinal drafts were all

based on brandy?"

 
No, of course not. Some of the herbs

were dissolved in ale and not a few were

infused with sherry and claret. We were

not certain which spirits mixed best with

the herbs, you see."

 
Good Lord. How many glasses of this

experiment did you drink?"

Victoria massaged her temples. The

headache was getting worse.
 
I do not

remember precisely, but I am sure it is all

carefully recorded in doctor
 
Thornby's book

of experiments."

 
The vicar and his wife were involved

in this?"

 
Well, actually, I fear misses Worth dozed

off quite early on," Victoria said placatingly.

 
And the vicar had a rather large dose of

one of the concoctions and went into a

corner to sit facing the wall for the duration

of the experiment."

 
I dread to ask what concoctions you

swallowed."

Victoria brightened.
 
Oh, I stuck with

pure spirits the entire time, Lucas. Mine

was the standard by which the effects of

the other mixtures were judged. It was a

very important part of the experiment."

Lucas swore softly and fell silent. The

ticking of the tall clock grew very loud in

the room. Victoria began to get restless.

 
I fear I shall have to lay down yet

another rule for you, madam," Lucas said

at last.

 
I was afraid of that." She wanted to

fight back but her head was hurting too

much. She could not seem to generate

any enthusiasm for the conflict. She just

wanted to retreat to her bed and lie

down.

Lucas ignored her morose expression,

but his voice was surprisingly gentle when

he explained the new rule.
 
Henceforth,

you will not engage in any further scientific

experiments without my approval. Is that

quite clear?"

 
As usual, you have made yourself

excruciatingly clear, my lord." Victoria

rose, her head high.
 
Marriage is a rather

dull business for a female, is it not? No

adventuring, no intellectual inquiry, no

freedom to spend one's money as one

sees fit. I wonder how women survive it

for a lifetime without expiring from sheer

boredom."

She got up and went out the door.

Lucas lay in bed that night and watched

the moon through his window. There

had been no sound from Victoria's room

since something large and heavy had been

dragged in front of the connecting door an

hour ago.

He had listened to her barricade herself

in her bedchamber with some annoyance.

He did not like the idea of her pushing