who doesn't give a thought to economy,
I shall have no choice but to treat you as
such. But we both know you are too smart
to act that way just to spite me."
Are you forbidding me the free use of my
money
I am forbidding you to risk a vast sum
on a project you know nothing about
except that your aunt's man of affairs
recommends it."
I have made a great deal of money from
some of Mister Beckford's recommendations."
You have also lost money on some of
them. I have seen the evidence in your
accounts. Mister Beckford has been far from
infallible," Lucas said, flipping recklessly
through Victoria's business ledger.
One must expect to take a few losses
when one is playing for important stakes."
There are many men far wealthier than
you who have brought their families to ruin
with that attitude."
Say it, damn you. Say the words, Lucas.
Tell me to my face I no longer have any
control over my inheritance."
Lucas gave up trying to salvage the
situation.
Vicky, I thought I had made it
clear that just because I choose to indulge
you in some of your wilder notions, it does
not mean I will allow you to manipulate me
whenever you wish. One way or another
you will learn that."
Say it, Lucas." Her eyes continued to
challenge him boldly and her smile was
deliberately taunting.
Lucas swore very softly.
Very well,
madam, since you are obviously determined
to force this issue into a full-scale
battle, I will give you what you seem to be
looking for, namely an opponent. You are
hereby forbidden to invest in the colliery
project. I shall instruct your bankers that
you are to be given a small quarterly
allowance and nothing more unless I
personally authorize it."
She stared at him in stunned amazement,
clearly shocked by the extent of his
retaliation.
I do not believe this. You
cannot possibly mean what you say. To
forbid me to invest in the coal-mining
project is one thing, but to forbid me
any use of my money at all is
is
unbelievable."
Lucas leaned back in his chair and
studied her dispassionately. She really did
look taken aback. This was obviously not
the outcome she had expected when she
had begun the skirmish.
I can understand your surprise," he said
gently.
I am quite certain that when you
walked in here a few minutes ago, you were
fairly sure you would walk out the victor.
You are too shrewd to have launched the
assault without first being convinced you
stood a good chance of winning. But you
underestimated me, my dear, and I fear
you will persist in losing these skirmishes
if you do not stop doing that. A good
field marshal never makes the mistake of
underestimating her opponent."
You speak as if we are on a battlefield."
Lucas nodded bleakly.
I fear that is
precisely the situation you have created."
And to think I actually thought you
were going to make a tolerable husband
after all." She whirled around and flew
to the door. Not pausing to give him
a chance to get there ahead of her, she
yanked it open.
Where do you think you are going,
Vicky?"
Out." Her smile could have separated
him from his skin.
Vicky, if you think you can fly off in a
tantrum and go looking for some mischief,
you are sadly mistaken."
Have no fear, my lord, I shall be in quite
unexceptional company. I am attending
a meeting at the vicar's. I'll wager that
even you, with your newfound proper,
conservative airs and priggish ways, cannot
find anything to say against my spending
the afternoon in such a gathering."
What sort of society is holding this
meeting?"
One devoted to the investigation of
curious matters," she retorted loftily.
I might be able to find time to
accompany you," he began carefully.
Good gracious, Lucas, that is quite
impossible. I am certain you are far
too busy to join me. You have so
many thoughtful, important decisions to
make right here." She went out the door,
slamming it pointedly behind her.
Lucas winced as the lamps shivered
under the impact. He sat in silence for
a moment and then got deliberately to his
feet to cross the room and pour himself a
glass of brandy.
He stood at the window to drink it and
told himself morosely that it was going to
be a long campaign. He had sadly deluded
himself when he had decided the difficult
part would be over once he got her to
marry him. It was obvious the truly hard
work came after the wedding.
Good God. Had he really turned a touch
priggish under the weight of his newfound
responsibilities? He wondered.
Victoria was still fuming by the time she
reached the comfortable home of the vicar
and his wife. But she managed a charming
smile as she was shown into a pleasant,
sunny room full of various members of the
local gentry and their ladies. The welcome
was gratifyingly warm and her ill humor
faded quickly.
Welcome to our little society meeting,
Lady stone vale. We have all been concen
trating our attentions of late on trying to
prepare an improved remedy for gout and
rheumatic pains," misses Worth explained
after the introductions had been made.
She waved to a table full of small glasses.
Each contained a liquid.
Medicinal herbs
and plants are a great interest for most of
us. Sir Alfred, here, for example, is quite
hopeful of claiming the Society of Arts'
prize for discovering a means of increasing
opium-poppy production in England. He
has obtained a very high-quality product,
indeed."
How exciting," Victoria said.
You
should feel quite proud of yourself, Sir
Alfred."
Sir Alfred blushed modestly.
And doctor
Thornby over there has been
experimenting with various tinctures and
decoctions that combine alcohol and other
ingredients such as liquorice, rhubarb, and
camomile."
It was doctor
Thornby's turn to be flushed
with pride.
Fascinating," Victoria murmured, examining
the various glasses.
My aunt and
I have attended many medical lectures
on such matters. Have you had much
success?"
As you know, doctor
Thornby began
with barely contained enthusiasm,
the
combination of alcohol and opium in
laudanum is quite effective for pain relief
but tends to make the sufferer extremely
drowsy. This is fine for certain ailments
but not for more chronic problems such as
gout or rheumatic pains or certain, ahem,
women's ailments. Something is needed
for these which brings relief but does not
induce sleep."
You want a pain-relieving concoction
that will allow the sufferer to go about his
daily routine," Victoria said with a quick
nod of understanding.
Very important
research. Very important, indeed."
The farmers and laborers in my area of
the country have achieved some success on
their own through trial and error," remarked
a plump gentleman in the corner.
They've
developed some excellent remedies."
The problem," said another,
is lack of
standardization and analysis. Every family
has its own remedies of course, but
each recipe has been handed down for
generations and is the result of tradition
and folklore rather than proper scientific
principles and study. Every housewife has
her particular recipe for cough syrup, for
example, but no two mixtures are quite
the same."
Obviously there are several aspects of
the problem to be studied," Victoria noted.
Quite true." doctor
Thornby approached
the table.
But there is only one scientific
approach to the problem. We must conduct
an experiment and take careful notes.
Each of these glasses contains a particular
remedy. Our goal today is to see which
of them creates an immediately soothing
effect without bringing on sleep."
What about the actual relief of pain?"
Victoria asked with deep interest.
How
will you measure that? I am not, myself,
suffering even a headache at the moment."
We will have to do that in a second
phase of the experiment," the vicar con
ceded.
Difficult to find five or ten people
all having an attack of the gout or a
headache at the same time, I'm afraid."
As it happens," misses Worth said
helpfully,
I have a touch of rheumatic
pain this afternoon."
And my gout's been flaring up," another
member of the group offered.
I have been suffering from toothache all
day," declared an elderly gentleman.
I do believe I have a headache," Lady
Alice volunteered.
The vicar brightened, as did doctor
Thornby
and Sir Alfred.
Excellent, excellent. We may be able to
accomplish both phases of the experiment
today." Sir Alfred's glance was both shy
and distinctly hopeful as he looked at
Victoria.
Understand you have an interest
in this sort of thing, Lady stone vale.
Would you care to join us in our testing