Page 16 of Inventing Vivian

Chapter 4

Vivian held open the heavydoor of the Belcourt Assembly Hall and stepped aside to allow her friends Hazel and Elizabeth to enter. They stepped into the main lobby and stood for a moment on the Oriental rugs beneath the enormous gas-powered chandelier. Dark-paneled walls surrounded them between sets of doors that led to various entertaining rooms.

“It feels strange to be here again, doesn’t it?” Hazel said, shivering visibly.

The other two followed her gaze toward the ballroom doors. Beyond, in a small parlor off the ballroom, just a few months earlier, a double murder had taken place. The ladies of the Blue Orchid Society had been instrumental in helping Sophie and Inspector Graham find the criminals responsible.

“The villains are locked away in Newgate, and London is safe from two more plutocrats who exploit the lower classes for their financial gain.” Elizabeth walked purposefully past the ballroom doors to the easel with the board advertising James Clerk Maxwell’s lecture. “And the case was solved in part by a woman”—she shot a wicked grin at the other two—“along with her supremely intelligent friends, which makes it that much more delicious.”

“One should never underestimate the Blue Orchid Society,” Hazel said, grinning at the others. She tapped the brooch that fastened her collar, an orchid painted in shades of blue on a mother-of-pearl background surrounded by silver filigree. The others wore the same accessory, a gift from Dahlia and a physical representation of their sisterhood.

In the months since they had met in the Marquess of Molyneaux’s library, the five women had become fast friends and so much a part of one another’s lives that Vivian could scarcely imagine her world without the others. Just the thought of Hazel leaving for Spain to spend Christmas with her father in a few months made her throat tight.

“Just so.” Elizabeth tapped her own brooch and winked. She looked at the board and sighed. “The lecture doesn’t even begin for another hour.” She folded her arms and turned toward the others. “No wonder we’re the only ones here.”

“I wanted to make certain we had good seats,” Vivian said.

Hazel cracked open the door of the lecture hall and peeked inside. “It looks like we shall have our choice.”

Vivian chose a seat with a good view of both the speaker and the door. Her friends sat on either side, and she was grateful for their support. She was beginning to get nervous. She took the notebook and a pencil from her bag and held them on her lap, ready to jot down notations. She left the folder containing her diagrams inside and tucked the bag carefully beneath her chair. Once everything was in order, she sighed, feeling very pleased. Discussing mathematical physics was such an agreeable way to spend an afternoon. And if all went to plan, she would be one step closer to entering the International Exhibition of Industry and Science.

“A pity Sophie and Dahlia couldn’t come today,” Hazel said.

The others agreed. Of course they would have preferred to have all of the Blue Orchid Society members in attendance, but with the scandal of Sophie’s hunt for a murderer among London’s upper Society still so fresh in people’s minds, she preferred to keep her distance from events where her presence wasn’t specifically required. As for Dahlia, being anywhere she might happen to encounter Lord Ruben was still painful.

“One can hardly blame them,” Elizabeth replied.

“I’m very glad the two of you accompanied me,” Vivian said. “I believe you’ll find Mr. Maxwell’s theory of electromagnetic radiation to be fascinating.”

“I’m always pleased to go where women are underrepresented,” Elizabeth said, settling back into her seat. “It’s important to remind men that intelligence exists among our gender.”

“And we couldn’t let you do this alone.” Hazel squeezed Vivian’s hand.

Over the next hour, the room filled. And, as Elizabeth had predicted, there were very few women. Many of the people Vivian recognized, and she craned her neck, hoping specifically to see Baron Abernathy Harrington. She had it on good authority that the baron would attend the lecture, and this was the perfect venue to approach him.

“He’ll be here,” Hazel said when Vivian leaned back for a better view. “I heard him tell my uncle just yesterday that he planned to attend.”

Vivian nodded. “It is difficult to be patient.”

Elizabeth patted her hand. “Just a few more...” Her voice trailed off as her glance darted to the door. Her lip curled. “Ugh. The Casanovas have arrived.”

Vivian stifled a laugh at her friend’s expression. She glanced at the door as well.

The four men stepped into the room. Lord Ruben stood in the middle of his gang, looking particularly proud of himself. The enormous red gem on his tie glinted in the light, as did the matching ornaments worn by his three friends. Vivian wondered for a brief moment what had happened to Lord Everleigh’s ruby when he went to prison. Had he left it with a family member? Or was he wearing it even now in his Newgate cell?

Lord Meredith, Ruben’s closest friend, stood beside him, and on the other side were Lord Chatsworth and Lord Benedict.

“Lord Ruben seems pleased to have his friend back from China, doesn’t he?” Elizabeth said in a low voice that only the other two could hear. “Another person to laugh at his jokes and tell him how brilliant he is.”

“Lord Covington doesn’t resemble his deceased brother at all, does he?” Hazel said.

“Not with that long hair, he doesn’t,” Elizabeth replied. “And does the man ever smile? He looks positively dour.”

“I’d heard him described as good-humored,” Hazel said. “But he did just lose his brother.”

It took a moment for Vivian to realize whom her friends were speaking about. “He prefers to continue to be called Lord Benedict,” she said.

Both women stared at her with brows raised.

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