by Abby Ayles
* * *
It made absolutely no sense to her why he was continuing to visit her father’s museum, and undoubtedly seek her out. The only conclusion that seemed to make any sense at all to Lady Alexandra was that he was enjoying some sort of freak-show like in the circus.
* * *
He clearly found her misfortune and embarrassments wildly entertaining and so continued in her presence simply for the amusement of it all.
* * *
With this notion, Lady Alexandra was determined to turn that smoldering fire within her into a raging pit of hatred for the duke. She struggled to hold her composure with every glance he gave her way. She would have liked to shout at him, but certainly, that would only play into amusing him the more.
* * *
It was finally with the conclusion of Mr. Lucas’ speech that she let out the breath she was holding and clapped for the scientist.
* * *
“Are there any questions for me?” Mr. Lucas called out to the small crowd. “And, of course, you are more than welcome to come to the stage and inspect the creature closer,” he added when no questions were offered.
* * *
The duke stood and reached out a hand to Lady Alexandra to help her up to the podium and the stuffed porcupine.
* * *
“Thank you, your grace,” Lady Alexandra said with a tight smile. “But I have seen quite enough of that beast and had no need to get closer.”
* * *
“I can assure you in its present state it is quite harmless,” Lucas said with a jolly laugh.
* * *
Lady Alexandra supposed the scientist thought she feared it, or perhaps his explanation of quills shooting faster than a horse could run when threatened.
* * *
“That is not what I am currently fearing malice from,” she said under her breath before reluctantly taking the duke’s gentlemanly hand.
* * *
He watched her escort’s gleaming eyes shine with surprise at her words. She realized that she had spoken her mind much louder than she should have. After all, a lady’s opinion should only be given when asked for and no one had asked her thoughts on that matter.
* * *
Lady Alexandra pursed her lips closer together, hoping to control her wild tongue better. She only glanced at the thing as they stepped up on the small stage. The duke for his part studied it very intently.
* * *
Mr. Lucas stood behind the stuffed creature with his chest puffed out even farther than when the herpetological society had complimented him on his proper hibiscus placement.
* * *
“I do find the creature rather fascinating,” Raven said as he studied it. “And I must commend you on such a pristine specimen.”
* * *
“Perhaps you have some questions on the creature for me,” Mr. Lucas said, filled with confidence.
* * *
“Not a question, no. You see, I have encountered it many times in my travels and wonder if I could correct a few misconceptions that you gave today.”
* * *
Lady Alexandra watched as all the color drained from Mr. Lucas’ face. For her part, she was slightly perturbed as well that the duke would have such high airs to assume he could correct the lecture notes. After all, most of those facts and information came from her father’s extensive studies. It was only the information on the creature’s physical form and scientific purposes that Mr. Lucas had contributed to the animal's study.
* * *
“I don’t mean to offend, of course,” Raven said, quickly realizing that Mr. Lucas wouldn't receive any suggestions of misinformation very well.
* * *
“No, please do tell us, your grace,” Lady Alexandra chimed in. “After all, my father wanted this place to be a house of learning for all things natural. Learning cannot occur if there is no exchange of opinions. I am sure we can all learn so much from a man as worldly as you.”
* * *
Though Lady Alexandra’s words were dripping with keen interest and kindness, Raven was sure there was contempt behind her phrasing.
* * *
“It is only that, in my encounters that is,” he said, trying to express humility to the lady, “porcupines don’t shoot their quills at all. In fact, I have seen one swing around and strike at a poor creature with them.”
* * *
“They clearly have muscles at each quill entrance that can be contracted,” Mr. Lucas said, pushing up his glasses with a soft laugh.
* * *
“You are absolutely correct to this point,” Raven agreed. “Though it doesn’t eject the quills as one would imagine. Instead, they seem to perk up and are easier to remove when the barbed end opposite the animal strikes into something. Of course, this would be a simple mistake to make, and I would, of course, have come to the same conclusion if I had not seen it for myself.”
* * *
“How very fascinating,” Mr. Lucas said clearly agitated.
* * *
Though Lady Alexandra had hoped to put the duke in his place for contradicting her father, she also saw merits in what he was saying. It was, after all, the real intent of the museum to exchange information and to create a society better aware of the natural world around them. This couldn’t be accomplished with the spread of falsehoods.
* * *
There was, after all, some shockingly good merit to having a seasoned traveler mix and mingle with the men who rarely saw outside their labs. Mr. Lucas may have seen the finer minute details of the creature’s anatomy, but still, his knowledge was of little use without practical experience.
* * *
“The only other suggestions for amendments to your otherwise impeccable lecture,” the duke added a little reluctantly.
* * *
“Yes, please, I am happy to hear any of your grace’s suggestions,” Mr. Lucas said, however, his face didn’t show as such.
* * *
“Well,” Raven said a little reluctantly but also happy to stick it to the scientist who had looked down so affectionately throughout his talk. “You mentioned that the porcupine secretes a poison to coat the darts in.”
* * *
“Yes, it was very apparent that an oil secretion gland near the quills would also push out a liquid when the muscles were contracted,” Mr. Lucas tried to explain his reasoning quickly.
* * *
“I would beg you to reconsider the oil’s purpose. You see, porcupines love to climb trees. They are very slow, clumsy creatures and often fall out of them, jabbing themselves with the quills. It would seem to make little sense that they would poison themselves.”
* * *
“Climb trees? That seems a little outrageous. They neither have the body shape nor footing for it,” Mr. Lucas said with a little scoff.
* * *
Raven narrowed his eyes on the gentleman. He was trying to be polite about his corrections, but he didn’t have to be.
* * *
“I can assure you, sir, they do. Most often in the early months of spring. The new blossom buds that tip the trees of Virginia are very enticing for the little creatures after a long winter with little food. I would also add to the fact that the tribes of native people find the oil to have many medicinal purposes. Surely they wouldn’t if it was poison.”
* * *
“It is hard to say. Savages do have many strange customs,” Mr. Lucas responded.
* * *
“Certainly his reasoning has merit, Mr. Lucas,” Lady Alexandra interjected without even realizing she was coming to her recently sworn enemy’s aid. “It would not hurt to continue the study of the properties of the oil before coming to a definite conclusion.”
* * *
“Of course, you are right Lady Alexandra,” Lucas said with an affectionate smile. “You are always the level-headed one, aren’t you. I think what you propose is exactly what is needed. Some more time to study and experiment will most certainl
y divulge the truth of the matter.
* * *
I thank you, your grace, for your keen observations and knowledge. Were you not interested in seeing the conservatory?” Lucas offered by way of change of subject. “I know that you must be a very busy man and I would hate for you to miss it on account of me taking up too much of your time.”
* * *
“You are correct. I would like to take a turn of the newly remodeled room, if you would excuse us,” Raven said, holding out his arm to Lady Alexandra.
* * *
She considered making her own excuses and leaving him to walk the glass room alone. It wouldn’t have been right in front of so many witnesses, and she had already been a side-show enough for the duke. She wouldn’t make herself a spectacle any more than she had already been.
* * *
With a soft smile, she bid Mr. Lucas a good morning and slipped her gloved hand into the crook of the Duke of Raven’s arm.
Chapter Fifteen
Raven walked silently alongside Lady Alexandra wondering how deep her connection was to this Mr. Lucas.
* * *
He hadn’t considered she might have feelings for the man. It was clear that Mr. Lucas had intentions towards her, but he had never stopped to consider she might be feeling the same attraction to him.
* * *
If that was the case, he was sure that he only infuriated her more by calling to question Mr. Lucas’ lecture facts. Though he had only done so by her inspiring words the other night at the ball, Raven had never stopped to consider that his opinions and knowledge might not actually be wanted here when it countered their own.
* * *
“I didn’t mean to offend,” Raven said finally as he cleared his throat.
* * *
They were at the glass door that entered the greenhouse. He reached forward to open it for the both of them.
* * *
“In what way?” Lady Alexandra responded, as if he had made it his mission to offend her on every turn.
* * *
Raven cast his eyes down at her, though she didn’t meet his gaze. He was beginning to determine that Lady Alexandra was either a fierce woman who cared little for what others might think of her blatantly honest manners or had very little control over her tongue.
* * *
“I was not aware that I might have offended you in several ways this day. But I suppose, in that case, I will apologize on the whole. I do suppose I can be a sort of a tease in my words and I do apologize if my mannerisms offended you earlier. But that was not what I was referring to.”
* * *
“Then, pray tell. What were you referring to?” she asked, lifting her soft doe eyes to him in complete innocence of any other offense.
* * *
Raven gave an inward sigh of relief. Certainly, she couldn’t have feelings for Mr. Lucas if she didn’t take offense to his challenges on Lucas’ work.
* * *
Raven was about to explain that he had only meant to help and not harm or insult when the loud echoing caw of a bird caught his attention.
* * *
He lifted his eyes from the lady at his side to their surroundings. Of course, he had seen the fine greenery from the glass windows at a distance. As of yet, he hadn’t taken it in since entering their encasement. For a moment, he had to admit; his surroundings entranced him.
* * *
The air was much thicker and warmer inside, if that were even possible for such an early warmth to the spring. Raven could hear the sounds of several tropical birds making their calls back and forth.
* * *
Dotting the rich green plants were bright bursts of fantastical colored buds almost ready to burst open. A simple pebble path led a winding turn around the whole circle building. Everything else was richly filled with various plants, some even springing high up into the air.
* * *
A thick coating of mist hung low to the ground and fogged the windows facing outward. Along with the birds, Raven could see several species of butterflies soaring gracefully around the room.
* * *
The sound of water made him turn in its direction. A man was busy watering the plants along the paths in a painstakingly slow pace with a jug of water.
* * *
“I am sure you can imagine they need a great deal of water,” Lady Alexandra said, following Raven’s gaze. “It is a full-time job at present. Most of these plants come from areas that see rain at least once a day, or so that is what I am told,” she added quickly.
* * *
Raven wondered if she spoke that ending because she feared he might try to correct her too in a heavy-handed way. It returned him back to his subject at hand.
* * *
“I believe you have been correctly informed in that respect. At least, I can say that by what I have seen thus far. Which brings me to how I may have caused offense.”
* * *
He tore his eyes from the beautiful scenery that so reminded him of the great wild without the London city walls and looked down to the lady at his side.
* * *
She looked up at him with those large doe eyes and waited patiently for him to continue. For some reason having this lady’s complete attention was both intoxicating and mesmerizing all at once.
* * *
“When I gave those, shall we say suggestions, to your colleague, Mr. Lucas, I never meant it in a belittling fashion, or to say that I was looking down on the museum's expertise on the whole. In fact, I myself would have scarcely known such facts if I hadn’t encountered them myself.”
* * *
Raven took a deep breath realizing he was going on in a very ridiculous manner. For some unknown reason, he cared deeply for Lady Alexandra’s opinion of his person.
* * *
“I certainly wasn’t offended,” Lady Alexandra put him at ease. “Though I cannot say the same for Thomas. Mr. Lucas, I mean of course,” she amended quickly.
* * *
“Well I didn’t mean to upset him either, and I would be more than happy to apologize. I should have kept my opinion to myself.”
* * *
“I don’t think you should have at all,” Lady Alexandra said as they took a leisurely stroll around the gardens. “In fact, I think what this museum needs is more outside opinions. The same minds have been running it since my father first took it on. It needs some freshening up, in my opinion, more especially if they are incorrect.”
* * *
“Well, it does look that you have already done quite a bit of renewal in at least this room,” Raven said, letting his eyes sweep the room.
* * *
Though he had always enjoyed these indoor gardens with their array of colorful butterflies as a boy, it took on a completely different appearance now. Lady Alexandra had truly taken the idea of a year-round green room and turned it into a spectacular oasis.
* * *
“I hoped it might bring in more spectators, honestly,” Lady Alexandra replied, a little shyly.
* * *
At that very moment they rounded a bend of lush green trees to a small opening. It was more of a widening of the path in a semi-circle that looked on one large straight stick with a bird perched on top.
* * *
The bird was a fine tropical specimen with its short black beak, rich green feather coat, and highlights of red feathers poking in its wings. He was more or less walking the length of his stick back and forth absentmindedly removing small pieces of fruit hanging from a small tin pale at one end, walking to the other side, eating in, then repeating the process.
* * *
Upon their turning of the bend, the bird immediately perked up. He held still, his black talons curled tightly around the post and the crown of lime green feathers on his crown raising slightly in anticipation.
* * *
“I can’t imagine a beautiful gent such as this wouldn’t bring in crowds,” Raven said admiring the live creature.
>
* * *
“This is actually Miss Nutters.”
* * *
