Inventing Vivian (The Blue Orchid Society, #2) by Jennifer Moore

Author:Jennifer Moore [Moore, Jennifer]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Covenant Communications, Inc.
Published: 2021-06-06T18:30:00+00:00

Chapter 12

Vivian ate quietly, listening to the men discuss philosophy and biting her tongue when she wanted to comment. She had quite a few opinions on the matter, truth be told. The idea of the workings of the universe being explained merely as a balance between opposites was so simplistic. The universe operated on precise principles and laws of science, not harmony or inner peace or any of that rubbish.

She was pleased that her father seemed to enjoy the conversation though. He loved to explore new ideas and ways of looking at the world. And Lord Benedict’s Oriental ideology was certainly novel, as were his eating habits. It was not difficult to deduce, based on his Eastern viewpoints and the way he ate around the roast beef on his plate that he and Zhang Wei were not pantophagous. They didn’t eat meat. That, at least, was easily solved.

She wasn’t certain, but His Lordship seemed to have something weighing on his mind. During quiet stretches in the conversation, she saw his brow wrinkle, and occasionally, he seemed to have to pull himself out of his thoughts to return to the conversation. Was he displeased with the company? She didn’t think he was, but then again, Vivian was not known for her ability to discern emotions in people or to react to them correctly. Perhaps she was misreading Lord Benedict’s mental state.

Once dinner had ended, the company returned to the drawing room.

Vivian’s father walked with his canes, moving noticeably slower than he had earlier. He must be tiring. It was becoming more and more difficult for him to move about—especially in the evenings. She considered whether he would agree to a wheeled chair. That was a conversation they would need to have soon, and he wouldn’t be happy about it.

When they were again seated in the drawing room, Chester enthusiastically showed the group his frog jump. The others responded with applause.

Chester put his fist against his palm and bowed, and Zhang Wei beamed. Vivian didn’t know when she’d ever seen a person whose smile could transform their face so completely. The man’s round cheeks lifted until his eyes were nearly closed, and his smile was so wide she could see teeth in the very back of his mouth. A person could not help but smile in return.

Lord Benedict smiled as well, but for an instant, he seemed distracted.

At her aunt’s urging, Vivian demonstrated the Podiatric Warming Appa-ratus, explaining how the fireplace heat could be channeled and focused on a specific location.

As she attached the hose to the side of the hearth, Vivian watched Lord Benedict’s reaction from the corner of her eye. Apprehension made her shoulders tight. Would he make a joke? Dismiss her as Baron Harrington had?

Lord Benedict came to stand beside her at the hearth. He tipped his head, watching the pinwheel turn as the heat rose from the fire. “Ingenious,” he said. His brows pulled together. “I wager this device would be in high demand if you should ever decide to patent and sell it.

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