Love and Other Machines by Alix James

Author:Alix James [James, Alix]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Alix James
Published: 2019-10-17T04:00:00+00:00

10

“Lizzy! Wherever have you been all afternoon? Mildred and I had begun to think you were carried off.” Jane made a place for me at the board and summoned the innkeeper to bring me a fresh cup as I sagged into the seat beside her.

“Not carried off, Jane,” I sighed, “but very nearly carried away.”

“What can you mean by that? You speak in riddles sometimes.” Jane saw to it that my cup was poured and then fell to gazing at the door. I supposed she was expecting her Mr. Bingley at any moment.

I savored the hot drink with no sugar or cream, depending on the earthy bitterness to drag my feet back to earth. I, the girl my mother had despaired of ever marrying off, had just received my first marriage proposal! Well, my second, if one counted my cousin, but one could hardly call that a proposal so much as the errant mutterings of a man with a terrible hangover.

This one had been real. A marriage proposal from the most unlikely of men! Outrageously wealthy. Ridiculously good-looking. And preposterously intelligent! What could have possessed him to fall for me?

Perhaps he was mad. Yes… bound for Bedlam, in all likelihood. A lucky escape that I had the presence of mind to refuse him before being overcome by the thrill of such a man finding me desirable. But really, he was more insulting than romantic, so I supposed the chances of me accidentally swooning into his arms were mercifully low.

“Ah, good afternoon, my dear Jane. And to you as well, Miss Elizabeth,” Mr. Bingley added as an afterthought. He had arrived during my musings and settled himself beside my sister. I wondered vaguely when he had begun using only her Christian name, but it probably had something to do with the way they had both been blushing when we all left the factory the night before.

“Has anyone seen Darcy this afternoon?” he asked. “He was to meet my foreman and me in the engine room, but he never arrived. I do hope it is not serious.”

“What is not serious, Charles?” Jane was seated a little too near her betrothed for strict propriety, and she was leaning forward and gazing at him as if he held the sun, moon, and stars in his hand.

“Why, the business he was attending to this morning. I do not suppose I have told you much of Georgiana, have I, my dear? She is his sister, and he was writing an urgent message to her. Or, at least, I saw her name on the letterhead. Perhaps there was more than just the missive to her, but seldom have I seen Darcy so agitated. Perhaps she was ill, the poor girl. He takes great care of her.”

“Is she of marriageable age?” Jane asked.

“Not yet. She is nearly sixteen, I believe. Darcy only took her out of school last summer and sent her to Ramsgate with her companion. I fancy she must have had some trouble with her health—her mother was of a delicate constitution as well, you know.

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