Read Online A Matter of Circumstance and Celludrones by Claire Robyns - Free Book Online

noticed the pandemonium in the sky, she wasn’t letting
it stall her praise of the Browning family. “Mr. Browning is a senior clerk at
the Magistrates’ Court and he’s in the process of negotiating terms to open his
own law office.”
    “Will you excuse us for one second, Mrs. Browning?” Lily said sweetly.
She gripped Evelyn by the arm and pulled her aside.
    “I know,” Evelyn said. “The Browning’s aren’t of the social standing—”
    “It’s not the quality of the company you’re keeping that concerns me.”
Lily prodded at the air paddler with her eyes.
    Evelyn’s gaze followed. “He’ll take her up a few more feet and then
change gear to the horizontal flaps and start going forward.”
    “Evie, that thing is flying. In the sky.”
    Evelyn laughed softly. “What did you think air paddling was?”
    “You can paddle air just as well a few inches above the ground while
the wheels stay firmly on the ground,” she retorted through a clenched
jaw.
    “What would be the point in that?”
    “Oh, I don’t know.” Lily glared at her. “Not getting yourself killed?”
    “It’s no more dangerous than hot air ballooning. You really mustn’t
worry so, Lily, I promise you it’s safe. Ah, there’s William with the
Pedallosopede.” She waved him over while pulling Lily back in Mrs. Browning’s
direction. “Now, Margaret, you mentioned that our bloomer suits had come?”
    Mrs. Browning’s eyes lit up. “I’ve been awfully good and haven’t even
peeked. Do you think we could…?”
    “We most certainly should. Bloomer suits,” she informed Lily, “are the
latest in high fashion amongst the New York sporting set, although they’ve
taken to calling it practical fashion .”
    William arrived, pushing the air paddler alongside and clamping the
detached oars beneath one arm. He was a tall, lanky fellow and his head almost
reached the top of the triangular frame. “Mr. Browning said he’d be along in a
minute to lubricate the chains and he wants to check the steam valves.”
    “Thank you, William. We’ll leave you to it, then, while we go and
change.”
    Lily declined accompanying them to the private tent. She’d only rain
on their enthusiasm. Which would be fine, except Evelyn wasn’t listening.
    William set the oars carefully on the ground and wheeled the air
paddler toward her. “Would you mind holding this, m’lady, I need to find a
mounting block.”
    “No, of course not.” She grasped a handle bar in each hand, standing
at an awkward angle to avoid her skirts touching the chains and gears. How on
earth did Evelyn manage to pedal this thing without shredding her petticoats?
    A few more air paddlers had taken to the skies, some still rising and
others drifting forward at a snail’s pace, all peddling furiously. Children ran
along the side of the field, cheering them on. The ladies observed in a more
decorous manner while the men shouted up a medley of instructions and
conflicting advice.
    Lily couldn’t comprehend the fascination of floating precariously in mid-air.
One over-zealous gust of wind would end up in disaster.
    “This is the last activity I’d have expected to find you engaged in,”
came a slow drawl over her shoulder.
    She whipped her head around. Lord Adair, with his too-long hair and
impossible attitude. “What are you doing here?”
    “A pleasure to see you, too, my dear.” He tipped his hat in greeting
as he came around to grip the pipe extending from the front. “I’ll take this
for you. A lady should never be left holding the…” His gaze travelled up and down
the triangular pipe frame. “What is this thing called, anyway?”
    He was facing her, his legs braced over the wheel. His three-piece
suit was a dark brown, his shirt and neck cloth a crisp white. A fob chain
disappearing into his waistcoat pocket indicated the customary watch. His jaw
was closely shaven and a moderate stovepipe hid most of his unruly curls. All
the ordinary trappings, but not quite