Read Online The Earl of Brass (The Ingenious Mechanical Devices Book 1) by Kara Jorgensen - Free Book Online Page B

anyone. People take airship rides to see the English countryside. It— it was a freak accident,” he responded meekly as he stabbed at his food with no intention of eating it now that his stomach was in knots.
    “Luckily, Eilian’s travelling days are over, Father. Now, he can devote his time to proper pursuits, like tending to the tenants on our land.”
    “Good point, Dylan. Maybe this is a blessing in disguise for you, Son. Now, you can get your head on straight and do what you were born to do.”
    Eilian’s jaw clenched and his teeth ground against each other. His ribcage tightened against his lungs as he suppressed the urge to bolt from the room. Staring at his father’s bearded, bisontine head as he loomed over his plate like a barbarian chieftain in a dinner jacket, he blurted out, “I’m going to the Negev Desert in autumn with Sir Joshua, and you can’t stop me.”
    Harland Sorrell’s iron eyes bulged. “I forbid it!”
    “You cannot forbid me to do anything. It is already settled.”
    “I will disin—”
    “Harland! Eilian! I will not have discord in my house the day before our party!” his mother seethed. “We will discuss this at an appropriate time!”
    Eilian knew the appropriate time would never come, but he didn’t want to hear what his father had to say. He already knew. Forget archaeology, forget who you are, be who I want you to be. It had been the same for twenty years. With the tip of his fork, he pushed the pieces of beef around his plate as the table lapsed into the clanking of silverware against china. As if nothing had occurred, Constance Sorrell gingerly placed her fork down, which hadn’t left her hand or mouth during the entire squabble, daintily wiped her mouth, and turned toward the head of the table with a bat of her filigree lashes.
    “Lady Dorset, who is coming to the party tomorrow? I had planned to ask when we first arrived, but you seemed so dreadfully busy with the menu this morning.”
    “It will be a small affair, not a party by any standard, just an intimate dinner. I invited the Earl of Bedford and his wife as well as their two daughters. I also invited the Viscount of Lisle, but he is dreadfully ill. His daughter, Lady Virtiline, will be coming with her brother Cecil instead.”
    “Have I met the Earl of Bedford?” Constance asked Dylan in her nasally little voice.
    “No, I don’t believe so. His daughter Maxine favored Eilian when we attended the same balls. She would always place herself near him, hoping he would ask her to dance, but he always ignored her. I think it only made her like him more.”
    “Eilian, I’m having you accompany her into the dining room tomorrow. You two should have a lot to talk to about. She recently returned from India. I believe, her uncle has some diplomatic post there. Do you remember Lady Virtiline, dear?”
    He thought for a moment. He clearly remembered Maxine as having large, blue eyes and sericeous, chestnut hair, but he only remembered her because he made it a habit of ignoring her. “I don’t think so. Should I?”
    She sighed. “I didn’t think you would. She was always hiding in the library at parties. Her mother would have to pry the books from her fingers and drag her back out to socialize. Oh, what a scene she could have caused, to be found in the library alone or if a young gentleman had been in there. Her mother was lucky that girl did not cause a scandal. I was only planning on inviting Cecil, as I thought he would be a good match for Lord Bedford’s youngest daughter, but when the viscount wrote back, he said Virtiline and Cecil would be coming. I thought it was quite impertinent for him to include her when she was not on the invitation. Maybe he thought she would be a good match for you, dear. Maybe she is. You both are quite bookish.”
    “Mother, while I appreciate that you would like to see me settled and have a family to pass the earldom down to, I would prefer it if I was allowed to find a wife on