I Thee Wed Read Free Page A

tiniest sense of the absurd, she was sure she would promptly fall in love.
    Alas, Mr. Worthington remained entirely somber. Hischiseled features portrayed only the thinnest veneer of interest in the social niceties. He looked very much like a man who thought chatting about the weather was a shameful waste of valuable air.
    Of course, Francesca rather agreed with that, but she decided that on Mr. Worthington, it looked ever so slightly . . . well, rude. How disappointing.
    She ought not to jump to conclusions. When she’d first arrived at Blayne House, she’d thought Sir Geoffrey pompous and self-important, and Judith impossibly unemotional. And look how that had turned out!
    Sir Geoffrey dripped pretensions from every word, and Judith was more like a decorative object than a person. However, that did not mean that all of Francesca’s snap judgments would be so accurate. That was a gamble she was bound to lose someday.
    Fine, then. Step forward to be introduced to Mr. Orion Worthington and see for yourself
.
    I will. Just as soon as my toes uncurl!
    *   *   *
    O RION LONGED TO see the famous Blayne House laboratory. Unfortunately, Sir Geoffrey was expounding.
    Again.
    â€œYou and I, son! We shall be unstoppable in the race to isolate chlorophyll!”
    Orion nodded.
    Sir Geoffrey went on. “Let’s teach those damned French pharmacist upstarts!”
    Orion knew he was referring to Joseph Caventou and Pierre Pelletier, who were more than mere pharmacists, of course. Sir Geoffrey had a keenly developed sense of competition. While Orion saw no point in competing with anyone but himself, he had no objection to serving Sir Geoffrey’s goal.
    He only wished that he dared employ his usual tactic ofsimply walking away from boring conversation. His sister Elektra had sat him down and delivered strict instructions on how to suffer through social niceties.
    â€œStand or sit for as long as necessary. Nod when someone is talking, so that they know you are listening. You don’t have to talk. In fact, I think you’d best not, or you’ll say something dreadfully accurate and entirely too truthful. Look at their faces.” She’d poked him in the chest with a slender finger. “And pay attention.”
    Sir Geoffrey rocked back on his heels and narrowed his eyes at Orion. “You know, son, I’m taking a chance on you. If it were not for your sister’s marriage to that Lord Aaron fellow—” Sir Geoffrey sounded mystified by precisely how such a match might have come about, but Orion wasn’t about to enlighten him. Elektra would not appreciate gaining a reputation as an armed kidnapper, no matter how accurately the description might apply.
    â€œAnd of course, you’ve made quite a name for yourself, at least in amateur circles—”
    Orion did not consider himself an amateur, but he recalled Elektra’s warning that accuracy made for poor conversation, and kept quiet. Should he nod again? He gave it a try. Sir Geoffrey seemed to think it appropriate.
    â€œSo I feel it is highly probable—if your reputation proves true and you are as much of an asset to my work as I hope you are—that I will indeed be sponsoring you to the Royal Fraternity of Life Sciences!”
    I am more intelligent than any of the current membership, so I have no doubt of it.
    Accurate, but Elektra had warned him against being accurate.
    He nodded again. However, this time Sir Geoffrey seemed to expect something more. Orion held his impatience in check. This was no different from attempting an extremely particular chemical process. If one kept trying, one would determine the best sequence.
    He tried again. “Thank you, Sir Geoffrey. I will work very hard.”
    There. Accurate, yet vague.
    And incredibly boring.
    Sir Geoffrey didn’t seem to think Orion’s gratitude boundless enough. “We shall see. You have a rather difficult reputation,