Anna and Evelina leaned in with rapt interest while Theodora’s eyes remained locked on Maria’s.
“I apologize, Theo. I did not mean to upset you. It is just that…we mentioned before that you have never experience love, not even lust, or…” Maria paused. “Heavens, I cannot remember you ever saying you have fancied a young man before.”
Theodora could not hide the blush that covered her cheeks. Of course, there had been times she found someone of the opposite sex attractive or interesting, but she never felt the need to have those feelings consume her life like all the other young women of her acquaintance. To be honest, there was a part of her that felt there may be something wrong with her. The comings and goings of theton,and the relationships that sprouted from it, never held much interest to her.
“Regardless, Theo,” Maria continued, “if you truly want to champion your theory, then prove it.”
She cocked her head to the side and thought about what Maria suggested.
A smile broadened on Anna’s face. “I agree. If you are so academically inclined, which we all know you are…” She dipped her chin towards Theodora. “…why not test your theory?”
Evelina huffed. “All right now, ladies. That is enough. We may gossip about everyone else, but we are here for each other. We all know Theodora’s interest lies in letters and numbers, not men. We do not need to push her to do?—”
Theo sat up suddenly. “No. They are right!”
She met Evelina’s eyes. She knew her sister was trying to shield her, but she did not want protection. Anna and Maria were indeed right. She considered herself a natural philosopher like Galvani and Giovanni Aldini. And, like those men of science, she needed to gather and analyze information. She needed to prove her hypothesis that emotion, more importantly love, was nothing but a biological reaction.
“We are?” Anna and Maria asked at the same time.
She looked at both of them expectantly.
“You are one hundred percent right. If I am to prove to you, and to everyone, that love is just a biological response to a stimulus, then I need to get into the field and prove it!” Theodora smiledto herself as her mind whirled with ideas of how to lay out her experiment.
“Oh, no.” Evelina sighed. “She hasthatlook again.”
“Hush, Eve. You do know that this experiment may save you too.” Theodora smiled smugly at her sister.
“What doesyourexperiment have to do withme?” Evelina scoffed before adding, “And how would you go about this experiment, Theo? You hate talking to people, especially men.”
Theodora’s eye glittered with excitement. “It just so happens I have been working on a theory that I can put into play by simply socializing with men.”
That caught the ladies’ attention at once.
“Do go on,” Anna said intrigued.
“I have created what I call ‘The Seven Stages of Romantic Delusion.’”
Anna and Maria tittered at her announcement.
“Delusion?” Anna questioned.
Theodora quickly nodded her head. “Yes, delusion, because, as I already stated, it is a biological response, not some mystical,magical sense that takes over your body.” She waved her hands in the air as if to cast a spell.
“These seven stages will prove it is a biological response and if my theory is correct, which it will be,” she added to Evelina, “I can therefore avoid any sense of the circus that thetonhas built up around love and go on with my life.”
Evelina considered her sister for a moment. “Fine, but have you considered what will happen if your experiment fails?”
“I will not fail,” Theodora said confidently.
Evelina laughed. “I know the concept of you failing is so far removed from your senses, but my memory is long and I remember quite a few of your previous experiments ending in ruins.”
Theodora lifted a shoulder. “So, what if I do fail? You all can go on living your happy lives with the notion that love is all you need.” Theodora winced. Just saying that made her stomach tighten with unease.
Evelina shook her head slowly as a knowing smile spread across her lips.
Theodora furrowed her brows. “What is it?”
“My dear sister, for someone who is so intelligent you seem to be missing the other side to your argument. If you go ahead withyour experiment, in whatever capacity it is, and you find a man to test your theory on, and you develop feelings that you could only describe as love…” She waved her hand in front of her, as if to lead her sister to her point but Theodora stared blankly back.
