Evelina let out a heavy sigh. “Theo, if you fail, do you intend to marry? Because this experiment could quite possibly ruin you.”
Theodora grimaced in her direction and Evelina stuck her tongue out at her sister.
“Well…” Her heart thudded at the possibility of failing. “I guess, I will only marry the man who proves my theory wrong. But I am convinced that this will never happen.”
Anna gasped, Evelina’s eyes widened, and Maria clapped her hands.
“This is exciting. You must start right away!” Maria chimed.
Anna jumped up, ran to Theodora, and pulled her to her feet. “You must start at our anniversary party next week. There will be plenty of eligible suitors there, although it is a masquerade…but you will have your pick either way!”
Theodora’s head began to swim. Excitement mixed with dread filled her veins. The thought of finally proving her theory that love did not exist was exhilarating but the actual implementation of the experiment was daunting. If she proved her theory correctly, then she would be able to say with finalitythat her father never loved her mother. Her results could discourage her friends who had found the delusion of love in their husbands. It would be a heartbreaking discovery but one she must prove correct to make sense of it all.
“Theo?” Anna’s soft voice pulled her back to reality.
Theodora returned her smile. “It is set, then. I will commence on my theory to test the seven stages of delusion next week at your party.”
Maria joined Anna; their excitement was palpable. “What’s the first stage? I want to know what I am looking for, after all. The day Theodora Dowell willingly engages in thetonis a day worth remembering.”
Theodora’s hand went to her hip. She carried her notebook tucked away in a pocket. It was her most prized possession filled with thoughts, observations, and theories. She opened to her lengthy list of notations.
“I will get us more tea,” Evelina said as the ladies resumed their seats comfortably around Theodora and she began reading the stages to disprove the existence of love.
“The seven stages of romantic delusion. Field notes written by myself, Theodora Dowell.”Her friends laughed with delight as she gave an exaggerated bow before she continued.“The objective of the study is to demonstrate that what society calls ‘romantic love’ is in fact a predictable sequence of biological,cognitive, and territorial responses. Each stage shall be observed, measured, and thereafter disproven as ‘love’.”
Anna bounced on her seat giddily and interrupted, “Oh, Theo, this is so exciting!”
“Imagine,” Maria enthused, “Our little Theodora is going to conduct an experiment,a real one?—”
“I always conduct real experiments, Maria.” Theodora rolled her eyes as her friends giggled.
“I meant no offense, Theo, I just meant that this particular experiment might change the way we forever think about ourselves and our feelings.”
Theodora tapped her index finger nervously along the next set of words she meant to read aloud. She wanted to do something significant. She dreamed of changing the world, but the thought of actively seeking out a suitor and trying to produce some sort of affection between them made her stomach churn.
What sort of man might I attract and who might delude themselves into falling in love with a scientist like me?
CHAPTER 2
Stage One: Initial Attraction
Mechanism: Visual Symmetry Bias
Aim: To prove that “love at first sight” is merely the brain’s preference for balanced features, familiar proportions, or one’s predetermined “type.”
Method:
Record first impressions of Subject.
Compare reaction intensity to facial symmetry ratios.
