November 21, 1882
Residence of L. Gantry, Dr.sc.geo
Sutton
New College was considering a temporary posting for the Professorship in the School of Mining and Engineering. That meant that she was being pushed out by bureaucracy. Lesley insisted that she need not worry, that such a decision was very political and wouldn’t happen in the immediate future. Get to Java, predict something accurately or test one of her mechanical designs - anything, he told her. Thus the travel arrangements were hastily made.
To make things worse, Pierce had become impossible to work with. At first, he communicated, mostly about what he’d done or was doing. Then, the letters and telegrams drastically reduced to terse or incomplete responses. Finally, her requests for updates and any needs he might have were sporadic at best. Now, he’d stopped communicating all together.
Pierce was a strange man, shy and introverted. She’d hardly expected eloquent speeches and multi-paged replies. In fact, she was a little surprised at how much he did initially say, though it tended mostly to be about his progress. Polite chitchat was absolutely ignored, and that was fine, at first. If he wanted to focus on the job, Lettie was content.
Late in the week, she sent him a note asking if she could come to visit. Not a word was sent back. Deciding that she’d somehow lost his interest, after all that was what always seemed to happen to her, she boldly arrived at his doorstep at a reasonable hour.
The landlady had no idea where he was or where he’d been for the last month. His luggage and much of his equipment had been missing for a week, perhaps more. It appeared that he had gone away to finish his project. It was unusual, but not completely out of character for the very quiet man. He had done so once before.
Lettie was devastated. Had she pestered him too much, and he felt he had to hide from her? No, her requests and discourse were completely within the bounds of such a relationship between scientists. She had done nothing more than she had when arranging to visit Japan. Doctor Milne had never said anything that might indicate her assertiveness or directness was in poor taste. Yet, as she sat going through all her notes and correspondences, she couldn’t stop asking herself what she’d done wrong.
There was another possibility, which she tried in vain to avoid, but despite its foolish melodrama, it was a potential reason Pierce was nowhere to be found. Robur. Oh, but that was a ridiculous notion. Why would the Aviator want Pierce? Was he not a man of equal cleverness? Could he not design and create any mechanism he wanted? No, Lettie thought, there was no reason for Robur to even be aware of Pierce, let alone be interested in him. Sadly, she wondered, if it was she that Robur seemed temporarily interested in. And now there seemed to be no interest at all. How odd that she even cared?
What if she took Robur’s offer? Could he do what Pierce wasn’t doing? Was there any chance that Robur still wished to help her? And, of course, the hardest question was, what price would Robur ask in return for his assistance?
Lettie was mortified at the idea. How she even allowed such a thought to occur was - was inappropriate. She would lose her character. A woman’s reputation, her character, was all she really owned, despite reforms in property and inheritance laws. The truth was it would be a long time and many reforms before women could even claim ownership of their own bodies. Thus, it fell to a woman to protect her character with as much vehemence as was required. And thus, Lettie pushed the idea of Robur’s offer out of her head, with much appropriate disgust. Her father would never approve, New College would be scandalized, and even Christopher Moore would question her sanity. Of course, she had to reasonably admit there was a bit of logic to it. Robur could, if his grand aeronautic invention was real, kill those two proverbial birds with one airship. But, how could she allow herself further contact with him and not ruin her already vulnerable reputation? Not even to gain the position at New College? No, not for any of those things could she ruin herself by traveling with a known kidnapper and criminal. But, could she do it for the sake of Georgie, and that Dutch boy she’d seen die? Was her reputation more important than the lives imperiled every day?
What sort of man would Robur prove to be? Arrogant. Selfish. Did he want more than scientific adventure with her? Was he honorable?