Free Her Own Devices by Shelley Adina

He simply could not make reality and this new information match in any way that was sane.
    “Yes, I feel much the same way,” James went on, gaining control of himself now that the revelation was over. “I’m still not sure it is real.”
    “It isn’t real. You don’t even like her.” Andrew caught one fact in the whirling morass that was his brain and clung to it. “You’ve never said one good thing about her except that she had nice eyes.”
    “She has a spine, Andrew. I admire that about her.”
    “I’ve heard you call her pig-headed and lacking in knowledge of her place. Right here in this room, in fact.”
    It could not be true. James could not be engaged to Claire. And she of all people would never have accepted him. She could barely stand to be in the same room, for heaven’s sake!
    “You must admit she is certainly both those things. But the fact remains, I have written to her mother declaring my intentions, and when I revealed this to Claire, she accepted my proposal.”
    “She couldn’t have.” Andrew couldn’t make himself look beyond this. “She plans to become an engineer and—and explore the Amazon. Build airships. Construct bridges in China. Not become a peer’s wife and serve tea to railroad presidents. No, James, you must be joking.”
    “I assure you I am not.”
    “The Claire I know would never marry you.”
    “Is that so?” James’s tone had become dangerously soft. “And how well do you know her after less than a week?”
    “I know she has ambitions. I know she cares for those children. I know she would never do this.”
    “And is it so bad, being engaged to me?”
    Yes, it was. It was the worst thing that had ever happened. Because, Andrew now saw, if it were true, then she had chosen the wrong man.
    If Claire Trevelyan was to marry anyone, it should be him.
     
    *
     
    Claire spent the next morning on the filing cabinets immediately behind Andrew’s desk. Since everything that had been on the desk was presumably of current interest to him, it was logical to put it closer to hand. That meant, of course, that the contents of the first cabinet had to go somewhere. For now, she was making orderly piles on the floor.
    Andrew had been very distracted earlier, giving her the barest greeting and then removing Tigg to the chamber to continue their experiments. Snouts, who had elected to stay outside and guard the landau, could be heard whistling now and again through the open window. At noon, Claire dusted off her hands and collected both boys for lunch.
    “Where is Mr. Malvern?” she inquired of Tigg, pinning on her hat. “I’ve hardly spoken to him today.”
    “’E ent speakin’ to anyone much, Lady. In a bit of a temper, ’e is. I left ’im in the back, fabricating another augmentation switch. Dunno as it’ll do us much good, though. Electricks just ent made for this kind o’ work.”
    “We shall see if our journey today will not change both his experiments and his temper. Come along.”
    After a fortifying lunch at a pub close to Tower Bridge, Claire piloted the landau south to St. George’s Fields. There, she came to a halt outside the forbidding black iron bars of the fence that separated Bethlehem Royal Hospital from the sane world. Across the lawn and circular drive, the central cupola of the enormous institution rose above the fourth floor and into the sky. From somewhere they could hear the sound of birds twittering, and there were a few people pacing the lawn in quiet conversation. Other than that, there was no sound.
    “If we go in there, we c’n come out again, right?” Tigg said in a small voice.
    “Even lunatics c’n ’ave visitors,” Snouts said. “Buck up, mate.”
    A man came to the gate. “Your business?”
    Claire raised her chin. “Lady Claire Craig, here to visit my cousin, Dr. Rosemary Craig, if you please.”
    “Certainly, milady.” He unlocked the gate and Claire pushed the driving bar forward so that they rolled through. “You’ll