Page 17 of A Lady's Past
They joined Doris and Francis and sat. “How many children does he have?”
“What is your curiosity with Michael Rollins? Should I be jealous?”
Heart beating out of her chest, she looked at him. “Why on earth would you be jealous? We are not courting, nor shall we ever. You mentioned his children several times, so I wondered how many he has.”
A darkness drifted over him. His gaze bore into hers. “At last count, I believe there were seven little Rollinses.”
She would have said more, but he spoke to Francis, giving Diana his back. It was unclear whether she had offended him by saying they would never court or with her curiosity about his friend. Whatever caused his displeasure, she wished she could take it back. Having Jacques unhappy with her made her chest ache in a way she’d never experienced before.
The most extraordinary machine occupied half the stage. The glider’s white wings, similar to the shape of a kite, were attached to thin pieces of wood. It had an adjustable tail with a vertical fin. Diana longed for a closer look.
A man of perhaps forty with thinning gray hair and long sideburns took the stage. He stepped up to the podium and cleared his throat.
Some of the very large crowd quieted, but most continued their chatter.
He cleared his throat again.
Another man, taller, with blond hair and an air of authority, stood off to the side. “Quiet, please.”
The crowd hushed.
Sir George Cayley fussed with his papers and cleared his throat again. “As you may already know, I have achieved a successful flight. I have much to tell you in a short time. My experiments are without comparison in this field.”
“He thinks very highly of himself,” Doris whispered.
Diana had to agree, but his work was fascinating. He’d set forth to develop a fixed-wing flying machine. The machine had separate systems for lift, propulsion, and control. He discussed the four forces that acted on the heavier-than-air flying vehicle as weight, lift, drag, and thrust. The wings were developed with large chambers on top and flat, smaller ones underneath. He claimed the chambered design helped with lift. He predicted that sustained flight would not occur until a lightweight engine was developed to provide adequate thrust and lift.
Riveted by his innovation, Diana sighed when he finished.
The hall erupted in applause.
Sir George folded his notes and tucked them in his pocket before moving off to pose in front of his creation.
People began to move about and leave the hall. Francis and Doris stood and walked toward the aisle.
Jacques didn’t move.
Sitting next to him had been half thrill, half agony. He’d not said a word to her since telling her that Michael Rollins had seven children. “You are angry with me.”
A low sigh, then he turned toward her. “I have no right to be, but yes. I am angry that you dismiss any notion of our courting.”
“You don’t want to court me.” It came out far more forcefully than she intended.
His voice was low and for her ears only. “I do not know what I want where you are concerned.”
Shaking her head, she couldn’t help the giggle that escaped. Her life was so strange and terrible, the idea that anyone would find her attractive was farcical. “Let us speak of something else, Jacques.”
With a nod, he stood and offered his arm. “What did you think of Sir George and his flying machine?”
“Quite amazing.”
They wound their way through the crowd and out to the street where Francis waited outside the carriage. “What do you think, Diana?”
“I would love to take a flight on his machine. I’d also like to talk to him about how he manages lift. I’m curious about drag. The entire model is fascinating.”
“Perhaps we can attempt a small model just for the fun of it.” Francis’s eyes lit with excitement.
The old thrill she used to get when her father had a new idea rumbled inside her. “That would be fun.”
