A Mechanical Man Read online

  A Mechanical Man

  By Kate Monroe

  Copyright 2012 Kate Monroe

  Smashwords Edition

  Smashwords Edition, License Notes

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  Cover art based on a free image by ‘Colgreyis’ at DeviantArt

  London, 1819

  Amelia watched him furtively from the opposite side of the parlour as he moved restlessly through the company. As always, he seemed ill at ease and awkward – endearingly so. The professor was very much a man of science, and she had once overheard him confess to his brother that he found social gatherings to be a waste of time that could be better spent studying and experimenting.

  In the new world that they found themselves a part of, of course, Professor Maxwell Marsden thrived. The scientific and mechanical advancements that had been made were due, in large part, to him and his contemporaries in the scientific community that London was so proud of. In high society, though, he was a fish out of water despite his high birth. Required as a lord to attend the balls and dinner parties that the ton thrived upon, the professor nonetheless made no effort to socialise beyond the barest minimum.

  He was an enigma, one that had intrigued her since the first moment they had been introduced. As always, she found herself captivated by him even though he had not so much as glanced in her direction all evening. Though Amelia doubted he would even remember her name, she had committed every detail of him to memory – from the way that his slender frame towered over hers to the manner in which his blue eyes lit up on the rare occasions he had the opportunity to speak on his work over dinner.

  She gazed at him as he fidgeted from side to side, shifting his weight from one polished boot to the other. The heavily powdered and perfumed women who had now cornered him evidently had him ill at ease, and Amelia knew the reason why. The Byzantine professor had amassed a large fortune with his numerous inventions and contributions to the engines of the steam-powered airships, all of which had thrust England into the forefront of the wave of scientific advancement; a fortune that they were clearly fixed upon securing for their daughters. The professor, though he likely neither realised nor cared, was London’s most eligible bachelor.

  That did not matter to her, though. Even if he were a penniless pauper living amongst the street urchins, Amelia was convinced she would still find him to be utterly fascinating – and entirely irresistible. He was no classical Adonis, but the merest glimpse of him was always enough to quicken her pulse and have her nipples taut and crying out for his attention. It was a yearning that she could no longer ignore.

  She silently moved through the parlour, deftly evading all attempts by the other lords present to engage her for a dance, for there was only one man whose arms she wanted to be in. The professor had managed to extricate himself by the time she reached his side. He was now engrossed in a heated discourse with the group of literary luminaries in attendance, much to her delight. Amelia stood back to observe as Samuel Taylor Coleridge launched into a defence of Kubla Khan, which it seemed that the professor had made some slight upon.

  “My dear professor, you simply cannot claim to make a critique of anything literary when you readily confess that your mind is filled by such charmless and harsh matters as clockwork engines and chemical elements!”

  Amelia was entranced by the fire in the professor’s eyes as he easily held his ground against the seven authors around him. “Mr. Coleridge, you are blinded by your love of the literary! I am afraid that it is by science that this nation shall advance, not the written word – however glorious and groundbreaking you imagine your work to be, it is nothing but brushstrokes on a page. It cannot possibly affect the lives of the working men and women as my work can. In that respect, yes, I do think my work far superior to Kubla Khan.”

  As Coleridge spluttered angrily and John Keats took up the debate, Lord Byron caught her eye and broke away from the argument to come to her side. As he slipped an arm around her waist, he leaned in to plant a gentle kiss on the side of her flushed cheek. “Good evening, lovely Amelia. It has been far too long since I saw you last – and even longer since I last held you. The length of our parting has only improved your beauty, my sweet muse.”

  “And it has only improved the power of your charms, George. Like a fine wine, aging is to your benefit.”

  His smile widened, but already Amelia’s head was tilted to the side as she listened to the professor once more. Coleridge, having recovered from the earlier rally, had pressed him for details on his current works; and, to her surprise, the professor seemed unusually reticent.

  “I...I have been somewhat distracted of late by a new invention,” he said stiffly.”It is not something I yet feel ready to discuss.”

  With that curt declaration, he turned his back on the authors and stalked out through the open doors behind them. Amelia did not hesitate. She gently extracted herself from Lord Byron’s arm and, ignoring his call, went out into the gardens in the professor’s wake. He was pacing back and forth under the shadow of an old oak tree where he ran his hands through his loose hair. Her breath quickened as a throb of yearning erupted inside her, for she had never before had the opportunity to speak to him alone. Tonight, though, she would have that chance – and she would make the most of it.

  His nostrils flared almost imperceptibly as she came to a halt at his side. “Lady Russell, is it not?”

  “Indeed. Good evening, professor.” A shiver of desire rippled through her feverish body as she reached out to lay a hand on his forearm. “Sir, I could not help but overhear your discussion with the other gentlemen in the parlour. I confess that I am an avid admirer of your work, and even if you are not yet ready to announce the details of it I would be glad to hear them.”

  He grimaced, but she was certain she saw a spark of intrigue in his blue eyes. “I am afraid I should not share it with you, my lady. It...it is a matter which I ought not to speak of in front of a lady such as yourself. I fear you would be scandalised and offended.”

  Her eyes widened. There was not even the slightest possibility that she would let him escape from her without revealing the manner of his recent work now. “Professor, I assure you, you will find me very difficult to shock. Please, I implore you; do share your work with me. Science fascinates me and far too few people are willing to talk of it to a mere lady.”

  The professor took a deep breath in and glanced around the gardens. Clearly satisfied that they were alone, he lowered his head towards her. He seemed not to notice the soft cry that escaped her tightly-clenched lips when the flash of dark stubble that coloured his jaw line brushed against her cheekbone. “Are you sure you want to know, Lady Russell?”

  “Entirely so.”

  “And I have your word this goes no further?”

  Her breath hitched. “You – you have my word, professor.”

  “Then you will have to forgive me if I am too blunt or crude for you, my lady, but there are a limited set of terms that I can use to describe what I have created. It is, in essence, a mechanically powered device specifically designed to bring a woman pleasure in lieu of the company of a man.”

  Amelia gazed up at him in undisguised astonishment. “You mean to say...”

  “Yes. I have created a device that mimics the sensation of a man’s penis. The problem I have is that I have gone as far as I can by myself. I thought, perhaps, of
asking a demimondaine to allow me to pay her for her time spent testing the device, but – forgive me – I was unsure whether she would have the ability or intelligence to describe its function as vividly as I would require her to.”

  Amelia saw her opportunity and, astounded at her own boldness, seized upon it. She took another step towards him as her mind began to spin in the grip of a hazy and consuming desire. “Professor? Do you think me to be an intelligent woman?”

  “The way in which you are conversing with me and in which you conduct yourself in general certainly tells me that you are, yes.”

  She smiled up at him as sudden comprehension dawned.

  “You mean to say – my lady, surely not!”

  “Why ever not, professor? You need a woman who is willing to allow you to observe her in the most intimate of situations and also possesses the wit to give you a critique on the function of your invention. Professor, I am she.”

  A deep flush inflamed his skin as he stared down at her. His eyes seemed to be moving over her in appraisal, but Amelia did not flinch, even when they came to rest upon the curve of her breasts and visibly darkened. “My lady, there is another part of the experiment which I have not yet explained,” he said slowly. “It may, perhaps, not be so agreeable to you – if that is the case, then we will part now with the utmost of discretion from both parties.”

  Amelia swallowed hard, for the way in which he was still staring at her undoubtedly spoke of lust and the same heady desire that she felt for him. “Continue, professor.”

  “In order to adequately assess and compare the mechanical stimulator, as it were, to that which it mimics, I would like to make love to you afterwards so that you might fairly compare the strength of the climax you achieve via each method – if, of course, they are both capable of bringing you to your climax.”

  She had no doubt of that. Just the idea of taking the professor’s cock inside her was enough to have her holding more tightly onto his arm to support herself as a violent shiver shot down the length of her spine.

  “I cannot deny that I find you to be a perfect specimen of femininity, Lady Russell. I do not imagine for even one moment that I will have any difficulty in rising to the task, so to speak, of fulfilling my part of the experiment,” he continued calmly. “So, what do you say?”

  His emotionless and rational confession that he found her attractive thrilled her deeply, despite the manner of its delivery. There was only one answer she knew she would make. Amelia stretched up onto the tips of her toes and shuddered as he carefully and deliberately brushed a stray curl of hair back from her face. “Yes, professor. I am entirely at your disposal, my lord – in every way.”

  “Very good.” A flash of satisfaction shot across his face. “Then in that case, my lady, might I suggest that we retire for the evening? I confess to no little impatience when it comes to my work, and I have already been forced by circumstance to delay far too long.”

  As she realised that she would be sharing the professor’s bed that very night, she could do nothing to stop herself from joining every curve of her body up against the lithe and hard lines of his. His face tautened as he stared down at her wordlessly, and only the way that he had moved one hand to rest in the small of her back to pull her nearer betrayed his reaction to her new proximity.

  Amelia’s fever spiked when she felt the unmistakable shape of his hardened cock pushing against her stomach. She could barely even breathe, let alone speak, but she somehow managed to haltingly whisper her agreement as the professor gently touched her face again. “Y-yes, my lord. Tonight is perfectly acceptable.”

  “You are sure?” he asked softly. “I realise it is an outrageous favour to ask of a lady –“

  “I am sure, professor. I want to do this with you.”

  He bestowed the swiftest of smiles upon her. “Then off we go, Lady Russell. My phaeton is outside – if anyone asks, I shall simply tell them that you have taken ill and, as I intended to depart anyway, I offered you the use of my carriage to take you home. Your townhouse is only a few streets away from my residence, I believe, so it is an acceptable mistruth.”

  She was amazed that he knew where she lived, but before she could even attempt to comment on it he had already taken her arm and skilfully steered her back through the parlour in avoidance of all those who attempted to engage them in conversation. Before she knew it, she was seated next to him in the intimate little phaeton as it trundled along the cobbled streets of London.

  The professor did not speak during their journey, and Amelia followed his lead. When he leapt down outside his manor and offered her his hand, though, she could no longer stay silent in the face of all the sensations coursing through her inflamed body. “Professor?”

  He pulled her down towards him and dismissed the driver before he haltingly replied. “If you are having second thoughts, my lady, you need only say.”

  “No!” Amelia breathed in deeply to steady her spiralling nerves. “Sorry – no, I am not, but I am wondering whatever possessed you to devote yourself to inventing such a contraption. If you will permit me to be blunt, you are not exactly well-known for taking an interest in either romantic or physical affairs, sir.”

  He laughed quietly as he steered her into the manor. “An accurate sketch of me, Lady Russell. I find that such matters only tend to be a distraction from my work, so I have not allowed myself to submit to any physical urges, as much as I have wanted to do so of late. Be that as it may, I will readily admit to a strong interest in the physical act of sex. When that is combined with my admiration for Mary Wollstonecraft and her ilk in advancing the rights of women, it seemed only natural to try to make it easier for women to express their sexuality in private without being hindered by society’s constraints. My device should, I hope, do just that.”

  “A truly enlightened aspiration, professor.” Amelia gazed up at him with a fresh burst of respect and admiration as he steered her up the sweeping staircase. “I fear, though, that many of your contemporaries will not share your viewpoint.”

  “No. But I do not do what I do for public recognitions and plaudits, Lady Russell. I do it with the aspiration of improving the lives of the men and women who are not in a position to do so for themselves. I hope that in some small way each invention of mine can achieve that.”

  She opened her mouth to reply, but before she could speak any words the professor led her into his bedchamber and locked the door behind them. Amelia’s heart began to leap wildly inside her chest as her eyes settled upon the handsome four post bed that dominated the room. The promise it held was electrifying.

  He touched her arm to recapture her attention before gesturing out to the balcony on the far side of the room. “A breath of fresh air before we get to work, perhaps? You seem unusually flushed, my lady.”

  “And is it any wonder, considering what is to come?”

  The professor fidgeted with his cravat to loosen it as he took her out onto the balcony. It was a clear summer’s night and the moon was high in the sky, casting a soft glow over the garden in front of them. It was a beautiful sight.

  Amelia exhaled as she leaned on the balcony rails to stare up into the night sky. She was wholly unsurprised to see an intricate telescope to her right. “You have an interest in astronomy too, professor?”

  His face lit up with the same passion and enthusiasm she had so often observed when listening to him discussing his work. “Oh yes, Lady Russell. The wonders of the galaxy around us fascinate me as much as those on the molecular levels I more often work with. Do you see that star up there?”

  The professor pointed high to the east and she followed his line of sight. “That grouping?”

  “Indeed. That is the constellation Hercules, as named by the Romans. Is it not fascinating to think that we stand here beneath the same stars that they did so many centuries ago?”

  She smiled up at him. “Very much so, professor. Sir, it is very peaceful to stargaze like this with you – in fact, one might almost imag
ine that it is only the moon, stars and us who are still awake.”

  “You say the strangest things, Lady Russell.”

  There was a hint of disapproval in his voice, but she laughed nonetheless. “It has often been said that I am far too whimsical and romantic in nature. No doubt you will think that a failing of mine, professor.”

  The professor inclined his head. “Not in the least. It would be wrong of me to judge you by the standards which I hold myself to,” he said gravely. “You and I are very different people – neither of us is less than the other, simply from opposite ends of the spectrum. Well, enough lingering under the moon, I daresay. You had best remove your clothing, my lady, so that we might get down to business.”

  Her breath quickened despite the dispassionate way in which he spoke of undressing her. She had wanted this – wanted him – for so long, but now that the time was near she felt near sick with nerves. “One more thing first, professor?”

  “You need but name it, my lady.”

  “Considering the intimacy of the experiment we are to perform, I think I would feel far more comfortable if you were to use my Christian name, professor – it is Amelia, if you did not know.”

  “I...” He glanced away from her. “I know what it is, Amelia. And very well, if it will put you at ease.”

  Her heart lost a beat as he took hold of both her hands to guide her back into the bedchamber before he turned her to face away from him. As the professor rested his hands on her near bare shoulders instead, he lowered his head until his mouth was nestled against the top of her ear. “Amelia, I want you to feel happy with everything that we do tonight,” he whispered. “We take this at your pace, my lady.”

  She could do nothing to restrain a soft moan, for the sensation of his fingers against her skin was the sweetest of tortures. “Then begin, professor, I urge you!”