Storing Up Trouble, стр. 28
Norman glanced to Theo, who was fidgeting with her hat, trying to pull a stray string from the brim of it, which only succeeded in having the stitching unravel, leaving a gaping hole behind.
He suddenly realized that Theo, a woman he spent an extraordinary amount of time with, what with how she could always be counted on to lend a helping hand with any of his many experiments, often fidgeted when she was in the vicinity of other women.
It was curious, that, and almost suggested Theo was uncomfortable in the company of women, although why that was, he had no idea.
Beatrix shot him a look of exasperation before she turned to Theo. “Since Mr. Nesbit is apparently thinking far too strenuously about how to provide me with your name, I’m Miss Beatrix Waterbury, and you are . . . ?”
“She’s Theo, Theo Robinson,” Norman supplied when Theo just blinked back at Beatrix, seemingly at a loss for words.
Beatrix’s smile faltered for the span of a second, but then she hitched it back into place. “Forgive me, Miss Robinson, but I noticed that you winced when Mr. Nesbit introduced you as Theo. May I dare presume he’s being his usual insensitive self and doesn’t realize you might not care to be addressed as Theo, which I’m also going to presume isn’t your full name?”
“Everyone calls her Theo,” Norman said when Theo still didn’t say a single thing and stared back at Beatrix as if she’d never met anyone quite like her in her life, which she probably hadn’t.
Beatrix didn’t spare him a single glance, keeping her gaze on Theo. “Be that as it may,” she began through teeth that seemed to be clenched, “I get the distinct impression Miss Robinson may prefer everyone use her full name that might be . . . Theophila?”
“Theodosia,” Theo mumbled.
“How lovely,” Beatrix exclaimed. “If I had a name as delightful as Theodosia, I would definitely prefer that instead of having people shorten it to Theo.”
“Her own father calls her Theo,” Norman felt compelled to point out when Theo retreated into silence again.
“And my father occasionally reverts to calling me pumpkin at times, but that doesn’t mean I enjoy anyone else calling me that,” Beatrix shot back.
Theo considered Beatrix for a moment, then nodded. “Before I was born, Father was convinced I was a boy and decided I was going to be a Theodore. But because my mother died in childbirth, leaving him to raise me on his own, he apparently found it too much of a bother to come up with another name, so he decided a version of Theodore would do just fine. Someone suggested Theodosia and that’s what he named me, evidently relieved that he could still shorten the name to Theo because he’d gotten used to thinking of me as a Theo before I was born.”
Norman blinked. “You’ve never told me that before.”
“You never asked.”
“Why does that not surprise me?” Beatrix muttered with a shake of her head. “You have my sympathies, Miss Robinson, for the death of your mother. I imagine that has caused you all sorts of difficulties over the years, unless, of course, your father remarried and you have a stepmother.”
“Father’s much too busy with his work to take time to find another wife.”
“How unfortunate,” Beatrix returned. “But tell me this, Miss Robinson, why, if you don’t care for the nickname, have you not bothered to correct Mr. Nesbit? I assume the two of you are friends, which means it’s perfectly acceptable for you to disclose your preference when it comes to your name.”
“We’re not friends,” Theo declared firmly. “We’re acquaintances who share an interest in science.”
Beatrix blinked before her lips began to curve. “Ah, well, that explains it. You’re just like him.”
Theo turned to Norman. “Am I mistaken in taking that as something less than a compliment?”
“Hard to tell,” Norman admitted. “During the time I spent with Beatrix, she was very vague at times with her words, but if I were to hazard a guess, given the frequency in which she insulted me, she might very well have just done the same to you.”
Theo frowned. “When did you spend time with her? You’ve not mentioned anything about her before, although is that why you insisted we come to Marshall Field’s today?”
“I wouldn’t think Mr. Nesbit knew I worked here,” Beatrix said, catching his eye. “You didn’t know, did you?”
Unwilling to admit that Edgar had disclosed Beatrix’s employment situation to him, Norman turned back to Theo. “I’m sure I must have mentioned my encounter with Beatrix to you. She’s the woman who got off the train with me after the train heist.”
Theo shook her head. “No, you never mentioned her, and frankly, you’ve not said much about your experience with the train robbers except to tell me how you foiled their efforts to rob you of your research papers. The only other thing you told me was that the robbery was the reason you’re currently being trailed by Pinkerton men.”
“You’re being trailed by Pinkerton men?” Beatrix repeated.
Relieved that the conversation was taking a more acceptable turn, Norman nodded. “I’m afraid so. My mother is convinced I’m in dire jeopardy, even though I’ve explained to her numerous times that it’s highly unlikely anyone will try to accost me again, what with how the thieves believe they absconded with my real research. And since the research I included in those false documents was very complicated, it’ll take someone months to wade through it and realize they’ve been duped.”
Theo shoved back her hat. “What if whoever is responsible for stealing your research is just as brilliant as you?”
“It’s highly unlikely that will be the case because there are only a handful of men in the country who are currently at my level with electricity and currents. Why, besides Nikola Tesla, I’m confident in saying there aren’t any other men experimenting with double currents.”
“What if Nikola Tesla is the man