Having a proper bath prepared on such short notice was out of question, Mr Darcy decided. Instead, he opted for a simpler task of meticulously scrubbing himself with a brush and a washbasin of cold water. He was alone and naked in his bedroom. The dusk tinted his skin gold. With each stroke of the bristles, he removed the lingering traces of the pine-scented soap from his skin.
Who in her past wore the scent, he wondered. Her father perhaps? Did he beat her before he sent her away without any dowry? Did he wash his body with such soap? Was that the reason why the mere fragrance of pine resin reminded her of the pain she had been forced to bear as a girl? The Lord knew his own family carried its own number of hurtful ghosts.
He was grasping at straws, he knew. There was another explanation, one he was trying to erase from his mind. He put down the brush and for a moment he just stood there in a quiet contemplation. He had no right to ponder about the cause of her unease. Whatever had happened in her past – it was private. No matter his curiosity, his unease; unless there was a possibility of her past affecting his family, he had no right to expect answers. To demand more was akin to demand of her to cast off her dress just to sate his nosiness.
He did not require his valet's help to wash himself, he did not need it to dress either. Fifteen minutes later he walked into the dining room. Georgiana and Miss Bennet were already present. His sister barely restrained herself from jumping with impatience.
"What took you so long, Fitzwilliam?"
He gave Georgiana a sidelong look, one eyebrow cocked quizzically.
"Somehow, I doubt hunger is the reason behind your rush, dearest." He smiled. "I did not forget our stargazing expedition."
"Good," his sister said with the air of adolescent self-importance. Miss Bennet had to look away, her lips curved with a barely concealed smile.
Mrs Reynolds had the dinner served with little to no ceremony; it was apparent that everyone in the house knew that Georgiana wished for nothing but to gulp down her meal and drag both her brother and her governess to the promised outing already.
His sister's wish was granted, despite his poor attempts at teasing her with stalling. Miss Bennet reached the end of her patience with their antics when she announced that she would take her leave, and should they feel their necessary discussion reached the natural conclusion they should join her in the hall at once.
There was something endearing in the way she included both him and his sister in her scolding. The two siblings shared a chastised look once Miss Bennet left.
Sometime later, after he visited his study to pick up the telescope and the charts, he headed downstairs. Down the serpentine staircase, near the candelabra he caught a glimpse of Miss Bennet standing in the hall. The candlelight tinted the skin of her nape with golden hue. Thick dark hair gathered in a simple chignon contrasted with the ivory of her summer dress. A dark blue shawl was draped over her shoulders. She faced the windows watching the deep dusk behind the glass. A paper lantern yet unlit hung off her fingers. A basket with a blanket was placed at her feet. Trapped between gold and ultramarine, for the first time, her poise was relaxed, almost cat-like.
It struck him for the first time that she was beautiful.
She must have heard his steps – her shoulders tensed, as she turned to greet him. Her eyes were wide and dark. The peace was gone, and he knew not how to restore it.
He had always considered her beautiful; it was an integral part of her enigma. But he had never before realised it with such immediate viscerality.
"I see you are prepared," he said when he found his voice.
"Well, we cannot disappoint Miss Darcy with more dallying than absolutely necessary."
She fidgeted, he noticed, and her startled expression did not escape him. Before long, his sister joined them with joyful giggles, as she run down the stairs. Soon, their party of three departed from the house to seek the hill west to the house.
. . .
The world beyond the door was filled with the unmistakable fragrance of summer nights. Elizabeth smiled to herself, minding her steps. She left the two siblings a few paces behind. She needed the illusion of solitude. Stilling her breath, she focused on the sounds - the chirping of crickets, the hooting of owls, the breeze playing between the tree branches. The moon was almost full.
"It is half past nine and the sky is still quite bright," said Miss Darcy. "Will we see anything, brother?"
There was a pause. Elizabeth imagined that Mr Darcy observed the sky before he gave his reply.
"We are located too north to experience a true night this close to the summer solstice. Nevertheless, I can guarantee you that right now you can see planets and some of the brighter constellations. Look, there. Right above the horizon, near where you can see the scattered sunlight. That is Venus."
"Ah! I have never realised it is so bright!"
"It is indeed. Can you guess why?"
"Because… of its proximity to the sun?"
"Correct. Around midnight, when the sun moves further bellow the horizon, you might observe most of the stars. And yet it will not be a true night. For that you need to wait at least until August."
They reached the top of the hill. Elizabeth and Miss Darcy spread the blanket on the grass. Mr Darcy pulled out the telescope and the folded tripod from the haversack. Elizabeth watched him as he adjusted the screws. She offered to light the lantern for him to see better.
"No, thank you, Miss Benet. There is light enough yet." He offered her a small smile before he turned back to his task.
Miss Darcy settled to Elizabeth's right, for the moment content with merely admiring the darkening horizon. The girl had spent the entire day buried in star charts. "I think I recognize Gemini. Those two bright stars above Venus – those are Castor and Pollux, correct?"
"I suppose you are right," said Elizabeth.
"My cousins, Lady Fiona and Lady Blanche, were born under Gemini. It is a quite amusing coincidence, since they are twins," Miss Darcy grinned. "What is your sign, Miss Bennet?"
Elizabeth chuckled. "Sagittarius. Can you point me to it?"
Miss Darcy was eager to search for the constellation, but her efforts were in vain. "By now, it is quite low above the horizon, hidden behind the house. You need to wait for an hour at least," said Mr Darcy, finally finished with the telescope. The tube was aimed towards northwest. "Come, Georgiana. Take a look."
Elizabeth tightened her shawl around her shoulders and hugged her knees. Her gaze never left the two siblings. She could not help her grin, when Miss Darcy started to pepper her brother with numerous questions about the orbit of Venus. He smiled, and in the moonlight, the lines of his face appeared soft. He explained with admirable patience, even though his tone carried a certain harsh, teasing quality.
"Of course, Venus undergoes phases like the moon; it is a planet." He chuckled and patted his sister's shoulder affectionately. "Any three-dimensional object circling around a source of light will be periodically covered in darkness in relation to the observer." He paused. "Now, the moon is almost full as well. Can you guess which is right now the furthest from the sun?"
"The moon? It must be the moon." He nodded, she beamed. "And Venus must be on the opposite side of the sun, right?"
Elizabeth rested her chin on her knees. Soft breeze brushed against her back. A lifetime ago she had been in Miss Darcy's place. She recalled vividly the weight of her father's hands, pressing onto her shoulders. A question after a question, and Elizabeth was eager to answer them all. Something in her chest clenched almost painfully. Mr Darcy turned to her, his eyes bright.
"Miss Bennet? Would you like to see for yourself?"
She thanked him and approached the telescope. He nudged her towards the eyepiece, and she leaned closer to see.
Her breath hitched in her throat. If she were to describe what she saw, words would not capture the simple marvel of seeing a distant world half-shrouded in pale yellow. She lifted her gaze to his, and she realised he stood a mere breath away – and that he had washed away the scent of pine resin off his skin. He stepped back.
Together and unaided by the apparatus, they watched the Evening Star disappear behind the hills. The sky darkened further. Miss Darcy wondered about Sagittarius, and her brother gestured towards a glistening cluster of stars rising above their home. His Libra surrounded the moon.
"What is that bright star between them?"
To answer the question, he turned the objective towards the point of interest. He toyed with the wheels for a while, before he allowed Miss Darcy to take a peek, and then Elizabeth.
"Well, either the star is horribly misshapen, or we are looking at Saturn himself."
"Did I see rings? Were those really the rings of Saturn? Oh, brother, would it not be absolutely marvellous if Earth had them as well?" Miss Darcy sighed dreamily. "Just imagine looking up and seeing it right over your head."
"I suppose if Earth indeed had rings, the sight would be like anything else you witness every day."
"But, Fitzwilliam, imagine. Imagine the miles and miles wide discs of stardust crossing the sky, day and night!"
"I did not claim it would be aesthetically dissatisfying." He laughed.
Elizabeth left them to their affectionate bickering. She sat down on the blanket, her heart beating fast. She closed her eyes and exhaled. For the first time, she allowed herself to become simply immersed in the moment. For the first time, she was not afraid.
Later – around midnight – Mr Darcy had to pry his sister off the telescope. "Let's go home."
Home – that was Pemberley.
. . .
The enigma of Miss Bennet was left half forgotten, once the harvest time came. When he was not among his tenants and farmers, he poured himself over his sister's studies. The heat of summer allowed them all to let the days pass by in the measured rhythm of the land.
Miss Bennet was there, in the midst of it all, supporting Georgiana's small steps towards adulthood. Before, he had often felt at the end of his rope – he was glad she was there.
The curiosity of Miss Bennet's old unexplained fears was lost to his memory, until that late September evening. The family bible felt heavy in his hands when he opened it. What wisdom he sought, he was not sure, but soon he found himself reading through Deuteronomy. And there, among the laws of Israel, he stumbled upon a verse.
But if a man find a betrothed damsel in the field, and the man force her, and lie with her: then the man only that lay with her shall die. But unto the damsel thou shalt do nothing; there is in the damsel no sin worthy of death: for as when a man riseth against his neighbour, and slayeth him, even so is this matter. For he found her in the field, and the betrothed damsel cried, and there was none to save her. If a man find a damsel that is a virgin, which is not betrothed, and lay hold on her, and lie with her, and they be found. Then the man that lay with her shall give unto the damsel's father fifty shekels of silver, and she shall be his wife; because he hath humbled her, he may not put her away all his days.
He snapped the book shut.