“Correct. I have one more thing to show you,” Tarik said, leading me over to the first reflecting telescope we had seen. “Go on, have a look.”
His lean frame bracketed mine as I leaned down to the eyepiece and let the image come into focus. What appeared to be a bright star at first, slowly separated into two distinct stars, one a reddish orange and the other a glowing cobalt blue. I carefully adjusted the focus, sharpening the picture so the brighter star took on a more golden hue. “Is that…Beta Cygni?” I whispered.
“Yes, Albireo,” he said softly. “Twin stars.”
My eyes stung, feeling like they were glossing over, and for a moment, the image blurred. I had no idea why I was crying, only that I had never imagined ever seeing such a thing so clearly. “A binary pair,” I murmured in wonder, remembering the conversation we had had about double stars, though I’d been Ansel then and couldn’t bring it up now. The twinge of guilt deepened, feeling much heavier than usual.
“The Astronomer Royal James Bradley discovered it was a double star in 1753,” Tarik said. “And Herschel himself observed it two and a half decades later.”
When I was finally able to tear myself away from the telescope, I leaped into Tarik’s arms and pressed my lips to his before even realizing what I was doing. I felt his surprise as I peppered his face with kisses between words as he laughed and spun me in a slow circle.
“I. Cannot. Believe. This. You. Are. Unbelievable,” I said between kisses.
“I take it you enjoyed your surprise, then?” he asked, chuckling, when I stopped to draw a full breath.
“Enjoyed it? I loved it,” I exclaimed. “You’ve outdone yourself, and I have no idea what I even did to deserve something this special. Being here is a dream come true.”
He smiled, eyes twinkling. “Good. I meant it when I said that you deserve to have everything you ever wanted. And now we must get the most beautiful girl to the ball before her coach turns into a pumpkin.”
“Dear God, what time is it?” I asked. I was so wrapped up in the whole experience that I hadn’t even checked the clock.
“It’s only nine. We will be back before ten.”
Together, we retraced our steps back to the front entrance, and after making our goodbyes and giving fervent thanks to Mr. Pond, we exited to where Henry was patiently waiting with the carriage. Before long, we were on our way back to Mayfair.
Once more, I switched out my shoes, this time for mydancing slippers while Tarik watched me with interest. I could feel myself blushing even though I was fully covered by the length of my hem and stockings. But something about the nature of it felt much too intimate for the interior of a coach.
“You have tiny feet,” he said when he saw me blushing. “I suppose it was smart to keep your gold-and-silver slippers safe, unlike the maiden from the story, who lost hers.”
“A gentleman would not stare, you know.”
His brows rose. “Good thing I’m not a gentleman, then.”
“You’re supposed to be pretending to be one, aren’t you?” I retorted and then wrinkled my nose at what he’d said about the slipper, and earlier about the pumpkin. “Did you referenceCinderellaby Charles Perrault?”
He smirked. “Does that surprise you?”
“Well yes, you’re a mathematician,” I said. “With your studies, how on earth do you have time for fairy tales?”
“Everyone should make time for fairy tales,” he responded sagely. “They teach important moral lessons, inspire imagination, bridge cultural gaps, and provide hours of reading entertainment. InCinderella,one learns that grace is of more value than beauty, that compassion and empathy are the true signs of one’s character.”
I had to work to keep my mouth from falling open.
“I prefer the bloodier ones,” I shot back, grinning. “Like the version ofCinderellawritten by the Brothers Grimm that published about eight years ago. The sisters cut off their toes and heels to fit the slipper.”
Tarik laughed, the sound low and rich and full of something I could not name but that made me shiver all the same. “You’re a violent little creature, aren’t you?”
“A rose without its thorns is hardly a rose,” I quipped.
“Just so.” Tarik canted his head and leaned back against the seat. “I suppose there is also a moral to that story, considering the sisters were so dishonest as to injure themselves to fit into the slipper. Their eyes were pecked out for their deceit.”
The guilt I’d felt before about my deception returned in force.
My eyes probably deserved to be pecked out.
Dear God, how am I ever going to tell him? And will he forgive me?
The ball was in full swing by the time we arrived, with dozens of carriages lined up and down the street. I smoothed my dress for the hundredth time and patted my hair to make sure everything was in place. I was slightly rumpled from the journey as well as leaning over the telescopes, but nothing that would be noticed by anyone other than Anna. I draped my cloak on my shoulders and pulled the hood over my head.
