Chapter 12

Aurelia did write to Dawson. She apologized to him for the way she had behaved, asking for his forgiveness. She did not attempt excuses but told him she had been wrong to ask him to help her persuade her parents about Silas' merits. The matter was her own to deal with, and if her parents continued to refuse, so be it.

The incident in the shrubbery had left her with many questions, and though her heart was still set on marrying Silas, Aurelia could not help wondering about his intentions towards her. Did he really love her? Or was he in love with what she could promise him?

"Where are you going?" Letitia asked as Aurelia came down the stairs in her shawl and bonnet, finding her sister loitering in the hallway.

"I'm going to Wimbourne Hall," Aurelia replied, though she had no intention of telling her sister why.

Letitia smiled.

"Silas won't like that, will he?" she said, and Aurelia blushed.

"I hardly think it matters, does it?" she replied, for she had no intention of letting Silas find out.

Aurelia was going to Wimbourne Hall to extend the olive branch of her letter further. She had felt guilty for her behaviour, and having apologized to Dawson, she hoped they could put the matter behind them.

"It does if you want to marry him, doesn't it?" Letitia replied.

Aurelia's sister had not mentioned the incident in the shrubbery, and Aurelia did not even know if Letitia had seen Silas. There had been no scandal – save for the briefest of kisses – but appearances were everything, and if Letitia chose to reveal what she thought she had seen, Aurelia's chance of marrying Silas would be reduced to nothing …

"I'm giving Dawson lessons – you helped with one. You know I am," Aurelia said, and Letitia smirked at her.

"Whatever you say – but you should know how jealous men can be," Letitia said, and before Aurelia could reply, she hurried off across the hallway, laughing to herself.

Aurelia shook her head and sighed – it was Letitia's jealousy that was worse. But putting such thoughts aside, Aurelia now set off to walk to Wimbourne Hall. It was another beautiful day, and she followed the path along the river, pausing at the place where she had fallen in, and recalling Dawson's bravery in rescuing her.

"I could've swam, I suppose," Aurelia thought, smiling at the memory of Dawson's arms around her – it was amusing, now she thought about it, though at the time, she had felt terribly embarrassed, particularly when Eliza Beresford had arrived.

Walking on, Aurelia headed across the parkland towards the house. It was a fine dwelling, and Aurelia wondered what life had been like for Dawson in Kentucky. What a strange thing to discover – that he was heir to all this. It was remarkable, and Aurelia knew it was surely overwhelming, too.

"I wonder if he really does want to go back," she thought as she made her way up the steps to the main door.

It was opened by the butler, and Aurelia was ushered inside and told the earl was in his study.

"One moment, Miss Banks – I'll tell His Lordship you're here," the butler said.

Aurelia looked around the familiar hallway, recalling how terrified she had been as a child when her father had brought her to see the previous earl. He had been an angry man with a red face and short temper. Aurelia had been scared of him – and the house. But now, the atmosphere was quite different, and the light pouring through the upper windows filled the hallway with the warmth of welcome.

Aurelia was just examining a book on the hallway table – The Flora and Fauna of the Eastern Seaboard – when a loud bang caused her to startle, and a plume of smoke appeared from the passageway along which the butler had disappeared a few moments ago.

"It's all right – just a little overreacting," Dawson's voice came from beyond, and a moment later, he appeared, grinning at Aurelia as the butler appeared behind him, looking somewhat harassed.

"His Lordship will see you in the study, Miss Banks," the butler said, and Dawson laughed.

"We'll wait a few moments, Thompson; thank you," he said, and the butler shook his head, muttering something under his breath as he disappeared through the door to the servants' hall below stairs.

Dawson grinned. Aurelia had expected a frosty reception. Had she behaved as she had done with an English gentleman, she could certainly have expected to be treated with only thinly veiled politeness, and she had come to Wimbourne Hall hoping to make amends. But in Dawson, she found no guile – it was as though the matter had been entirely forgotten, and now he showed her into the drawing room as a thin veil of smoke hung in the hallway.

"What were you doing to cause an explosion?" Aurelia asked.

"Mixing things – I'm always experimenting on something or other," Dawson said, shaking his head and laughing.

"But is it dangerous?" Aurelia asked, for the sound of the explosion had caused the whole house to shake.

"I used to do the experiments in a barn back in Kentucky. Perhaps I should have one built here. Thompson doesn't approve, does he?" Dawson said, laughing and shaking his head.

Aurelia was intrigued. She had never met anyone who undertook experiments before – apart from her father – and it was obvious why the baron and the earl got along so well despite there being so many other differences between them.

"I think he was used to a rather more sedate way of life under Isaac – though he was more of an angry man than an eccentric," Aurelia said, and again, the earl laughed.

"Is it eccentric to want to get the best out of your crops? To increase the yields from the strains? What I'm doing here could help thousands of people – with hardy crop strains, food production increases, and hungry mouths are fed. Isn't that how empires are built?" Dawson said.

Aurelia nodded. Once again, she could not help admiring him for his words. He was a man with a practical mind and the heart of a philanthropist. She had already heard many stories of his kindness to the tenants on the estate, and now it seemed he had a determination to help the wider world, too.

"I suppose it is, yes. And do you really think you can do it?" Aurelia asked.

"I already am. Back in Kentucky, I was having a great deal of success in establishing the new strains. I just hope the conditions here prove as favourable – it's all trial and error, of course," Dawson replied.

He now deemed it safe to show her into his study, the veil of smoke having lifted. There was still an acrid smell in the air, but no longer any danger – or so he said – as he led her through the door. Aurelia was astonished at the sight that greeted her. The study was filled with all manner of scientific instruments – large and small. She recognized some microscopes and nautical implements, but others were entirely unfamiliar, and Aurelia now marvelled at what she saw.

"This is incredible," she exclaimed, and he smiled.

"My pride and joy. I built most of the things here myself. I'm particularly interested in lenses – to magnify. I like to see things up close. I find it fascinating," he said, and Aurelia looked around in amazement.

Every surface was covered with scientific instruments, and the shelves were crammed with volumes on every subject imaginable. Aurelia knew of Earl's interest in science, but seeing where he worked and what he was trying to accomplish was inspiring. Aurelia felt entirely inadequate in comparison, fearing her own interests in art and literature could hardly compare.

"It's very impressive," she said, and he smiled.

"I've had a thought – I need to talk to your father about it, but my idea is to open a school for the sciences. Science means progress, Aurelia, and if we could open a school for youngsters to learn about all this, think of what the next generation might achieve. I couldn't do it in Kentucky – it wouldn't work, but here …" he said, holding up his hands as though lifting up his vision.

Aurelia was impressed. She had not realized he held such ambitions. It was impressive – more than impressive, it was admirable.

"What a wonderful thing to imagine," Aurelia said, and Dawson smiled.

"There's so much potential in the children we have on the estate. I spoke to a boy building a henhouse for his father only this morning. He'd measured everything, made a plan, had a vision for what it would look like. I asked him how he knew what to do – he told me he'd learned from his father how to mend things on the farm, and by trial and error, he'd come to learn more. But imagine what a boy like that could do if he were taught, Dawson replied.

Aurelia nodded. Her own education had been rudimentary – a governess had instructed her in the rudiments of Latin and French. She had learned to play the pianoforte and could converse on certain aspects of literature. But it was nothing compared to this.

"I think it's a wonderful idea," Aurelia replied.

"But I've done nothing but talk about myself. You've already taught me so much about etiquette and gentlemanly behaviour, but what are your interests, Aurelia? What really fires you up?" he asked.

Aurelia smiled at his turn of phrase, but she felt almost embarrassed to admit to what really interested her – the painting of portraits and miniatures. She loved to draw silhouettes and always carried a notebook of her sketches wherever she went.

"Well … I like to draw," she said, and he clapped his hands in delight.

"Really? But that's wonderful, Aurelia. Do you have any sketches I could see?" he asked.

His voice showed genuine interest, and Aurelia now took out her sketchbook with some trepidation. She did not often show others her work. It was personal, and Letitia always told her the sketches she made were all wrong regarding dimension and angle.

"You don't know how to draw," Letitia had once said, and Aurelia had taken her sister's words to heart.

But silhouettes were different. They were all about shape rather than detail. She thought she was good at them, even as she felt somewhat nervous about opening her sketchbook to show him. The first silhouette was of Silas, and Dawson looked somewhat disappointed, though he praised the likeness.

"It's very good, Aurelia. More than good. You've got a real talent here," he said, and Aurelia blushed.

"I like to make silhouettes. They're also rather satisfying and easily accomplished," she said, flicking through the sketchbook.

More outlines of Silas followed, but at the back – the latest of the sketches – there were those Aurelia had made of Dawson himself. Strictly speaking, they were not silhouettes, for that would have required his shadow to be reflected on the wall and its outline copied as Aurelia had done with Silas while visiting him at home under his mother's watchful eye. But during Dawson's lessons, Aurelia had had a chance to observe him, copying his appearance as it now appeared in the sketchbook. On seeing himself, Dawson's expression changed.

"Is that … me?" he asked, and Aurelia nodded, feeling somewhat nervous about how he would react.

"I …" she began, and now he reached out and turned the page of the sketchbook, revealing further outlines of himself.

There were dozens, for Aurelia had made a study of him, and now he shook his head in astonishment.

"But these are wonderful, Aurelia. You've got a real talent," he said, and Aurelia blushed.

She did not consider herself to have any particular talent. But she enjoyed sketching and drawing and had even turned her hand to watercolours and oil painting. But silhouettes were where her real talent lay, and now she wondered if he might be willing to pose for her in a real silhouette, using a candle and shadow.

"You don't mind my having drawn you, do you?" she asked, and he shook his head.

"Why would I mind?" he asked, and Aurelia smiled.

"Well, it's just … some people might … I'm glad you like them," she said, and he smiled back at her.

"I like them a great deal. I think you're very talented," he said.

Aurelia was not used to such praise. Her sister had ridiculed her drawings – perhaps out of jealousy – and her mother and father had never shown any real interest. Drawing was a frivolity and with no practical application to it. Only Reuben had ever spoken favourably of her talent, though he had never sat for her to draw him.

"Might you … well, I've drawn you from memory before, but … perhaps you'd sit for me. Doing a proper silhouette during the day is hard, but perhaps I could sketch you. If you don't mind," Aurelia said.

She thought he would perhaps refuse, but to her delight, he nodded.

"Where do you want me to sit? Should I face you or sit sideways?" he asked.

Aurelia thought for a moment. She was excited at the prospect of sketching him rather than making a silhouette, and it seemed he was only too happy to be drawn as he was.

"Why don't you face me?" she said, and he did so, smiling at her as he tilted his head to one side.

"And what position should I sit in? Should I be terribly formal and stiff," he said, drawing himself up in an exaggerated manner and causing her to laugh.

"No … not for a sketch. Why don't you sit a little more … easily," she said, and now he relaxed so far down in the chair he almost slid off, causing her to laugh again.

"Like that?" he asked, and she shook her head.

"Oh, why can't you behave. Just sit … nicely," she said, and now he adopted a perfect position, with a slight smile playing across his face.

"Make sure you draw my handsome side," he said, as Aurelia now began to sketch, shaking her head and smiling as he grinned at her with a mischievous expression.