“So,” John Herschel said, tapping his fingers on the desk before him, “you expect us to believe that you, a woman, discovered this planet, and not your brother.”
“No,” she shook her head. “Lord Essex did. I was working as his assistant.”
“Very well,” he said, nodding. “Do you have any proof?
“I do,” she said, pulling out her bag. Since her discussion with Jemima, she had collected all of her work — starting from two years ago, when she had begun her map of the orbit of George’s Star. It showed not only the calculations that Nicholas would have presented, but also those from the very beginning stages. She walked them through it all, before adding, “Lord Essex has his own work, of course, and he was the one who made the actual discovery. I simply assisted him, providing my own knowledge.”
“I see,” Mr. Herschel said. “Well, this is all very interesting, Miss Keswick, and, truth be told, you do have evidence here that is difficult to ignore. We will have to look further into the matter, and, of course, speak with Lord Essex.”
“I understand,” she said, for the first time feeling optimistic. It was more than she could have hoped for. She had thought they would laugh her right out of the room. But, then, this man’s aunt had been such an integral part of his father’s own work, that perhaps if there was one person who could understand, it would be him.
“Thank you for your time,” she said with a nod, and then nearly ran out the door. In her haste, she didn’t look where she was going, and as she rounded the exit into the corridor, she collided with another figure.
“Oh!” she exclaimed, but then the familiar scent of musky spice overcame her, and she stepped back and looked up. “Oh. Oliver.”
He frowned down at her. “What are you doing here?”
“I am…” She swallowed hard, suddenly at a loss for words in his presence. She could tell him what had brought her here — that she was trying to make things right, doing all she could to right the wrongs of herself and her brother — but she didn’t want it to seem that she was trying too hard, like she was doing it to win back his affections. “It doesn’t matter.”
“I just had the pleasure of your brother’s company,” Oliver said dryly, and Celeste felt her eyes widen.
“Did you? That must have been lovely for the both of you.”
Oliver snorted. “Not exactly the words I would use to describe our encounter.”
“Yes. Well, that is often the case with Nicholas.” She took a breath. “Oliver, I—”
“Lord Essex? Is that you? How timely,” came a voice from within, and Oliver looked at her strangely.
“Goodbye, Celeste.”
“Goodbye.”
Despite being their contemporary, Oliver had never felt particularly comfortable in the presence of John Herschel. He and his father had done so much in the name of astronomy that it seemed to Oliver like he was in the presence of someone who should be far above him. He shook the thought from his mind, however, for he needed to focus.
“Gentlemen,” he said, taking a seat in front of John Herschel. “I come to you with information.”
“Oh?” John Herschel said, leaning back in his chair and resting his hands over his stomach.
“I know Nicholas Keswick has recently claimed to have discovered a new planet. However, I have information that proves that it was not Nicholas Keswick who discovered such a planet, but his sister — Celeste Keswick.”
“That’s an interesting claim, Lord Essex,” Herschel said, “for the lady just left here, after having regaled us with the fact that you were the one who should receive the credit for discovering such planet.”
“She did what?”
“Yes,” Herschel nodded. “She had all of this evidence from working as your assistant — work she claims was directed by you, and that you were the one to make the actual discovery, while her brother stole the work from her.”
Emotion at the realization rushed through Oliver, and he let out a heavy breath.
“I see,” he said. “That’s… interesting news.”
“Yes,” Herschel replied. “So tell me, Lord Essex, what is the truth of the matter here?”
“The truth…” Oliver began, scratching his head, “is not overly difficult to ascertain. Miss Keswick and I did discover the planet together. She was working as my assistant, but I can say with absolute truth that I would not have been able to complete the calculations as to its whereabouts without her. She was with me when we discovered it, and we were preparing the submission to present to you together when her brother took her work and made the claim himself.”
Herschel nodded as Oliver spoke. “While I cannot promise anything, Lord Essex, without looking further into the matter, I must say that I was quite surprised that Nicholas Keswick would have accomplished such a feat. We were actually in the process of removing him as a member for we felt that he was not contributing anything worthwhile to the science of astronomy, and then he came forward with his claim. We will need additional evidence, but please know we take this very seriously.”
“Very well. Thank you, Mr. Herschel.”
“If what you say is true, Lord Essex, then let me be the first to tell you… congratulations. Now, as we have been speaking, I have had an idea.”
Oliver mulled over all that had occurred, all he had learned over the past few hours. Celeste had been there to make things right, to give him the discovery. But had she done so out of a sense of guilt for what she had done, or to right the wrongs of her brother? He wasn’t entirely sure, but now that his initial anger had dissipated, he could see much more clearly. Celeste, his Celeste, was a good person. She cared about other people, was open and honest — except in this one thing. Had he unfairly let one misstep cloud his judgment of her as a whole?
As he continued toward his home, another set of words stuck in his mind — “Have you no shame?” Words he had said to Keswick, words Keswick had said sounded awfully like his sister.
If she was speaking in such a manner to her brother, did that mean that she hadn’t had any idea of what he had been up to? Besides her initial deception when she took the position as his assistant, was she innocent of all her brother’s schemes?
Oliver’s rational thought told him that yes, she was. But it went further than that. His heart told him that she would never have done such a thing against him. That she couldn’t have. She was too good. Too genuine.
He loved her, and he had messed everything up.
He had been a boor, blaming her for her brother’s mistakes, making assumptions about her intentions in his anger and, if he was being truthful, to cover his own guilt for not being honest about Venetia.
He knew what he needed to do. He needed to apologize. But would she forgive him after all he had done? How could he convince her that his feelings were true?
Oliver looked up to the sky, hopeful that it would provide him with some inspiration, as it always did.
But even the sun was hiding behind the clouds, which hovered above him like a gray fog.
Well, one thing was sure — he would be seeing her on the morrow. John Herschel’s plan would be put into place, and all would be revealed. He let out a breath as he thought of it. Everything had to go according to plan for it to work.
The real question, however, was what Celeste would think of him once it was all done.
Celeste considered the note lying on the table in front of her. It was from John Herschel and the Astronomical Society of London. The letterhead looked quite official.
They wanted her to appear before them tomorrow morning at ten o’clock. She had noticed that she was not the only one to receive such correspondence — an identical envelope had her brother’s name written on it.
She took a breath, trying to still her racing heart. She wondered what Oliver had said to them yesterday in his own meeting. Hopefully he had provided enough evidence to prove that the discovery was his.
Perseus gave a sharp yap from beside her, and she bent down d
istractedly and stroked him on the head.
“That dog seems somewhat lonely,” her mother said from behind her as she entered the blue parlor behind Celeste. “Perhaps he needs a friend.”
Celeste looked up in surprise. “I didn’t think you liked having one dog around.”
“I didn’t think I would either,” her mother said before bending and patting Perseus on the back. “But he’s quite a loveable little thing. He’s always looking at me, however, as though he expects me to play with him, and I cannot say I know how to play with a pup.”
“He likes to play fetch,” Celeste suggested, and her mother laughed.
“Really, Celeste, can you see me out on the green playing fetch with a dog?”
Celeste focused on her mother, smiling at the thought. “You’re right,” she said. “I’ll find him a friend, one of these days.”
“Speaking of friends…” her mother said, looking out the window, her head tilted and a veil of sadness seeming to come over her. “I know you and your brother haven’t been getting along well, and I’m sorry for it. Nicholas has always been… well, he’s always been Nicholas. You know how he is, Celeste.”
“That is no excuse,” Celeste said, shaking her head. “He must still be held accountable for his actions.”
“I know,” her mother said softly. “I suppose we spoiled him far too much. Although the same could be said about you, and you seem to appreciate what you have been given far more.”
Celeste stood, walking over to her mother. “Perhaps it is because, as a woman, I must be grateful for any and all opportunities, while Nicholas has the world open to him.”
“Perhaps.”
Her mother reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder. “We are proud of you, Celeste. You have followed in your father’s footsteps, making your own path in the world, and it is quite admirable.” She paused. “I must ask, however… are you happy? You haven’t seemed yourself over the past while, and you must know there is more to life than making a name for yourself.”
“I know, Mother.” Celeste nodded. “And I understand. I would have agreed with you and yet… perhaps it’s not for me to find someone to be happy with, but rather a calling. I make mistakes with people more often than not, and sometimes those mistakes are just too hard to overcome.”
“Don’t let them be, Celeste,” her mother urged her. “Fight for what you want… for what matters most.”
Celeste smiled sadly at her mother, though a small spark lit within her.
“All right, Mother,” she said. “I will try.”
And she would.
24
For the first time since this entire charade began, Nicholas was beginning to show hints of nervousness. He fidgeted within the carriage, sitting forward, then back, then twisting his hands in his lap and tapping his foot on the floor.
“Something wrong, Nicholas?” Celeste drawled as she adjusted her skirts. She had chosen a simple navy gown today, attempting to look as professional as she possibly could.
“Of course not,” he said, crossing his arms over his chest now. “I’m just looking forward to this whole thing being over with and moving on. Celeste… now that you seem to be done with Essex, can you back me here? Just the one time? Please?”
Celeste stared at him, her mouth agape. “You cannot be serious.”
“Celeste—”
“It does not matter what is or is not between me and Oliver. What matters is what is right, and you, Nicholas, most certainly are not.”
He sighed and turned his gaze out the window, apparently not interested in speaking with her any longer if she wasn’t going to say what he wanted to hear.
They pulled up in front of the white brick building, the columns of the curved front quite inviting. Nicholas allowed Celeste to alight first. They were greeted at the door by a footman and then waved into a small room. Celeste walked through the door first, clutching her bag of papers — evidence — and stopped so quickly that Nicholas walked right into her.
She took in a deep breath, unable to take her eyes off Oliver as he pushed back his chair and stood. His gaze was unreadable, and while he looked as he always did — same dark hair, slightly too long, same eyes, an intense midnight — just seeing him reminded her of how much she loved him. For she did. She loved him, and no matter what they had gone through, she didn’t know how she could ever live without him.
Belatedly, she realized that four other gentlemen lined the table, which prevented her from saying anything further to Oliver, but her legs felt like jelly as they entered the room.
“Miss Keswick, Mr. Keswick,” one of the men said. “Please, have a seat.”
They dutifully sat.
“Allow me to introduce to you, Miss Keswick, three of our board members. I have invited them here today to help rectify this most distressing matter. Mr. Keswick, at our last meeting, you claimed that you had discovered a new planet, and that it was the reason for the anomalies of the orbit of George’s Star. Interestingly, the next day your sister came to me and told a different story of its discovery — that she had, in fact, been working for Lord Essex when he came to the determination. Following that, Lord Essex arrived and claimed that Miss Keswick should receive credit for the discovery. As you can understand, we are quite confused by this matter. However, as you were the first to make the claim, Mr. Keswick, we shall provide you the benefit of the doubt. Please, tell us how you came to your discovery.”
“M-my discovery?” Nicholas said, and Celeste nearly felt sorry for him, so red were his cheeks.
“Yes,” Mr. Herschel said. “You do not need to provide all of the calculations, but perhaps present us with a better understanding.”
“Of course,” Nicholas said, pasting a smile on his face. “Well, there was clearly an anomaly of the orbit of the planet George’s Star.”
“Yes, we are all aware.”
“So, I mapped out the orbit we assumed it should take and its actual orbit.”
“Did you do this, Mr. Keswick, or your sister?” Mr. Herschel asked.
“Well…” He turned his gaze to Celeste, who affixed a hard stare on him, willing him to tell the truth. “My sister, but we were working together.”
“Continue,” Mr. Herschel said.
“I made some calculations of the difference, consulted a map of the stars, and determined where such a planet could be. Then I simply found the appropriate location with my telescope.”
“Right,” Mr. Herschel said, though his expression was somewhat skeptical. “The key component of that, of course, Mr. Keswick, are your calculations. Anyone can look through a telescope but it takes a brilliant mind to make the correct determinations. Many of my colleagues — myself included — have tried and failed over the years. So, tell us — just what did you do?”
“Ah, well…” Nicholas began, swallowing so hard that it was audible in the tense silence of the room. “That’s a difficult question to answer without proper preparation, as the calculations were quite extensive. I—”
“Miss Keswick,” Mr. Herschel cut in, “perhaps you could answer the question for us?”
“I’ll do my best,” Celeste said, ignoring Nicholas’ silent supplication, and then proceeded to explain, in detail, the entirety of her search for the location of the planet. “I would add that Lord Essex came to a similar conclusion by a slightly different process.”
“Do tell, Lord Essex.”
And so he did. While he spoke to the gentlemen before him, Celeste found herself practically leaning into him from across the table. He was a handsome man, that was unmistakable, but when he spoke, particularly about his passion, his brilliance was so incredibly attractive that Celeste couldn’t help but lament the fact that she had had such a man and then lost him all too quickly.
It wasn’t fair.
But then, she had always questioned what he had seen in her anyway. Perhaps this was just how it was supposed to be.
She was so entranced by him that she was startled to fin
d Mr. Herschel was speaking again, and she quickly refocused on the all-important present.
“Well,” he said, closing the books in front of him, and Celeste had the sense that he was far too busy to continue with what was quite obviously a waste of his time. “I think this is all fairly straightforward. Mr. Keswick, do you have anything to say for yourself?”
Nicholas was looking down at the table like a chastised school boy.
“I may have overestimated my contribution to the discovery,” he muttered, and Mr. Herschel nodded.
“Thank you, Mr. Keswick. Lord Essex and Miss Keswick, I suggest that you provide me with your findings and all of the background material as soon as you are able. You are not the only ones who have been working on discovering such findings, you know.”
Celeste could only stare at him, so taken aback was she by this sudden turn of events.
“Thank you, Mr. Hershel,” Oliver said, standing and shaking the man’s hand, obviously having recovered much quicker. “We will have everything to you shortly.” With that he stood and held out his arm to Celeste. “Miss Keswick?”
Celeste looked up at him with wide eyes, and he inclined his head toward her in a silent question as well as a nudge to move. She stood up so fast that her chair banged down to the floor behind her, and, flustered, she attempted to right it but in the process just avoided tripping over the chair leg.
She nearly cried out in her frustration, but suddenly she was standing upright, as was her chair — for Oliver was there, ensuring all was taken care of.
Celeste whispered her thanks and gathered her bag of papers as they exited, with Nicholas trailing after them.
It wasn’t until they were standing outside of 57 Lincoln's Inn Fields, waiting for the carriages to be brought ’round, that anyone said anything.
“Well, I hope you are both happy now,” Nicholas said, his smug expression gone, replaced by one of annoyance. “I am sure that I am going to be dismissed from the Astronomical Society.”
Discovering the Baron (The Bluestocking Scandals Book 3) Page 16