Page 64 of In Want of a Wife
“Well, it was documented in England’s star catalog that several stars were part of a constellation. But they were marked incorrectly. I am sure of it. I’ve been charting them over the past several months to cross reference them before I write a letter to the Royal Society.”
“Can I see?”
“Of course.” She stepped aside, waving her arm for him to move forward.
She was… gorgeous.
And perfect.
And utterly brilliant.
Whether she believed him or not, he could listen to her talk about the stars forever.
He gazed into the telescope, scanning the night sky. It was remarkable. He navigated ships by these same stars for years, but he never knew they would lead him to Lily.
“If you look to the right,” Lily said, her voice a warm whisper by his ear, “that’s the cluster of stars. A few were never documented and others charted incorrectly.”
Rafe turned his head to meet her brown eyes gazing at him in anticipation.
“You love the stars, Lily. I love that about you.”
Even in the pale light of the full moon, he saw the flush gather on her cheeks.
“People fall in love with the stars, but they’re foolish to do so. It’s thought that they’re dead, you see. Astronomers have noticed stars are fickle. Some fade, and others suddenly shine bright. That’s because they think what we see from Earth is a memory of light. And we fall in love with that, with a memory. As if our hearts need the extra burden of being tricked by the heavens as well as in love.”
He stood back and studied her for a moment, twiddling a blade of grass between his thumb and forefinger. “I think you’re wrong.”
“I assure you I am not. What we see?—”
“If that is true, and those celestial bodies do die, they still guide us home. They are beacons. And memories, whether good or bad, can do the same.”
“Like how you returned home?”
“Good or bad, Lily. I am here to?—”
“Fetch your grandmother’s ring, so I have heard.”
Again, he chuckled.
“It’s not as if I can forget. You continue to remind me. Better to be off and on your way…”
He stepped closer, dropping his head down so she could hear, and only she could hear what he was about to say.
“I am reminding myself because, when I am with you, I feel as if I will forget why we are on this journey. That I don’t wish to bring you to my brother’s estate any longer. I wish for you to be mine, and mine only.”
“And yet you only say so.”
He didn’t miss the tremble in her voice.
“What do you want, Lily?”
She pushed him aside, or so he thought, but her hand remained on his chest, and her fingers curled into his shirt, keeping him close.
“I wish to be wanted. Truly. I wish to be loved, for me, as I am. Iwish to be allowed to live my life without being used for another’s gain.”
“But I do want you.”
“Only until we reach the island, right?”
