Page 55

T he carriage swayed gently as Captain Sidney Peters reviewed his notes once more, the coastal road to Dorset winding beneath overcast skies that threatened rain.

Maps and papers lay scattered across the seat opposite him, each marked with annotations from their collaborative work at Linford Park. He smiled, remembering Miss Martin's brilliant insight about the longitudinal pattern that had unlocked their mystery.

"Remarkable woman," he murmured to himself, tucking the papers back into his leather portfolio.

Lord Beaverbrook's latest letter had arrived just before his departure from London, confirming what Sidney had already suspected: Lord Sutcliffe was formally courting Miss Martin.

The news had spread quickly through their scholarly circle, generating reactions ranging from surprise to knowing satisfaction.

Sidney leaned back against the squabs, watching the countryside roll past.

The unlikely pairing made perfect sense to him, despite what Society might think.

He had observed their interactions at Linford Park with the same careful attention he applied to cartographic expeditions – noting the trajectory of their connection, the way they orbited each other despite apparent differences.

Sutcliffe had surprised him.

The baron Sidney remembered from Oxford had been pleasant enough but seemingly content with convention, accepting inherited wisdom without much examination.

Yet at Linford Park, Sidney had witnessed transformation – Sutcliffe engaging earnestly with educational theory, defending Miss Martin against his sister's cutting remarks, listening with genuine interest rather than polite forbearance.

"Education changes more than just the students," he reflected, recalling his own journey from naval officer to scientific explorer, how knowledge had expanded his horizons beyond what birth and early training had prescribed.

The carriage jolted over a rough patch in the road, bringing Sidney's thoughts back to the treasure hunt ahead. Lord Beaverbrook and Dr. Welby would meet him in Dorset tomorrow, their scholarly expedition now tinged with adventure. If they found what they were looking for, Sidney would set out in his best ship to finally find the treasure they’d been chasing for months.

He looked forward to sharing their findings with Miss Martin – and Lord Sutcliffe too, he supposed.

"They'll navigate it well," Sidney decided, watching seagulls wheel against the darkening sky as they approached the coast.

The baron and the bluestocking might face Society's raised eyebrows, but they had something rare: mutual respect and shared purpose, despite different starting points. Sidney himself didn’t wish for such for himself but he didn’t begrudge others to be pairing up if that was their wish.

Sidney smiled, mentally composing a note of congratulations he would send once their courtship became official.

He had seen enough of the world to recognize genuine connection when he encountered it.

The true treasure wasn't always what one set out to find – sometimes it appeared unexpectedly, in the form of complementary minds discovering each other.

The first drops of rain spattered against the carriage window as Dorset's rough-hewn shoreline came into view, the Roman ruins visible on the distant headland.

Tomorrow's expedition awaited, but tonight Sidney would drink a glass in honour of absent friends and surprising journeys – both his own treasure hunt and the more meaningful discovery Lord Sutcliffe and Miss Martin had made in each other.

Faith had found her path forward. Perhaps it was time for Meredith to explore new possibilities as well.

The End