Elizabeth looked at him and smiled. “I always enjoy your company, Mr. Darcy.”
“That is good to know,” he said with a crooked smile. He then gestured ahead. "Shall we?"
Elizabeth was feeling a rush of emotions. Though several were swirling around inside her, three stood out overwhelmingly: happiness, excitement, and nervousness. Elizabeth was looking forward to exploring the exhibit with him. She always got a heady feeling whenever he centered all his attention on her. Now she was aware of his interest, and it was having a curious effect on Elizabeth. It was causing her to be somewhat shy with him at times, which was unusual for her.
They approached a display that was solely comprised of fossilized plants and leaves and fronds, perfectly preserved.
“Oh, these are amazing!” Elizabeth exclaimed as she leaned forward for a closer inspection.
“It says here fossilization typically occurs in sedimentary environments where plants are rapidly buried by mud, sand, or volcanic ash. Over long periods, the plant material decays. Minerals from the surrounding sediment and groundwater seep into the plant’s cellular structure and the spaces left by decomposition. The minerals harden and create a mineral replica of the original plant—that is amazing,” she repeated, looking again at the plants.
“It is amazing how these natural changes and processes leave behind such an accurate copy of the original,” Mr. Darcy agreed.
Elizabeth noticed Jane and Mr. Fitzwilliam standing a few feet away from them. He leaned toward her sister, speaking softly, as they closely observed the items on display. She smiled to herself and then turned her attention back to Mr. Darcy.
Next, they walked to a glass case that was almost entirely draped in dark fabric. Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy found the display label which read: Bioluminescent Worms. They both looked at each other in surprise.
“Glowing worms?” Elizabeth questioned with raised brows, her eyes still on Mr. Darcy’s.
A young man stood behind the case and asked if they would like to have a look. After looking under the cloth from behind the case, he gestured for them to raise the cloth on their end, so they did.
Elizabeth laughed at the sight before her. “My goodness! Look at them!”
There, inside the case, crawling and burrowing around in damp soil, were a dozen glowing worms. She had never seen such a thing!
“Do they always glow?” Mr. Darcy asked, lifting his gaze to the young man.
“No, sir, they do not, and we do not yet understand why they glow. It could be as simple a reason as lighting their way in the dark. Also, there are actually two different species of worms in the case. As you can see, they all emit a green-colored glow. However, one of the species has the ability to emit a red glow as well. This seems to happen when it is jostled or feels threatened. If you will allow me . . .”
Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy both took a step back.
The young man shook the case gently and slightly inverted it from side to side. He set it back down and lifted the drape to peer under it. Smiling, he lowered the drape and invited them to have another look. Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy grinned at the glowing bodies. Several worms were indeed now also sporting a red glow in their heads as if they were angry.
“This gives new meaning to being red in the face,” Mr. Darcy said.
Elizabeth giggled. “Yes, it does!”
Mr. Darcy spent a few more minutes discussing the worms with the young man while Elizabeth looked on in awe at their bioluminescence.
Mr. Darcy turned to her. “Shall we continue?”
She nodded, then they thanked the young man and moved on.
He led her to a part of the exhibit that featured a voltaic pile and a gentleman demonstrating how it worked. There were several others also viewing the demonstration.
Elizabeth leaned toward Mr. Darcy and asked quietly, “Are you familiar with this invention?”
“I am,” Mr. Darcy replied softly, leaning toward her. “It is the first device ever to provide a steady supply of electricity. A continuous electric current is produced by stacking alternating layers of zinc and copper discs, separated by a moist cloth or paper soaked in a saltwater solution.”
“Interesting,” Elizabeth remarked as she observed the device.
“It is a significant advancement in the study of electricity, and it will allow for experiments that were simply not possible before.”
She nodded, intrigued.
They approached a beautiful display that held a variety of different seashells, coral, and starfish. Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy discussed the wonder and beauty of each of them.
The next display they viewed had microscopes with slides of insects, strands of hair, and even crystals. Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy each stood looking through a microscope. They marveled at the makeup of these specimens when they were able to view them with such great magnification and clarity.
