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"Well, well. I believe you may have found something of interest, Miss Darcy. Look at the markings here. They appear to have been made deliberately, and the fragment is not of recent manufacture."

Kate leant nearer to examine it, their shoulders almost touching. "Do you think it might be ancient? Perhaps from the people who made this mound?"

"It is possible. I would need to examine it properly before attempting to date it, but I have seen similar pottery recovered from burial sites. If this is indeed a barrow, there may be more beneath the ground."

"Oh, Mr Briar, how wonderful! Do you suppose there might be an ancient British warrior buried beneath it?" Kate asked, looking towards the mound. "Perhaps with his weapons? I have read accounts of such things being discovered in barrows."

"Quite possibly, Miss Darcy, although we must not assume that every ancient grave belongs to a warrior. We may find someone quite different."

"Of course," she said thoughtfully. "I suppose the objects buried with a person might tell us something about the age in which they lived. Whether they used weapons of stone or bronze, for example."

Nathaniel turned towards her with a smile. "My word, Miss Darcy. You have quite the mind for this sort of thing. Have you ever considered taking up antiquarian studies?"

Kate grinned at him, a wide, genuine grin that she could not contain. "We must investigate. I am sure Papa would allow it, particularly if you were willing to supervise the work."

"I should be delighted. Although we must not get ahead of ourselves. We have a mound and a piece of pottery, and that is not sufficient evidence to begin announcing the discovery of an ancient tomb."

"But surely it is enough to warrant a closer examination?" Kate asked, catching his arm in her excitement. "You have worked on excavations across the world, and I have read much about such things. To think that we might have something of the sort here, at Pemberley!"

He smiled down at her. "I think it is certainly worth investigating, Miss Darcy. And I should be very happy to undertake the work with you, if your father agrees."

Kate became aware that she was still holding his arm and that he was standing very close indeed. She released him, but when she looked up, she found that he was watching her carefully, his breathing a touch shallow. She had been so caught up in their discovery that she had quite forgotten to be uncomfortable in his company, and now all her earlier awkwardness returned.

"Kate!" Her father's voice came sharply from behind them.

She turned to find him striding across the grass, Mina following a few paces behind and Pegasus trotting along at his heels. The spaniel looked very pleased with himself, although her Papa’s expression was dark.

"What is going on here? We have been calling you for several minutes." He looked from Kate to Mr Briar, and his mouth settled into a stern line. "I should like to know why you have both wandered off unchaperoned."

Before Kate could answer, Pegasus pushed his way between them and began sniffing at the little patch of disturbed earth. She felt Mr Briar take a step away from her.

"Papa! We have found something quite extraordinary. Mr Briar believes there may be an ancient burial barrow here, and we have found a piece of pottery which could be thousands of years old!"

Her father looked towards the mound and then at the fragment Mr Briar was holding out to him. Whatever he had been about to say was evidently forgotten. "An ancient burial barrow? Good Lord. Are you certain?"

"Not certain, sir," said Nathaniel. "But there is enough here to make me suspect that the mound may be of some antiquity. The shape is suggestive, and the pottery Miss Darcy discovered is promising. I believe the site would repay a proper examination."

Darcy took the fragment and studied it. Kate watched him examine the markings before turning his attention to the mound itself. She knew that look. It was the same one he wore when they came upon some interesting scientific question during their afternoons in the library, and she felt a little thrill of hope.

"Papa, would you consider allowing us to excavate it? Mr Briar has a great deal of experience, and I should so love to assist him. I promise we would take every care with the site."

Darcy looked at her, then at Nathaniel, and Kate recognised the slight frown that appeared between his brows. Oh dear. She had been so excited by the discovery that she had not considered whether her father might object to her spending so much time in the company of an unmarried gentleman. He was usually so encouraging of her studies, but even Papa had his limits when it came to what was proper.

"Well, I can hardly refuse such an opportunity, can I? Particularly when my daughter looks as though I have offered her the crown jewels." He handed the pottery back to Kate. "However, I think we ought to discuss the matter with your mother before making any arrangements. I daresay she will have some thoughts on the propriety of the thing, and I should hate to find myself on the wrong side of her judgement. If Mr Briar is willing to lend us his expertise, I am sure we can come to some suitable arrangement."

"Oh, Papa, thank you!" Kate cried, throwing her arms around him.

He hugged her and kissed the top of her head. "Now, we have not agreed to anything just yet, my darling, so do not get too carried away. We shall speak to your mother this evening and see what can be arranged. For the moment, however, I think we ought to return to the business of her treasure hunt. She has gone to a great deal of trouble, and I, for one, have every intention of seeing it through."

Mina, who had been examining the mound while the others spoke, turned towards them. "Are you saying there might be dead people in there? How horrible. I do hope you are not intending to dig them up. I should hate to think of someone disturbing me after I had been buried for a thousand years."

"An excellent point, my dear," said Darcy. "And one we shall certainly consider. Now, come along. I believe the boundary stone is just beyond those trees, and we have already spent quite enough time here."

Pegasus, who had found nothing edible in the rabbit hole, gave a great sneeze and hurried back to Darcy's side. Kate carefully wrapped the pottery in her handkerchief and placed it in her pocket. As they made their way back towards the path, she found herself walking beside Mr Briar once more, but this time she did not mind so much. She had a hundred questions she wished to ask him about the proposed excavation, and for the first time since his arrival at Pemberley, she was looking forward to spending more time in his company.

Chapter Six

Elizabeth Darcy sat at her dressing table and pressed her fingers into her scalp, rubbing firmly. She felt as though the pins had been in her hair for two weeks, and although Cooper, her lady's maid, had now removed them all, the ache had subsided only a little. She turned at her husband's entrance to their shared chambers and smiled softly at him. "It went off very well, William, I thought. What did you make of it?"