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She´s noticed it with her brothers – though with Conrad it´s still a soft small fluff – while her father tends to show some grey stubbles. It´s nothing that is talked about. Of course not. Sophie sometimes wonders about the differences between men and women, but God beware that she asked her mother about it.
Luckily, Konstanze seems eager to teach her the essential things she needs to know for now.
“You´re still young, Sophie, and certain things you better don´t learn too soon, or it will meddle with your innocent mind.”
“What innocent mind?” Sophie wishes she´d be in the loop about things … not feeling left out and innocent – which, to her, sounds rather like dumb and dull…
But she´s not dumb, and certainly she has no intention of being dull. Well, she can go to the library and look through the anatomy books of the great physicians.
Well, she could, once back in the city. Out here in the countryside she´s doomed to dwell amongst her silent family and listen to the titbits of noble talk.
The summer is warm and the evenings mild, inviting one to go for a stroll along the riverbank. The soft breeze coming from the stream is doing well, and the sun lowering for the night bathes everything in a golden light. That´s when Sophie feels content, away from the hustle and bustle of the so noble house. She closes her eyes, opens her arms a little and lets the evening air lull her in. Beautiful!
“The day is the most beautiful at the time of both, dawn and sunset, don´t you think?”
Sophie almost jumps and in the process stumbles over the hem of her dress, fumbling with the material only to find herself caught by two strong hands grabbing her arms.
The Abbé seems to show up in the most inconvenient times – but also at the most pleasant times it seems to her. She should not, but does still look up at him, that handsome face with grey eyes captivating her glance whenever their eyes meet. What is it that is different to this man than to her brothers? He´s just a young man, called into the service of God, and yet… yet there is something about him that fascinates her in a most oddly way. Is it his kind features – or the mysterious background of his title – or the fact that she can´t take her eyes off him. How wicked!
“Oh, well, yes, it is.” she mumbles, blushing beyond her ears and her throat burns with her heart suddenly beating wildly and with such force that she fears he must hear it. What´s wrong with her?...
“I understand you appreciate the calamity of the place at such an hour?” Leander – as he calls himself by name – lets go of her, reluctantly as if to make sure she stands firm on her feet. She hardly does because her knees suddenly feel too wobbly – how strange. She´s not ill, isn´t she?
“Ah – the calamity… indeed.” Sophie gasps and then clears her throat, straightening like he´s told her to a few months ago. Funny, with the Abbé she can speak freely, and does not need to think twice about the choice of her words. For some strange reason it seems to Sophie that he knows her too well. And she doesn’t feel preyed.
They walk a little in silence and it feels just right. Weird, but right.
The water gurgles calmly and the light lingering across the horizon has turned into a golden red, announcing the sun´s farewell. It´s a soft moment, carefree and far from all society´s rules. Sophie looks up at Leander and then, she notices what she´s seen so many times with her brothers, her father, and the grandfather. And him – yes, him she can ask.
“I know that men shave in the morning. But how fast does a beard grow back?”
Leander tilts his head and rubs his cheeks with a grin. “That? Ah, that´s our curse. The five o´clock shadow. We´re doomed to reach for the razor blade every morning.”
Sophie frowns and bites her lips. “I don´t understand. It´s long past five o´clock!”
Leander laughs and shrugs. “You are right. Well, I am exceptional, am I not?”
Sophie knows that he´s joking and trying to fool around with her. It´s alright when he does it. What she doesn´t tell him that he´s right. He´s exceptional to her in many ways which she can´t even fathom herself. But that, she can say without to lie.
“Exceptional a friend, yes.”