Work Text:
An excursion to the Natural History Museum would be - indeed is - its own reward, but Tilly is also rather excited to see Captain Pike again. She had long since resigned herself to finding suitors a boring class, to considering them a category of human almost deliberately designed to be insufferable and to find her wanting.
Christopher Pike certainly does not leave her bored. He does not seem to find her wanting, either; he looks at her as if he never wants to look at anyone else ever again. Even if it is simply the good manners of a very well bred man, Tilly cannot deny she enjoys his attention.
Her guardian, Mr Saru, chaperones her of course, but he both trusts Tilly and is resigned that she simply must make her own way in the world, so his presence is as unobtrusive as such a thing can be. When she catches brief glimpses of him, he looks rather pleased. Maybe he knew more than she realised, when he urged her to at least consider Captain Pike as a suitable partner.
They wander the exhibits, and while Christopher is clearly no scientist, he is clever and inquisitive and asks pertinent questions; moreover, he listens when she answers him, and defers to her greater knowledge. Tilly is so very used to men believing they know better. He is exceedingly refreshing.
She cannot be quite so forward as to ask if he would find the same pleasure in her intelligence if she were his wife, but she wonders it all the same. Would he allow her to be his intellectual superior, or would he insist on stifling her? Is this something he simply tolerates in an acquaintance, or something he truly values?
She wants so very badly to believe that he is different.