Two people should be allowed to converse on a mutually agreeable subject. Regardless of social station.
“Thank you, Miss Jankowski. I appreciate your candor.”
“To answer your previous question about Mr. Hatcher, I have studied his approach to mapping out the rock of a quarry on a grid and locating the bones and fossils to excavate before he starts to dig. It is a thoughtful and vigilant approach which I admire. But I hadn’t heard of his findings in the anthills. That is interesting as well. Especially if there were any teeth of dinosaurs found.”
Mr. Duncan looked behind him and stood. “It seems the hallis emptying. Might I accompany you back to your conveyance and we could continue our chat?”
“That would be lovely.” She stood and Lily Rose joined her.
“I’m intrigued by your knowledge of paleontology.” He kept his hat in his hands as they walked up the aisle.
She bristled a bit at the statement. “Why? You don’t believe a woman can be educated in the field?”
“Not at all.” Her sharp tone seemed to roll right off him. “I’m simply intrigued and would like to know more. From what I can tell, you are more advanced in this subject than I am and like I said before, I wish to continue learning.”
For half a second, she felt bad for how she had responded. But the way he looked at her—without any judgment—encouraged her to shake it off. Mr. Duncan was proving to be her favorite new acquaintance. A new idea formed. “Would you be interested in a job, Mr. Duncan?”
“That is awfully generous of you, Miss Jankowski, but I recently started a new job.”
“Oh, I see.” She took slow steps out of the building and toward her carriage. “This is ours.” She pointed.
“Now, if you were offering me a job on a dinosaur dig, I might be tempted to quit and take you up on that.” He laughed and opened the door for her.
Watching him for another moment, she debated whether she should tell him, but movement behind him drew her attention. She darted her gaze over Mr. Duncan’s shoulder and spotted a young boy running toward them. The boy worked at her parents’ home.
She stepped forward to meet him. “Isaac ... is everything all right?”
“You mother asked me to fetch you, Miss Jankowski. Your father fell down the stairs. He’s hurt pretty bad.”
Panic prickled her skin. “Father fell? How? What?” Her mind was blank. “How badly is he hurt?”
Isaac’s gaze dropped to the ground. “All Mrs. Jankowski said was you needed to be home fast.”
Lily Rose was at her side in an instant. “Isaac, run back and tell Mrs. Jankowski that Martha is on her way.”
The young boy nodded and took off running.
“Come on, Martha.” Lily Rose’s voice was firm. The older woman’s arm slipped around her waist, drawing her close. “The carriage is ready.”
Martha swallowed then glanced over her shoulder. Mr. Duncan stood to the side, hat in his hands. “Mr. Duncan...”
“Will be fine. In you go.” Lily Rose helped her into the carriage and said something to their driver, Walter.
The carriage ride was a haze. Familiar streets looked like blurred paintings as the horses raced toward her home.
Lily Rose’s hand covered hers. “I’m sure your father will be all right.”
Tears gathered in Martha’s eyes. “But what if he’s not. What if he’s—”
The carriage jerked to a stop, slamming Martha against the side. Walter opened the door. “Apologies, miss. I—”
“Thank you, Walter.” She waved him off and scrambled out of the carriage. She picked up her skirts and raced up the stairs. The front door was open, and a group of servants clustered in the foyer.
“Mother!” Martha pushed through the servants to the front of the group. Her mother leaned on the banister, her eyes trained on the scene before her. Martha grabbed her hand. “It’s all right. I’m here, Mother. How is Father?” The words tumbled from her as she struggled to catch her breath.
Mother didn’t respond. She continued to stare at the ground.
Martha turned and drew back with a gasp. Her father was sprawled on the ground, one leg twisted beneath him. Blood oozed from a wound on the left side of his head, his dark hairmatted to his skull. The right side of his head was covered with a thick bandage, but Martha could see blood seeping through its layers.
