She held her breath and stared at the man.“TheDr. Masterson?”
“One and the same, I’m afraid.” He removed his hat, folding the well-worn brim back and forth.
“Forgive me.” She extended her hand in greeting and shook his. “Mr. Carnegie told me you were coming. You’ll have to excuse our appearance.” She glanced down at her attire. “We’re in the middle of a dig.”
“Not a problem.” Dr. Masterson smiled. “Again, we don’t wish to interrupt, but there were a few more questions we wanted to ask before we headed back East, and we simply had to find our knowledgeable guide.”
THURSDAY, JULY13, 1916•MEYERRANCH
Devin clasped his hands behind his back as he followed along with the small group listening to Eliza.
After the past few days, she’d lost a bit of her confidence. That spark of exuberance that always came out when she talked about what she loved hadn’t been there. Then he’d made it worse by sharing the news of her grandfather’s passing.
Devin let out a breath. Their time out at the ranch today had been good for her, but she was subdued. Grief colored every smile. Every glance. Not that he blamed her. Not at all. He just wanted to help her, soothe her sorrow, comfort her.
The thought of leaving her now, when she was vulnerable in her mourning and struggling out at the dig was almost too much to bear.
He hated even thinking the thought, but selfishly, it was true. Even during the cleanup and emotional aftermath it had been so wonderful to just be with her again. In a couple days, he’d have to say good-bye.
He shook his head. This habit of getting lost in his morose thoughts needed to stop. Right now, Eliza needed him. Dr.Masterson and his friends had taken them by surprise. And while Eliza usually handled these types of situations with grace and humor, today, she looked a bit lost.
The panic that crossed her features as the group closed in was unmistakable. Not only was she unprepared for guests, but she was out here in her men’s shirt and denims.
Devin eyed Dr. Masterson’s friends. Their clothes, while practical, spoke of finery and wealth. He prayed they would not be offended by Eliza’s clothing and would understand how necessary what she wore was to digging out fossils.
Thus far, no one had commented. They were fully focused on Eliza and her work at the quarry. He made his way toward the group and found a place just off to the side, next to Deborah, who was taking in the conversation with wide eyes.
He couldn’t blame her. Dr. Masterson’s friends were asking some intriguing questions. Things he’d never thought of before. And he’d been hanging out with Eliza for two decades.
Amazing how much he still had to learn about her work.
The woman up front twirled her parasol and raised a hand. “Might I ask what you believe about the age of the dinosaurs? My father is a preacher back East and doesn’t like the fact that we donate to the Hall of Dinosaurs exhibit at Mr. Carnegie’s museum. I keep thinking that there must be an explanation that will appease my father and help me to understand these things as well.”
The woman had obviously married well, since just the hat her husband wore probably cost more than every suit Devin owned.
Eliza gave the woman a small smile and cleared her throat. Her gaze flickered to Devin, and he gave her an encouraging nod. Her grin grew and she straightened her shoulders a bit more. “There was a paper written several years ago that talked about theIguanodonsfound in Belgium.”
The husband piped up. “I remember reading about that. More than thirty were found, correct? Almost completely intact?”
“Yes!” Eliza’s face lit up with genuine delight for the first time in a few days. “More than one thousand feet deep on a coal bed.” She stepped a bit closer. “Coal, as we know, comes from plant matter. But something has to happen for the vegetation to not decay back into the soil. This kind of event, along with time, and with heat and pressure, turns that vegetation into coal.” She clasped her hands in front of her, eyes bright as she warmed to her subject. “Now what would address your question is the fact that these dinosaurs were fossilized and an integral part of the coal and surrounding sediment. Had they simply died after the coal was already there, they would have decayed—not fossilized. For them to be in the midst of the coal bed the way they were found seems to imply that they were in the same kind of event that also caused the vegetation to turn into the coal seam.”
The woman nodded. “Like the flood?”
Eliza smiled. “A flood is definitely what I was thinking and what this paper spoke about.” She lifted a finger. “Now, many different religions and cultural histories speak of a global flood. That could be the explanation for it. Which would also help us to understand many of the mysteries we face when we find these fossils.”
Devin nodded along. She was doing a great job at explaining, while not making anyone feel that he or she was wrong. It must be incredibly difficult to do such a thing. Especially when it was such a divisive topic.
“She’s remarkable,” Deborah whispered, and Devin smiled.
“I think so too. I’ve always admired her ability to help someone understand a challenging subject such as this without making them feel small.”
Deborah looked up at him, her wide-brimmed hat shieldingher eyes from the blazing July sun. “Exactly! I’ve learned so much in such a short time.”
The other woman in Dr. Masterson’s party spoke up, cutting off their conversation. “I have had a hard time believing that the earth is millions of years old. Especially since we only have record of man for not even ten thousand years.”
“Then I take it you don’t believe in evolution?” the man next to Devin asked.
The woman turned and studied him. “I don’t believe we came from monkeys, if that’s what you’re asking. No. But I would like to understand this at a greater depth.”
