AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Perhaps another time,” she said. “Today I am eager to see the fossils.”
“The natural history collection is upstairs,” he said and led her up the grand staircase, nodding to the ladies and gentlemen coming down. Will had to make an effort to find Cal Kelly. He might not have spotted him at all except that Cal moved out of a corner when Will turned to look for him. Cal didn’t acknowledge him, seeming to be fascinated by a statue to his right.
Once they had reached the natural history collection, Lady Averley released Will’s arm and began to peruse the fossils. He pointed out several interesting pieces to her, but mainly he was content to allow her to read and study as she wished. She was truly interested in the exhibit, if the time she took to study each fossil was any indication. He moved at a quicker pace, having seen everything within the space of a quarter hour. There was a bench near a large rock with an impression of what seemed to be a sea dragon, and Will sat, leaning back and pretending to study the piece.
Lady Averley moved about the room on her own. He did not think she would meet with any of the Irish separatists—after all, he had invited her—but if she was working with the group, this might be the perfect opportunity to exchange a message. Deliberately, he avoided looking at her, giving her a chance to rendezvous with her compatriots, if that was her plan. Callahan Kelly or Mrs. Kelly, who he had spotted studying a small row of shell-type fossils, would take note of her actions for him.
Now that Will had put some distance between himself and Lady Averley, his thoughts returned to his reaction to her closeness earlier. Anyone would have thought he was an inexperienced youth, easily titillated by a lady fluttering her lashes at him.
Will was a man of more than thirty years. He’d long since passed the stage of sighing over a lady’s glances. He was no womanizer, but he’d had lovers over the years. Of course, he had parted from his last lover more than a year before. He’d been out of the country on assignment and then working toward admission into the Royal Saboteurs. He hadn’t been thinking about female companionship and hadn’t had the time or inclination to cultivate a relationship with any women. Perhaps that was why his body reacted as it had earlier. It had been too long since he’d taken a lover.
Unfortunately, there was no easy solution for that. He was not the sort of man to visit a brothel, and he wasn’t likely to meet anyone at the palace. The servants were out of the question. Their status was such that they couldn’t refuse him. Queen Victoria was no libertine, unlike her late uncle George IV. She wouldn’t tolerate extramarital liaisons, and all of her ladies-in-waiting were wed.
Except Lady Averley. He flicked his gaze to her, finding her still studying the fossils and quite alone.
“That’s the second time you’ve looked at her,” a female voice said. Will looked to his right and saw Mrs. Kelly standing before what seemed to be a strange insect-type of organism. Though she was now married to Cal, he had met her months ago when he’d first arrived at the Farm. She had been a trusted assistant to Baron. He knew her to be clever and efficient, though he would not have thought her talents lay in surveillance. He was obviously mistaken as he hadn’t even known she was beside him.
Either that or he was more distracted than he thought.
“Good to see you too,” Will drawled. “And that’s only the first time I’ve glanced at her. I’d hardly be a fit companion if I ignored her entirely.”
“She doesn’t appear to be engaged in anything more nefarious than reading the placards by each specimen. Are you and Cal sure she is the one we seek?” She spoke quietly, not looking at him, her mouth barely moving. Though the exhibit room was not crowded, there were several men moving about, studying the fossils, and she didn’t want to risk being overheard.
Neither did Will. He kept his own voice low, and his gaze on the sea dragon. “I’m not sure of anything right now.”
Except he knew he could not allow himself to develop an attraction to Lady Averley. Yes, he found her beautiful. Many men would. Her features were unusual—that fair hair and those light eyes—but the overall effect was stunning. But he could not allow his appreciation for her outward appearance to develop into anything more. Baron had not told Will to sleep with Lady Averley, but if that was what it took to gain her confidence, then Will would do it.
But he couldn’t be objective about the possibility that she was a traitor if he cared for her. That meant no more catching his breath when she walked into a room, no more stealing glances at her, and no more pounding of his heart if she was pressed against him.
She was an assignment. Nothing more.
Suddenly, she turned and started toward him. Mrs. Kelly stepped closer to the fossils she was facing, easily putting distance between them.
“Mr. Galloway,” Lady Averley said. “Come see this piece.”
He rose and met her halfway across the room. “You’ve found something of interest.”
“Yes. I do believe this is a fossil found by Miss Anning or her brother.”
“This one?” Will asked, pointing to a skull.
“Yes.”
The skull was quite long, the mouth almost like a beak and the eyes quite large.
“It’s calledTemnodontosaurus platyodon,” she read, sounding the long words out. “This doesn’t credit the Annings, but it was found near Lyme Regis. I’m sure it must be one of hers.”
“As am I.” Will tried to imagine what the body of the beast would look like and then he tried to imagine it walking about Lyme Regis or wading in the waters there. “How strange the world must have looked when this creature inhabited it.”
Lady Averley made a sound of agreement. “Then you do not thinkTemnodontosaurus platyodonis alive today?”
“I’ve spent a great deal of time at Lyme Regis and never seen its like.” He straightened and looked down at her. “What would you do if you were walking along the shore and spotted aTemnodontosaurus platyodon?”
“I’m sure I would run away screaming.”
He laughed. “I doubt that. You’re made of sterner stuff.”
“Very well, what would you do?”
