AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Will had been smiling and nodding at the conversation but paying it very little mind. Now he paused to sip his wine and pull his mind back to the conversation at hand. He nodded to the lady seated across from him. “I have, my lady. In fact, when I was young, my family visited the seaside there several times.”
“And how did you find it?” Lady Jocelyn asked.
Will noted that Lady Averley had ended her conversation with the prime minister and was looking at him expectantly.
“I confess I enjoyed my time there very much. I would spend all day on the beach and after several weeks, when we returned to London, I’d have tanned skin and my hair gone almost blond.”
“That hardly sounds suitable for a lady,” Lady Jocelyn said. She nodded at Lady Averley. “The countess has been trying to persuade me to accompany her for a few weeks to Lyme Regis this summer, when Her Majesty is in Scotland.”
“We needn’t spend all day on the beach,” Lady Averley said. “Although it’s quite refreshing to walk there. With a sturdy parasol, you needn’t worry about your complexion. I’m fairer than you and manage to avoid sunburn.”
“Oh, but it’s the freckles I worry about. One touch of sun, and spots pop out all over my face,” Lady Jocelyn said.
“I think you should look quite fetching with a sprinkle of freckles,” Will said.
Lady Jocelyn gave him a coy smile. “Thank you, sir, but my husband does not agree.”
“There is more to do in Lyme Regis than walk on the beach. Pleasant as it is.” Will nodded to Lady Averley. “The area is also known for its fossils.”
“Fossils?” the prince asked, interested as ever in anything remotely scientific. “What sort of fossils?”
“Fascinating creatures who no longer walk the Earth, at least not anywhere in England,” Lady Averley replied, her eyes shining. Will knew an opportunity when he saw one, and he pounced on the topic that might be a bridge to gaining her affection.
“Have you ever found any fossils there, my lady?” Will asked.
“I have.” Her cheeks were pink now, and Will found the change in her quite mesmerizing. “Unfortunately, not any finds of particular interest. Mostly just sea creatures, and all of those I could identify. What about you, Mr. Galloway?”
“I confess I have also gone fossil-hunting, Lady Averley. I too found several specimens, but like you, nothing out of the ordinary.”
“Is fossil-hunting a common pastime in this place?” the prince asked.
“Oh, yes, Your Majesty,” Will answered. “Hunters trek out along the sea and among the cliffs. A few years ago there was a phenomenon known as a landslip that occurred at Bindon Manor, which is not far from Lyme Regis. The area had been covered with turnip fields, but those were dislodged when an enormous chasm opened up.”
“I have not seen it,” Lady Averley said. “How large is the chasm?”
“I have not seen it either,” Will admitted, “but my sister went with my parents to view it. My father wrote that it was about 300 feet across and 150 or more feet deep. It ran for almost a mile. Quite a number of fossils were discovered in that chasm.”
“Fascinating,” the prince commented.
“Have you heard of Mary Anning?” Lady Averley asked.
Will thanked God that he hadn’t spent all his time barefoot and splashing in the waves at Lyme Regis. “The lady geologist? I have heard of her and seen a few of her finds. They fetch quite a high price.”
“And what did you think of them?” Lady Averley inquired. “Do you believe they are the remains of ancient sea dragons and other mythical creatures?”
“If you are asking if I believe her finds are frauds, then no. I believe they are real, and I believe she has made several extraordinary finds. As to what to make of them, I know not. They certainly do seem to be the preserved remains of creatures the likes of which I have never seen. Perhaps one day we will find one of the creatures alive or come to learn what happened to them.”
“And you say a woman made these discoveries?” the duchess asked, her voice high and shrill. “How unseemly, to be digging about in the dirt.”
Will knew a dozen women like the Duchess of Charlemont. He could handle her in his sleep. “You are not alone in thinking so,” Will said. “Miss Anning has not been accepted into The Geological Society of London. Her finds have been written about by others, doubtless many who do not even credit her.” He glanced at Lady Averley when he said this, wondering which side she would take.
“Why should she want credit for such an activity?” the duchess observed, taking the side he’d known she would. “If she must dig about in the dirt then I am sure she would not want it known.”
“On the contrary,” Lady Averley said, “I think she would like very much to be credited for her discoveries. It’s only the men in the scientific community who will not allow it.”
Interesting, Will thought, though considering her husband’s beliefs, he should not be surprised she had progressive views about women.
“They’re threatened by her, no doubt,” Will said. He meant it too. He’d seen men threatened by the strong women in his family many times. But he’d been raised to appreciate and valuea woman for her talents and to believe they could be equal to and even surpass a man’s. “It’s a foolish attitude, as such prejudice only slows their own study.”
