Martha shifted her weight back onto her heels and glanced at her companion. Now was the time to be bold... authoritative. She was a Jankowski after all. “I promised Mr. Johnson a full day of work, and I intend to stand up to my agreement. Perhaps if you would prefer, I could find another companion.”
The woman flinched but didn’t break eye contact. “That won’t be required. If you are up to the challenge and the heat, then so am I.” She lifted her chin a bit.
Lily Rose Ducasse had been hired by Martha’s mother as her companion when she was thirteen years of age. At first, it had been a nuisance—the whole companion thing—that Martha bucked against. But over time, she’d come to appreciate her mother’s wisdom. Lily Rose’s private instruction in etiquette had saved Martha more times than she could count.
Rarely did the two of them come to odds, but every once in a while, Martha felt it necessary to insist that her companion understand her place. Mother had taught Martha well in that area and while she was not as harsh as her parent, she didn’t mind hanging the carrot over her companion’s head. Losingemployment at the Jankowski mansion would tarnish Miss Ducasse’s reputation forever.
Ever since Phoebe left, Martha had hardened herself toward allowing anyone into her private thoughts and dreams.
Mother trained her. Martha hated it, but she did it and did it well. Appeasing her mother in all things high society helped Martha gain what she wanted in the long run.
Patience had become her best friend. Strategy, her greatest tool.
It had won her the chance to dig once again.
Soon, a small bone began to take shape. It was slender at one end with a sharp point jutting out of the middle and had a small bulb at the other end.
A tingling zipped through Martha, making her hands tremble. She took several deep breaths to calm her nerves. It looked like a few more well-placed taps would get the bone free. Just a few moments later, she tugged on the bone, and it came free.
Martha grabbed her rag and wiped it down, unable to contain a little cry of joy and inspecting it again. Sure enough, it was a leg bone. She scrambled to her feet and in a very unladylike manner ran across the small quarry. “Mr. Johnson! I’ve got it!”
“Well, let’s see what we have here.” He took the bone and ran his hands along it, then held it up, studying the ends. “Miss Martha, if I am not mistaken, you have found the leg bone of a crocodile. Quite remarkable that you were able to remove it in one day. Sometimes it takes much, much longer. You were taught well.”
His praise lifted her spirits even higher. She stared at the bone in the man’s hands and chewed her lip. “A crocodile? Aren’t they saltwater inhabitants?”
“That’s right. But we found a few like this when we dug in Morrison, Colorado, a few years back. Most people thinkbones like this would be found on the east or west coast of our country. I can’t explain it, but at one point, this land must have flowed with several rivers with all kinds of critters living in their waters. I bet if we keep digging in that area, we’d find turtles, starfish, maybe even shark teeth.” He placed the bone back in Martha’s hands. “It’s an important find today, Miss Martha. And you should be proud that you persevered and dug it out. I’ll have my men expand their dig to your area tomorrow morning.”
She studied the bone, its angles and planes. Well, it wasn’t a dinosaur. But it was her first find. Hopefully, Mother would let her talk to Father about it tonight. Would he be pleased? Even proud?
“May... may I take this with me tonight? I’d like my father to see it.”
“Of course. Bring it back tomorrow, and we will start again.” Mr. Johnson glanced at the sky. The afternoon was fading into the deeper blue of evening. “You’ve done a fine job today, Miss Jankowski. And I look forward to having you return.”
The grin on Martha’s face was so wide it hurt her cheeks. “Thank you, sir. I will see you tomorrow.” She went back to her site and gathered her tools in her bag. Lily Rose took the bag, but Martha wrapped the bone in her handkerchief and tucked it in her pocket. She couldn’t wait to show Mother and Father. Sure, not everyone found a fossil their first day. But it had to be a good sign to not only find a bone, but to release it from its rocky clutches.
After a long hike back to the carriage, Martha climbed in and then leaned against the padded squabs. If only Phoebe was still with her. She would have loved examining every inch of Martha’s discovery, talking about how amazing it was that God could have created such a creature. The thought made her eyes sting with tears. God had seemed so far away since her governess left. But maybe...
Could He have helped her today?
She pushed the thoughts away and pulled the bone out again and something plunked on the seat. Her fingers brushed the leather until she found the object. Father’s lucky coin. Martha picked it up and rubbed it between her forefinger and thumb. Maybe this was why she’d been so fortunate her first day. Father had said it brought him loads of fortune on different digs.
“A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the LORDdirecteth his steps.”
The words flashed like lightning in Martha’s mind. It was a Bible verse Phoebe read to her many times in their discussions about how to live one’s life dependent on God, not on luck. How could she know if she found this bone because the Lord directed her steps? Did that mean her father’s coin had no meaning?
God had been out of her reach ever since Phoebe left... her father even longer. It would be nice to cling to one or the other right now. But instead, she felt alone.
Martha sighed and slipped the coin back in her pocket. Those thoughts were too heavy for such a happy day. For now, she would be content with her find. It was one small step in her plans. She meant what she said to Mr. Johnson today. She was determined to find a dinosaur. Mother didn’t know it yet, but Martha had much bigger plans and dreams. Over time, she’d win her parents over.
Her name would appear on a museum plaque, honoring her contributions to science. And she wouldn’t be a disappointment to the Jankowski name.
Martha unwrapped the crocodile bone and traced its lines with her fingertips, a small smile on her lips.
She was going to show everyone what she was capable of. Even if she had to do it all by herself.
The smile grew and she lifted her chin as the carriagerumbled down the rough road back toward Denver. Loneliness had been her constant companion for too many years now. And it had molded her into who she was today.
Maybe being alone wasn’t so bad.
