“Remember, this is all a work in progress, but your tablets will be our central exhibit for our grand opening,” Lisbeth said.
Rose nodded, and they stepped through the door into an expansive area that looked pristine, unlike the outside of the building. A grand staircase stood in the center, sweeping up to two mezzanines that overlooked the vast foyer, if one could call it that.
She walked to a display and identified French scrolls behind the glass. They depicted representations of mythical creatures. If Rose had to guess, they were fifteenth-century works. Lisbeth joined her. “Those are from Le Conquet, France. During a leisure cruise, one of our board members formed a partnership to have them displayed at Seely House.”
Rose nodded. “I heard about the cruise being designed for ladies.”
A loud, high-pitched giggle erupted from one of the rooms upstairs, and Lisbeth rolled her eyes. “That is the president of our club. Come with me. I will give you a tour after you meet the board members.”
She followed the duchess up the grand staircase into a room housing multiple desks. A striking woman sat on the corner of one, waving her hands dramatically in the air while three other ladies looked on amused. One spotted them and stood, causing everyone else to turn. Rose, for a moment, felt the urge to hide. She’d not spent most of her life in the company of ladies.
The woman sitting on the desk hopped up. “You are here. We are thrilled to have you at our club.
Rose’s eyes darted to Lisbeth, wondering if these ladies knew she’d been essentially blackmailed into being in London. She didn’t mention that and said, “I’m very interested in working on the cuneiform tablets.”
“We will ensure they are available to you whenever you need them. Please come sit.”
All the women rose, making their way over to the most feminine sitting area Rose had ever seen. Once seated, the striking woman beamed. “I believe we should start with introductions first.”
Lisbeth nodded in agreement, and the woman said, “I’m Lady Hawley, but call me Addie. Everyone does. To your right is the Marchioness of Hensley. She is our vice president.”
The brown-haired woman smiled demurely. “Please use my given name, Diana.”
Addie took a deep breath and continued, “This is Lady Esme. Her interests are focused on ancient civilizations. She will also be helping with the display design of the tablets.
Rose smiled at the woman, excited that she might have discovered someone to discuss her work with. Lady Esme beamed, “Please call me Esme. I look forward to hearing more about your research. I’ve read several of your papers.”
The last lady, instead of allowing Addie to introduce her, said, “I’m Sarah Martin. Sarah is fine. No one here worries about formality within our group. I’m in charge of the research area of our club. I also manage the care of our artifacts, including your tablets.”
Relief coursed through Rose that they had considered the care of the tablets. Sarah grinned at her as if she could read her mind. Rose nodded. “Thank you.”
The president, Addie, smiled. “The Historical Society for Female Curators was stood up only last year as a way for women to have a role in antiquities and artifacts.”
“Is this because the London Society of Antiquaries still only allows men?”
Addie shrugged. “Partially.”
All the women looked around shifty-eyed, and Rose suspected there was a story there. When no one provided further details, she put it in the back of her mind. “When will the tablets need to be completed?”
“We plan to have our grand opening in November, just over a month away. Before then, in two weeks, we would like to have a brief talk introducing what attendees of the opening can expect. Would you be willing to speak at both events?”
She frowned. That didn’t leave her much time to decipher the tablets. She’d been working on the first one when her father shipped them off. “I doubt I will be ready for the talk, but everything should be complete for the grand opening.”
All the ladies smiled excitedly at one another. Addie chirped, “That is perfect.”
Rose believed her key was accurate enough to meet the grand opening deadline. It would be beneficial if she could reach out to Lord Hawley. Her gaze jerked to Addie. Were they related? “Are you the wife of Lord Hawley?”
The president sighed. “Yes, I am. We don’t spend a great deal of time together.
Rose suspected that the creation of this club had something to do with her husband. She nodded. “He has developed a key for deciphering cuneiform texts. I would like to have him review my work after I finish.”
“No,” Addie stated.
All the ladies turned to her, shocked. Lisbeth frowned at her. “While I don’t think we should be asking anyone from the London Society of Antiquaries for help, having someone like your husband validate Rose’s work may be beneficial. It is common in the field.”
Addie was quiet for a moment, but finally asked Rose, “You won’t be using his research?”
Rose shook her head. “No. However, showing that his key creates the same results will verify the quality of my interpretation of the text.”
