Lisbeth studied him. She wished a piece of the practical, rule-following boy she used to know still existed. Was he still in there? The longer she stared, the more intense his perusal of her became. Benson cleared his throat, breaking her stare off with Thomas.
Lisbeth said, “I’m here to deliver the map that shows the location of the last two cuneiform tablets for the ancient epic my club has on display in London.”
Excitement flared in Thomas’s eyes. “I’ve been looking for those tablets for months now.”
She nodded, feeding off his enthusiasm. “The Historical Society for Female Curators is thrilled that we may find them. Once put on display with the other tablets, our exhibit will be the first of its kind.”
While some scholars had translated ancient cuneiform texts, Rose Calvert was the first to decipher a large piece of literature. It was even more exciting that she was doing it for the Historical Society of Female Curators. The ancient writing was from the civilization of Mesopotamia. Thomas smiled at her, a real one this time, and the once forgotten connection of friendship zinged between them. They’d always both loved artifacts.
I cannot get too close to this man, she reminded herself. It wouldn’t be good for her life. Lisbeth added, “I can provide themap to you tomorrow if you will call upon me at my hotel. I will return to England and let my club and Rose know that you have it. How long do you think it will take to acquire the tablets with the map?”
He was quiet for a moment, and Lisbeth waited for him to say anything. She glanced back at Abbas and Benson, who were both waiting for his response as well. Finally, he shook his head. “There was a time when you would have demanded to join me on the search.”
“I have responsibilities,” Lisbeth huffed.
A gleam of amusement flashed in his eyes. “You have really turned into Serious Lizzie. Don’t you miss the excitement of the search? Digging around in hopes of finding something the world has never seen?”
She didn’t say anything. Thomas sighed, “Perhaps time has changed you too much. I imagine you are used to others doing work for you now.”
Anger flared in her, and she scowled at him. “How long do you think it will take?”
He shrugged. “I’m familiar with the caves. They are extensive, but if the map is as detailed as the village elders have told me, it should only be days.”
She could stay for a little longer. The idea of joining the search with Thomas should make her want to run back to London, but something stirred in her. It was the thrill of discovering something never seen before. Lisbeth suspected Thomas knew she was considering it. Even though they’d been apart for a decade and were very different people, he still seemed to be able to read her so well.
“One last adventure, Lizzie, and then you can go back to being a duchess,” he said quietly.
Abbas leaned forward, “I would be happy to join you.”
Why did Lisbeth want to join Thomas? She’d chosen a different life for herself. Yet, the desire to be out in the world, exploring, thrilled her.
She glanced at Benson. He said, “I’m here no matter what you choose.”
Lisbeth nodded and told Thomas, “I will join you for the next few weeks. If we don’t find them by then, I need to return to England. I have—”
“Responsibilities,” her ex-lover finished for her, almost tauntingly.
She rose and insisted, “Yes. I do, unlike you, who now seems to make decisions without any serious thought. Please call upon me tomorrow at noon.”
Thomas chuckled. “I wish Rose and Benjamin were here. It would be like old times.”
The words he spoke weren’t true. They were both drastically different people. And, of course, all the feelings they felt for each other were long gone; ten years had passed since they’d been near each other. Yet, their eyes connected, and something stirred between them. She scolded herself. Lisbeth had no interest in this version of Thomas, or any other for that matter.
“Tomorrow,” she said, ignoring his remark, and heading to the door.
*
Thomas sat inthe empty private room of the café, his heart pounding. He’d been shocked to see Lisbeth, but the full force was hitting him now that she was gone. She’d been so different from the young woman who’d abandoned him for England all those years ago, but also, in some ways, strangely familiar.
It was evident she’d been shocked by his drastically different appearance. When Lisbeth had left, she’d been twenty, and he’dbeen twenty-one. Christ, he’d barely been a man, and a scrawny one at that. Hard work had transformed his body, and if he was being honest, at least to the ladies, for the better. Neither the changes in his body nor becoming a famed explorer had been something he planned. Thomas, growing up, had always been a bookish and introverted person.
A few years after Lisbeth broke off their betrothal, a man expressed interest in writing about him. Intrigued, Thomas agreed to let him travel with him for a year. People had devoured the serials he published. Connor Anderson was the author. The man was back in London now, wealthy and retired, but he made Thomas promise that if he ever wanted to write more serials, he’d contact him first.
Rafe and Keaton slinked into the room, curious. Thomas didn’t say anything as they settled in the chairs across from him. Rafe twirled a glass in his hand and finally said, “So that is your duchess?”
He scowled. “She isn’t my anything.”
Rafe looked at him skeptically. “Did you know she planned to travel to Syria?”
