One was the one addressed to Lisbeth, the other he received from his mother, and a strange one he received in Syria.
The club owner asked, “Do you know who C is?”
He shook his head. “I never worried about it because I didn’t plan on moving to London. I’m hoping that it is some young lady with a crush, but the letter Lisbeth received has me alarmed.”
“I would be concerned as well. I have a regular investigator. May I keep these messages? Hopefully, he will be able to find out who it is.”
Relief coursed through Thomas. Once he had a name associated with the letters, he’d feel much better. “Thank you, Devons.”
“Not a problem. How is everything else going?”
He smiled. “I think Lisbeth and I are going to be okay.”
“Good.”
Yes, he was still struggling with some of his feelings internally, but no matter what, he wanted a life with Lisbeth, Alice, and Jeremy. “Mr. Martin and Lord Harston visited me today. They asked if I would become a permanent lecturer for the London Society of Antiquaries.”
Devons choked on his drink. “The ladies would be furious.”
He grinned. “I think Lisbeth and I came up with an idea for me to lecture at Seely House. I would like to do something for adults, but also for children.”
His friend chuckled. “It certainly sounds like you are becoming settled.”
Thomas stated, “I’d hoped to see Lord Hawley soon. We’ve communicated through mail for years, but he doesn’t seem to be around.”
He nodded. “Yes, he’s out of the country. That man is always up to something.”
Thomas smiled. “My friend Rafe likes to call him the man of mystery because he always seems to be in the mix of things.”
Devons laughed. “I would have never suspected that until recently.
“Perhaps the man is different abroad than at home.”
The club owner held up his drink. “A toast to your new life here in London.”
Thomas felt optimistic. Everything seemed to be moving in the right direction. Happiness filled him.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Lisbeth walked withAddie, Rose, Diana, and Sarah through the grand exhibit room at Seely House. The last two clay tablets had been placed in the exhibit that stood in the middle of the room.
She couldn’t believe it. They had a fully deciphered epic. The display divided the large room, allowing people to view the tablets and deciphered text on either side. Addie had proposed employing an artist to render drawings of the world contained in each tablet. Those sat on small tables on each side of the display.
“I still can’t believe we have the whole story,” Diana said.
Addie hugged Rose. “And it is because of this lady’s talents that we know what it means.”
Rose shrugged. “I’m glad I was able to join the Historical Society of Female Curators.”
She’d officially become a board member in the last week. Sarah and Esme would be traveling for the club, and Rose would step in to fill some of their duties. The door was opened by one of the guards, and Lisbeth turned to see Abbas walking in. She hadn’t seen him since their adventure in Syria.
He gasped as he walked through the room. “This is amazing. I’m delighted that my mother’s culture is being highlighted here.
Lisbeth nodded. “We have Arabic translations and copies of the art for when you travel back to your mother’s village. We thought the Al-Wa?a villagers and your mother would like to have them.”
Abbas beamed. “They would.”
Addie stated, “We are grateful to have the tablets on loan.”
