“What are you thinking?” Tess asked. But before he could answer, her gaze snapped wide. “A ship?”
“Maybe.”
“And being so close to the river, entirely possible,” Tess said. Dom could all but hear her mind churning. “Some prince or king of East Anglia might merit such a burial. The Venerable Bede mentions a King Raedwald and his sons Eorpwald and Sigeberht. Could we have found the resting place of one of those kings?”
“I don’t know. We keep digging and find out. And we breathe not a word of this to anyone until our hypothesis is confirmed.” Dom shot a look at Tristan. “Let’s double security on the site overnight.”
“Should we find a dragon to sit atop it too?” Tristan quipped.
“Not quite the level of subtlety I had in mind,” Dom told him. “But there’s never been more reason to estimate the worth of what we may yet find.”
“Won’t be easy to gather extra men tonight,” Bromley put in.
“Why’s that?” Dom would double their wages if needed. Van Arsdale had paid generously for this dig and wouldn’t wish to lose any of it.
“The village fair,” Tess and Tristan replied in near unison.
“I’ll stay,” Townsend offered. “I can find another to do the same. The fair goes on for days. Won’t mind missing the first night.”
“Good. Thank you.” Dom waited until Bromley and Townsend departed to turn to Tristan. “We could hire more men too, if you’re able to gather them. The faster what’s below us is found, the faster—”
“We fill an American museum and you can go on to further fortune and glory,” Tristan quipped with his usual easy smile, though there was a bite to his words, highlighted by a knowing glance Tess’s way.
Dom found it hard to meet Tess’s gaze, but when he finally did, what he saw there cut through him like a blade.
“I’ll go and make my notes before heading to the fair,” Tristan said. “I’ll see you there, Tess?”
She nodded but said nothing as her twin departed.
“I’m sorry...” Dom started but hesitated to say more. He realized he had more than one thing to apologize for. They’d still avoided any mention of the kiss, which suggested she regretted it. That ate at him, especially considering that a day didn’t pass when he didn’t wish to kiss her again.
“For what?” She shrugged and hugged her arms around her body. “You were never dishonest. We both knew who was funding all of this and why.”
“I understand why it rankles that whatever we find will leave England.”
She frowned. “Do you really care, Dominic?”
God, he loved the sound of his name on her tongue. The first few times she had said it, a lump had formed in his throat. But now the lump was there because he foresaw how she would come to resent him at the end of all this—when he handed the hoard over to Van Arsdale.
Even if she needed the payment the American offered, the reality of seeing all their hard work and discoveries shipped across the ocean would displease her. Hurt her. He didn’t know how he’d abide that.
She’d asked him to tell her the truth all those nights ago in the carriage.
“I care because you care.”I care because you matter to me more than you sensibly should.
She bit her lip but said nothing. “Will I see you at the fair?”
“May I escort you?” He’d been longing for a chance to spend time with her again, beyond the dig site.
“No,” she said quickly. “I’ll be helping Mrs. Wells, but if you go, I’m sure I’ll see you there.”
It was as much of a dismissal as he’d ever had from a lady, but no other lady had ever gotten under his skin as she had.
He watched as she gathered her things and prepared to head off to Foxdene. She surprised him by striding back toward him again.
“What should I do with this?” she asked, revealing the piece of gold and garnet she’d found, still sheltered in her hand.
“Do you have some place you can lock it up at Foxdene?”
