CHAPTER 5
“Well, this isnae the most pleasant walk I’ve ever been on.” Phineas pulled his boot out of the mud along the river trail with a suckingpopas he sent a smile to the dark-haired beauty on his arm. “But the company is among the best.”
He was gratified by the way Olive blushed and the way she clung tighter to his arm. “Flatterer. I am assuming you have been in far worse conditions,Abby.”
Phin groaned at the diminutive forAberdeenand saw her smirk in response, knowing her teasing had been successful. “Aberdeen is bad enough, lass, but dinnae expect me to answer to Abby!”
“Deal.” She squeezed his arm and tilted her head back to catch a brief patch of sunshine. “But only if you tell me about your expedition to Central America once more.”
Grinning, Phin settled into an easy pace as he recounted one of his favorite harrowing tales. Over the last several days, Olive had asked him questions about nearly every episode ofhisAdventures, and he was gratified to know she’d read them so thoroughly. She seemed thrilled when he’d share additional details or include parts of the story the editors of the journal had removed.
Now, as before, Olive seemed entranced, focusing on his tales of derring-do in order to obtain artifacts for the Society of Archaeology’s collection. She was breathless in anticipation with each twist and turn, offering cheers and other reactions at the perfect moments.
It was clear this woman wanted desperately to travel, to experience this kind of excitement, and Phin wanted to be the one to introduce her to the wide open world.
But not for the first time, he wondered if it was Phineas Oliphant she was so enthralled with, or Aberdeen Jones.
“You have developed an entirely new field, Phineas,” she said, when he finished his story. “Combat archaeology!”
Chuckling, he nodded. “My professors at school would’ve been appalled at how quickly I yanked that idol from its resting place, but with Favreau’s men right behind me, I had to make it back to the canoe before they caught up.”
“I am glad you made it safely back so I could read about your adventure!” She squeezed his arm against her, and he felt the brush of her breast under the fabric of her summer gown. Their pace had taken them well ahead of the rest of the group. “There is the dig site.”
In unspoken agreement, the two of them increased their pace as much as was possible along the muddy trail, hoping to reach the ruins a few minutes ahead of the others.
She released his arm and hurried to the site of the building where thesphaerahad originally been found. As she turned in a circle, he saw the mud caking the hem of her skirts and liked that she ignored it. With his hands in his pockets, Phin rocked back on his heels, acknowledging his first impression was true: she’d make an excellent adventuring partner.
“The goldensphaerawas found right around here, correct?” She was pointing and chewing on her bottom lip in concentration.
“We cannae ken the exact spot until we return with the charts, but aye, I would say that’s right around the location.” He stepped up beside her, pointing to the remains of the walls. “That section there would’ve been the front door, possibly a porch-type structure. There would’ve been a covering where thesphaeraewere mounted.” Realizing who he was speaking to, he gave a self-deprecating little laugh. “Of course, I dinnae have to tellyethat.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well…” He shrugged and sent her an encouraging smile. “Ye’re the expert on rooflines.” He should know; two days ago she’d read her paper out loud to him, and he’d been floored by the level of intelligence and insight it displayed.
But now she blushed. “I do not think I know more about Roman roofs than anyone else who has studied them. And it is not as if that isallI know; it is just what I decided to write the paper on.”
Inspired, he reached out and snagged her hand. “Ye’re brilliant, Olive L’arbre, and I’ll no’ allow ye to dismiss yer accomplishments.”
Blushing harder, Olive twined her fingers through his and tugged. “Come along, we should examine the site a bit morebefore the others arrive to muck it up. I want to trace the perimeter.”
So, hand-in-hand, they followed the ruins of what was once the most important building in this little Roman outpost. It was impossible to tell it from the design of the building, but the fact it was capped with a goldensphaera—possibly two—indicated its importance.
“The rear of the building is much less ornate,” she murmured as they picked their way along the backside. “Remember the columns the excavators found during the dig? It must have been an impressive sight when it was still standing.”
“I’m certain it was.” They were in a little depression in the land, but Phin could hear the approaching group in the distance. “But thesphaerawould’ve been on the front of the building, aye?”
Instead of answering, Olive hummed thoughtfully, then dropped his hand, her gaze sweeping the area around the ruins. Before he could ask what she was so intent on, she stepped away from the dig site and crouched, reaching for one of the rocks on the ground.
“What is it?” He stepped up beside her.
She was chewing her lip thoughtfully as she reached for another rock, then a third and a fourth. She hefted them in her hands, still considering them.
“Olive?”
She jerked, as if pulled from her thoughts, then stood. Handing him two of the rocks, she quietly asked, “What do you notice?”
Shrugging, he hefted the small oval stones and tried to see what she’d seen. “They look normal to me.”
