Page 104 of Aurelia

“I have been below for as long as an hour, but—”

“An hour! But I thought barrels could only provide air for a few minutes.”

“I have a metal helmet and full leather suit. The helmet connects to a long hose and men on the surface pump air down the line. I will take you some time—not too deep, just enough to get a feel for it. Would you like that?”

“Is it dangerous?”

“It can be, but one mitigates the danger by being exceedingly careful. It is truly the only way to observe marine animals as they go about their business.” He shipped the oars and Aurelia saw that he had rowed them into a narrow inlet that must feed the marsh. He hopped over the side and brought the boat up onto the beach.

“You will get mucky feet if you step out here,” he said, scooping her into his arms before Aurelia was aware of his intention.

“I could have walked,” she said, her voice sounding breathy and foolish.

“But then I would not get to carry you,” he retorted, striding across the sand. “There,” he said, setting her down carefully on a rock, leaning close, his eye locked on hers.

“Thank you,” she murmured, her body swaying toward him without her permission.

For one long, excruciating moment she thought he was going to kiss her.

But then he smiled and stepped back. “My pleasure. We will go in this direction. It isn’t far, but you will have to climb over some rather slippery rocks as the tide has exposed them. Don’t hesitate to ask for assistance, Miss Burton.”

Aurelia stared after him as he secured their skiff. He was flirtatious one minute and merely friendly the next. He was a frustrating, confusing, and irresistible man. She absolutely refused to fling herself at him. Not again.

Armed with resolve, she set out in the direction he’d indicated. The rocks were extremely slippery, but her practical ankle boots stood her in good stead.

The earl ranged slightly ahead of her, glancing into rockpools, and quickly rejecting several until he found what he wanted.

“Over here, Miss Burton.”

Aurelia took out her sketchpad and carefully picked her way toward him.

“Right there.” He put an arm around her shoulder and then pointed, his head distractingly close to hers.

She followed the direction of his finger and gasped, forgetting all about his proximity. “It is so bright! And also much smaller than I expected. That color is magnificent.”

He stood up and she immediately missed the warm, hard pressure of his body. “Come over onto this rock and you can get a better look. When you have sketched what you want, I will demonstrate one of the flame scallop’s most interesting characteristics.”

Aurelia went to the rock he’d pointed to and dropped to her haunches to get closer. She quickly sketched the little scene—scallop, delicate seaweed fronds, and dark volcanic rock behind the bright red-orange shell of the small bivalve. Once she was finished, she took out the booklet that contained her color swatches and located the shades she would need, jotting down the numbers she’d assigned to each of them.

Once she was finished, she tucked everything away and stood.

“Done?” he asked, smiling down at her and making her realize that he’d stood and watched without complaint while she’d sketched.

“Yes, thank you for being patient.”

“I have waited days to catch a glimpse of a particular creature. A few minutes is nothing.” He waded slowly into the pool, stopping only when the water reached the top of the tarred boots that he had been sensible enough to wear. “Now watch this.” When he leaned closer to the water and his shadow fell on the small scallop it suddenly shot across the tidal pool.

Aurelia gave a surprised laugh. “How astounding!”

“Isn’t it?” he said, his expression one of pure joy. “It is a rare trick for a species that is, by and large, sedentary. So,” he said with a sly look. “Are you ready to return to Crewe or would you like to investigate a few more of the better tidal areas?”

“I suppose I have time to look at a few more,” she said primly, as if wild horses could have dragged her away at that point.

He grinned. “Let us explore, then.”

Chapter 23

Aurelia was just finishing a sketch of a black guillemot when she realized the sky had grown darker. “Do you think it will rain?” she asked.