Page 105 of Kathryn

“It is a belemnite, a rather large one.”

Katie dropped to her haunches to have a closer look and reached out a hand before stopping and glancing up. “May I touch it?”

“You won’t hurt it.”

She lightly traced a finger along one of many long swirling ribbons. “It looks a bit like a squid’s tentacle.” She squinted. “But… are those hooks at the end?”

“That is very observant of you. Yes, they are hooks. And there is likely some relation between this animal and the squid swimming in the ocean today.”

Katie preened at his praise and then wanted to slap herself. Why did she always have to be so desperate?

She pushed away the unhappy thought and instead looked from the belemnite to the hillside. “Is that slide recent?”

“Yes, this spring.”

Katie saw three young men and one woman working together in an area, all four garbed more simply. “They work for you, too?”

“Correct.” She thought that was all he would say, but then he went on. “They are from town and spend much of the year fossil hunting along the shore. I pay them during the summer months to work for me, and they are allowed to sell anything they find that I do not donate or keep.”

“That is generous of you.”

He shrugged.

She gestured to the huge fossil. “Is it difficult to dig these out?”

“No, it just takes time and patience.”

“I would like to help,” she said, getting to her feet and brushing off her habit.

His eyes widened comically.

“Why do you look so thunderstruck?” she asked, more amused than annoyed.

“I never imagined you would be interested in such a thing.”

“Why not?”

He seemed to undergo some sort of internal struggle and then gestured to her habit and his own dusty clothing. “It is dirty work.”

“Believe it or not, I used to love being out-of-doors and climbing trees and looking for birds’ nests, exploring, and even hunting fossils. Not that we ever found much of anything.”

“We?”

“My brother and I. Doddy and I spent most of every day together until I was sixteen. And when he was off with the curate taking lessons I wandered my father’s estate by myself.” Katie pulled a face. “So much so that my mother despaired of me.”

“Why?”

“She said I was more animal than female.” She smiled wryly. “Looking back, I cannot gainsay that.”

“What happened when you were sixteen?” he asked.

“Everything changed when my sister Phoebe married. My brother went off to school and my mother sent me to my aunt to make me into a lady.”

His brow furrowed. “What did that entail?”

“Staying clean, dressing properly at all times. And if I did go outside, I was only allowed to wander in the confines of the garden with a hat and gloves and parasol and—” Katie broke off and glanced away from his penetrating gaze. “And I became a lady,” she finished softly. Being a lady was something she had always believed she’d wanted. But then she had discovered the price of fine gowns and fancy parties.

She forced her gaze back to his and saw that he looked uncomfortable and bemused. Doubtless it was a bit too much personal information for such a private man, so she returned to the point. “I would like hunting for fossils. At least—” She bit her lip.