Page 54 of Ravished

Harriet smiled wryly. "I am already engaged, Aunt Effie, if you will recall. To an earl, no less."

"How can one forget?" Effie said with a sigh.

"There was a time," Harriet reminded her, "when you would cheerfully have killed for the chance to marry either Felicity or me off to an earl."

"It is just that I am not entirely certain I am going to get you married off to this particular earl," Effie responded dolefully.

The moment Harriet walked into Lady Youngstreet's drawing room, she was aware of the speculation and concern in the expressions of the other members of the Fossils and Antiquities Society. Nothing was said about the previous night's drama at the ball, however, for which she was extremely grateful.

It was a large crowd, as usual, reflecting the growing interest in fossils and geology. When everyone was seated, the members plunged immediately into a discussion of some fossil forgeries which had recently been exposed at a quarry site in the north.

"I am not at all surprised to hear about it," Lady Youngstreet announced. "It has happened before and will undoubtedly happen again. It is a familiar pattern. The quarry workmen soon learn there is a keen market for any sort of unusual fossils they happen to turn up in the course of their work. When they can no longer dig up enough to suit the demand, they turn to manufacturing them for collectors."

"I have heard they set up a virtual workshop at the quarry site." Lord Fry shook his head. "They used bits and pieces of commonly found fossil fishes and other old bones to construct entirely new and different skeletons. The bidding went very high on several of the more original creations. At least two museums purchased forgeries without realizing it."

"I fear our field will continue to give rise to any number of deceptions, frauds, and forgeries," Harriet said as she sipped her tea. "The fascination with what lies buried in the rocks is so strong it will always attract unscrupulous types."

"Unfortunate, but true," Applegate agreed with a world-weary sigh. His warm gaze lingered on Harriet's modestly covered bosom. "You are so very perceptive, Miss Pomeroy."

Harriet smiled. "Thank you, my lord."

Lord Fry cleared his throat pointedly. "I, for one, would most certainly have questioned the forged leaves and fishes that were being sold to all and sundry by the workmen."

"And I would not have been deceived for a moment by the creatures that were half fish and half quadruped," a middle-aged bluestocking declared.

"Nor would I," Lady Youngstreet vowed.

A loud murmur of assent went through the crowded drawing room. The meeting fell into temporary disorder as the various members of the Society broke up into small groups. Everyone gave an opinion on the forgeries and made it clear how he or she would not have been taken in for a moment.

Lord Applegate maneuvered his way closer to Harriet. He gazed down at her with shy admiration. "You are looking very lovely today, Miss Pomeroy," he murmured. "That color of blue suits you."

"You are very kind to say so, Mr. Applegate." Harriet discreetly tugged the skirts of her turquoise-blue gown out from under his thigh.

Applegate blushed furiously as he realized he had sat on a fold of muslin. "I beg your pardon."

"Do not concern yourself." Harriet smiled at him reassuringly. "My gown is quite unharmed. Have you read your copy of the latestTransactions, sir? I received mine this morning and I vow there is a most fascinating article on fossil tooth identification."

"I have not yet had an opportunity to read my copy, but I shall make it a point to do so the instant I return r home. If you say the article is worthwhile, then I know I shall be enthralled. Your judgment in such matters is always exemplary, Miss Pomeroy."

Harriet could not resist the flattery. She decided to do a bit of delicate probing on the subject of fossil teeth. "How kind of you to say so, sir. Have you done much work with teeth?"

"A bit here and there. Nothing to speak of, really. I must admit that I prefer toes to teeth when it comes to making identifications. One can tell so much from toes."

"I see." Harriet was disappointed. It would have been nice to have been able to show her tooth to Lord Applegate. She liked him and was convinced she could trust him. But there was no point showing him the fossil if he knew nothing about teeth. "I, myself, prefer teeth. One can instantly tell the carnivores from the creatures that lived on vegetation just from looking at their teeth. And once one knows that much, one can deduce a great deal more about the animal."

Applegate beamed fondly. "You really ought to pay a visit to Mr. Humboldt's Museum one of these days, Miss Pomeroy. He's got an amazing collection of fossils stored away in that old house of his. Opens it to the public twice a week on Mondays and Thursdays. I went there once or twice looking for toes and such. He has drawers full of teeth."

"Really?" Harriet was excited. She barely noticed that Applegate's knee was perilously close to her own. The skirts of her gown were once more in danger of being crushed. "Is Mr. Humboldt a member of the Society?"

"Used to be," Applegate said. "But he declared us all hopeless amateurs and resigned out of hand. He is a rather odd individual. Very secretive about his work and highly suspicious of others."

"I can understand that." Harriet made a mental note to schedule a visit to Mr. Humboldt's Museum at the next available opportunity.

Applegate took a deep breath and fixed her with a very serious expression. "Miss Pomeroy, would you mind very much if we changed the topic of our conversation to what I feel is a more pressing matter?"

"What matter is that?" Harriet wondered what hours Mr. Humboldt's Museum was open. Perhaps there would be an advertisement in the papers.

Applegate ran his finger around the inside of his cravat, loosening it. There was a sheen of moisture on his brow. "I fear you will find me importunate."

---