Page 62 of A Translation of Desire
Annoyance flared in him. “I tried. You were out of the city.”
Hawley nodded but didn’t explain further. He scribbled something on a piece of paper. “I will look into it. As recently as this morning, my contacts informed me that they didn’t believe the theft was connected to their work.”
Augustus was beginning to believe his associates weren’t very good at their job. “Did they know about the attack?”
“I said I would look into it.”
Rose frowned at Hawley. “And how are you connected to the British Secret Service? Are you involved in espionage yourself?”
A snort escaped Hawley. “Why would you ever think that?”
“The study of antiquities is a good cover. I have met men and women I suspected were not who they claimed to be while abroad.”
Augustus looked at Rose, surprised by her words. Hawley asked, “Why did you think they were not what they seemed?”
“They only held a superficial knowledge of antiquities.”
Hawley sat quietly, considering her words. It had never occurred to Augustus that this man might be more closely involved with the British Secret Service than he initially thought. Eventually, Hawley said, “While that may be the case, my passion for artifacts is very real.”
“Still, you can understand why I find it curious that a man who toils in antiquities is meeting with an organization known for espionage.”
Augustus and Rose watched Hawley as he stood and poured three glasses of brandy. He handed one to Rose with a smile. “I’m being presumptuous here, but I assume you drink brandy.”
She grinned at him. “I do.”
A flare of jealousy sparked in Augustus, but he kept it tamped down. The man was offering her a bloody drink. What was his problem? Hawley handed one to him before settling back into his seat again.
“The government has informed me that there is speculation abroad from our adversaries that England is using cuneiform to send sensitive messages. It is all hearsay, but until a few weeks ago, I was the only known expert for the text, so they contacted me. The British Secret Service, and I believe it is false information.”
“Why?” Augustus asked.
“Because Hawley and I are the only ones who can decipher it,” Rose answered on his behalf.
Hawley took a sip of his drink. “That is correct, and deciphering cuneiform text is complicated. Why go to all the effort?”
Concern flared in Augustus that England’s adversaries might target Rose. “These men who think this text is being used to send messages, how do we correct that?”
“Miss Calvert’s talk at the Historical Society for Female Curators’ grand opening should clarify why using it doesn’t make sense. It will highlight how complex the analysis is.”
Augustus frowned and turned to Rose. “I hoped you and the board members would consider delaying the grand opening due to all that has happened.”
Hawley shook his head. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. We want anyone speculating about these messages to understand that it would be ridiculous to use ancient text. Miss Calvert’s talk will emphasize that.”
Rose turned to him, and he saw anger in her eyes. “You hadn’t mentioned your thoughts to me before.”
Augustus hated that she was upset, but he couldn’t help his concern. She didn’t give him time to respond because she turned back to Hawley. “Why haven’t you told your wife any of this?”
“We’re not on the best of terms, and again, I have been told not to discuss this by the British Secret Service. They will feel even more strongly about that since you both seemed to believe the thefts have likely occurred because of an antiquities collector.”
“We aren’t sure. The man seemed interested in taking Miss Calvert’s work. Why would a collector want that?” Augustus questioned.
Hawley shrugged. “Most collectors are quite passionate about their artifacts. They don’t want just the one piece but everything associated with it. I imagined a serious collector would be thrilled to have one of the first keys for cuneiform. Right now, it makes more sense to me that a collector hired someone to take Miss Calvert’s tablets and work. Still, I believe Rose explaining the complexities of the text at the grand opening could help the British Secret Service debunk this unfounded speculation they are dealing with.”
Rose bit her lip, lost in her thoughts. Both Augustus and Hawley waited silently. Finally, Rose said, “I think I should still give my talk.”
“Rose—” Augustus began.
She shook her head. “If I don’t, we will have to explain to Addie and the other board members why I decided not to. And I think Hawley is right—my explanation of deciphering the text could help clarify why using it for espionage is ludicrous.”
