Page 95 of A Translation of Desire
“Are you ready?” Lisbeth said, appearing next to Addie.
Rose took a deep breath. “I am.”
They approached the front of the room, where a podium stood, joining Diana, Esme, and Sarah. Rose turned towards thecrowd that packed the room. There were even more people here than at the grand opening. They’d done it. The club had made London society fall in love with antiquities because of the epic.
She glanced to see Hawley joining Augustus. He nodded to her, and she smiled back. A jolt of excitement shot through her that she was about to share the next section of the ancient story. Ever the showwoman, Addie clapped her hands and grinned at the crowd. “We knew you would all come back to hear what happened to our hero on his quest.”
“We want to know if he makes it back to his princess,” a lady in the crowd hollered.
“Miss Calvert will explain what is contained on the last tablet.”
The crowd applauded, and Rose stepped forward. “Thank you, Lady Hawley. I’m thrilled to be able to share with everyone more of Sibri’s journey. When we last spoke of him, he’d escaped a kingdom by solving a riddle. The last tablet that we currently have indicates that Sibri encounters a monster protecting the golden fruit. Instead of killing the beast, he befriends it. This is the first time a human has done such a thing. The monster provides him with a golden piece of fruit from a tree. He makes Sibri vow never to return, and our hero agrees.”
The crowd was hanging on Rose’s every word. She wished she had more, but that was the end of the last tablet.
“Does he make it back to the woman he loves?” another woman asked.
Lord Harston, the London Society of Antiquaries Vice President, smirked. Rose doubted they would ever get the map from this man. He enjoyed the fact that they couldn’t complete the epic too much.
“They don’t know because they can’t finish the tale,” Harston boomed.
Rose forced herself not to scowl at him. She wanted the map more than anyone but hated that they had to deal with him to obtain it.
Groans filled the room. Rose held her hand up to quiet the room. “We must find the other two tablets to finish the epic.”
Hawley and Augustus rose, and she frowned, wondering what they were doing. They made a path for a petite woman who pushed through the crowd. She beamed at Rose. “Lucky for them, the London Society of Antiquaries has a map that may be of assistance. Knowing how much I adore a love story, my husband has agreed to find it in the club’s vaults of artifacts.
Harston flew to his feet, spinning around to stare at his wife. Rose’s gaze flew to Addie, who was beaming at her husband and Augustus. There was no doubt they had somehow maneuvered this. They’d done it for the club.
Lady Harston looked pointedly at her husband. He shuffled back and forth on his feet before clearing his throat. “Yes, of course. It may take a great deal of time.”
“Dear, you said it could be found in under a month. Isn’t that correct?”
Harston frowned, unhappy but begrudgingly said, “Yes, that is what I said.”
Thunderous applause filled the room. Rose grinned and waited for the clapping to die down. She nodded to Augustus and Hawley, knowing they’d pulled off something even Harston couldn’t get out of.
She turned back to the crowd and beamed. “Now, please enjoy the exhibit.”
Pride welled in her that the Historical Society of Female Curators had accomplished something that the men’s-only London Society of Antiquaries hadn’t. The crowd’s attention shifted from her to the display. Addie wrapped her arm around her. “We did it!”
Rose laughed. “We still need the two other tablets.”
Lisbeth bumped her with her shoulder. “Take the win for now.”
Sarah, Diana, and Esme all nodded in agreement. They were right. This was a win. As they split up to talk to the crowd, Rose’s eyes sought out Augustus. She needed to see him—to see his face. But as she walked around the room, she realized he was gone. Augustus hadn’t stayed. As much as this moment was victorious, there was a bit of hollowness in her chest that she wasn’t celebrating it with him.
“Where is Sinclair?” she asked, joining Addie and Diana.
They both shrugged. No, that wouldn’t do, Rose thought. She was set to leave in two days. He couldn’t just disappear. She had to see him before she left.
*
Augustus sat inhis study, scowling into the fire, when a knock on the front door yanked him from his thoughts. Who the hell was at his door so late? His mother and sister had departed for a ball less than an hour ago, but it was far past normal hours to call on someone.
He heard the butler say he was out for the night and then heard her voice. Anger swelled in him. She’d said it was over, and now she was here. He strolled to the door, not bothering to put his jacket back on. He and Rose were past formalities.
“Benson, I will take it from here.”
