Page 9 of A Translation of Desire (The Brazen Curators #2)

R ose stretched as she sat in the research room of Seely House.

She had to admit she was impressed with Sarah Martin’s care of the tablets.

She’d been concerned about the conditions she would find them in, but they’d been stored perfectly.

She stared down at the first tablet and pondered the accuracy of her interpretation of the text.

She would need someone to review her work, and she hoped whatever drama existed between the Hawleys wouldn’t prevent him from doing it. Lord Hawley’s key was different from hers, which made it perfect for verifying the accuracy of her work.

His was designed to examine the similarity of patterns between the Old Persian and Elamite languages in cuneiform texts.

Rose built her key using a handful of artifacts containing text written in both cuneiform and hieroglyphs.

They’d found the pieces in an area of southern Syria where trading with the Egyptians was common.

Excitement thrummed in her that the tablets she worked on likely contained an epic—a grand story about a quest. If her key worked, she would be the first in her field to decipher anything that in-depth.

Analyzing cuneiform text had been possible for years on a small scale, but her and Hawley’s keys would allow scholars to decipher the ancient symbols faster and more easily.

Still, it was only the beginning. Every society and region using the ancient text would require updates to the keys and new analysis.

She was fortunate that Hawley studied artifacts in the same areas as her, which made the keys comparable.

Rose smiled, amused that the ancient text revealed that love was regarded with profound awe even thousands of years ago.

Her eyes perused her decipherment so far.

Belit and Sibri met one day, a day when, even though their bodies did not touch, their very beings did.

They knew in that moment Belit was Sibri’s and Sibri was Belit’s.

Belit was a princess, and Sibri a guard.

They couldn’t be and resisted until one day Belit’s small hand touched Sibri’s large hand.

Fire exploded. The king saw the look that passed between Belit and Sibri and sent Sibri in search of a golden fruit that did not exist. He told him not to return until he found it.

Belit locked herself away and vowed never to step outside again until Sibri found the special fruit.

Yes, everything was coming along well. They needed to decipher two more tablets, and Rose hoped they contained the entire story. Thomas believed additional tablets could be missing, but they wouldn’t know for sure until she finished deciphering the ones she had.

“How are things going?” Sarah Martin asked from the doorway, startling her and causing her to knock her notebook off the table. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.”

Rose leaned down and grabbed the book containing her deciphered text. “It is fine. I was lost in thought. Daydreaming about what we can expect from the tablets.”

“Anything you can share yet?”

Rose nodded. “From my initial review months ago, I suspected that the text contained an epic about a man embarking on a quest so he can be with the woman he loves. Now that I’ve completed my work on the first tablet, I believe I’m correct.

The beginning of the epic covers the meeting of the lovers and introduces the quest.”

The woman’s eyes widened with excitement. “Truly?”

She handed Sarah her notebook so she could read the deciphered text. Rose studied her while she digested her work. Lisbeth had mentioned that Sarah was the daughter of the President of the London Society of Antiquaries. Rose pondered how awkward her family dinners must be.

When finished, Sarah smiled at her. “This is exactly what we need for our grand opening.”

“My only concern is we might not have the ending.”

“Let’s hope that isn’t the case, and even so, Addie will love this tale,” Sarah said, before walking to the door and motioning for the club president to join them.

Addie strode into the room with a large smile on her face. “Give me some good news, please.”

She didn’t know Addie well, but the lady had grown on her over the past few days. Initially, she’d been dubious that a lady without any experience in antiquities could be the president of a club focused on the scholarly pursuit of history. She’d been wrong.

Addie made this club function so well. She had unique insights into what would interest London society. Her ability to make complicated or even dull topics interesting was an underappreciated skill that could be impactful in any field.

Sarah handed the notebook to Addie. Her smile widened as she read. Finally, she looked at Rose. “You are brilliant. This is what we will introduce at the talk in a few days?

Rose nodded. “Yes, I can share the text from the first tablet.”

Addie shook her head, grinning. “No. We will have you explain what you think it is and your methods. We don’t want to reveal the text until the grand opening. We are only trying to intrigue them with the talk next week, not share everything.”

Sarah frowned, but Addie held her hand up. “I know how seriously you take the work being done here, but we also have to make a profit. This plan will allow us to do both.”

“I agree,” Rose said, surprising herself.

Sarah sighed. “I suppose I can’t argue with both of you.”

“No, you can’t!” Addie said.

*

Augustus was shocked to see so many people at Seely House. With the number of people entering the building, one would think this was some grand societal event, not a lecture on an ancient text.

“Why am I not surprised to see you here?” Sophia said.

“Because I enjoy antiquities. I am shocked to see you in attendance, though,” he said dryly.

She giggled. “All of the ton is talking about this talk. Of course, I had to attend. Escort me around.”

He sighed. “Fine, but if your husband appears and glowers at me, I’m telling him you insisted.”

“He knows we are dear friends. Besides, he is at the Den for the afternoon going over business accounts.”

He guided Sophia to the edge of the room, trying to avoid the large pockets of people congregating everywhere. Still, Augustus greeted everyone they passed. Sometimes, he hated being a duke. He was lying; he always hated it.

“So, tell me, has anyone caught your interest?”

“Is that why you asked me to walk with you?” he asked before sighing.

She stopped. “Sinclair, you are a dear friend of my family, so take this as a concern, but I’m worried about you. You are one of the most eligible men in London, and yet you seem to hold no interest in finding a wife.”

“You wouldn’t understand.”

She frowned at him. “Not everyone is after your title.”

Augustus flushed that he was so transparent. “This isn’t the place to have this conversation.”

Sophia squeezed his arm. “Just think about what I’m saying. Having a partner is so important.”

“I have plenty of—”

“I’m not talking about liaisons,” she added dryly.

He sighed. “I will think about it. Now, shall we head to the exhibit room? I think the talk is going to start soon.”

She nodded, and he escorted them to the room.

Only a few chairs were empty in the front row.

He guided them towards the seats. Once settled, he contemplated Sophia’s words.

Was everyone truly worried about him? He had friends, at times a mistress, and several successful businesses.

His life wasn’t awful. Yet, this year, marriage seemed to be on everyone’s minds when it came to him.

The room became quiet as Lady Hawley and the woman he met at his mother’s ball made their way to the front.

So, she was Rose Calvert. As she turned to face the crowd, their eyes connected.

Her lips parted slightly as she softly gasped.

She tore her gaze away, but it fluttered back to his face a moment later.

Something about her fascinated him. He couldn’t put his finger on it.

His eyes took in her curly, dark hair, which appeared to be tied up in a hastily prepared bun, her large brown eyes, and freckles that slashed across her cheeks.

His gaze dipped down, narrowing in on a tiny black mark on her neck.

At first, he thought it was a mole, but he suspected it was an ink splatter.

An absurd desire to run his fingers against the mark and see if it disappeared thrummed through him.

“I heard she is quite brilliant,” Sophia whispered.

Augustus tore his gaze away from Miss Calvert. What was he doing? He’d been ogling her. His eyes flicked to Sophia, and she grinned knowingly at him.

“Don’t start.”

“I’ve said nothing.”

She didn’t have to. He could almost see the fanciful ideas being planned in her mind. He scowled. “I’m not here to find a bride. That woman, I doubt, has any interest in becoming a duchess. Actually, I know she doesn’t.”

She frowned at him. “How do you know that?”

Fuck! Why did he tell her that? “It doesn’t matter.”

“Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for joining us today. We have philologist Rose Calvert here to explain her work on ancient tablets that will be displayed at Seely House. Philologists are considered experts in deciphering text. She will discuss how she conducts her analysis and provide a glimpse of what you can expect to see during the Historical Society for Female Curators’ grand opening, which is just a few weeks away. Miss Calvert, please begin when ready.”

Miss Calvert glanced at him one last time before focusing on the crowd. He wondered what she was thinking.

“Thank you, Lady Hawley. I’m honored to share my work today.

Currently, I have partnered with the Historical Society of Female Curators to display text deciphered from cuneiform tablets.

I’m able to do these translations by using a key I developed after analyzing cuneiform and hieroglyphs.

While not yet ready to discuss the results in detail, I can share that the tablets contain an epic, a story about a hero embarking on a quest.

“He is going on a quest for love,” Addie added with a wink.

Several of the ladies sighed. A gentleman in the back asked, “Are you using Lord Hawley’s work to decipher your tablets?”

Miss Calvert shook her head. “We have similar methods, but I have designed my own key. I hope to compare our findings eventually.”

“I would like that very much, Miss Calvert,” Lord Hawley said from the back of the room.

While Augustus wasn’t surprised to see Hawley, his wife appeared to be so. Miss Calvert smiled widely at the scholar, and annoyance flashed through him for some reason. The emotion was absurd. He barely knew the woman. She asked the crowd, “What are your questions?”

A lady asked, “How many languages do you speak?”

“Five, but the study of text isn’t only about translation. It also requires the ability to understand the sequence and patterns of the words.

“What do you mean?” another lady asked.

She went into a detailed explanation of how she did her work. Augustus stared at her in awe. He wasn’t sure he’d ever met a woman like her.

“How long do you plan to stay in London?” someone in the back of the room asked.

“Only a few months. Once the tablets are complete and displayed, I will join my father and Thomas Easton at another excavation site in Syria.”

Her father may want her to have a Season, but Miss Calvert clearly didn’t plan on becoming betrothed or staying. This lady was most certainly not what society envisioned as a proper duchess. She was an altogether different type of woman than the ladies who lined up every year for a Season.

He glanced around, knowing any of the women sitting in this room, listening to her exploits, would be a far better choice for him.

Why did that thought fill him with disappointment?

He reminded himself that he had obligations.

While others had the freedom to pursue their passions, Augustus wasn’t one of them.

His attention returned to Miss Calvert as she explained the cuneiform in more detail.

He frowned, wondering if Michael Abbas had contacted the Historical Society for Female Curators.

Augustus would arrange an appointment with the club.

It had nothing to do with the brilliant beauty speaking, he insisted to himself.