Timeless (16 page)

Shocked by the suddenness of his censure, she stared at him. She grasped the handle of the bucket and rose to her feet. “Like what, Henry?” She kept her voice under tight control.

“You know what I’m talking about, Regan. You’re impulsive and sometimes over enthusiastic. You’re going to screw things up for the rest of us.”

“Thus far all I’ve done is clean the stones and fall into a hole. How does that screw things up for you?”

Color stormed his face, turning his pale freckled complexion a dull red. “You forgot the diving accident.”

Her control slipped. “How are my mistakes, my accidents screwing things up for
you
, Henry?”

His eyes narrowed. “You know what I mean, Regan. You should have never been out there at the altar.”

“Henry.” She drew a deep calming breath, forcing her anger down. “You’re not my keeper. And it isn’t for you to tell me where I should be or shouldn’t. But if it makes you feel any better, Dr. Fraser will probably get around to reaming me out soon enough.”

He opened his mouth to say something else and she threw up a hand. “Thus far, you’ve not said anything that would screw up our friendship. If you say anything else, you just may get there. I’d hate for us to have to avoid one another the entire summer. It wouldn’t make for a very good working relationship. And I’d hate losing your friendship.”

His angry expression grew sulky. With an oath, he turned and stomped down the scaffold.

Regan drew several deep breaths attempting to shake free of her anger. The grain of truth in everything he said only made it worse. Why was she willing to risk such censure? Why was Coira so driven to —? She cut off the thought. She was her own person. No one was making her pursue these things. Or was she?

The thought shot a shiver through her.

Holding the bucket as level as possible, she walked toward the stone she’d been cleaning the day before. She paused as she drew even with Hannah. “Thank you for saving my bacon, Hannah.”

“’Twasn’t me. ‘Twas Quinn and the boys. They pulled like mad men to get you back up. You’re sure you’re all right?”

“I’m fine. Still a little freaked out and excited, but physically, I’m fine.”

Hannah’s eyes shifted behind the lenses of her glasses searching Regan’s face. “Did you know something was there?”

What was she to say? Wariness had her growing tense. “No. Why would you think that?”

“Henry is speculating that you did.”

“The historical research we were given before we arrived at the dig didn’t speculate that there might be a chamber or chambers beneath the henge. Though I’ve tried to do extra research on the structures of other similar sites, there’s never been anything like this one before. So how would I know there was something there?”

Hannah shook her head. “You left this laying on the scaffold before you went out to the altar. I didn’t want it to get ruined or damaged, so I picked it up and put it in my pack. ” Hannah pulled Regan’s sketch pad from the backpack beside her.

Regan dragged air into lungs. Had Hannah looked inside the pad? Had she seen the translations? Her steady gaze as Regan accepted the pad eased her sudden panic.

Hannah shoved her glasses more firmly on her nose. “You’re still a wee bit pale. Are you sure you feel up to being here?”

Hannah hadn’t seen her notes. She’d be asking questions otherwise.

“Yes, I’m fine.” Jesus—she needed to be more careful.

Regan settled to work on the partially cleaned stone she’d worked on the day before. She studied the hieroglyphs she uncovered, and traced them with her finger. No words or meanings came to her, and she didn’t know whether to be grateful or disappointed. Setting aside the brush and rag, she turned to a fresh page in the book, and sketched the markings and moved on.

Arriving at a section too high to reach, she tossed her brush in the bucket and walked down the scaffold to get one of the ladders. A hand grasped her shoulder as she set it up and she looked up into Stephen’s face and smiled. ”One of my heroes.”

An answering smile flickered across his features then faltered. “Dr. Fraser called down from the lab, Regan. He wants to speak to you in his office.”

Anxiety weighted her stomach. Would Dr. Fraser just tear a strip off of her, as the English said? Or would he tell her to pack her bags? The real possibility of having to catch a plane and go home in disgrace had her growing nauseous. If she were kicked off the site, she might gain a reputation for being difficult, and it could follow her to other jobs. At least it would end all of Henry’s worries. She hated the possibility of his being proven right.

“I’ve been summoned by Dr. Fraser,” she said as she stopped beside Hannah. She crammed the sketchbook into her own pack and looped it over her shoulder.

“Good luck.” Hannah looked up her expression serious.

“Thanks.”

Regan climbed the hill to the survey team office and paused to catch her breath as she entered the building. The small reception area held a desk, a computer, a few chairs, and little else. A large window, opposite the desk, offered a stunning view of the site, with Loch Maree and Mt. Slioch behind it.

A blond, raw-boned woman of perhaps forty, dressed in a skirt and blouse appeared from down the hall. “You must be Regan Stanhope.”

She offered her hand and Regan grasped it for a brief shake.

“I’m Caterina Bradley, Dr. Varick’s administrative assistant.” The woman’s upper-crust English accent fell lightly on her ears. “Congratulations on your find. I know it was more an accident, but still— Dr. Varick is very excited.”

“Thanks. I’m here to see Dr. Fraser. He called down to the site for me.”

“Mr. Argus, Mr. Nicodemus’s assistant, is with him. I’ll buzz his office and ask him if he wants you to wait.” She moved with the grace of a fashion model, each move careful and quiet, and sat down behind the desk to reach for the phone.

“Mr. Argus has expressed an interest in speaking with you. Dr. Fraser asks that you please join them,” she said as she put the receiver in its cradle. “It’s down the hall, second door to the right.”

Regan nodded. “Thanks for your help.”

Her heart beat like a kettledrum as she wandered down the hallway. “By all means let’s draw out the torture before you fire my ass and send me to the airport,” she murmured. Nerves tightened her stomach muscles as she spied a black plaque that read, Dr. Fergus Fraser, Site Supervisor, mounted on one of the doors. Her hand shook as she tapped on it.

His brief “come in” sounded impatient and Regan hastened to do just that.

Dr. Fraser’s wiry build looked robust compared to Argus. Both men rose to their feet as she stepped into the room and closed the door. She nodded to the Argus and turned her attention to her boss. “You wanted to see me, sir.”

“I hope you are none the worse for your scare,” he said.

Regan offered him an uncertain smile. “No, sir. I’m fine. Thanks for asking.”

“Mr. Argus wanted to see for himself before he returned to the inn.”

Her attention returned to the other man. His suit appeared tailored to his thin frame, and the immaculate white of his shirt emphasized the darkness of his complexion. Fancy duds for an archaeological dig site. How on earth did he stay clean?

“I’m sorry I didn’t speak on the scaffold.” She offered her hand.

Argus bent at the waist slightly as he shook her hand. They all sat down. “You were very excited.” His dark eyes, almost black, studied her face with an intensity she found disconcerting. His accent sounded similar to his boss’s, yet less refined.

“Yes, I was. It was adrenaline, I think.”

“Congratulations on your discovery.”

“Thank you, sir. I hope the next one comes from a more deliberate effort.”

He smiled. “It might be a bit less dramatic that way, and certainly less fraught with danger.”

“Which would suit me.”

“How do you think things should progress now that the chamber has been discovered?” he asked.

Regan’s gaze shifted to Dr. Fraser. “I’m sure Dr. Fraser already has a team chosen to study the problem.”

Fraser raised one brow, his expression wry. “Which shouldn’t prevent you from voicing your opinion, Miss Stanhope.”

She remained silent a moment, trying to decide whether he was being facetious or serious. When Argus continued to look at her expectantly, she turned her attention to answering his question. “We could send
Grannos’
s ROV down first to have a look before disturbing the site any more than my quick dive did. If it looks stable, we can go down using cave diving techniques to keep from kicking up too much silt and take a first-hand look. We could then film the chamber thoroughly and do a survey, and take water and soil samples. Afterwards, Quinn’s team can shore up the roof, if it needs to be, and the water can be pumped out. As much as I’d love to dive right in and see what’s down there, safety has to come first.”

“That sounds like a good plan, but I am, of course, no expert in such matters,” Argus said.

“Actually, Mr. Argus, that is very close to the plan we have devised,” Dr. Fraser said. “We intend to start tomorrow.”

“Excellent.” Argus’s dark gaze gleamed with enthusiasm. “Mr. Nicodemus will be very pleased.” He rose to his feet. “I have taken up enough of your time. It’s a pleasure to see you again, Miss Stanhope.”

“Thank you, sir.”

He extended his hand first to Regan, then Dr. Fraser.

She cleared her throat. “Please tell Mr. Nicodemus how much we appreciate the opportunity to work here, sir. All of us, the students I mean, are thrilled to be here.”

“I’ll be sure to pass that on, Miss Stanhope,” Argus said with a nod. “Be careful. You are a valuable member of the crew. We don’t want anything to happen to you.”

“I’ll do my best to stay out of trouble, sir.”

Silence followed his departure and Regan eyed Dr. Fraser as anxiety once again cramped her stomach. Her nausea returned full force.

Fraser motioned toward a seat and she sat down.

“What were you doing out at the altar, Regan?”

“I just wanted to see it up close and study the hieroglyphs. It isn’t shaped like most altar stones here or in Ireland, is it?”

“No.”

“Do you think it could be a burial chamber instead?”

“We haven’t x-rayed it yet to find out, but anything is possible, I suppose.” He leaned back in his chair and resting his elbows on the arms pressed his palms together in a gesture of contemplation. “No one can fault your enthusiasm or your curiosity, Regan. But two accidents in a matter of weeks, concerns me.”

Her heart jolted. He was sending her home. She swallowed against the tears that rushed up to choke her. She dropped her gaze to hide the effort to beat them back and retain her composure.

“Both times you were in places where you had no business being.”

“Yes, sir.” The words came out sounding husky. If she was going home she had little left to lose. “I didn’t realize that the stones were off limits to diving, sir. Had I known, I wouldn’t have gone down. I’ve never flouted the rules or guidelines of a dig, or of a dive. But accidents happen, even to those who have prepared for every possible problem. Obviously I had prepared, otherwise I’d have run out of air before Mr. Douglas got to me. And as for the chamber, did you, or the survey team, have any idea the chamber was there?”

“Our geologic survey hasn’t come in yet, since the water has only just been pumped out. And on reviewing the sonar records, no, we weren’t aware there was a chamber there.”

“I wasn’t damaging the altar stone, sir, just cleaning it. I didn’t realize it was off limits.”

“Not off limits. We just had no idea anyone would brave the mud to go out to it.” His dark auburn brows drew together in a frown. “Accident or not, Regan, I can’t spend valuable time— babysitting you to make sure you hold your curiosity in check.”

Anger whipped through her, warming her face and burning away her fear. She clenched her teeth against the impulse to say something she might regret. Though she fought hard to keep her tone level, there was still a bite to it when she said, “I don’t expect you to
babysit
me. I’m a responsible adult. I’ve never had any complaints about my work on a dig. My notes and drawings are always in order.”

“Notes and drawings?”

“Yes, sir. I’ve been drawing the markings as I uncover them. If that’s not allowed either—Maybe someone should tell us what is and isn’t acceptable, sir.”

His eyes narrowed at her tone and his cheekbones grew flushed. “I shall see to it right away, then,” he said, his tone just as biting as her own. He leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms, his lips compressed. “I’m glad to hear you’re being so meticulous.”

“I’ve also measured the stone, and Rick Rogers helped triangulate a laser survey to plot where the stone was in relation to the altar, and the cofferdam. The other students have as well.”

“Very good.”

“We’re here to learn and to be productive members of the team, Dr. Fraser, not just to do the grunt work.”

One brow rose, and he focused on her in such a way she wanted very badly to squirm. She relaxed somewhat when he looked away and reached for a folder on his desk. “I understand that you have quite a few cave diving adventures under your belt, Miss Stanhope.”

“Yes, sir. My father and I used to cave dive together every summer after I got my scuba certification.”

“Good training for a marine archaeologist.”

“Yes, it was.”

“You’re rather small for an archaeologist.”

“Yes. So I’ve been told.” She attempted a smile though her face felt stiff with nerves.

Fraser set aside the folder and focused on her.

“I have studied each of the student files, Regan. The letters of recommendation your professors wrote are very complimentary. I’d like to see your drawings and measurements.”

Hope surged through her. “Whenever you’d like, sir.”

“Bring them by tomorrow afternoon. I’ll be busy supervising the preliminary excavation of the chamber entrance in the morning.”

She nodded.

He frowned again, his expression grave. “I don’t expect to hear about any more accidents while you’re on my site. Is that clear?”