Page 28 of A Perfect Discovery

‘Probably. Unless something turns up on the scale of Skara Brae or Stonehenge, you’ll be fine. But that’s why everything has to be fully recorded. Much as we’d like to, archaeologists can’t prevent people building on the past. Look at all the digs taking place in cities with Roman remains. Our job is to salvage what we can and keep accurate and detailed records of the contexts and the parts that can’t be removed or saved. Like this wall. Once I’ve detailed it and the report has been published, it’s highly unlikely it’ll prevent you from building. But it needs to be investigated just in case. There could be anything lurking down here.’

‘Have you ever found anything significant? Anywhere?’

A cool breeze stole the heat from her neck. ‘I found a lot of artefacts when I worked in Crete. Some more significant than others. My best find was a shell made from pottery. It was really unusual and rare.’

‘Wow.’

‘Yeah. I can show you photos on my phone but my hands are a bit messy. That was my last dig.’ She sighed and picked at a nail.

‘Sounds like you miss it.’

‘That dig wasn’t great. The team didn’t gel and one woman stole my work and got a promotion on the back of it. So, I don’t have fond memories of it.’

‘That’s dreadful.’

‘Yup. I miss Simon though.’

‘Is that your boyfriend?’ Calum shifted on his cushion.

‘No. Simon was my trench manager. I loved him, he was so kind.’

‘Sounds like heshouldhave been your boyfriend.’

‘He’s a sixty-year-old married man, so I don’t think so. He was like a kind uncle.’

‘Well, now you’ve got a thirty-three-year-old grumpy bastard as a manager, so things are surely looking up.’

‘They definitely are.’ She leaned into him with a playful bump and her body inflated at the touch. His jaw set and his upper body froze.Oops.He always shied away from physical contact. Because she was a Lamond? Or he thought her over-friendly?Not everyone was as touchy-feely as her, but she hadn’t missed the look in his eyes earlier. ‘I’m failing in both my missions though. Especially the mud-related one. This cushion is not acceptable, Mr Matheson.’

‘Tough. Because wherever I go, it goes too.’

‘I’ll find a way of getting it.’ She waggled her eyebrows.

‘Some of the stuff you come out with is bordering on suggestive and edging towards inappropriate.’ His brows met in the middle. So severe. He hadn’t been like that since the first day.

She clamped her hands to her mouth. ‘Oh my god, I’m so sorry.’

The corner of his lips quirked up. ‘Had you worried there, no? Did you think I was about to officially reprimand you, Miss Lamond?’

‘Don’t joke. I should be sensible.’ She hopped into the trench.

‘Sounds like a lost cause.’ He shook his head, looking towards the muddy wall. ‘So, you still haven’t found any papyrus drawings of the family who used to live here or some buried scrolls with instructions on how to find the Holy Grail?’

‘Easy, Indiana. This job never gets that exciting in real life.’

‘Did you expect daring adventures when you went into it?’

‘No. Nothing like. I’ve always been curious about the past. I walked over this land hundreds of times as a child. I used to play games that I was someone living thousands of years ago. I often went to the ruined churchyard with my three besties and we put up a bivvy and camped out.’

‘A what?’

‘Like a tent made from tarps propped on sticks.’

‘Are you mental?’

She shrugged. ‘Probably. But that’s why I was so keen to do this job. This place is in me. It’s been part of my life for a long time.’

‘I can’t believe you camped out like that. Did you sleep in it?’

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