Page 64 of Hold On

“Oh God,” Ren muttered. “Why does archaeology sound so sexy? I am desperate for Will to find a dildo.”

“I wonder if any of you heard about that televised dig in a remote Welsh valley,” Will said. “It looked incredibly exciting. More artefacts than you’d ever have thought to find in one place, and although some of the experts were suspicious, everyone was engaged and enthusiastic. On the second day, a rare, perfectly preserved Iron Age sword was found. Cue great delight until it was pointed out the sword had been uncovered a mere 10cm beneath the soil. Incredibly unlikely to be found at that depth. Then it was discovered that the sword was lying on top of a piece of barbed wire. Slightly better than lying on a ring pull, but still…”

A ripple of laughter went through the tent.

“It’s probable someone dumped it all there having stolen it or maybe taken items from other sites, which means there’s no context for anything and so no understanding to be gained. This site is genuine. It’s not littered with heaps of jewellery or piles of coins or intact statues. But we’ve already uncovered a lot of interesting stuff and I’m convinced there’s plenty more to find. First thing I’m going to do is show you what we’ve already discovered, then I’ll hand you over to our site supervisor, Brett.”

Will looked around and Brett waved.

“Brett will assign you sectors to work on. Members of the public might well be having a look around too, though they have to stay outside the taped areas. Please be polite even if they ask obvious questions. Or idiotic ones likeHoping to reach Australia?OrLike to come and dig my garden when you’ve finished?The answers areYesandIf you pay me.”

“Will’s worried about upsetting some visitor who might want to give him money for the project,” Ren whispered. “Or someone who might be connected to a person of importance who might want to give him money. It’s allmoney, money, money.” He quietly sang the last three words.

When Will led everyone off on the tour, Ren pushed to his feet. “I already know where we’re working.”

Dominic followed him. They picked up trowels and buckets and Ren headed to the far end of the field where a mechanical digger had stripped away a long swathe of grass.

“Will thinks we’ll find a road that runs along the edge of the villa.”

“Where do we put the soil?”

“Over where he’s laid that piece of tape. I made him do that. I don’t want him telling us we have to move the soil heap because we put it in the wrong place.”

“Has he done that?”

“All the time when I was little. He was such a sod. And I was desperate to please. I had this little red wheelbarrow and I was so proud of it.” He laughed.

Ren dropped to his knees and began scraping at the soil. Dominic joined him.

“How long are you going to give the marquess to find out about Kilic?” Ren asked.

“He said to give him a week, but…”

Ren glanced up. “But what?”

“I keep thinking of someone going up to Kilic and sayingDo you still hold a grudge against Dominic Hammond?I mean, he’s not going to sayno, he’s a lovely young man, of course I forgive him.No matter what the marquess discovers, I have to leave here to keep my brother safe. Not just my brother.” He glanced at Ren. “You too.”

Ren swallowed hard. And here he was with his own brother, maybe notlooking after Will. No one here knew anything about Ren apart from him being Will’s brother, but… Ren had abuttoo. A lot of them.

“I wish I didn’t have to go,” Dominic whispered. “The marquess and his partner said I could have a job in the garden. I mean, it won’t be much, but it would be something while I sort myself out. And I want…”

“What?”

“I want…”

“To discover the Lost City of Atlantis?”

“Is that what we’re digging for?”

Ren huffed.

“Don’t make me say it,” Dominic muttered.

“I don’t want you to go.”

“I don’t want to go, but I don’t think I can stay.”

Christ.“And to think, last night I lay in bed planning what I was going to say to you today.”

---