Remarkable creatures by tracy chevalier 195

What I wanted to do more than anything was to go up Silver Street to
Morley Cottage and sit at the Philpots’ dining room table spread with Miss
Elizabeth’sfossilfishandtalktoher.Bessywouldbangacupofteainfrontof
me and slump off, and we would watch the light change over Golden Cap. I
lookedupatawatercolourMissElizabethhadmadeofthatviewandgivenme
not long before our argument—trees and cottages in the foreground, the hills
alongthecoastwashedinsoftlightastheybackedintothedistance.Therewere
nopeoplevisibleinthepainting,butIoftenfeltasifIweretheresomewhere,
justoutofsight,lookingforcuriesontheshore.
ThenexttwodaysIwasbusywithMrLyellandMonsieurPrévost,taking
themuponbeachtoshowthemwherethebeastshadcomefromandteachthem
howtofindothercuries.Neitherhadtheeye,thoughtheyfoundafewbitsand
pieces.Eventhenmyluckwerewithme,forinfrontofthemIfoundyetanother
ichthyosaurus.Wewerestandingontheledgeneartotheotherichie’ssitewhen
IspottedalengthofjawandteethalmostunderthefootoftheFrenchman.With
myhammerIchippedoffslicesofrocktoexposetheeye,thevertebraeandribs.
Itwasagoodspecimen,apartfromacrushedtailwhichlookedlikeacartwheel
run over it. I confess it were a pleasure to wield my hammer and bring the
creatureintosightbeforetheireyes.“MissAnning,youaretrulyaconjurer!”Mr
Lyellexclaimed.MonsieurPrévosttoowasimpressed,thoughhecouldnotsay
soinEnglish.Iwasjustashappythathecouldnotspeak,foritmeantIcould
enjoybeinginhiscompanywithouthavingtoworryaboutwhathisprettywords
mightmean.
Themenwantedtoseemore,soIhadtofetchtheDaystodigoutthatichie
while I took them to the Ammonite Graveyard at Monmouth Beach, and on
alongtoPinhayBaytohuntcrinoids.Onlyoncethey’dlefttogotoWeymouth
andtoPortlandwereIfinallyfreetoreturntotheplesie.Iwouldhavetocleanit
fast, for Monsieur Prévost planned to leave for France in ten days. I would be
working day and night to get it ready, but it would be worth it. That was how
this trade was: for months every day would be just like the last, but for the
changes in weather, with me hunting upon beach. Then along come three

monsters and two strangers and suddenly I would have to stay up all hours to
finishpreparingaspecimen.
MaybeitwerebecauseIwasintheworkshopallthetimetilltheplesiewasdone
and the men gone that I didn’t find out until everyone else in Lyme already
knew.IttookMamshoutingatmefromherperchatthetableonemorningtoget
me outside. “What, Mam?” I grumbled as I wiped my hair from my eyes,