Mary had in her life at the time I was grateful too that Margaret never told Mary I had briefly been with Colonel Birch at the Assembly Rooms, for Mary would have wanted me to recall every detail of that afternoon Though it would not be proper to initiate correspondence herself, Mary hoped and expected to hear from Colonel Birch She and Molly Anning occasionally received letters, from William Buckland asking after a specimen, or Henry De La Beche telling them where he was, or other collectors they’d met and who wanted something from them Molly Anning was even corresponding with Charles Konig at the British Museum, who had bought Mary’s first ichthyosaurus from William Bullock and was interested in buying others All of these letters continued to arrive, but in amongst them there was never the flash of Colonel Birch’s bold, scrawling hand For I knew his hand I could not tell Mary that it was I who heard from Colonel Birch, a month after he’d left Lyme Of course it was not a letter declaring himself, though as I opened it my hands trembled Instead he asked if I would kindly look out for a dapedium specimen, of the sort I had donated to the British Museum, as he was hoping to add choice fossil fish to his collection I read it out to Margaret and Louise “The cheek of it!” I cried “After his scorn of my fish, to go and ask me for one, and one so difficult to find!” As angry as I sounded, I was also secretly pleased that Colonel Birch had discovered the value of my fish enough to want one for himself Still, I made to throw the letter on the fire Margaret stopped me “Don’t,” she pleaded, reaching for it “Are you sure there’s nothing about Mary? No postscript, or a coded message to her or about her?” She looked over the letter but could find nothing “At least keep it so that you’ll know where he lives.” As she said this Margaret was reading the address—a street in Chelsea—doubtless memorising it in case I burned the letter later “All right, I will put it away,” I promised “But I will not answer it He doesn’t deserve an answer And he will never get his hands on any of my fish!” We did not tell Mary Colonel Birch had written to me It would have devastated her I had never expected such a strong character as Mary’s to be so fragile But we are all vulnerable at times So she continued to wait, and talk, and ask Margaret to describe Colonel Birch’s conduct at the Assembly Rooms, and Margaret did it, though it pained her to lie And slowly the bloom left Mary’s cheeks, the bright light in her eyes dimmed, her shoulders took on their habitual hunch, and her jaw hardened It made me want to weep, to see her joining the ranks of us spinsters at such a young age