Remarkable Creatures

Elizabeth regrets the end of her friendship with Mary and often thinks of reconciling. After the Bullock auction, many fossil hunters come to Lyme Regis seeking Mary’s help, and for some time, the Annings are financially stable. Elizabeth only sees Mary once as they are walking along the same road. She meets Mary’s new dog, Tray; Mary says Colonel Birch bought her the dog to keep her company on the beach when she’s hunting fossils. Elizabeth becomes so lonely without Mary that she contemplates moving to Bristol to live with her married sister Frances, but Margaret and Louise are devastated by the idea. Margaret has moved beyond heartbreak and has settled happily in the town; she creates a healing salve that Elizabeth uses on her chapped hands, and this has become popular in the village for soothing skin irritations.

Later, Elizabeth finds out from the newspaper that Mary has finally discovered the fossil of a new species, which they call a plesiosaurus, meaning “near lizard.” She briefly considers visiting the Annings’ shop to view the skeleton but decides against it. Elizabeth is at home recovering from a cold when Mr. Buckland arrives, frantic to discuss the plesiosaurus with her. She confesses that she hasn’t yet viewed it. Mr. Buckland wants Elizabeth to convince the Annings not to sell the specimen to Colonel Birch; instead, he wants them to sell it to Reverend Conybeare so he may present it to the Geological Society for further research. Mr. Buckland says he will soon become the president of the society. Elizabeth tells him that she no longer has much influence on Mary, though she’s certain Mr. Buckland is too self-absorbed to understand their falling out.

The following Sunday, when Elizabeth knows the entire Anning family will be at church, she uses a spare key to enter their home and view the plesiosaur. The creature has a small head and an extremely long neck, making it wholly unique when compared to anything Mary has found before. Elizabeth notices that Mary has been studying articles from the Geological Society and copying them for later reference. Mary has even made notes about what she might say when her work is published. Joe returns unexpectedly to the house to get a shawl for his mother. He isn’t angry at Elizabeth for entering their home; instead, he thanks her for suggesting that he become an upholsterer since it relieved him from being a curie hunter. He doesn’t like the plesiosaur, calling it “unnatural,” and is ready for it to leave their home. He says Mary doesn’t intend to sell to Colonel Birch but has another idea, though Joe isn’t sure what that is. Elizabeth asks him not to tell Mary about the visit, and as she leaves, she notices that Mary has been collecting fish fossils for her.

Molly Anning comes to Morley Cottage later, seeking Elizabeth’s help with Mary, who has sent a letter to Cuvier in France with a sketch of the plesiosaur. He responded by stating that it was a fake; he thinks she has joined two separate skeletons together. Mary fears she will be called a fraud and has fallen into a depression. Elizabeth reminds Molly that she and Mary haven’t spoken for years, but Molly says it’s time for her to put that aside and help Mary. The skeleton is already on a ship headed to London, and Conybeare plans to unveil it at the Geological Society’s annual dinner. Elizabeth decides to travel to meet it.

Bad weather impairs the roads, so Elizabeth takes a ship to London. Despite being the only female on board, Elizabeth finds the trip freeing and exhilarating. Relishing her independence, Elizabeth feels emboldened by her purpose. When they dock in London, Elizabeth sees that the ship carrying the plesiosaur ran aground. The skeleton must be transported by coach, meaning she will arrive at the society before it does. John doesn’t meet Elizabeth at the docks, and at first, she feels anxious without an escort; but she works up her courage and confidently calls for a cab. At home, John says he is unhappy with Elizabeth coming to London to defend Mary, especially since she has caught a cold on the journey. He reminds her that the Geological Society doesn’t permit women inside and calls her foolish for even trying to enter it. Elizabeth persuades her nephew Johnny to accompany her to the meeting, and on the cab ride, she explains her evolving religious beliefs to her curious nephew.

When the doorman of the Geological Society won’t let them inside, Johnny demands to speak to Mr. Buckland. Buckland arrives with Dr. Conybeare, and both appear frustrated by Elizabeth’s appearance. She explains that the plesiosaur will be delayed and tells them about Cuvier’s allegations that Mary forged the specimen. Though Mr. Buckland tries to be kind, neither man wants to include Mary’s name in the presentation; they are focused on their personal glory. Johnny threatens to invade the meeting and talk to the other society members  himself if they don’t help to clear Mary’s name. Finally, Dr. Conybeare agrees to mention Mary—but only after his presentation and off the record. Elizabeth asks to listen to the presentation; Dr. Conybeare agrees but says she must hide in the staircase since women aren’t permitted inside. Elizabeth listens to the presentation and becomes angry when she hears Dr. Conybeare suggest that Cuvier’s doubt about the skeleton might result from Mary’s error in preserving the previous plesiosaur skeleton. He weakly gives Mary credit at the end of his speech, though Elizabeth isn’t satisfied. Feeling increasingly ill, she faints on the staircase.

Mary narrates how she learned about Elizabeth traveling to London on her behalf. Joe tells her that Elizabeth is leaving on a ship, and Mary races to the dock just as Elizabeth is saying her goodbyes to her sisters. Later, Mary runs into Margaret on the street, and Margaret angrily tells her that Elizabeth has traveled to London for Mary’s sake. Margaret also tells her about the Dispatch running aground, which makes Mary fearful for the safety of her skeleton. Once Elizabeth arrives safely in London, Louise visits Mary in her workshop, where she is working on a new ichthyosaur skeleton, and delivers the good news. Mary still can’t understand how Elizabeth knew about Cuvier’s accusations, and Louise reveals that Molly visited them and asked for help. Elizabeth’s kind and brave gesture astonishes Mary, and she resolves to visit Morley Cottage to apologize and deliver the crate of fish fossils she’s been collecting for Elizabeth. However, when she arrives, the cottage is empty, and a neighbor explains that the sisters traveled to London to see Elizabeth because she is very ill. Mary wants to race to London on the next coach to see Elizabeth and make amends, but her mother forbids it, saying that the shock might make Elizabeth worse. Mary is anxious and regrets her past anger at Elizabeth. In two weeks, Louise writes with the good news that Elizabeth is recovering. However, the doctor advises that she not return to Lyme Regis since the pneumonia has forever weakened her lungs.

After this, Mary describes how they would go years without discovering any more striking fossils, and her family is again plunged into poverty. Though she has become a local celebrity, Mary finds her life lonely without Elizabeth’s friendship; she has also given up any hope of marrying. One day, the Day brothers tell Mary that they found a new fossil. After examining it, Mary determines it’s a plesiosaur and pays the brothers to cut it from the stone. After two days of excavation, Mary has two fossils in her workshop.

Just then, Molly announces they have visitors: Charles Lyell and Monsieur Constant Prévost have arrived from Paris to examine Mary’s discoveries. Mary assumes they are spies sent by Cuvier and begins weeping, explaining to them that she is honest and would never forge fossils. Charles Lyell explains that they aren’t spies; they have seen her plesiosaur in London, so they wanted to meet her and see her work for themselves. He tells her that Mr. Buckland, Reverend Conybeare, and others speak highly of her and her work; Mary counters that they only use her to make money and gain personal glory. Monsieur Prévost examines the newest specimens, and Charles Lyell says he wishes to purchase the plesiosaur for Cuvier to display in the Paris Museum. Molly isn’t happy about Mary taking the credit for the plesiosaur since the Day brothers found it. She fears Mary has become too consumed with fame and money. Mary admits that she has “become part not just of the hunting and finding, but of the buying and the selling too, and it [is] no longer so clear what [she does]” (333).

Mary goes on to lead Monsieur Prévost and Charles Lyell on several hunting excursions and finds another ichthyosaur, excavating it in front of their eyes. Mary works for several days to prepare the plesiosaur for transport to Paris. Later, Mary hears that the Philpots have returned; however, Bessy tells Mary to stay away from Elizabeth, blaming her for her illness. Mary ignores the demand and proceeds through town toward the cottage when she sees Elizabeth walking with her sisters. The women run and tearfully embrace each other. Mary apologizes for her hurtful words, and Elizabeth apologizes for being jealous of Mary’s skill and connection to Colonel Birch. Elizabeth requests to go hunting on the beach again, and while they walk, she tells Mary about all the events in London surrounding her plesiosaur.

This final chapter is narrated from Elizabeth’s perspective. She says she is happy to once again hunt fossils on the beach with Mary. Though they don’t say much, they are comforted by one another’s presence.