Part 21 (1/2)

”The amount of time we spend with them is entirely up to you, Emerson. If you would give up a few hours each day we could take them sightseeing and visiting, arrange little games, teach them to ride, and so on. Evvie and Dolly haven't been to the Castle, or to Selim's house, or even to Luxor.”

”You are an absolute genius at putting the blame onto a fellow,” Emerson grumbled.

I went to the veranda, where Evelyn was chatting with Fatima as she set out the tea things. Walter was sorting through a pile of letters.

”I hope you don't mind, Amelia,” he said. ”I was looking to see if there is anything for Evelyn or me.”

”Pray continue sorting it, Walter. The post has rather piled up the last few days. I haven't had time to look at it.”

After extracting several letters, one of which he handed to Evelyn, he pa.s.sed the basket with its overflowing contents to me.

”From Raddie,” Evelyn said, and began reading with a happy smile.

”A brief note from w.i.l.l.y,” said Walter. ”And a letter from Griffith. He wants more Meroitic inscriptions.”

”Why the devil does he suppose we will find them in Luxor?” Emerson demanded.

”One never knows what the dealers may have,” Walter said mildly. ”I've given up Meroitic, as you know, so anything I find will go to Frank.”

”You and Mr. Griffith have a remarkably cordial relations.h.i.+p,” I remarked, handing Emerson a pile of letters. ”Most Egyptologists are quarrelsome and possessive.”

”If that was meant for me, Peabody, I flatly deny it,” said Emerson, hastily looking through his letters and tossing them back into the basket.

”Wasn't that a letter from Mr. Winlock?” I asked.

”I don't care what the b.a.s.t.a.r.d has to say.”

Shrieks of childish antic.i.p.ation prevented me from asking what Mr. Winlock had done to incur Emerson's ire. The twins burst in, accompanied by their parents, and I lifted the post basket high in the air, out of reach of Davy, who loved letters and believed everything that came was directed to him. Emerson took the children on his lap. I handed Ramses and Nefret their messages and began opening my own.

”Nothing from . . . ?” Emerson asked.

”No. Most of these are the usual thing.”

”The usual thing?” Evelyn inquired.

I read a few aloud, for the amus.e.m.e.nt of the others. ” 'My dear Mrs. Emerson. You don't know me, but my brother is the son-in-law of Lady Worthington, and I would like to make your acquaintance. At what time would it be convenient for me to call on you?' ”

”Who is Lady Worthington?” Nefret asked.

”I have no idea. 'My dear Mrs. Emerson. It would be a great privilege to be shown round the sites of Luxor by your husband. We will be at the Winter Palace this week.' ”

”More letters from impertinent visitors?” David asked. He and Lia came in with the two children and Sennia. Evvie ran to Davy and embraced him fiercely. He hugged her back, twittering melodiously, while Charla scowled at both of them.

”We get that sort of thing all the time,” said Sennia in a worldly manner. ”Read some more, Aunt Amelia, they are quite amusing, really.”

”This is a particularly charming example,” I said. ” 'We are two young American ladies who are anxious to meet your son. Mr. Weigall, whom we met in London last month, a.s.sures us he is very knowledgeable, and handsome, too.' ”

”I owe Weigall one for that,” Ramses muttered.

”I doubt he said any such thing,” I replied, tossing another half-dozen epistles into the wastepaper basket.

”He was certainly the social b.u.t.terfly when he was inspector,” Nefret remarked. ”Always bragging about Prince This and Lady That.”

”We mustn't be uncharitable, my dear. In his official capacity Mr. Weigall had to be polite to important visitors. So do some of our colleagues who are dependent upon private contributions. We are under no such constraints, and people like that are only a nuisance if one allows them to take advantage. Gargery has been quite useful in that respect; if strangers turn up asking for us, we send him out in full butling mode. When he looks down his nose and intones, 'The Professor and Mrs. Emerson are not at home,' even the most importunate Americans beat a retreat.”

”Gargery can't look down his nose at everyone,” said Lia with a laugh. ”He's only five- Oh, Gargery. I am sorry; I didn't see you.”

”That is quite all right, Miss Lia,” said Gargery, putting her in her place by calling her miss instead of madam.

”Gargery can look down his nose at anyone,” I said. ”It is not a matter of height, but of presence.”

”Thank you, madam,” said Gargery. ”Shall I bring the drinks tray, Professor?”

”Yes, why not?” He sat down on the floor and beckoned the children to gather round. ”See what I found today.”

It was a small statue of limestone, approximately six inches high. The workmans.h.i.+p was rather crude, but the face had a smiling, naive charm. ”This was dedicated to the queen Ahmose Nefertari by a fellow named Ikhetaper,” Emerson explained, tracing the line of hieroglyphs with his finger. ”You may look but don't touch. It is not a dolly.”

”I would like to go and dig with you and Mama and Papa,” said Evvie. ”If I find something, can I keep it?”

Charla shot her an evil look, which Emerson did not miss. He knew better than to accede to that request. ”I'll tell you what,” he said heartily. ”Supposing I teach you all how to ride a donkey. As I said to your grandmother the other day, it is high time you learned.”

The offer was received with general acclamation. I am not a petty-minded woman. I did not mention that it had been my idea.

On the whole, the riding lesson was a success. That is to say, it was a success with the children. The donkeys were less than pleased and one of the adult persons present behaved rather badly. I refer of course to Emerson, who kept s.n.a.t.c.hing the children off the little beasts whenever they (the latter) moved faster than a walk. Evvie fell off twice and Davy once-to express his solidarity, I believe, on the second occasion. The happiest of all was Dolly, who trotted round and round the courtyard like someone who had been riding all his life. When Emerson, puffing and dust-covered, declared an end to the lesson, Dolly obediently dismounted. He came to me and took my hand.

”That was very good,” I said. ”We will keep this particular donkey for you.”

”Thank you, Aunt Amelia. When I am older I will ride a great white horse, like my great-great-grandfather.”

”Only one 'great,' ” I said, wondering what the devil Emerson had been telling him. Abdullah had never been an enthusiastic horseman.

”When will we go and see him again?”

”Soon. Run along now and wash up for supper.”

Charla did not want to get off the donkey. She stuck like a c.o.c.klebur until Ramses detached her and carried her away.

Since I had remained a safe distance from the circus it did not take me long to tidy myself. I treated myself to a brief stroll through the gardens, checking on my plantings. One of the roses appeared to me to be a trifle wilted; I made a mental note to remind Fatima to remind Ali to water it. What a restful place it was-the sweet scent of blossoms, the melodious songs of birds. A bee-eater flashed overhead, iridescent bronze and steel blue and green, and a dove let out its strange cry, almost like a human laugh. The cry ended in a squawk and I plunged into the shrubbery in time to detach Horus from the dove before he could do much damage. The dove flapped off and Horus swore at me. Such a peaceful place . . .

I had been guilty of a certain degree of hubris when I implied to Nefret that I had everything under control. I had not exactly lied to her-I never lie unless it is absolutely necessary-I had only applied the rea.s.surance I thought she needed. However, things had happened so fast that it was hard to keep track of them. The infuriating Mr. Smith's visit had added additional complications.

It was time to make one of my little lists.

As soon as dinner was over I excused myself, claiming I had work to do-which was the truth. Seating myself at my desk, I began by ruling my paper into neat sections and then headed one column ”Annoying and Mysterious Events,” the next, ”Theories,” and the third, ”Steps to Be Taken.”

”The Veiled Hathor of Cairo” was the first event to be considered. Three possible explanations occurred to me: first, that she was someone out of Ramses's past; second, that she hoped to be someone in his future; third, that her motive was something other than personal attraction. I could not think what on earth that motive could be. The only course of action open to me was a thoughtful consideration of the women who had been involved with my son at some time or other. Asking Ramses would have been the logical next step, but I knew that wouldn't get me anywhere. I drew another sheet of paper to me and began another list.

After I had finished, I studied it in some surprise. I hadn't realized there had been so many. Nor, I felt sure, was the list complete. However, several of the names merited investigation.

A hairpin dropped onto the desk and a lock of hair fell over my eyes. I brushed it back with a muttered ”Confound it,” and shoved several other loose pins back into place. When I am deep in thought I have a habit of pressing my hands to my head. This has a deleterious effect upon one's coiffure, but it does seem to a.s.sist in ratiocination.