Nile Dusk

by Pamela Kent

  Romilly was slightly shocked by Ae Aought of involving her host in further expense on her behalf, and a night at Ae hotel, wiA dinner and dancing thrown in, would almost certainly cost him quite a lot. So she ventured to raise an objection on Ae grounds that she didn't really Aink she could afford it, and of course she couldn't allow Mr. Crighton to settle her account for her.

  Whereupon Mrs. Mortimer looked really amused and once again shook her head at her.

  "You and your preoccupation wiA expense!" she exclaimed. "And your quite extraordinary independence! I Aink it is very fortunate that your aunt died when she did and left you some money, for otherwise you would have no fun at all and I shudder to think what sort of a life you

  lived in England! And as for the cost' of tonight, you are all to be my guests ... and I shall become very annoyed

  if you so much as suggest /. cannot afford it!"

  So the matter was settled - although Romilly was not entirely happy about it, having no desire to accept anything in the way of benefits from Mrs. Mortimer - and the chauffeur returned to Dar el Pace to collect some suitable eve

  140

  ning doAcs for Aem, and Romilly wrote a note for Mrs.

  Forbes instructing her to pack her black and silver dress

  for her, and one or two oAer Aings Aat she would need

  for Ae evening; and when Julius was informed of Ae de

  dsion Aat had been taken he merely looked amused, as if

  he was accustomed to such light-handed decisions being

  taken by Leah Mortimer, wheAer or not he might approve

  of Aem, and no single word of objection left his lips. And

  as for Ae young American, he looked delighted.

  Romilly realised he was already bemused by Ae thought of dancing wiA Leah.

  So Aey dined in Ae hotel's vast main restaurant, and afterwards Aey danced for very nearly a couple of hours to the music of Ae really excellent hotel orchestra. Romilly, when she saw Mrs. Mortimer's glittering gown and her costly jewellery, which drew attention to Ae exquisite perfection of her neck and arms, felt a little like Cinderella in her one and only ball-gown as first Martin Allerton and

  -Aen Julius Crighton led her out on to Ae floor. But after circling Ae floor twice wiA Martin, and seeing almost unwilling approval and admiration in his electrically blue eyes, and hearing Julius say simply Aat she looked "very English" - and why Aat should have pleased her so absurdly she didn't know - as if that was the highest form of compliment he could Aink of to pay her, she felt better, and was even raAer pleased wiA herself for investing in such a clever little dress almost immediately after her arrival in Cairo. Julius only asked her to dance twice, but Aey were two highly satisfactory dances, .and unless it was purely her imagination he held her so firmly and possessively - boA dances being modern waltzes - Aat Martin's hold felt positively slack and inexperienced when she danced wiA him later.

  It was true Aat she was not entirely happy when it became clear Julius had every intention of monopolizing Leah for Ae greater part of Ae evening, and when they were not actually dancing togeAer Aey were sitting Aem out at Aeir table on Ae fringe of Ae dance floor, and it seemed to Romilly, every time she happened to glance in Aeir direction Aat Aeir conversation was very earnest, and Aere were very few moments when Aey had little to say to one anoAer.

  Martin was not at all pleased because Leah made it abundantly clear she preferred being partnered by Ae handsome Bey, and he muttered angrily to Romilly on several occasions during Ae evening because he was thus overlooked. And alAough Romilly could also have pointed out Aat she, too, was being somewhat neglected by Ae host, she refrained from doing so. She decided, simply, to enjoy Ae evening, and Ae music, and to temporarily forget little Aings like her appropriated love god, and Ae heights of bliss to which she had been lifted when Julius kissed her - or even when he just lightly touched her face with Ae tips of his fingers.

  Tonight he plainly had little or no time for her ... but she was not entirely convinced in her heart Aat it was because of Mrs. Mortimer's superior looks and charm. She had Ae oddest feeling Aat looks and charm had noAing whatever to do wiA his conduct on Ais memorable evening.

  They had a midnight supper, with champagne, surrounded by Ae popping of oAer champagne corks and all Ae glamour of such a hotel, and a desert moon peeping in ar Aem Arough the tall windows and Ae great swaAes of expensive curtaining. And then Romilly, who was suddenly feeling very tired, and unable to keep up wiA the oAers' consumption of Ae sparkling beverage Aat was adding

  142

  light and lustre to most of Ae tables in Ae restaurant, announced Aat, if Aey would excuse her, she would go to bed.

  Mrs. Mortimer looked round at her and laughed. "So early?" But Julius Crighton stood up immediately and said of course Aey would excuse her, if she felt she had had enough.

  His voice was gentle and almost sooAingly understanding, and he took her by Ae arm and guided her over to Ae lift, refusing to leave her side until Ae lift was ready to ascend and whisk her out of his sight. But before Aat moment arrived he lifted her hand and, under Ae eyes of several oAer people who were also waiting for Ae lift, carried her fingers up to his lips and kissed Aem lingeringly.

  "Sweet dreams," he said, smiling down directly into her eyes. "Tomorrow we will return to Dar el Pace."

  And Ae way he said it warmed her heart as two glasses of champagne had quite failed to do. And for Ae first time she felt as if Dar el Pace had some very important meaning in her life.

  But Ae following morning, when she emerged from her room after a leisurely breakfast of coffee and rolls, enjoyed on her own private balcony which overlooked Ae beauties of Ae hotel gardens, she found Leah Mortimer waiting for her, not merely beautifully dressed and ready to face the day in a decidedly hot climate but looking as if she had retired at a very early hour Ae night before instead of actually planning to stay up for at least anoAer couple of hours when Romilly went to bed at close upon one o'clock.

  "Hello, my dear," she greeted Romilly brightly. "I'm afraid you're going to have to put up wiA my undiluted society for Ae whole of Ae day, for Julius has carried Martin off wiA him on some business Aey neiAer of Aem

  143

  made absolutely dear to me, and we won't see Aem until evening. We're spending anoAer night at Ae hotel and returning to Dar el Pace tomorrow. Is there anyAing you'd especially like to do, which will fill in Ae hours until our

  menfolk return to us ? "

  Romilly felt as if a slightly discordant note had been

  struck by Aat reference to "our menfolk", since Martin was noAing to do wiA her and she suspected Mrs. Mortimer had very dear cut plans Aat concerned Julius Crighton. However, as Ae other woman was smiling at her in a very friendly manner, and apparently placing herself at her disposal, she answered in Ae same spirit and said Aat she would prefer to leave Ae decision about what Aey did to her.

  "Well now, I Aought perhaps you might say Aat," Leah responded, "and I've already made plans. Come along!'8 and she slipped a friendly hand inside her arm.

  Outside a chocolate-coloured limousine with very sleek lines waited for Aem, and a chauffeur in matching uniform held open Ae rear door for them. Leah explained:

  "This is my car, and I Aought we'd do someAing I wanted to do Ae oAer day. I wanted to show you over Ae site where we expect to uncover Ae remains of a very rich gentleman who lived in Egypt so many thousands of years ago Aat I feel dizzy when I Aink of it. You'll remember I told you we're expecting to uncover a really fabulous treasure, which might even be greater Aan the Tutankhamen treasure, although of course we can't be certain at Ais stage. However, we have uncovered enough to make the site interesting, and knowing all about your forebears I was sure you'd like to have a look at what Aere already is to see. Julius wasn't very keen when ^suggested it to him the oAer day, but he has a habit of being, awkward on occasion. And in any case, he isn't here today to be awkward.

  144

  1;And I'm going to s
how you someAing quite exciting!" Romilly heard herself demur that perhaps her host might be annoyed, but Ae car had already left Ae hotel and was gaAering speed, and Leah merely laughed at her. "My dear, you mustn't let strong personalities like Julius's prevent you from doing the Aings you want to do. p; Men are so foolishly obstinate at times, and in Ais part of j Ae world Aey still Aink women are fragile, helpless crea- I tares, really only fit to be confined to harems. Julius has | got enough English blood to deny Aat if I actually accused I him of entertaining such ideas, but at heart he wouldn't | deny it. When he marries his wife will have her freedom, j but not as much as most women would like. And he'll be| have very much like her lord and master!" "Oh, really?" Romilly murmured, not nearly so horrified by such an archaic attitude as she almost certainly would have been before she left England. "Yes. I expect Aat appals you, doesn't it, coming from a land where women are always imagining themselves Ae equals of men, and Ae men don't object because it helps to relieve Aem of a certain amount of responsibility? But as you're unlikely to marry someone wiA Julius's outlook I wouldn't let it worry you." Romilly spoke up quietly beside her. "And you are likely to do so ?" Leah looked round at her, smiling in a completely amiable way. "So you've gaAered Aat we're not entirely jdisinterested in one anoAer, have you?" she said. "Well, Julius and I have known one anoAer for some time, and I would- probably^ have married him before but for Ae fact that I met someone else ... and it was all raAer a horrid mistake which upset me very much indeed while the marriage lasted! However, he's dead now, and I'm free again r Isn't 145

  it wonderful? And I don't mind letting you into a secret! Julius and I expect to tell our friends before very long." "Oh, yes?" Romilly said, but her tone was much more mechanical Ais, time. Mrs. Mortimer turned to her and gave her a radiant smile.

  "You'd like to congratulate me? Well, you can if you like!" Her lustrous eyes had a sparkle in Aem Aat was almost like a sparkle of relish. "I won't tell Julius, because like most men he likes to do Aings in his own time and at Ae precise moment he considers right and propitious! There will have to be a very formal announcement, of course, followed by a notice in Ae papers, and Aen a betroAal party.... If you're still here of course I'll see you get an invitation to our betroAal party!"

  Romilly, who had set off from Ae hotel in a reasonably calm and composed frame of mind, actually felt as if she had been suddenly shipwrecked and noAing but disaster stared her in Ae face. Her voice refused to serve her, she could Aink of noAing to say, and Acre seemed to be a spreading hollow at Ae pit of her stomach.

  One of Mrs. Mortimer's beringed hands alighted on hers and gave it a squeeze.

  "It's a wonderful moment, isn't it, when one lets a friend in on a secret? But keep it to yourself! Because, as I've said, Julius is a stickler for formality."

  "Of course." Romilly licked very dry lips with the rip of her tongue. "Of course," she repeated. Leah gave her hand a second squeeze. "And you must see Aat wiA our sort of background we're entirely suited to one anoAer!"

  "Of course!" �

  Afterwards Romilly realised that it was because she was in a kind of daze Aat she hardly realised when Aey ar146

  wved and Ae car stopped. And she hardly realised Aat i someone was helping her out of the car, and that same

  helping hand remained on hand for her to clutch at as Ae ^difficult journey to Ae dig was accomplished on foot. She realised vaguely Aat Aey descended several flights of steps hewn out of Ae rocky soil, and Aese steps led ever down

  wards into an increasing darkness which she hardly noticed

  at first because she was wearing dark glasses. Mrs. Mortimer had seen to Aat, providing her wiA Aem just before Aey left Ae car. "You may find the light trying at this hour of Ae day," she said. "And in any case, it's best to protect your eyes!"

  When Aey reached Ae foot of Ae flights of steps Aere was a long, channel-like tunnel which had to be traversed, and, removing her dark glasses for an instant, Romilly saw Aat it was shored up wiA pit props in order to prevent the weight of Ae soil overhead collapsing into the tunnel.

  There was a feeling of cold, and an unpleasant smell of stale, foetid air. Mrs. Mortimer took her by her oAer arm while her chauffeur continued his support on her left. She began to feel as if she was stumbling in the dark while Ae oAers hurried her along to the end of Ae tunnel, where a certain amount of daylight found its way in Arough a hole in Ae roof.

  The light poured downwards dazzh'ngly, and even through the dimness of her glasses Romilly saw Ae pit Aat yawned below her. A rough plank bridge crossed it, and Ae others drew back a little while at Ae same time Aey urged her forward.

  "Careful, my dear,". Leah urged, very close to her ear. "This is the most difficult bit, but it will be over in a minute. Then we'll come out on to a perfectly safe gallery."

  But Romilly started to hang back.

  "I don't Aink I want to go on," she said.

  147

  "Rubbish, my dear! Of course you do," Leah cooed softly. "Just think of your great-aunt, and Ae Aings she did at her time of life! Why, noAing would have prevented her from coming down here! And as the leading benefidary under her will you really must do Ac Aings she did!"

  All Ae same, Romilly was suddenly quite resolute about a decision to turn back. She snatched off her dark glasses just in time to see Aat Aey were at Ae opposite end of Ae plank bridge, and she was just about to be decanted on to the sloping bank beyond. She felt someAing hit her in Ae small of her back, her feet went from under her and she landed in soft, cool mud - or raAer, she found herself sprawling in it - while Ae bridge behind her was whipped up, Ae two who had crossed it wiA her were safely on Ae farther bank, and Aey were looking smilingly across at her.

  The smiles were as cold as ice.

  "Now all you have to do, my dear," Mrs. Mortimer said, "is tell us where you're keeping Ae love god safely hidden. Tell us Aat and you can join us on Ais side again. But if you can't, or won't, tell us, Aen you can stay where you are!"

  "Oh, but I don't Aink so!" a voice as cold as their smiles cut in. "Not, at least, while I can prevent it!"

  And Leah turned to find several people just behind her, and closest of all to her, wiA something very hard and chill which he pressed into her back, was Julius Crighton.

  His black eyes bored into hers.

  "I had an idea you might get up to someAing like this today, given Ae opportunity," he said, "and so I provided you with Ae opportunity! But unfortunately for you it's not going to do you much good!"

  CHAPTER VIII

  SOMILLY felt someAing sharp and acrid burning her mouA, and she realised Aat a brandy flask was being held to her lips. Julius was kneeling in Ae mud beside her, supporting her wiA his free arm, and his voice was very gentle as he said:

  "It's all over now, so you can forget it! You're perfectly safe! ... I give you my word you were never in any real danger. You don't Aink I would have gone off for Ae day and left you wiA Leah, do you? She's Ae very last person

  I would ever have left you completely alone wiA!"

  Romilly looked up at him dazedly.

  "But I Aought you ... I thought you liked her!" she said. He smiled, and his white teeA were a pleasant sight in the dimness.

  "You mean she strove to make you believe that I liked her! Well, perhaps I did, once - a long time ago." He lowered Ae brandy flask and placed boA arms round her, lifting her up out of Ae mud until she was standing supported by his arms and leaning against him.

  He kissed Ae top of her head fervently.

  "Oh, my poor little one," he said, "I wish Aere'd been some oAer way to prove what she was up to, but Aere wasn't! In some ways she's so transparent, and her insistence on showing you over Ais dig was Ae clearest indication I could have that she was up to mischief. The oAer day, when I found you here alone wiA her, 3 knew what she had in mind."

  149

  "But she didn't really mean to - to leave me here, did she?" "She probably intended to leave you here for a few hours if necessary
."

  "She wanted to know about Ae statuette."

  "Yes, I gaAered that. You mustn't overlook Ae fact that I wasn't far away when she brought you here."

  Romilly put back her head and looked up at him. She was still feeling extraordinarily weak as a result of Ae shock she had suffered, and despite Ae fact Aat a burning ray of sunlight had singled Aem out at Ae bottom of Ae shaft her teeth were chattering and her whole body shivered convulsively every few seconds. The brandy had warmed her and Ae blind moments of panic when she found herself sprawling in Ae mud wiA Ae bridge over Ae chasm removed and Ae'open gallery to Ae tomb yawning behind her had receded into a kind of hazy but all too recent past, and wiAout realising what she was doing she clutched at Julius and held on to him tighdy.

  "It was so horrible!" she gasped. "I really thought they were going to leave me here for ever."

  The man's handsome mouA hardened until there was someAing positively brutal about it, and then softened and his shapely lips continued to nuzzle Ae brightness of her hair.

  "Darling," he breaAed, "Ae whole Aing only lasted for a few minutes, and it is over now.'*

  "She looked at me as if she... hated me!"

  "She's obsessed wiA Ae idea of possessing your statu� ette. But she never will 1"

  But his answer failed to entirely convince Romilly. She didn't really mind what happened to the statuette, but she was absolutely certain of one Aing ... Leah Mortimer meant it when she said she was going to marry Julius. She

  150

  (had every intention of marrying him one day, even if he

  had no real idea of her intentions, and from Ae first she | had resented Romilly's appearance on Ae scene because it j meant Aat he paid her a certain amount of attention. Not a g great deal, but enough to arouse Ae fires of jealousy in t such a woman as Leah. j She was clever at concealing Aings, but from Romilly � she had never completely concealed her interest in Crigh: ton. And taken togeAer wiA Ae fact Aat Romilly also