Curse of the Kings (33 page)

t must have been faulty.

o you think someone tampered with it?

ho should and for what purpose?

o kill someone?

heodosia! Why? What had she done?

erhaps to kill a member of the party?

t certainly might have been any one of us.

xactly. So it seems as though it didn matter which one as long as it was someone.

ou mean that someone just wanted one of us to die as a sort of warning?

t could, of course, have been an accident merelyf it had been anyone else. Mrs. Callum condition helped to make it a fatal one perhaps. You would be far more aware of these things than I. I consider it a great privilege to be allowed these little peeps at what is going on. I shall never forget this visit to Egypt.

don think anyone who is here will ever forget this expedition. It was the same with the previous one when Sir Edward died. That finished it because he was the leader and they could scarcely have gone on without him.

hat did he discover?

recisely nothing. But Tybalt believes that he would have, had he gone on. Tybalt was going on where he left off.

ell, it been a great privilege. I have to get back to the hotel so I must leave you. Ie enjoyed our talk.

I watched him walk away and then I went into the palace, for the sun was beginning to get hot. I remembered then that I had left Dorcas pot of ointment in the little room which led off from the courtyard. As I came into it, I heard voices and paused.

Tabitha was speaking. h yes, it a great relief to be free. If only it happened before. And now, Tybalt, it too late too late

I stood absolutely still. There was a singing in my ears; the courtyard seemed to recede and I felt faint.

Too late! I knew too well what that meant.

I had suspected for some time. Perhaps I had always suspected; but now I knew.

I turned and ran to my room.

I lay on the bed. Tybalt had gone back to the site. I was glad. I did not want to see himot yetot until I had decided what I must do.

I remembered so many incidents. The manner in which he had looked at her when she sat at the piano; the warning words of Nanny Tester; the time when she had gone up to see her husband and Tybalt had discovered that he must be away at the same time. And she was beautiful and poised and experienced. Compared with her I was plain and clumsy; and I was not patient as she was. I was angry and passionate because he cared more for his work than for me.

She understood perfectly. She was the one he loved, the one whom he would have married had he been free.

But even so, why should he marry me? Why should he not wait for her?

His proposal had been sudden. I had been completely taken by surprise. He had asked me because he knew that I had inherited money from Sir Ralph. It was all becoming very clear, too clear for comfort.

And here she was close to him. I wondered how often when I believed him to be working on the site he was with Tabitha. I pictured them together; I seemed to delight in torturing myself. I couldn bear these imaginings and yet I could not stop myself from creating them.

I felt young and inexperienced. I did not know what I could do.

Of whom could I ask advice? I could not confide in Theodosia now. As if I ever could have! What would she have known of my problemhe with her innocence and her inexperience of life and her doting Evan who had loved her faithfully and would have done so to the end of her days. Dorcas and Alison knew nothing of relationships like this; and they would nod their heads and say told you so. We never liked him. We felt something was wrong.That would not do. Sabina? I could hear her voice coming to me over space. f course Tybalt is wonderful. There is no one like him. You ought to be glad he married you. But of course you don know enough and Tabitha does and she is beautiful. And she was always in the house, really like his wife, only she had that husband and he couldn marry her because of him. At least you are Tybalt wife and Lady Travers, aren you? So I suppose that ought to be enough. After all he not like other people, is he ?

How foolish to let my mind run on with these imaginary conversations. But I could not stop myself. In whom could I confide?

I wanted to talk to someone. I wanted to say: What can I do?

I thought of Hadrian. We were fond of each other in a cousinly way, although he had hinted at stronger feelings. We had protected each other when we were children protecting him more than he did me, because I seemed to be able to do it better than he could, and he, being the boy, was more often blamed. Dear, uncomplicated Hadrian!

Yet I could not tell even him of my fears, because I could not bear to discuss Tybalt. It was bad enough that I, in my private thoughts, could build up such a monstrous fabrication. He had asked me to marry him suddenly; I was an heiress and now Theodosia death had made me a very rich woman. Theodosia death! Oh no, I would not accept such absurdly wicked thoughts. Anyone might have stepped onto the bridge. Yet it had been Theodosia and her death had made Tybalt wife a very rich woman. Tybalt needed money for his work. Was this why he had married a rich wife? If Tabitha had been free But her release had come too late. oo late I could hear her voice with that note of sadness in it, that deep and bitter regret.

I stood between them. If I were not here Tybalt and Tabitha could marry, and who would inherit a rich wife fortune but her widower!

My imaginings were becoming fantastic.

IX Premonition

I don know whether I imagined it but from that time I began to feel that I was often followed. I was nervous. I was afraid to be by myself in a lonely part of the palace; footsteps began to sound stealthy, and in the silence I would find myself looking over my shoulder furtively. This was unlike me. I had been the one to laugh at the stories of the big black bat. I had teased Theodosia but now it seemed that I had inherited her fears as well as her money.

Yet I had an irresistible urge to come face to face with my fears. I wanted to know because at the back of my mind was the thought: It is Tybalt. He wants to be rid of me. And on the heels of that thought was another: That a lie. He cares more for his profession than for you, which is natural since he loves another woman. But he would never harm you. You know that.

But I was not sure which side of the question was the true one and because it was imperative to my peace of mind, to my future happiness to find out, I could not resist the temptation to frighten myself.

It was in this mood that alone I took an arabiya to the Temple. I left my driver and told him to wait for me.

As I entered the Temple I was aware of the stillness all about me. I was the only person, it seemed, who had come here today. I stood among the tall pillars and remembered the day when Theodosia and I had come here together.

I tried to give my entire attention to the carvings which depicted the history of Egypt. I was not really concentrating though; I kept listening for the sound of footsteps, for the sudden swish of robes. I don know what it was but I had a strange sensation that I was not here alone and that something evil was close to me.

I studied the elaborate carving on the pillar. There was King Seti with his son who was to become Ramses the Great. And on another carving was Queen Hatshepsut.

I was sure someone was close to me, watching me. I fancied I heard the sound of deep breathing. He had only to stretch out a hand and catch me.

I felt my heart thundering. I must get out of this maze of pillars; I would get right out into the open. With all speed I must make my way to my arabiya and tell my driver to take me back to the palace.

Thank God the arabiya and the driver would be waiting. If I did not return they would know that I was missing. But would they?

The pillars of the ancient ruined Temple were close together like trees in a forest. Someone could be standing behind one of them, close to me, yet I would not see him if he were using one as a shield. At any moment murderous hands could seize me. I could be buried here in the sand. And the driver of my arabiya? A little money exchanging hands. Not a word to be said about the lady he had brought out to the Temple. It would be very simple. If a girl could disappear from a shop in the souk and be thrown into the Nile in place of a doll, surely I could be disposed of. But I was the wife of the leader of the expedition. There would have to be some explanation of my disappearance. But if that leader was content to accept some explanation which could be fabricated He had been ready enough to accept the fact that Yasmin had been murdered and regard it as of little importance. But this would be his wife. A wife of whom he wished to rid himself?

That was the thought which had been in my mind, and here in this sinister and ancient Temple I could come face to face with my real fears. Perhaps I could also come face to face with a murderer.

Yes. Someone was close. A shadow had fallen across my vision, a tall shadow. Someone was stalking me. The pillars protected him from my view, but suddenly he would catch me; his hands would be about my throat and I would look up into his face. Tybalt face? No. That was going too far, that was being absurdly wild. It was someone who was trying to stage another accident. Someone who wanted us to go from here. Someone who had tampered with the bridge, who had killed Theodosia and now it would be so much more effective to kill the wife of the leader.

I stood very still, trying to calm myself. I was being dramatic, stupid, letting my imagination run away with me. Hadn Dorcas and Alison said I used to do that and that I would have to stop it.

There was one thing of which I was certain. I was afraid.

I started to run; I touched the pillars as I passed.

I emerged from the shadow of the pillars into the open. The sun hit me like a blow. It sent little chinks of brilliant white light through the weave of my chip straw hat.

I had almost fallen into the arms of Leopold Harding, who was coming towards me.

hy, Lady Travers, what wrong?

h nothing. I didn see you.

saw you come rushing out of the Temple. I was just about to go in.

h I said, glad you came I was thinking: Perhaps he, that anonymous murderer, heard your arabiya arrive, perhaps that was why he allowed me to escape. I added quickly: t worth a second visit.

wonderful old place. Are you sure you are all right?

think I was a little overcome by the heat.

ou shouldn rush about, you know. Would you like to take a walk round with me?

hank you, but I think Il go back to the palace. My arabiya is waiting for me.

shall not allow you to go back alone,he said.

I was glad of his company. It helped to dispel my absurd fears. He talked about practical matters such as how he had succeeded in making his arrangements for the despatching of his goods.

t has been a very successful trip,he said. t is not always so. Of course one buys a lot of stuff which we call un-of-the-mill.One makes a small profit and this makes these transactions worth while. But occasionally there are the real finds.

ave you any this time?

think so yes, I think so. But one is never sure, and however fine the piece one has to find the buyer for it. That business. Here is the palace. Are you all right, Lady Travers?

erfectly, thank you. It was the heat, I think.

ery trying and exhausting. I glad I was there.

hank you for your kindness.

t was a pleasure.

I went to my room and lay on my bed. The fear still hung over me.

Had I been right? Was it a premonition which had set my skin pricking and the goosepimples rising? Had I really been in danger? Was, as the soothsayer would have said, the big black bat hovering over me? Or was I imagining this, because I had discovered that my husband loved another woman and wanted to be rid of me?

I must have been there for ten minutes when there was a knock on my door. I sat up hurriedly while the door opened slowly, stealthily. A pair of dark eyes were watching me.

ady would like mint tea? Lady very tired.

Mustapha was regarding me pityingly. I thanked him. He stood for a few moments and then he bowed and left me.

The intense heat of the day was over. I put on my shady straw hat and went out. People were rising from their beds where they had slept behind shutters which kept out the sun. The market square was getting noisy. I heard the weird music of the snake-charmer pipes. I saw the snake beginning to rise from its basket for the benefit of the little crowd who had assembled to watch.

I paused by the storyteller, cross-legged on his mat, his dark hypnotic eyes dreamy. The faces of his listeners were rapt and attentive; but as I approached they seemed aware of me. In my cotton blouse, my linen skirt, and my big straw hat I was alien. The storyteller even paused in his narrative.

He said in English for my benefit: nd where she had died there grew a fair tree and its flowers were the color of her blood.

I dropped some coins into the bowl as an expression of my appreciation.

llah be with you,he murmured; and the people drew back for me to pass.

I went on into the souk. The soothsayer saw me and dropped his eyes to stare down at the mat on which he sat.

On through the narrow streets I went, past the open shops with their now familiar smells; and I was aware of eyes that watched me, furtively almost. I belonged to those who had twice felt the wrath of the dead. I was one of the damned.

I went back to the palace.

During the last few days I had neglected the paper work I did for Tybalt. I did not want him to know that anything was wrong so I decided that everything must be in order as it had been in the past.

There were papers in his bureau which he had left for me to put away. They were notes of the day progressach dated; and I had filed them in a sort of briefcase in perfect order so that he could refer to them and find what he wanted without a moment delay. He had told me that this particular case, which was of very fine sealskin, had belonged to his father. It was lined with a black corded silk.

I had noticed some time before that the stitching of the lining had come apart and I had made up my mind that at some time I should mend it. I decided that I would do it now.