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‘Ah, and here I was hoping to go somewhere where I wouldn’t be hounded by the press.’
Alice looked at him in surprise. ‘I’m pretty sure she didn’t follow you here.’ Alice knew Clarissa was staying at the hotel as a break from her children, and to catch up with Emily. Even so, she whispered back, ‘Why would a journalist follow you here?’
‘Oh, perhaps to get a story on the artefacts that we’ve brought over from Alexandria. There will be temporary exhibits in museums around the country before they’re moved to the British Museum.’
Alice smiled. ‘So, you’re still an archaeologist?’
He smiled. ‘You remembered.’
‘Of course.’ She lowered her voice. ‘How could I forget that night?’
He stared at her. ‘Of all the places in all the world, you walk in here.’
‘You sound like Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca. Except I’m pretty sure the famous quote involved something to do with gin joints.’
He laughed. ‘You British and your sense of humour.’
‘No, I’m being serious.’
He smiled nevertheless. ‘I’ve never forgotten you, you know.’
Alice glanced at Clarissa, who quickly looked away. Alice sighed. She had a feeling that Clarissa was trying to listen in on their conversation. Alice returned her attention to Omar. In a hushed voice, she said, ‘We could go for a walk after breakfast, catch up properly?’ She moved her eyes to the left and nodded in Clarissa’s direction. ‘If you know what I mean?’
He nodded, glancing across the room at the inquisitive guest. ‘Yes, of course. I understand.’
Emily appeared at that table. ‘What can I get you this morning, Alice?’
‘I’ll just have some porridge and toast, thank you.’
‘Of course.’
‘How was the party?’ Alice asked out of politeness. She guessed there hadn’t been much of a party. She already knew they’d fallen asleep.
Emily sighed. ‘It was lucky you didn’t come after all. We’re both not used to drinking too much. We ended up falling asleep.’
Alice acted surprised. ‘Oh, well. There’s always another night.’
‘Not really. I’m afraid Clarissa will be gone for a day or so; something cropped up and she has to do something for work, so she’ll be leaving straight after breakfast.’
‘Oh dear, that is a shame.’ Alice tried hard to sound sincere. ‘Will she be returning to the guest house?’
‘I don’t know. She booked the room for the week.’ Emily was confident she’d be back – she had her big news story. She just hoped she would still stay for her week’s holiday, and her big scoop didn’t encourage her to return to work earlier. ‘I hope she decides to stay on.’
I hope she doesn’t, thought Alice, feeling a bit guilty for being so selfish. Not that it should bother her – wasn’t she meant to be going home today? But that was before she discovered Omar was there.
Alice turned in her seat, smiling. Even if Clarissa did come back tonight, the fact that she wouldn’t be around for the rest of the day was music to Alice’s ears. Apart from Joss, she and Omar would have the guest house practically to themselves. Which was just as well. Alice’s idea to go for a bracing walk along the deserted beach after breakfast was already looking less likely. The early morning sunshine, which she’d woken up to in her room, before turning over and having another hour in bed, had already given way to thick storm clouds. And now she heard the patter of raindrops on the conservatory roof. Outside in the garden, tree branches swayed in the wind.
Alice was still mystified as to how she and Omar had both come to be there at the same time. She said as much.
‘I’m just as mystified as you, Alice.’
She kept her voice barely above a whisper when she asked, ‘Have you visited here since that night?’
He shook his head. ‘No. I have not. And you?’
‘No. Why did you come?’
‘Nostalgia. Perhaps I wanted to recapture my youth, the best time of my life.’ His voice dropped to a whisper. ‘The bestnightof my life,’ he said, raising his eyebrows as if to say,you know what I’m talking about. ‘The last thing I expected was for you to be here too. Although going back to that night, I’m not sure it was for you, to begin with, the best night of your life.’
