AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Rhys glanced at Helen, torn. He wondered if he ought to accompany the Tyndales on their journey to Cairo. They’d lost Helen once already, and they’d been beset bybandits. He ought to travel with them, if only to ensure her safety, but there wasn’t time for further delays. He had to find the Collector. Fiona needed him, and there was no one to see tohersafety.
“Mr. Evelyn has pressing matters to attend to in Cairo,” Helen said. “I’m certain he must be anxious to continue his journey.” She looked at him, her eyes encouraging as she gave him a little smile.
“Indeed,” Rhys said, though it pained him to do so. “I’m afraid I can’t stay.” He’d simply have to trust Tyndale to see Helen to Cairo without incident. The notion caused his chest to tighten, and he felt as if his heart were being torn in two—with half given over to his sister and half to Helen.
“Of course, of course,” Tyndale said. “We’ve kept you from your travels long enough.” Then, with a nod of farewell, he took himself off to collect his wife and niece.
Helen turned to Rhys. Her smile remained, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “Mr. Evelyn,” she said softly as they began walking toward their mounts. “I thank you for your assistance, but your sister awaits you. You must hurry. Perhaps we shall meet again in Cairo. At the very least, I shall see that the horse is returned to you.” He frowned at that but she continued. “And I still intend to speak with the consul-general on your behalf, although I’ve every confidence you will have found your sister by then.”
Rhys swallowed and nodded his agreement. He didn’t know what lay ahead for him and Fiona, or if he’d ever see Helen again. As soon as he had his sister back, he’d return to Surrey and his workshop while Helen remained in Egypt, cataloguing her relics. It was unlikely their paths would have occasion to cross again.
They’d reached his horse, and she handed him the reins. His hesitation must have been evident as Helen whispered softly, “Go.”
As he rode from Selamun, his heart thumped against his breastbone, clamoring to escape and return to the lady behind him. He pushed the feeling aside. He had to find Fiona. Nothing else mattered.
CHAPTER TWENTY
Helen watched Rhys’s horse disappear into the afternoon haze that shimmered over the dusty road. Her feet wanted to follow, and it was with effort that she forced them to remain where they were. A heaviness settled in her chest, and she offered a silent prayer for his safety as he traveled the road to Cairo.
She missed him already, and he’d only been gone three minutes. How had she grown so attached to the man in such a brief time? Surely, this feeling would pass once the excitement of their journey together had faded.
The argument was a weak one, and not easily believed. Despite how empty she felt now, she knew it would be much worse for her when he left for England. She had no doubt he would go once he found his sister.
She’d seen the indecision on his face, had known the conflict that tugged at him as he considered whether to take himself off to find the Collector and his sister or escort Helen and the Tyndales. But she couldn’t allow him to delay his search for his sister any longer. Helen was with friends now. She could look after herself, but Rhys’s sister needed him.
The thought didn’t ease her heart, and she reminded herself she had work with the professor to anticipate. Months of translating and transcribing that would occupy her time and her thoughts. She certainly didn’t need her mind distracted with musings about Rhys.
A soft hand touched her sleeve, and she turnedto find Mrs. Tyndale gazing at her tenderly.Helen’s smile wobbled a bit and she firmed her jaw.
“We are so happy to have you back with us once again, my dear. And I must apologize for Lydia. She’s young and foolish, it’s true, but her actions have been inexcusable.”
Heat bloomed across Helen’s face and throat as she considered the younger woman’s deceit. Lydia had known Helen was not aboard theTamariskwhen it departed Alexandria, but she’d said nothing. Helen recalled her clear-eyed gaze when she’d stepped out of her cabin—Lydia’s senses hadn’t been dulled by laudanum, no matter how she might try to convince them otherwise.
All the past hours of anxiety and fear could have been avoided if Miss Lydia Tyndale had been an honorable, considerate sort of lady. As it was, she was little more than a selfish child who’d expressed neither regret nor remorse for her actions. Helen found it hard to forgive such a poor character.
But she recalled her aim to extend more understanding. With effort, she considered the lady across the lane whose lips had become dried and chapped by the sun and wind. What must the past weeks have been like for one as miserable as Lydia Tyndale? Despite Helen’s travel sickness, she loved the thrill of adventure, the excitement of new discovery. She’d dreamed of returning to Egypt for as long as she could remember, but what must the experience have been for one who’d dreamed of other things? Of a husband and home in England. Of parties and shopping with acquaintances. In truth, she knew little of the other woman’s desires.
As she and Mrs. Tyndale watched, Lydia swatted an insect in irritation. Helen released her anger on a low sigh. “I think the fates are meting out their judgment, Mrs. Tyndale.”
——
Rhys urged themare to a gallop, feeling the sleek muscles contract beneath him. As he rode, the sun made its slow trek toward the horizon. Distant farms and villages dotted the landscape, and the Nile flowed to his left, an endless strand reflecting the pinks and oranges of the late afternoon sky. Slow feluccas and low barges plied the river, moving lazily in the current as the water lapped at their wooden hulls. All of it was blurred by his haste.
Rhys focused on the road ahead and the odd bend in the path, watching for any sign of the bandits who’d been active in the area or the men who were intent on obtaining the amulet. Akeem was still out there somewhere, and he didn’t think he’d seen the last of him. More than once, a rustle in the grasses ahead caught his attention. He would tense, alert and prepared, only to find it was the wind or a long-legged egret.
Afternoon rolled into night, and Rhys used the moon and the river as his guide, pushing his horse onward. His thoughts returned with regularity to Helen, and he berated himself for leaving her. He couldn’t help but worry for her safety, knowing she and the Tyndales would soon take the same road he traveled.
Perhaps, if they didn’t mind the delay, they’d wait for another steamer. But the company’s boats would already be full with passengers from Alexandria, and it was unlikely they’d be able to secure passage this far from the port city.
As dawn began to lighten the sky, he detected the faint, flickering glow of Cairo’s oil lamps. They illuminated the silhouette of the city’s walls and minarets and the imposing citadel looming high atop its hill in the distance. It was a captivating sight that promised romance and adventure and inspired the heart to a faster pace if one had the luxury to enjoy it. It was a sight Helen would have loved.
As he drew closer, the lazy sounds of the river gave way to the noise of the city waking beyond its walls: carts clattering over clay pavers, the bleating of goats and sheep, themuezzin’sfirst call to prayer echoing from the mosques.
He approached the Bab al-Nasr gate and a pair of guards straightened, weapons at the ready. Rhys slowed his horse to a stop and called out to them.
The guards eyed him warily. “What is your business in Cairo at such an early hour?”
“I’ve come to see my sister,” Rhys said, thinking a simple answer would be the most expedient.
