Page 27

Cataracts in the River Cause a Kerfuffle

L ater that night

Once the dishes had been cleared and the ladies had departed for the parlor, the gentlemen remained seated around the dining table.

“The wind seems to be in our favor,” Will said, his gaze directed on the bank of the river.

Although the sun had set hours earlier, a nearly full moon provided enough light to illuminate the western shore of the Nile.

The passing landscape featured a number of triangular silhouettes, natural conical mountains made from ancient volcanic activity.

At night, they appeared as if they were pyramids.

“Mahmood mentioned the usual time to Luxor is about a fortnight,” Harry commented. “Even going upstream as we are.”

“Are there any stops along the way?” Tom asked.

Will nodded. “Nasir—he’s one of the crewmen—said we’ll stop at a couple of villages where we’ll take on supplies. There is also another stop which features two temples.”

“Dendera,” David remarked with excitement. “I’m most anxious to see the Temple of Isis. It’s on the roof of another temple. I’ve been reading about it in volume four of La Description de l'égypte ,” he added, referring to one of the books he had purchased upon their arrival in Alexandria.

“What about the Temple of Hathor?” Tom countered. “Isn’t that the one with the zodiac on the ceiling of a temple?”

“Not any longer,” Randy said, frowning. “Diana was quite distressed to learn that a thief used explosives to remove it about twenty years ago.”

“He stole the ceiling from a temple?” Tom asked in disbelief.

“Yes, and he sold it to the king of France for a hundred-and-fifty-thousand francs,” Randy explained, his disgust evident. “At least it’s on public display in Paris, but...” He shrugged as he sighed his disappointment.

David sounded a low whistle. “Damn,” he muttered. “I suppose that means we’ll have to stop in Paris on the way home if we wish to see it.”

Harry and Will exchanged glances of amusement. “The British Museum is not without its share of Egyptian artifacts,” Harry commented. “Including the Rosetta Stone. Have you seen it?”

David nodded. “Of course. I have a set of prints of all three sections of it,” he claimed.

“I’ve been studying the Greek versus the Egyptian hieroglyphics in an attempt to sort their meaning.

So far, all I have learned for certain is that the hieroglyphics surrounded by an oval are the name of a pharaoh?—”

“A cartouche,” Randy clarified.

“—long triangular shapes are knives, and wiggly snakes are either a depiction of evil or the enemy. The rest...” He lifted a shoulder. “I have some time to study it more thoroughly before we reach any temples.”

Randy dipped his head, deciding it best he not mention that Diana had already memorized the translations on the stone. As to whether or not she had devised the meaning of the hieroglyphics, he didn’t yet know.

A few days later

Having finished their afternoon play near the stern of The Dendera , Helen regarded her younger brother with a grin. “I do hope if I ever have a boy, he’ll be just like you,” she murmured.

The young crewman manning the rudder—a boy of probably only ten years of age—watched them, amusement and perhaps a hint of jealousy apparent on his face.

Bradley babbled incoherently, his attention suddenly captured by a bird that flew overhead. “Bird,” he said.

Helen’s eyes widened in surprise. “Bird, yes,” she said, watching as the Steppe eagle circled before flying off to the north.

“Let’s go tell Father you’ve learned a new word.

” She rose from the deck, happy her wide skirts hid what her legs had to do in order for her to stand from a sitting position.

She leaned forward and lifted Bradley into her arms when a shout sounded from somewhere near the front of the ship.

Glancing toward the stern with a look of concern, she noted how the young crewman’s eyes widened before he scrambled to his feet and leaned hard against the control for the rudder.

The vessel suddenly veered sharply. She struggled to keep her balance, but with Bradley settled on one hip, she couldn’t counteract the motion, and the sense of falling had her emitting a shout of “oh!”

On his way toward the stern by way of the thin corridor that ran through the center of the ship, Tom had just emerged into the sunlight when he heard the captain yell and felt the deck shift hard beneath his feet.

Off to his right, he caught sight of Helen and managed to move close enough so she landed in his outstretched arms as she fell. Her hold on the babe never lessened, though, and Bradley was saved from falling onto the wooden deck.

A slight scraping noise along the outer hull and another sudden shift beneath his feet had Tom struggling to lift her until she was standing. He tightened his hold on her as more shouts could be heard by the other crewmen.

Her eyes wide, she glanced up at him and then at Bradley, whose huge grin was entirely at odds with what was happening.

“Are you... are you all right?” he asked in alarm.

She nodded, although her mouth still formed an ‘o’ from her momentary disorientation. “I was sure I was about to land on the deck,” she replied.

Instead, she was in Thomas Forster’s arms, much as she had been the night he had kissed her in the gardens during the Morganfield ball. He was even staring at her in a similar fashion, as if he was memorizing every feature of her face and her eyes.

She couldn’t help but do the same to him, her gaze sweeping the planes of his face, where shadows emphasized his cheekbones and the hint of a beard. His brows were furrowed with worry, and for the first time, she realized there were dark gray rims around the gray-green irises of his eyes.

How hadn’t she noticed those when she had first met him in the Morganfield’s ballroom?

She had certainly noticed the shape of his lips, though, the firm pillows emphasized by the arch of his lower lip and the two pointed hills that formed his upper lip.

She thought to use a fingertip to trace their outline, and then wondered if he would pull it into his mouth to kiss and suckle it, or if he would simply pull it away so his lips could meet hers in a kiss.

A kiss of reunion. A kiss of possession.

A scorching kiss that would leave her walking on air, because at the moment she was sure she would be unable to do so of her own accord.

Although she would have welcomed a repeat of the act of intimacy they had shared in the gardens, she also knew it would be entirely inappropriate given what was happening to the ship, for the deck seemed to jerk beneath her feet once more.

Tom’s hold on her was solid though, which had her pressed so close to the front of his body, she could feel his warmth, the solidity of his chest, the smell of the scent of his cologne, the wash of his breath across her cheek.

She really should be more concerned about what had caused her to nearly fall down, but not now. Not when she was nearly hypnotized by his gaze.

Until he suddenly glanced away. Although Tom continued to hold onto her, his attention went to the crewman who manned the rudder.

Slight of build and short—more due to his age than anything else—the boy’s eyes were wide with fright.

He shouted something in Arabic, and another one of the crew, Nasir, soon joined him.

“What’s happening?” Tom asked when the ship once again shifted suddenly. He managed to keep his feet and to move them so Helen was close enough to the nearby wall so her back was pressed against it.

“Cataracts,” Nasir replied, his upper body leaning out over the deck rail so he appeared about to go overboard. “Boulders... islands in the water.” He motioned to the boy, and the ship once again shifted when he turned the rudder, this time with less effect.

Will appeared from the corridor, his look of worry and breathlessness a sign he had rushed from where he had been reading in the parlor.

“Did you lose the rudder?” he asked in alarm.

With his attention entirely on the two members of the crew, he didn’t seem to notice Tom and Helen even though they were only a few feet away.

“No, my lord.”

“What did we hit?” He joined the crewman at the starboard railing, his gaze directed along the bit of hull that was visible above the waterline.

“Cataracts,” Nasir repeated. “Last one coming up,” he added, waving for the boy at the rudder to turn it, and the ship once again shifted, this time only slightly.

When Tom returned his attention to Helen, he discovered her staring up at him with an unreadable expression.

Meanwhile, Bradley was beaming at him in delight, a bare foot and pudgy knee pressed into his midsection.

A dimple at the base of one cheek made the babe appear almost comical, and Tom couldn’t help the chuckle that erupted.

“You are obviously unaware of how close you came to being dumped on your little bum, young man,” he remarked.

A peel of laughter sounded out of Bradley, and the babe said, “Dada dada dada,” as he waved his fisted hands about and bounced up and down on Helen’s hip.

Tom blinked. He released his hold on Helen and quickly stepped backwards, his face heating with embarrassment. “Uh...”

Helen tore her gaze from Tom and glanced at Bradley before she said, “Thank you, sir.” She dipped a curtsy. “Your timing was perfect. To keep me from falling on my bum,” she added sheepishly.

Bowing his head, Tom screwed his face into a wince. “I... I... would not have let that happen, my lady,” he stammered. “If you’ll excuse me?” He took another step back, bowed deeper, and disappeared into the corridor.

Disappointed by his sudden departure, Helen leaned her back against the cabin wall and audibly sighed.

He had held her for so long, as if he thought she might collapse should he let go.

At no point did she wonder at his motives, nor feel as if he was taking advantage.

If anything, he seemed as shocked as she had been by the sudden shift of the deck beneath their feet.

Of the scraping sound on the hull.

If not for Bradley making his presence known with his babbling, Tom might still be with her. Holding her. Mayhap even stealing a kiss.

“Children are to be seen and not heard,” she said on a sigh, surprised by the annoyance she felt for her little brother.

When she glanced down, she noted his good mood had been replaced with one that seemed to match hers.

He was staring at her with furrowed brows, the expression completely out of place on one so young.

He made a sound of protest, a fist impacting her shoulder as he said, “No.”

Helen gave a start, ready to scold the babe for his behavior. His expression was so comical, though, she found she couldn’t keep a straight face. “Had to go and ruin the moment, didn’t you?” she whispered. “ Brothers ,” she added with disgust.

“Were you injured?”

Helen gave a start. The Earl of Bellingham was regarding her with a look of worry. “Oh, I’m quite fine, my lord. Your nephew was quick on his feet,” she replied. “Saved me and Bradley from falling.”

Will’s reaction indicated his surprise. “I’m glad to hear it,” he replied, his gaze darting to the corridor to see that Tom was already in front of his cabin door, about to go inside.

“What happened to have the ship shifting about so suddenly?” she asked. “And what was that awful sound?”

Returning his attention to Helen, Will sighed. “Seems we had to avoid some boulders in the water,” he replied. “Nasir is going to check the hull when we stop at Benin Hasan for supplies. Make sure there isn’t any damage.”

“Is there some danger of us sinking?” she asked with worry.

His attention having gone to Bradley—the boy was once again grinning—Will shook his head.

“Doubtful. These are well-built ships,” he said, chucking Bradley on the chin with a forefinger.

The babe giggled and coo’d. “They ride high on the water, so they’re usually perfect on a river,” he added, his expression changing when he returned his attention to her.

“But apparently there are some stretches along this river where there are islands and rocks to avoid.”

“Dada dada dada,” Bradley said happily, grabbing Will’s forefinger.

He chuckled in delight. “You have me confused with someone else,” he said before he carefully extracted his finger. “If you’ll pardon me, Lady Helen, I’m going up to the bow to speak with the captain.”

“Of course, my lord. Thank you for alleviating my concerns,” she replied.

She curtsied to his bow and watched him disappear into the corridor.

When she glanced around, she discovered she was once again alone but for her baby brother and the boy at the rudder.

His attention wasn’t on her, but rather on the stretch of river behind them.

Bradley, however, was watching her intently.

“You really must learn how to address men who are not your father,” she said on a sigh.

“Mama mama mama,” Bradley replied.

Helen rolled her eyes. “Sister,” she corrected him.

“Bird,” he countered, one pudgy finger directed upward.

Her gaze going to the sky, she watched as an egret circled overhead. “Bird,” she repeated softly.

A moment later, and she, too, made her way into the corridor and to her cabin, passing the earl when he paused in front of another cabin door.

The entire way, Bradley said, “Mama mama mama.”