As soon as Darcy was free, Elizabeth went over to him and took his arm, steering him away from the others and toward the edge of the camp where they could talk in peace.
“I suppose we cannot persuade Edward out of the search for this tomb?” she asked.
“Unfortunately not,” said Darcy.
Elizabeth shivered.
“I cannot like it,” she said.
“Come now, it is just because you are tired. Or are you really regretting coming? We can always return to the boats if you wish.”
“No,” she said, reassured by his matter-of-fact tone. “As you say, I am just tired—and hot and thirsty. I am allowing my fancies to run away with me. There are many marvels in the desert and I want to experience them while I can. But all the same, I hope Edward either finds the tomb or realises it is not out there. One way or another, I would like his obsession to come to an end.”
“On that we are agreed. It is not just his obsession that worries me; it is the deceit. It is all the more unsettling because I have never known Edward to be deceitful before. He has his faults, as do we all—”
“Really, my dear? I did not know that you had any!” she teased him.
“I have kept one or two, for the sole purpose of allowing you the pleasure of correcting them!” he said, kissing her on the tip of her nose. “But if I had known that Edward had found the map… and yet he kept it from me.” His tone darkened. “It makes me wonder what other secrets he is keeping.”
Chapter 11
The next day Edward was up early, stirred by his enthusiasm to find the tomb. The sun had barely begun to show its face above the horizon as he moved around the camp, loading the equipment he meant to take with him onto the camels, who stood placidly in the dawn light, oblivious to his nervous energy.
Disturbed by the noise, Sophie stirred. For a while she struggled to wake, exhausted by the exertions of the day before, then finally she washed and dressed in a loose muslin gown and tiptoed out of the tent she was sharing with the girls to find out what the commotion was.
“Edward, do you mean to leave us?” she enquired as she sleepily took in the sight of the camels and fellahs in their long white robes.
“Only for a while,” he said, gratified by the note of disappointment he fancied he heard in her voice. “The desert is vast, but I’m sure there are great treasures still to be found, and I mean to find some.”
“Bring me back a diamond,” she said, smiling.
“At the very least.” He hesitated and then moved closer to her. “Sophie, you know that although I am the son of an earl, my fortune is not great.”
“I believe I can match you in that regard,” she said.
“I would not wish to marry for money.” He hesitated and then continued. “If my prospects were better I would hope—”
Just then one of the camels, less tolerant than its fellows, began braying and kicking at a fellah who had tightened the girths too tightly, and some of Edward’s papers began to fall to the ground. He glanced quickly at Sophie.
“We will speak more when I return,” he said.
Sophie watched him in the dawn’s half-light, before drawing her shawl round her shoulders and returning to her tent.
Darcy and Elizabeth were also woken by the braying of the camel. Reaching for his robe, Darcy peered out of the tent.
“What is it?” Elizabeth enquired with a yawn.
“It appears Edward is making an early start,” Darcy said. He came back into the tent. “Do you have any plans today, my love?”
“After such a long ride yesterday, I wish for nothing more than a long leisurely breakfast and then perhaps to see what Sir Matthew has uncovered.”
“I think you are right,” said Darcy with a wry smile. Then he sobered. “I think I had better accompany Edward today. Ever since he walked into our drawing room in London last spring, he has been subtly changed and I want to keep him from further mischief.”
“Protecting him from himself?” asked Elizabeth.
“Yes, I do believe I am. It is not just his lack of openness; it is his unwavering belief he will find something. He has always been of an optimistic disposition but this is different. He seems unaware of the dangers to be found in the desert, blinded by his determination to succeed.”
He reached for his shirt.
“I had better get up as well,” said Elizabeth.
“There is no need for both of us to be disturbed so early,” he said. He kissed her lightly on the forehead and dressed quickly before disappearing out into the heat of the day.
When he reached the cooking fire, Darcy realised that he was not the only person who intended to accompany Edward on his quest. Sir Matthew was also dressed, a cup of coffee in his hand. He smiled jovially when he saw Darcy.
“Ah, Darcy, your cousin means to make me look like a slugabed. He has already breakfasted and is eager to be off. If I did not know better, I would think he had meant to start without us.”
Darcy cast an appraising look at Edward, who contrived to look guilty and unrepentant at the same time.
“It is the early bird who catches the worm, gentlemen,” Edward said. “And I mean to catch a very juicy worm today if possible. Do you care to join me?”
“Allow me ten minutes to give some instructions to my people and then we’ll strike out together,” said Sir Matthew.
“I thought you did not believe in the tomb?” asked Edward.
“There are many secrets to be found in the desert besides your tomb. Mr Darcy, do you mean to come too?”
“I do.”
Edward smiled. “Our fathers would be proud of us,” he said, handing Darcy a cup of coffee.
Darcy said, “I wonder.”
***
Elizabeth went back to sleep after Darcy left and did not awaken until a more civilised time. When she rose, she found the children were already up and that Paul was hard at work on an oil painting, taken partly from earlier sketches and partly from the scene before his eyes.
“I thought a painting of the children in the camp would be interesting and would remind them of their adventures,” said Paul as Elizabeth approached.
“It is a good thing you have sketches to work from. Even in this heat, the children are never still.” She looked at the painting and was pleased with its progress. “Is it difficult to work the paint in the heat?” she asked.
“It is certainly not the same as it is at home in the cold and the damp,” he said, “but I believe I have mastered its use here. The paintings dry much more quickly here than they do at home.”
Elizabeth left him hard at work and went over to her mother and Sophie, who were eating fruit in the shade of an awning.
“Mama!” said Laurence, running up to her. “Saeed has been telling us all about the tunnels. When can we go and look at them?”
Saeed was Sir Matthew’s most trusted helper, and Sir Matthew had left him in charge. He had been explaining the principles of archaeology to the children and had been telling them of the tunnels and plundered tombs that had so far been excavated.
“You may go after breakfast,” Elizabeth promised him.
“Saeed said there will be lots of rats,” said Jane in excitement.
Beth, looking very pretty in a white muslin gown which had somehow managed to remain unspotted by dust or sand, said, “I think I will stay here, Mama. I am sure Grandmama will stay with me.”
“And so I will,” said Mrs Bennet. “I cannot imagine why you want to spend the day in rat-infested tunnels.”
“I would like to go with you, if I may,” said Sophie.
The reason for her interest was not hard to find, for Paul was going to sketch them. So you have not yet decided firmly against Paul, Elizabeth thought. And with Edward’s obsession with the desert growing steadily stronger, it is perhaps small wonder. No woman likes to be ignored. Out loud, she said, “We would be glad to have you with us.” Adding, “Would we not, Mr Inkworthy?” as Paul, having left his painting to dry, joined them.