He reached through the side seam of hisgalabeya, taking something from his pocket. Presenting it to her, he lowered his eyes. “It would please me for you to accept this. Keep it close and it shall protect you.”
Onora accepted the small, wooden artefact. Shaped like a cross but with the upper part looped over, she recognized it immediately as anankh—the symbol of life.
“I will remain with the ship, along with my crew.If you ever desire to leave, we will be at your disposal. Day or night, we are here.”
“Leave?” She was confused. Why should she wish that?
“I mean no trouble, merely to show that I am at your service.” He raised his eyes, and everything within them was sincere. “Ja'al Allah ayyamak kullaha sa'adah. May Allah fill all your days with happiness.”
“Shukran.” Once more, Onora thanked him, then wished him happiness in turn.
Tariq descended the crew’s rope ladder, returning to his duties below, and his final words were uttered to himself rather than to her. “Allah yehannin aleik.”
May Allah have mercy on you.
The villa waseverything Seton had described, and more. Their mooring drew them up to a large landing stage, supported by deep poles driven into the riverbank. This created a very pleasant arrival, enablingthem to disembark easily, following a boardwalk past white and blue water lilies, reeds and lotus plants.
As the ground became more solid, the pathway led through a garden where the fertile soil had enabled the planting to mature at a remarkable speed, with pink tamarisk trees and sun-yellow mimosa growing between palms. A lawn of sorts was trimmed neatly between. Seton was obviously proud of the achievement, and rightly so, for nothing of the sort had existed when Onora had last been here.
The villa itself was no less impressive. Though made of simple mudbrick, plastered and white-washed, the facing side toward which they approached was graced by an open-sided veranda, roofed with tiles and graced with potted cypress trees.
An archway led through to an airy courtyard, the floor tiled white and green, and with a cloistered passageway on all four sides, created from a wide pergola. Bright bougainvillea planted at intervals created dappledshade as the vines scrambled over the latticework of rafters. Each of the inner-facing doors was painted cobalt blue, as were the shutters mounted decoratively either side of each inner-facing window.
The central portion of the courtyard boasted pots of lemon trees, fig and date, mango and pomegranate. It had a pergola of its own, forming an arbor above a large table of acacia wood with jasmine twining overhead. This was set in readiness for them, with various tea things.
“How utterly delightful!” exclaimed Clodagh, whose praise was immediately echoed by the Reverend and his wife, as well as the Misses Feathermount.
“Thought of everything, old man!” The Colonel added his admiration as Seton urged them to be seated. “Just the right amount of shade, and very fragrant. Puts my garden back in Hampshire to shame.”
Seton accepted the compliments with pleasure and no small degree of modesty.
Having seen his guests partaken of refreshment, their host escorted them on a tour which revealed a library and a drawing roomon the northern side, with kitchen and storage tucked in the corner beyond a formal dining room. Of these rooms, only the kitchen had an exterior door; the rest relied on folding, shuttered doors in the French style, leading onto the courtyard.
Onora calculated perhaps fourteen bedrooms; enough, certainly, that she wasn’t required to share with her aunt, though Seton had been considerate enough to place them in adjoining chambers.
These were simply furnished but luxurious, having deep mattresses upon large-framed beds, dressed in crisp white linens and curtained with gauzy muslin. In addition to a wardrobe, a dressing table, and a nightstand, each had an armchair with a side table.
There were no outward facing windows. Meanwhile, the aperture facing the courtyard was without glass. Instead, there were two frames, covered in fine mesh—cleverly arranged to keep out both insects and scorpions, although able to slide open to admit a breeze.Light voile drapes gave privacy.
Onora’s trunk and carpet bag had already been brought in and were waiting at the foot of the bed.
“I hope it’s to your liking.” Seton watched intently as she perused the room. “Mine has a bathing-suite which you’re welcome to share, or there’s a good-sized tub the staff can bring.”
“Thank you.” Onora wasn’t sure she’d be comfortable bathing in Seton’s own quarters—at least, for the time being.
“I’ll leave you to settle in,” Seton went on. “The gentlemen are eager to see inside the temple so I’m taking them straight over, but I’ll give you and your aunt a private tour as soon as you wish.”
Onora nodded. Hardly a day had gone by without her imagining returning, despite the terror that had gripped her that night five years ago. The scarab she’d taken had been an act of theft, and her father’s accident had compounded her sense of blame; but she had to remind herself, she was now a grown woman and would not succumb to feeble fancies. The temple was important toSeton, and she needed to overcome any aversion.
The man was half-way out the door when he paused. “It seems remiss for you to have never been inside, considering the time your father spent working on the site. I’m surprised he didn’t take you down himself.”
It was no casual remark. Did he suspect that she’d been into the temple before?
She feigned a yawn. “I do apologize. It’s exceptionally warm. I may lie down for a while.”
“Of course.” Seton’s gaze flicked to the bed. “I understand Virginie is presently sharing her maid with you. Most kind of her, but we’ll find someone of your own. It’s hardly proper for you to be seeing to your own hair and wardrobe, nor relying on your aunt for assistance—no matter what you’ve been used to.”
The door closed behind him.
