32
SIXWEEKSLATER
Ami had read of the Mediterranean Sea. That the azure waters were unlike any colour one could imagine. How the breeze could make you forget about past sins and future troubles. Lies. All of it. For to stand at the railing of a ship and experience the enchantment firsthand far surpassed what authors penned in their travel guides. There, beneath the vast sky, she sensed God’s pleasure in His creation—in her—for no other reason than His great goodness.
And nothing could begin to describe the feel of her husband’s strong arms wrapped around her waist or the warmth of his solid chest at her back. Her career goals, once solitary, now had a companion in love—a profound shift that she embraced with a newly found sense of completeness.
His breath tickled her temple as he nibbled on her ear. “What are you thinking about, Mrs. Price?”
“How deliriously happy I am.” She turned in his arms, the gentle purling of the water against the hull as mesmerizing as the dusky-eyed man in front of her. “And you? What occupies your thoughts, husband?”
“Potatoes.” A handsome grin lit his face. “I hope they’re better cooked for dinner tonight.”
She arched a brow. “We are surrounded by beauty and all you can think of is your stomach?”
“Oh, I can think of plenty of other things, I assure you.” An amorous gleam smoldered in his gaze. “Potatoes are merely what keep me from acting on baser impulses.”
“I never knew you were such a beast, Mr. Price.” Rising to her toes, she kissed him soundly. “But at least you’re my beast.”
“I hope you are as happy with me as you are about the dig your father has arranged for us.” Bending, he whispered against the nape of her neck, “I expect a personal tutorial from you, you know.”
“Mmm.” She pulled away, hardly able to think straight. It’d been like this for the past two weeks now, since they married. She could only hope—and pray—this bliss would never fade. “When we arrive in Giza, meet me in the shadows of the pyramid.” She winked. “I think we can work out a deal.”
“Putting your shadow-brokering skills to good use, eh? I like it.” He pressed his lips to the crown of her head. “I like it—and you—very much.”
“Speaking of the like, there is something I’ve been meaning to ask you.” She studied his face, seeking truth. “Are you terribly disappointed we are going to Egypt and not to India? I know how much you adored it there.”
“You’re right. I do love India. But I love you more. And who knows? Perhaps someday you’ll fancy a dig in the Indus Valley.”
“What I fancy is you, husband.”
“There you two are.”
They turned to see her father striding across the deck. His hair, though normally a-muss, stood out like a fluff of milkweed gone to seed. His collar hung askew, and the top buttons of his waistcoat were completely missing, not to mention a red scratch marred his cheek.
“Father!” Ami grabbed Edmund’s arm for balance as the ship canted. Hopefully her father hadn’t taken a tumble. Withhis continued joint pain, his sea legs weren’t what they used to be. “What happened?”
His lips twisted as he stopped in front of them. “I’m afraid the curse of Amentuk has struck again.”
“Impossible.” Edmund shook his head. “Stuart Fletcher is safely tucked away at Colney Hatch asylum getting the care he needs.”
“No, I meant—”
High-pitched chattering cut through the air, followed by a man’s shout and a lady’s screech. Ami peered past Edmund to see a monkey in a tiny green coat scurrying past a couple farther down the deck.
And headed straight their way.
“Oh bother!” The words were barely past her father’s lips when he crouched low and extended his arm. “Nothing to be done for it now, though, I suppose.”
The little imp raced up his sleeve, parking his rump on her father’s shoulder and digging his tiny paws into the inside pocket of her father’s suit coat.
Ami exchanged a glance with Edmund, then grinned at her father. “I see you’ve made a new friend.”
“I didn’t mean to. Amentuk here belongs to the captain.” He pulled the monkey into his arms, the furry creature clutching a date and chewing furiously. “I merely made the mistake of offering him some leftover fruit from breakfast. Now he thinks I’m some sort of treat dispenser.”
Ami laughed. “Don’t tell me that monkey’s name is Amentuk.”
“All right. I won’t. But you should know that strange happenings always abound when embarking on a journey to the land of mystery.” Her father waggled his eyebrows as he patted the monkey on the head. “Come along, Tukky. Let’s get you back to your master.”
