He blinked, obviously surprised by her query.“I am fine.I’d be better if David hadn’t tromped on me, though,” he replied, holding out his leg to show the boot print left on the side of one of his Hobys.
“Apologies, Cousin,” David said, pulling out a handkerchief.He leaned down and wiped off the dusty print.
“Much obliged,” Tom said, realizing he still had a hand at the back of Helen’s waist.“Oh, forgive me,” he said, directing his words to Harry as he released his hold on her.
“I appreciate you seeing to her,” Harry replied quietly.He moved to stand next to where the remains of the snake still lay in the sand.He bent and picked it up, making an odd sound in his throat.“Horned viper,” he commented, arching a brow as he studied the markings.
Mahmood rushed up, quickly assessing what had happened.“Do you wish to keep it, my lord?”
Harry frowned.“Would one of the drivers like it for their dinner?”he asked.
Nodding, Mahmood reached out and took the snake from him.He passed it off to one of the drivers, who seemed especially pleased and bowed several times to Harry before returning to his hantour.
With the other two hantours having returned so their occupants could discover what had happened, Will conferred with Mahmood.
“If everyone is all right, we can still go on, can we not?Three to a hantour?”Will asked.
Mahmood nodded and yelled out instructions to the other drivers.The one holding onto the Arabian mounted it and rode bareback in the direction of the village.Meanwhile, the men lined up and lifted the overturned hantour back onto its wheels, experimentally pushing it to ensure the axels were still working.
“He will return with another harness and a different horse,” Mahmood explained to Will.“By the time we are done at the temples, there will once again be four hantours for our use.”
“I appreciate it,” Will replied.He directed the others to return to their carriages and finally joined Barbara in theirs.David sat next to the driver while Helen joined her parents.Tom ended up in a hantour with Diana and Randy.
“How is she?”Randy asked.
“I think the gunshot was more upsetting for her than the snake,” Tom replied.He chuckled softly.“I should never wish to be the target of her ire.She is wicked with that reticule,” he added.
“Best you remember that,” Randy warned, arching a teasing brow.
Diana failed to hide a smirk as the hantour jerked into motion.
A few minutes later, the Temple of Hathor came into view.
