Amelia Peabody Omnibus 1-4 (159 page)

Emerson bounded forward with a series of oaths that exceeded anything I had ever heard him utter. The slab of marble through which Sethos had vanished closed again, in Emerson’s face. ‘Damn!’ said Emerson, beating on the slab with the scimitar and then with his fist, ‘Damn, damn, damn, damn!’

After a while I said, ‘Emerson.’

‘Damn, damn … Yes, Peabody? Damn!’ said Emerson.

‘Shall I open the door now, Emerson?’

‘Curse the cursed fellow,’ Emerson bellowed, varying the tone of his remarks. ‘One day – one day, I swear …’ He stopped kicking the marble and stared at me. ‘What did you say, Peabody? Did I hear you correctly? Did you ask my permission to open the door?’

‘Yes, you heard me, Emerson. But oh, my dear Emerson, I think we should let them in; you are wounded, my dear, and–’

‘Do you really want to let them in, Peabody?’

‘No, Emerson. At least – not just yet.’

‘How could you possibly suppose, even for a second, that I cared for anyone but you?’

‘Well, Peabody, if you hadn’t kept referring to that man in such admiring terms–’

‘I never stopped thinking of you for a moment, Emerson. I never lost hope that you would find me.’

‘Had it not been for your quick wit in stringing your bits of flannel out the window, we would not have succeeded, Peabody. We began searching in the area Ramses’ research had indicated, but it was somewhat extensive.’

‘Where did you learn to do that, Emerson?’

‘This, Peabody?’

‘No – no, not … Oh, Emerson. Oh, my dear Emerson!’

‘I was referring, some minutes ago, to your skill in fighting with broken bottles, Emerson. I had no idea you could do that.’

‘Oh, that. One picks up odds and ends, here and there… . Something is sitting on my back, Peabody. Or are you–’

‘No, Emerson, I believe it is the cat Bastet. I suppose she has finished the chicken and is indicating she is ready to leave. Shall I remove her?’

‘Not if it would necessitate your moving from your present agreeable position, Peabody. The sensation is unusual but not unpleasant… . Without the cat Bastet, we might not have reached you so soon. Apparently your idea that Sethos had tempted her with tidbits when he delivered the communion vessels was right on the mark. She remembered him well; he dropped his handkerchief in Miss Debenham’s room, and his scent was strong on it. Bastet picked it up at once in the street outside this house.’

‘How very interesting! But without the signal of my flannel belt–’

‘That was the decisive factor, Peabody!’

‘You were never out of my thoughts, Emerson.’

‘Nor you from mine, Peabody. I imagined that fellow holding you in his arms – I thought I would go mad with rage.’

‘He was very courteous. He explained that he wanted to win my love, not force his upon me.’

‘Curse the rascal!’

‘He did have a strange charm, Emerson. Not that he would have succeeded with me, but I imagine many women–’

‘I don’t care for the tenor of the conversation, Peabody. Stop talking.’

Before we admitted the police, who were making agitated assaults upon the door, it was necessary to tidy ourselves up a bit. After a refreshing splash in the fountain I reassumed my dear familiar clothes. Fortunately there was a great deal of fabric at hand, so I was able to bind up the cut in Emerson’s arm, though I promised myself I would tend to it properly as soon as we got to the hotel. We then unbarred the door.

The anteroom was filled with constables, led by Major Ramsay. He beamed with almost amiable pleasure when he beheld us unharmed, though he was not at all happy to learn of Sethos’ escape. After we had satisfied his curiosity as to the events (most of them, at least) which had preceded our opening the door, I asked curiously, ‘Where is Ramses?’

‘He is somewhere about,’ Ramsay replied.

Ramses came running out of an adjoining room, his face alight with a boyish enthusiasm seldom seen upon that saturnine countenance. ‘Mama,’ he cried. ‘Mama, look here!’

He swept his hand across his mouth and then curled his lips back, displaying a set of brown, rotten teeth, like those of an old Egyptian beggar. ‘They are a trifle large,’ he explained indistinctly, ‘but in time–’

‘Take them out at once,’ I exclaimed in disgust.

Ramses complied, all the more readily because the dentures were in fact considerably oversized for his mouth. ‘There are wonderful things in there,’ he exclaimed, his eyes shining. ‘Paints for the face and hands, pads to fit in the cheeks, wigs and beards and … Oh, Mama, may I have them? Please, Mama?’

It was hard for a mother to disappoint a little lad, to wipe the shining joy from his face. ‘I think not, Ramses,’ I said. ‘The police will want those things as evidence.’

(However, it appears they did not; for since we returned to England, the servants have complained of seeing strange individuals wandering around the house and the grounds. One apparition is that of a little golden-haired girl, and Rose is convinced we have a ghost.)

So ended our second encounter with the strange and mysterious personage known as Sethos. The second, and perhaps the last – for several days after that battle of Titans we received a letter. It was delivered to us at Dahshoor, whither we had returned after seeing Ronald – or Donald, rather – and his bride-to-be cleared of all charges and rejoicing in their approaching nuptials. As Emerson had pithily expressed it, ‘Now that nonsense is over, thank heaven, and I can get back to work.’

But was it over? An unseen messenger had delivered the letter, eluding our watchful men, gliding like a ghost through the barred gates of the compound. We found it on the doorstep one morning at dawn. Actually, it was Ramses who found it, since he was usually the first one to arise, but it was Emerson’s deep voice that intoned the message aloud.

‘“You might have redeemed me,” it began.

Emerson stopped. ‘It seems to be directed to you, Peabody,’ he said drily.

‘Read on, Emerson. There are not now and have never been any secrets between us.’

‘Humph,’ said Emerson. He proceeded. ‘“From this time on, when the unhappy world reels under the miseries of the blows I shall deal it, remember that its suffering is on your head. My Amelia – my beloved …” Curse the fellow’s impertinence! I have half a mind to rip this paper to shreds!’

‘You may do with it what you like after you have finished reading it, Emerson.’

‘Bah,’ said Emerson. ‘Very well, then … “Henceforth you and yours are safe from my avenging hand. You may refrain from assaulting elderly ladies whom you suspect of being Sethos in disguise; you may leave unpulled the luxuriant beards of suspicious gentlemen. You will see me no more. I am leaving Egypt forever. Think of me sometimes, Amelia, as I will think constantly of you. What could we not have achieved together!”’

‘I wonder if he means it,’ I said, as Emerson methodically converted the letter into confetti.

‘Humph,’ said Emerson.

‘I really wish you had not destroyed that letter, Emerson. It was not very sensible!’

Emerson’s hands stopped moving. ‘What did you say, Peabody?’

‘You are making a mess on my nice clean doorstep, and the time may come – I hope it does not, but it may – when we might want a specimen of Sethos’ handwriting.’

‘Peabody,’ said Emerson, looking at me strangely.

‘Yes, Emerson?’

‘That is the first time in three days you have criticized or reprimanded me.’

‘Indeed? Well, I am sorry, Emerson, but if you persist in–’

‘No, no, you don’t understand.’ Emerson grasped me by the shoulders and gazed into my eyes. ‘I was beginning to fear you had turned into one of those boring females who can only say, ‘Yes, my dear,’ and ‘Just as you like, my dear.’ You know very well, Peabody, that our little discussions are the spice of life–’

‘The pepper in the soup of marriage.’

‘Very aptly put, Peabody. If you become meek and acquiescent, I will put an advertisement in
The Times
telling Sethos to drop by and collect you. Promise me you will never stop scolding, Peabody.’

Ramses and the cat were both watching with intense interest, but for once I did not care. I put my arms around Emerson’s neck. ‘My dear Emerson,’ I said, ‘I think I can safely promise that.’