Only You (9 page)

“I’ve lumped along for twenty-three years without your help.”

“You were in boring old England all that time.  Your condition is a bit more dicey now, and as I’ve quickly discovered, you have a knack for getting yourself into jams.”

“Jams creep up on me.  I don’t instigate them.”

“You’re blameless?”

“Yes.”

He huffed out a breath that indicated his disagreement, and they were quiet for a pleasant interlude, watching the moon on the water.

“Are you glad you came to Egypt?” he asked.

“Yes.  I’m not glad about the scandal that initiated it, and I didn’t believe I should have had to leave London.  But now that I’ve arrived, I’m thunderstruck.”

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”

“Indescribable.”

“And you’re not even out to Cedric’s pyramid yet.  After you’ve spent a few hours exploring, you’ll never be the same.”

“How about you?” she inquired.  “Are you glad you’re in Egypt?”

“Most of the time.”

“If you had the chance to return to England, would you?”

“No.”

“Too many bad memories there?”

“Definitely.”

“Edna told me your father was an earl.”

“He was.”

“Did you like him?”

“What a strange question.  Of course I liked him.  He was wonderful in too many ways to count.”

“The trouble with your brother must have been awful.  After what transpired, have you ever felt as if you failed your father?”

There was the longest pause in history, where she truly assumed he’d expound on the terrible incident, but he said, “I don’t care to discuss it, Theo.”

“What do you think happened to your brother?”

“I have no idea.  One day, he was napping in the nursery, and then he wasn’t.  He vanished without a trace.”

“Might he still be alive?”

“I have no idea about that either.”

“How old would he be now?”

“Nine?  Ten?  I try not to dwell on it.”

“Let’s pretend he’s hale and happy.  Let’s pretend he was found by a doting couple who raised him in a lovely home and spoiled him rotten.”  He snorted at that, and she murmured, “Your relatives have all passed on.”

“Not all of them.  My cousin, Benjamin, is around to plague me.”

“You’ve exiled yourself from all that’s familiar.  Is it hard to be so alone?  Are you ever lonely?”

“Lonely!  Gad, you pop up with the most peculiar comments.”

“You seem like the most solitary person in the world to me.”

“I’m fine, Theo.  Could you let it go?”

She shifted so she could look at him, and he leaned nearer and pressed his forehead to hers. 

“I’m fine,” he insisted again.  “Really.”

“You don’t appear fine to me.”

“You don’t even know me.  I can’t imagine why you’d have an opinion.”

“We’re scarcely acquainted, but I
feel
as if I know you.  I
feel
as if I’m entitled to an opinion.”

“You’re just nosy and bossy.”

“Perhaps.”

He chuckled and pulled her even nearer so he could kiss her.  She leapt into the embrace, being delighted that he’d proceeded.

As their lips parted, he snuggled her to his chest, her ear over his heart where she could hear its steady beating.

“It’s so hot tonight,” he said.  “It never cooled down after the sun set.”

“I’ve decided I probably won’t be comfortable again until I’m back in England.”

“Shall we go swimming?”

“Swimming?”

“We could strip off our clothes and dip in for a few minutes.  We’d have to be quiet though.”

She sat up so they were nose to nose.  “Strip off our clothes?”

He grinned.  “Yes.”

“We’d be naked.”

“We certainly would be.”

She scowled.  “Adults behave that way?  They strip naked and swim together?”

“More often than you’d suppose.  Am I corrupting you by mentioning it?”

“Yes.”

“Does that mean we can’t swim?”

“Yes, that’s what it means.  Besides, I don’t know how.”

“You’re on a boat trip down the Nile.  What if it sank?”

“I’m not planning on it sinking.  I’m too much of an optimist.”

“Why can’t you swim?  Didn’t you have a pond at your estate?  I thought every rural estate had a pond.”

“We did.  We do,” she said, “but I almost drowned in it once when I was a girl.  A neighbor dragged me out, then my father gave me a whipping for being such a nuisance.”

“Your father whipped you because you almost drowned?”

“Yes.  He claimed I never pay attention, and he was desperate to ensure I focused more from that point on.”

“Considering your penchant for mishaps, he might be on to something, but to whip you!  Under the circumstances, that seems a tad harsh.”

“Not for my father.  He’s not the kindest fellow, and he never wanted a daughter.  He was confused about how to handle me.”

“Have you any siblings?”

“No.  The poor man had a daughter and no other children.”

“And with
you
being that child, it had to be quite a burden.”

“I was a horrendous burden.”  She paused, then corrected herself.  “Well, not really, but he always thought so.”

“I hope I don’t ever meet him.  I doubt I’d like him.”

“I doubt you would either.  He cured me of my interest in water though.  I never jumped in the pond again.”

“So if I see you fall overboard, I need to dive in after you?”

“Yes.  Promise you won’t let me drown.”

“It would serve you right for being such a menace.”

“’I’m not a menace!” she insisted.

“Being a menace, Theo, is in the eye of the beholder.  Or the rescuer—as the case may be.”

He kissed her again, more deeply and with greater urgency.  He turned her so she was on her stomach and stretched out between his legs.  Their chests and bellies were pressed together, their loins too.  He actually reached down and grabbed her buttocks to pull her even closer.

They kept on for an eternity, until his crafty hands began to roam over her torso.  The sensation he generated was so riveting that she had to bite down a gasp.  Eventually, when the pleasure became too much to bear, when she felt as if she might explode with joy, she drew away and nestled herself to him. 

“I like kissing you,” he said.

She chuckled.  “Don’t sound so surprised.”

“I
am
surprised.”

“You kiss women all the time.  I watched you with Mrs. Valda, remember?  Since I know you’re a cad, and I’ve seen you in action, I can’t believe I’ve permitted you to behave the same way with me.  Obviously, I have no pride.”

“When I’m with a female like Cassandra, I like to do things besides kissing.”

“What sorts of things?”

“The fact that you have to ask tells me Lord Trent probably didn’t ravish you after all.”

“He didn’t!  He and I just chatted.”

“Then you have to be the only girl in the kingdom who walked away from him unscathed.”

“I wouldn’t say I was
un
scathed.  My engagement was wrecked, I was ruined, and my father banished me to Egypt.”

“True, but then you met me.”

“Yes.  Isn’t Fate strange?”

She cuddled with him as long as she dared, and her mind was awhirl as she wondered what he was thinking.  They shared such a marvelous affinity.  Had he noticed it?  Did he realize what was transpiring?

Finally, she sat up.  “I have to get to bed.  I’ve stayed out here too long.”

“Heaven forbid that you be caught with me.”

“Aunt Edna’s wrath would be indescribable.”

“It might almost be worth witnessing it—if I wasn’t already aware of how horrid it would be.”

“Trust me.  It would be
very
horrid, and I can’t imagine where I’d be banished to next.  My father would either lock me in a convent or an asylum.”

“If he does, smuggle a letter to me, and I’ll rescue you again.”

She batted her lashes.  “My hero.”

“It will be very hot in your cabin.  Are you sure we can’t swim?”

“I’m very sure.”  She patted her palm on the center of his chest, hating to leave but knowing she had to.  There was a wicked part of her that yearned to spend the entire night with him. 

“I’ll see you in the morning,” she said.

“At dawn.  We’ll head out early, so don’t oversleep.”

“I won’t.”

They grinned like a pair of halfwits, and he might have kissed her again, but suddenly someone hurried toward their encampment. 

Soloman braced and wrapped his arms around her in a protective way, and they were very quiet, observing from the shadows as Susan tiptoed by and crept onto their boat.

Theo and Soloman were gaping with astonishment.  Why would Susan be out in the desert—in the dark—all alone?

Theo nearly commented, but he laid a finger on her lips, urging her to silence.  A minute elapsed, then Preston Price tiptoed by too.  He appeared to have been injured.  He was cradling his hand to his stomach, and he’d secured it in a make-shift bandage.

On his skulking by, Theo was astounded.  Susan and Mr. Price?  Had they been engaged in a clandestine tryst?  What other explanation could there be?

Theo was frantic over what her position should be in the debacle.  Should she mention it to Susan?  To Edna?  Gad, the notion of discussing it with them was nauseating.  Mr. Price was so much older than Susan, so smooth and suave in a manner Theo didn’t like.  If Susan hadn’t noted Mr. Price’s wily temperament, shouldn’t Theo warn her to be careful?

“Well, that was…interesting,” Soloman said.

“It certainly was.”

“Isn’t your cousin a bit young to be…”  His voice trailed off.  “I’m at a loss for words.  They have to be in an illicit relationship.”

“I had no idea.”

“What will you do about it?”

“I can’t begin to guess.”

“I’ve always found—in tricky situations like this—it’s best to keep out of it.”

“Usually, I’d agree, but doesn’t Mr. Price seem too…
old
for her?”

“Much too old.  And much too sophisticated.”

She stared at the boat as if a hard glare could give her insight into what was occurring inside Susan’s head. 

“What a mess,” she muttered.  “I wish we hadn’t discovered this.”

“It’s too late to pretend you didn’t see.”

“Much too late.”

Reflection on the issue was pointless, and she yanked her gaze away as he said, “Go to bed, Theo.  I’ll watch so you get there safe and sound.”

“I’ll be fine.”

“I’ll watch anyway.  It’s my job.”

“I’ll sleep better knowing you’re here.”

She stood, and he squeezed her fingers.  “Don’t worry about them.”

“I can’t help it.”

“It will explode into a big muddle—or it won’t.  You can’t fix it tonight, and we have a long day tomorrow.”

“Goodnight,” she murmured.

“Go,” he said in reply.

She hovered, wanting to stay, desperate to stay, but in the end she spun and climbed onto the boat.

She walked to the ladder that led down into the hold, and she glanced to the shore.  If he was still in the shadows where they’d been, she couldn’t locate him, but she sensed that he was there as he’d sworn he would be.

She smiled and waved, hoping he saw, then she went below.

I
need to ask
you about something.”

“What is it?”

Theo peeked over at Susan, but didn’t immediately speak up.  She couldn’t figure out how to broach the topic of what she’d witnessed the prior evening.  She couldn’t imagine informing Edna, but shouldn’t she raise the subject with Susan?  Theo had learned a painful lesson in her encounter with Lord Trent.  Couldn’t Susan benefit from a word of advice?

There were two paths she could take—silence or conversation—but both seemed riddled with pitfalls.

It was mid-morning, and they were headed down the Nile again.  There were light winds and a slow current, so they were lumbering along at a leisurely pace.  Soloman’s boat and hers were traveling at roughly the same speed.  She kept looking over at him, wishing he’d glance in her direction, but he never did.

She and Susan were seated on comfortable chairs under an awning.  Edna was up at the bow, pestering their captain over trifles, and Fenton was running about and making a general nuisance of himself.

They would never have a better moment for a private chat.

“It was very hot last night,” she said.

“Yes, it was.”

“I left my cabin to get some fresh air.”

“Lucky you.  Mine was like an oven.  I sweltered so much my sheets were drenched.”

Theo dithered, then said, “I saw you.”

“You
saw
me?  What do you mean?”

“I saw you—with Mr. Price.”

If Theo had anticipated a strong reaction, she didn’t receive it.  Susan casually stared out at the water.  “How could you have, Theo?  I was in my cabin until Mother woke me at dawn.”

“Don’t deny it, Susan,” Theo said.  “I feel bad enough as it is.”

“Why would you feel bad?”

“I couldn’t decide if I should mention it or not.”

“No, you shouldn’t mention it.  For whatever it is you’re hoping to discuss, I don’t intend to participate.”

Susan’s attitude was clear, and Theo should have shut up, but she couldn’t.  “Mr. Price is an…interesting fellow.”

“He is.”

“He’s very sophisticated.”

“He’s that too.”

“I can understand why you’d enjoy his company.”

“Can you?”

“But he’s quite a bit older than you are.”

Susan whipped her gaze around and locked it on Theo.  “What’s your point?”

“I don’t comprehend what you’re expecting to accomplish with him.”

“You wouldn’t,” Susan mumbled.

“Is he courting you?”

“Are we courting?” Susan sarcastically mused.  “That’s such a quaint term, isn’t it?  Courting?”

“Well, are you?”  Susan didn’t reply, and Theo asked, “What about Neville?”

“What about him?”

“I thought you were secretly promised.  Isn’t that why we’re in Egypt?  So Aunt Edna could remove you from his wicked clutches?”

Theo offered the comment teasingly, anxious for the tone to be frivolous and friendly so they didn’t quarrel, but Susan scoffed.  “No, Neville and I weren’t promised.  He’s an irritating boy without a farthing to his name.  I never could have fancied him.”

“I see…” Theo murmured, though she really didn’t.

If Neville and Susan hadn’t been involved, if there had been no raging affair, why were they on a boat in the middle of the Nile?

“Are you planning to marry Mr. Price?” she asked.  “Is that it?”

“A man has to propose, Theo.  It’s not up to the woman.”

“If he proposed, you’d be amenable?”

There was a lengthy pause where Theo could sense Susan weighing various responses.  Ultimately, she said, “Why are you bothering me about this?”

“I’m sorry, but I just don’t like Mr. Price very much.”

“You’re not required to like him.”

“After my experience with Lord Trent, I feel I should caution you.”

“
You
should caution me?  That’s hilarious, Theo.  You’re in a deeper hole than any female I’ve ever met.  I hardly think you’re in a position to judge me.”

“I’m not judging you,” Theo insisted.

“Then what are you doing?”

“I’m merely saying it might not be the best idea to steal away with a man we barely know.”

“
You
barely know him.  He and I, on the other hand, are very cordial.”

“I’m afraid about what might transpire with him.”

“Why?  Are you scared he might ravish me when we’re alone?”

“It happens.  You can’t pretend it doesn’t.”

“It happens to foolish girls, Theo, and I’m not foolish.”

“I’m warning you to be careful.”

“Warning received, Theo.” 

From Susan’s irate glare, it was obvious Theo had botched the conversation.

“Don’t be angry, Susan.  I’m just trying to help.”

“Help!  What a laugh.”  She glanced over to where her mother was still haranguing at the captain.  “Will you tell Edna?”

“No.”

“Swear it.”

“I swear, but you have to promise me you won’t leave with him again.  Please?  I’ll be so worried if you’re constantly sneaking off.”

“First of all, Theo, in two more days we’ll reach Cedric Webster’s camp, and Mr. Price will sail down the Nile with Mr. Grey.  If I’m having a spot of fun before he departs, what’s it to you?  And second of all, it’s none of your business.  I’d appreciate it if you’d butt out.”

“Fine, I’ll butt out, but if you ever need to talk about it, I’m happy to—”

“Oh, for pity’s sake, Theo!  What part of
butt out
don’t you understand?”  Susan waved an irritated hand.  “Go sit somewhere else, would you?  I can’t abide your nervous prattling.”

It was clear that further attempts would be futile.  She stood and went to the stern where she could fume over the exchange.  On starting the discussion, she’d figured there was no way to win.  Silence had seemed wrong, but forging ahead had seemed wrong too.

Well, she’d tried, hadn’t she?  If Susan wound up in a jam, it wouldn’t be Theo’s fault.  She’d urged caution.  She’d urged restraint.  The most exasperating piece of the debacle was that she’d sworn she wouldn’t tattle to Edna.  It was a vow she probably shouldn’t have made, but it was too late now.

She leaned on the rail, then backed away.  It was a low bar that only came up to her knees, and while they were traveling at a snail’s pace, she suspected a quick lurch could pitch her over the edge.

She stared at Soloman’s boat.  He was toward the front with Mr. Price, and they were chatting.

She hadn’t asked Soloman if he and Mr. Price were friends.  She had simply assumed Mr. Price was a customer, but were they closer than that?  Perhaps she could encourage Soloman to speak to him.  Perhaps it was the better route.  Mr. Price had to be reminded that his behavior would be viewed as extremely inappropriate by others.

Eventually, it dawned on her that she’d been gazing at Soloman for an eternity.  If anyone noticed her gaping and pining over him, there would be no question that she was focused on him in a manner she shouldn’t be.  She’d just spun away when Fenton hustled up. 

“Theo,” he said, “look what I found.  Isn’t it the earring you lost?”

Before she could see what he had, he tripped and flew into her, his body banging hers very hard.  She stumbled into the short rail, and though she struggled to catch her balance, it seemed as if he bumped her again.

Unable to steady herself, she somersaulted into the water.  She hadn’t yet had a chance to alter her wardrobe to one more suited to the Egyptian climate, so she was weighted down by corset, petticoat, shoes, stockings, and a very heavy dress.

She landed with a grand splash and all that weight pulled her under.  For an instant, she heard Fenton calling, “Theo!  Theo, where are you?”

Then she plummeted down, and she heard nothing else.

“That’s quite a cut
on your hand.”

“It throbs like the dickens.”

Soloman scowled at Preston, curious as to how he’d been injured.  Should he inquire?  Should he let it go?

He loathed Edna Wallace, and Preston Price was his client.  If Preston’s liaison with Susan Wallace was discovered, Soloman was certain Edna would deem the disaster to be Soloman’s fault.

While he enjoyed squiring Theo down the river, it galled him to be assisting Mrs. Wallace in even the slightest fashion.  He wouldn’t tolerate a vicious scolding because he hadn’t kept his client away from her daughter.

Although Preston was much older than Susan, they were both adults, so Soloman didn’t feel their affair was any of his business.  He had no position of authority over either of them. other than the monetary one of Preston paying him for his services.  Was it his role to intervene or to advise?

He didn’t think so, but there were a thousand ways it could blow up in his face.

“How did you hurt yourself?” he asked.  “You never explained.”

“I broke a bottle, and it sliced me like a gutted fish.”

The gash was deep and had to be painful.  That morning prior to their departure, it had still been oozing blood.  Soloman had had his cook sew three stitches to close it, then he’d doused it with whiskey in the hopes of preventing an infection.

It would be his bad luck to deliver Preston to his friends after having chopped off a rancid finger.

“I have to mention a difficult topic,” he said.  “I likely shouldn’t, but we should get it out in the open.”

“What is it?”

“I was sitting on the beach last night when you were returning to the boat.”

Preston casually spun toward the water.  “It was so miserably hot.  I had to cool off.”

“Susan Wallace returned too.  Were you over in the ruins with her?”

Preston dithered forever, then shrugged.  “We took a stroll together, but there was no harm done.  I cut myself, and we came back.”

“I have to caution you about it.  It’s dangerous to traipse off alone, so please don’t.  It seems as if the desert is empty, but it’s not.  The people here are incredibly poor.  They’ll slit your throat for a penny.”

“I realize that.”

“It’s especially not safe to have a female with you.”

“Probably not.”

Preston grimaced and held up his hand, making Soloman wonder what had really happened.  “Are you trifling with her?”

“Maybe.  I haven’t decided.”

“You have every right to tell me to sod off, and I’m not sure why I’m raising this issue with you, but you’ve met her mother.”

“Yes.”  Preston chuckled rudely.

“If you’re caught with Susan, Mrs. Wallace won’t be silent about it.”

“No, she definitely won’t be.”

“Are you positive you should put yourself in a situation where you might have to tangle with her?”

“I’ve quarreled with bigger shrews.  I’d survive it.”

“Susan Wallace is awfully young,” Soloman said.  “Have you thought about that?”

“Young girls are my favorite kind.  I like them before they’re too set in their ways.”

Soloman hated younger females.  They were too flighty for his taste.  He’d take an experienced, older woman any day of the week, yet he said, “I can’t blame you for that.”

“And you needn’t worry about Susan.  She’s very mature, and she can hold her own against me, but there’s no need to fret about this.  I’ve had enough of her, so I doubt I’ll spend time with her in the future.”

“Well then, good.  I won’t pester you about it again.”

Suddenly, Preston blanched, and there was a loud splash over by Theo’s boat.

Soloman whipped around to stare across the water.  “What the devil was that?”

“That little fiend, Fenton Wallace, shoved Lady Theo into the river.”

“He what?”

“I suppose he might have tripped, but from where I’m standing, it certainly looked like a shove.”

Soloman’s heart skipped a beat.  “You saw her fall in?”

“Yes—off the stern.”

“Dammit.” 

Soloman shouted to his captain who started signaling the other captain.  But they’d already dropped the sail and the anchor in order to stop.  Sailors were pointing, yelling, and a few of them had leapt in after her.

Fenton was off to the side, watching his handiwork, as if he couldn’t wait to discover how it would play out.  Wasn’t he concerned about Theo’s welfare?  What if she drowned?  Didn’t the pathetic miscreant understand that she could?

Soloman yanked off his hat and shirt, tugged off his boots, weapons, and any other items that might weigh him down.

“What are you doing?” Preston asked.  “Are you going in after her?”

“The blasted woman can’t swim a stroke.”

“Bloody hell,” Preston muttered.

It was the last thing Soloman heard as he jumped in.  The water was still disturbed where she’d landed, and her bonnet was floating nearby, but there was no sign of
her.

He was a strong swimmer though, and the river wasn’t particularly deep.  He cut through it like a madman, and in a matter of seconds he was surrounded by the sailors who were searching for her.

They would dive down, feel around, then push up to take a breath.  Then they’d dive again.  He began the same process, but he couldn’t tell if they were in the correct spot.  The current had moved all of them, and if they were in the wrong area, they’d never locate her.  She’d perish first.

“Where are you, Theo?  Where?” he murmured.