Three Rivers (33 page)

Isabel told Endo that they were to be married within the next few days. He behaved impeccably, congratulating Alexis in a formal, but friendly, way. He suggested champagne for a toast, but they declined, and Alexis asked for tea instead.

Isabel took him all through the house. He was interested in everything: the studio, the loom, the yarns, the weaving, her drawing table. He told her that he loved the studio, with its great sliding glass roof, and the night and stars shining down on them and the potted trees, with the now-sleepy, silent songbirds hanging in cages from them. In the library, he was impressed with her collection of books on Eastern as well as Western philosophies. He was almost sentimental when she showed him the first book off the presses of each of her Meredith Montagues. He was interested in what kind of typewriter she used, her dictating machines, her writing notebooks and the box files covered with beautiful decorative paper, where she kept the original manuscripts. When she told him that she wanted to get a computer one day so she could store in it any number of ideas and information, he was delighted with the idea and said he would give her one. He told her to be quiet and dragged her by the hand, saying, “Show me more.”

He thought the drawing room exquisite. Endo had put the lights on in the garden, and they went out to look at that as well. Then he was shown the tiny guest room, the quarters where Endo lived, the dining room and, last, the bedroom, bathroom and dressing room. The white roses were beginning to drop their petals, but the orchids were perfect for the room. He was very pleased with himself for having sent them. It put his mark in her room.

He remarked to her that the bedroom was almost Zen
in feeling. He felt an atmosphere of great warmth and peace. They left it arm in arm, and he gave her a gentle, tender kiss as they went back down to the drawing room. Alexis felt as if he had come home.

They threw cushions down in front of the fireplace and stretched out together. Endo arrived with the tea, a plate of peeled russet pears and some small, white rice cakes. He put the things down on a tiny low table near the fire, excused himself and said goodnight. Before he left, Alexis asked him to stay for a moment and told him their plans.

“Endo, I know this is all very fast, but I want you to know that your job is secure with Miss Wells and with me. I hope that you will stay with us both always.” Isabel was delighted.

Endo said that he would be pleased to stay because he had always been happy working for Miss Wells.

“Endo, we must keep the marriage a secret until a few weeks after the wedding,” Alexis continued. “All I will ask you is that you will allow Gamal to come tomorrow to help you pack up everything that Miss Wells wants to take with her so we can fly out on Sunday morning. Isabel, what are your plans for this place while we are away?”

“I have not even thought about it, but I suppose the thing to do is to leave Endo in charge of the house.” She paused. “Joy and Joanna have their work set out for them; it will tick over nicely.”

“Then, you are in charge, Endo,” Alexis said. “You do as you would normally when Miss Wells is away, and in a few weeks, when we know more of our plans, we will let you know.”

“Alexis, what about the animals?” Isabel cried.

“Well, darling, we could take them all with us, but there is the quarantine factor to deal with. Why not leave them with Endo for the time being?”

“Alexis, I think I would like to take the dogs.”

“Think about it,” he cautioned. “Of course, you can take the dogs, but remember, we can never bring them back to England.”

Isabel paused. “I will think about it.”

“Endo, is this all right with you?”

“Yes, Sir Alexis.”

Alexis thanked him and said he would leave him phone numbers and names of people in case he needed anything.
Alexis stood up and thanked him again, this time shaking his hand. Endo bowed very low and said goodnight.

The two of them lay in front of the fire drinking tea and talked all through the night. There were plans, details, a hundred things that had to be done before they flew off on Sunday.

At six in the morning they decided to go to bed and get a few hours of sleep because there was so much to do. They turned off the lights through the house as they made their way up to the bedroom. The bed had been turned down, and Alexis told her how happy he was to be sleeping with her in her room and that he would be the last man she would have in her bed.

He started to undress and Isabel went to the dressing room, returning with a hanger for him. He crawled into the bed and she went and hung his things up in her dressing room. Putting on a dressing gown, she returned to the bedroom and sat next to him.

He asked her if she had a couple of joints. She produced them and they smoked. After, he lifted her galabia over her head and told her to get into bed. They lay in each other’s arms, and all the details of what had to be done just drifted away with the smoke.

He kissed her as she played with his body, rolling the covers off him to his knees to kiss his penis and beautiful large balls. He was only partially erect. She held him in her hands and fondled him and kissed his genitals again.

“I love you,” Alexis whispered. “If you only knew how much I love you.”

They lay together holding each other and not saying a word. Eventually they fell asleep.

When Isabel woke up she was alone. She dozed a little and then began to wonder where he was. She looked in the bathroom and dressing room. His suit was hanging up, so she knew that he had not left the house. But where would he be?

She washed, dressed in her raw silk galabia, put on her silver and amber necklace, made up her face and went back to the bedroom and drew the curtains open. She rang through to Endo and asked him to come to the bedroom. When he arrived the two of them made the bed together. She asked him where Alexis was. He told her that he was in the drawing room.

“Sir Alexis has asked me to tell him the moment you
are up,” he said. “I am to begin the breakfast for three people.”

Isabel was confused. “But, Endo, he has no clothes on.”

Endo smiled and said, “Make no mistake, Miss Wells. He is a very organized man. He has something to wear.”

She laughed and ran down the stairs towards the drawing room. She found him dressed in his camel-hair galabia, the same one he wore the time they were together in the pavilion at the palace on Roda Island. The dogs were sitting around his feet and all rushed towards her when she entered the room.

“Why didn’t you wake me?” she asked.

“You were sleeping so soundly and there is so much for me to do, so I decided to come down here and make phone calls and try to get things organized. So many little details to be done, and quietly. We will be married in a civil ceremony and a Coptic ceremony. Do you mind marrying me twice?” He winked.

“Only twice?” Isabel pouted. “I would like to marry you every day!”

“But what about you?” Alexis frowned. “You are a Jewess. Does it upset you to be married in a religious ceremony that is not yours? You must tell me, darling. How do you feel about all this? I detest putting you through these things, but it is necessary. I want you solidly married to me for your protection as well as mine.”

“Alexis,” Isabel began, taking his hands. “I was born a Jewess, I will die a Jewess. I do not follow any one religion. I am happy to embrace your Coptic church, but you must know that I will never be any more a religious Copt than I am a Jew. You see, I am a very religious person when left free. I don’t like organized religion.”

“It is all a formality, but you do know that I love the Coptic world and come from an historically famous Coptic family. It also solves the problem of the Moslem part of me. You know that as long as I am attached to the Coptic church, I will never be able to rise politically in the service of my country. That ties in very much with what I want to do with my life without offending anyone.” He smiled. “Thank you, darling. We have just jumped over what might have been quite a hurdle.”

“Have you been up long?”

He looked at his watch. “Yes. I hope you don’t mind. I
bathed and came down and gave instructions to Gamal and Endo about some things that they could be doing until you came down to take over. I told them that you would want all your clothes, all your personal things, anything that has to do with your writing. I could not tell them which of the things you might want from the house — the small objects, the books, the paintings. You must take everything that you think will make you happy to have around you.”

“How can we get it all together, Alexis?”

“No problem. If we need more help, we will get it. The other thing, Isabel, is that I have been making calls to Cairo to set things up so we can be married at the beginning of the week — Wednesday, at the latest. The officials have to be notified and the supplies put on board. I found out what you must have. Your birth certificate and your passport. Have Endo bring them to me as soon as we have had breakfast. I hope it is all right with you, I called Alexander and asked him to come to breakfast. I said I would ring him back when you were up. I have not told him about us. I thought that we should tell him together. May I call him now?”

“Yes, of course. Listen, Alexis, after breakfast I think I should call my mother and sister.”

“You know, I have been thinking about that, darling. No, I think the thing to do is for us to fly you to Athens in the morning. I will drive you into the city and meet them for a short visit, and then you can spend the day with them. I have so much to do in Cairo, it would be impossible for me to take the time now to stay on. We will invite them to come for a long visit when we are settled. I will send the plane for you the next day.”

“No, Alexis, please. I don’t want to stay the night in Athens; I want to be with you.”

Alexis was pleased. “I will send the plane for you at seven in the evening, and we will sleep together in the house on Roda Island. Would you like that?”

“Oh, yes, that would be just wonderful.”

“Well, that is that. Now let me call Alexander, and then after breakfast we will call my mother-in-law to say we are coming.”

Suddenly everyone seemed to be very busy in different parts of the house. While Endo was putting the finishing touches to breakfast, Gamal entered the kitchen. Both
men decided how Isabel should pack for her new life, agreeing that by the end of the day she would be incapable of doing anything. As it happened, they were right.

When the doorbell rang it was Gamal who let Alexander in and, before anyone could say anything, Alexander
knew
from the excitement charging through the house. After he escaped his reception from the dogs, he went to Alexis and Isabel, looked at the rings on her fingers and said, “Don’t tell me, I know. You are getting married.”

After he had agreed to act as the best man and father of the bride, the three of them went in to breakfast. Isabel teased him by saying he had brought it on himself. Alexander had done his job very well, and she would thank him all the days of her life for it.

They spoke about the details of the wedding. The more the men talked, the more nervous Isabel became. Alexis picked up on it. He told Alexander something in Arabic, and the subject was changed.

After breakfast they all went back to their tasks, and Alexis, walking Isabel back to the library, told her he thought it best if they spent their last night in London together at Claridges. It would give everyone at the house a chance to work without them underfoot.

“All you have to do is choose the dress you want for this evening and what you want to wear for traveling,” Alexis declared. “You are not to think of another thing, agreed? Just pack your jewels and your makeup, or whatever ladies take. The rest will be on the plane. Gamal, Endo and Alexander will take care of everything.”

“My heavens! You do get people working!” Isabel laughed. “What are you going to do?”

“Me? I am going to be taking care of you.”

Endo interrupted them to tell Isabel that her mother had called collect while they were at breakfast. He hoped that it was all right; he had told her that she could not be disturbed at that moment and that Isabel would call back as soon as she was free. Isabel thanked him and turned her attention to gathering together her personal possessions for the journey.

IX

Kate was in a rage. It had been almost two hours since she placed the first call to London. Isabel had not returned the call. That lousy Chink probably never gave her the message, she decided.

She tried dialing through to London again. This was the fourth time. Isabel’s line had been continuously busy. By God, Isabel was selfish. At last the telephone was ringing. Kate became even more furious because she had forgotten to call collect. Then she thought,
It was even better; let her feel guilty. She must have more money than I do, the way she spends it. Let her pay for the call, I will not. Let her feel guilty for her indifference
. Then, at last, the click — the receiver had been lifted.
It better not be that yellow peril
.

“Hello?” came a man’s voice.

“Who is this?” Kate demanded.

“Who do you want to speak to, please?”

“What’s your number?”

“What number do you want, madam?”

Kate became very annoyed and gave the number.

“Yes, madam, you have the correct number. Now, if you tell me who you would like to speak to, I may be able to help you.”

“I want to speak to my daughter, that is who I want to speak to. And who are you anyway?”

Alexis put his hand over the receiver and said to Isabel, “You see, darling, you have me completely enslaved — now I am your secretary!”

The voice on the other end of the line kept on talking. Alexis interrupted and said, “I am so sorry, I did not get that. Who is calling?”

“Why don’t you listen? This is a long-distance call. I want to speak to Isabel Wells. You tell her it’s her mother on the telephone and to answer this call right now.”

Alexis covered the mouthpiece of the phone and said, “Oh, dear, I have started off on the wrong foot. It is your mother. I believe she is angry with me. She was almost rude.” He handed the telephone to Isabel.

She went over to the wing chair where he was sitting, took the telephone from him, sat on his lap, gave him a kiss and whispered, “I like having you as my slave.” They both smiled, and he gave her a nudge to answer the phone call. He went back to writing some things down.

“Hello, Mother.”

“Isabel?”

“Yes, Mother. How are you, Mother?”

“Isabel, do you know that I called you two hours ago? I bet that Chink never even bothered to give you the message. He is not as wonderful a servant as you think he is.”

“Mother, he did give me the message.”

“Don’t you think you should tell him that when your mother calls he is to put me through? You certainly could not have been so busy that you were unable to spare three minutes on a long-distance call from your mother. Now just tell me, what was so important you could not answer my call?”

“Um … I was having breakfast.”

“You were having breakfast! That was so important you couldn’t talk to me? Well, pardon me, madam. Now who in the hell do you think you are? Who answered the telephone this time — not
another
servant? God, you have money to burn. Where did you get
this
one, in Egypt? I know he is foreign, he has a really ugly foreign accent. Honestly, dear, when are you going to come down to earth and deal in some realities? Isabel, you do try my nerves.”

Alexis could not help but hear the entire conversation. It seemed that Mrs. Wells in Athens had a very loud voice and was very common. He could feel Isabel stiffen with anxiety. She had one arm around his shoulder and draped casually over his chest. He picked up her hand, turned it over and kissed the palm. Then, pulling her a little tighter to him, he picked up his pen and went on writing.

“Look, Isabel, I am not wasting my money on this call to discuss your bad manners. I am calling to tell you that I am arriving in Southampton two weeks from the day before yesterday. Darling, it will be lovely to see you. Just pick me up at the dock. All you have to do is call the Mediterranean Line and ask the time of the arrival of the
ship,
Aphrodite
, the last port of call, Alexandria. You see, your mother can get to Egypt on her own, and I don’t even have to lie about it.”

“Oh, dear.”

“What do you mean, ‘Oh, dear’?”

“Well, now listen, Mother. I will not be in London two weeks from the day before yesterday. Something wonderful has happened, and I want to come to Athens tomorrow to see you and Ava and tell you all about it. I will come only for the day and would like to take you and Ava to lunch. I hope that is convenient?”

Kate was speechless with rage.

“Hello, Mother?”

“What do you mean that you will not be in Southampton to meet me? My plans are made. I am already packing.”

Isabel started to laugh and said, “Look, dear, don’t you think you are packing a bit soon? It must be days before the ship leaves.”

“What do you mean, ‘packing a bit soon’? Do you think that everyone does everything at the last minute like you? I happen to be very organized. I have a great deal of packing to do. If you cannot make the boat then just do me a favor, don’t bother sending that Chink down there to get me. I’ll find my own way up to London. I’ll go to a hotel for a few days. I have no intention of staying alone in your house with that yellow thing. I suppose the one you brought from Egypt is as black as coal. Look, that is the best plan. Then, when you return, I will move in with you so we can have a holiday together.”

“I do not think you understand, Mother. I have no idea when I will return to London. I will explain it all to you tomorrow over lunch. You are welcome to stay here in the house if you want to keep your plans and come to London for a holiday. I will not be here. We can go over all your plans tomorrow.” By this time Isabel was losing control of her calm and gave a deep sigh.

Alexis felt it, put down his pencil and kissed her lightly on the mouth. He saw in her face a nervous anxiety, something he had never seen in her before, and did not like it. Isabel was holding the phone out and away from her ear and looking down at Alexis in slight despair while her mother went on.

“Change my plans? Have a holiday alone in London?
Live in a house with that sneaky, unreliable, filthy yellow midget? You really do make plans for me, don’t you? Did it ever occur to you to cancel your plans? We made this arrangement only a few days ago, and you said nothing about leaving London. Tell me right now, why do you,
always disappoint
me? Your
father
used to say you will be the
death
of me and you know, you
will
.”

“Mother, lunch at one o’clock at the
Grande Bretagne
.” Isabel sighed.

“Oh, just like that! Well, maybe it is not convenient for me at one o’clock, and besides, I hate the food at the
Grande Bretagne
.”

“Where would you like to have lunch, and what time would it be convenient, or would you prefer me to call you back in half an hour and tell you my plans on the telephone? Those are your two choices. Which is it to be?”

“Look, darling, don’t take that tone with me,” Kate moaned. “You
know
that I made my plans and I am disappointed, but when we meet, maybe you can work it out. Sweetheart, I will meet you at one-thirty at the Hilton, downstairs in the Byzantium Room.”

“Fine, Mother. Now would you please try and arrange it with Ava?”

“If you want to have lunch with Ava, then you had better spend the money and call her yourself. I am not going to get involved in a three-way thing. How long will you be here? Maybe if she cannot make lunch, she will make dinner.”

“I will be gone before dinner. I am flying out at seven in the evening.”

“Where are you going now? You must have money to throw away.”

“Good-bye, Mother. I will see you tomorrow.”

“Everything with you has to be a mystery. I am telling you right now, I am not canceling my plans, maybe you can cancel yours. You just think about that until we meet tomorrow. Isabel, I will see you tomorrow, but I have to tell you, I am not pleased, not pleased with you at all. I am changing nothing, and you had better face it. There have to be some changes made in
your
attitude. Good-bye.”

Isabel handed the telephone to Alexis, who put it back
on the carriage. She said nothing, but her face said everything.

Alexis looked at her and asked, “Is it always like that?”

“Well, almost always.”

“Oh, my dear, I am dreadfully sorry.” He put his hand through the opening of her robe and fondled her breast with lovely, round movements. Then he bent his head down and put her nipple in his mouth. He sucked on it gently and then tucked it back under her robe and said, “Be happy, my darling.”

They were interrupted by the telephone again. Isabel asked Alexis to answer it. A call from Cairo. She slid off his lap, motioning to him that she was going into the library to make more lists.

When Alexis hung up the telephone he was delighted. If he were in Cairo Sunday afternoon at four o’clock, he could sign documents that would afford him a special license for marriage in a civil ceremony any time after Monday noon, anywhere he chose in Egypt. The High Priest of the Coptic church would arrange to have a simple five-minute service on Alexis’s felucca which would make the marriage legal in the eyes of God. Now he could call his friend, the chief justice of Egypt, who would be certain to keep silent, and ask him to marry them on board his boat.

He went to Isabel and told her all was well. By Tuesday at sundown, she would be Lady Isabel Hyatt. There was more good news: With some luck they would be able to take a month, possibly five weeks; just the two of them in Upper Egypt.

Isabel was so happy. She went to him and said, “Oh, Alexis, I am making a mess of everything. I am confused and so happy and over-excited that I can not make one simple, sane decision. The news is wonderful. You are wonderful. However did you manage it all? I don’t seem to be able to do anything. What should I do?”

“Do not do anything,” he soothed. “There is no problem and you do not have to do anything. It will all be done. Just choose what you want to wear for dinner tonight and traveling. By Monday everything will be in Cairo and unpacked, ready for you to do whatever you want with your things. Now, put all these trivial matters out of your mind. There is one thing that I
will not have
, and that is you upset for no reason. I will not interfere
with your family, but if you are going to Athens and will become upset, I would much prefer you to fly with me direct to Cairo. Now, do you think that you can handle them? Although I cannot really understand what there is to handle.”

Isabel took a deep breath. “Look, Alexis, I am no longer upset. But I wanted to share this, the most happy time in my life, with the only family I have. If tomorrow they do not want to understand that, it will be their problem, not mine. I promise you, when I fly into Cairo, I will not be upset. I am not upset now; just embarrassed that you had to hear that dreadful conversation. For years it used to affect me, but it does not any longer. It just embarrasses me. You know, I am going to take the dogs out for a walk. Do you want to come?”

“No. Honestly, I must stay and finish making arrangements. I am happy for you to go out. I can see that all this has shaken you. Go for your walk and relax. When you come back, I will be dressed, and if you would like, we will go shopping, or for a drive into the country for lunch. There is one thing, darling. You
did
say that you would call your sister to invite her to lunch tomorrow.”

“Oh, you are right; I had forgotten completely about it,” Isabel laughed. “You
are
a good secretary!”

Alexis pretended to scowl. “Eh, yes, darling. I know that you are being so rushed by me, but those two! No, I do not think those two would ever understand!”

They both laughed, and Isabel said, “I think I will spare you a dose of the other one. I will call her from the bedroom.”

He saw that the anxiety was gone from her face, and he knew that she was all right. She started to leave the room and he gave her a hard smack on the ass.

She yelped. “What was that for?”

“To show you I hadn’t forgotten that secretary remark!” He grinned.

She gave him a rueful smile and left, rubbing her behind.

Ava answered the telephone in her usual calm, controlled, cautious voice. Her first words were, “I have already heard from Mother that you are coming into Athens for lunch tomorrow. Of course,” she went on, “I will have lunch with you. As it happens, Alfred is going away
for the day tomorrow afternoon. So it will be you, Mother and I. I would not miss that for the world. I think that it is a very good thing that we have a family talk. You know, you really are rotten to her. You upset her very much. She had made plans and arrangements, even sent letters to her family saying she was on her way to London. Why are you coming to Athens anyway?”

“Because I have something to tell you.”

“Can’t you tell us on the telephone? What is the big mystery about?”

“There is no big mystery, just a secret. There is no reason why I cannot tell you over the telephone. I am going to get married.”

Ava could hardly believe her ears. She laughed uncontrollably over the wire.

“Why are you laughing?”

“Because I think it is very, very funny. You, married. I have never heard anything funnier.” And she laughed loudly again.

Isabel held the receiver away from her ear. When her sister had got herself under control, she said, “Ava, I really do not see what is so funny. Millions of people do it. Why is it so funny if I do it?”

“Because I think it is very, very funny. You, married. I you have no idea what marriage is like. I shudder to think that you have fooled yourself enough into believing that you could hold together a marriage. You
know
you are too selfish to get married. I don’t want to be rude, Isabel, but you do live in illusion and fantasy. Marriage is a two-way problem, that is all that marriage is. Forget it, Isabel. You will be divorced within six months. Marriage is not for you.”

“Ava, I am going to take my chance,” Isabel said patiently. “I am deeply in love, and I think he loves me as well.”