members sat in sullen silence, eyes downcast. Alex held her arm gently. He looked faintly baffled, as if he really didn't understand death; it was just that he didn't want her to suffer. Simple soul. Out of place among these merchants and men of business; the porcelain aristocrat with his heiress.
Why must we go through with this? Why are we not alone with our grief?
Yet Randolph did it because he had to do it, though never had the whole thing seemed so meaningless. Never had his love for his only son been so painfully tried.
"I simply cannot make decisions yet, Uncle Randolph," she said to him politely.
"Of course not, my dear," he answered." No one expects you to. If you'll only sign this draft for emergency funds and leave the rest to us."
"I want to go over everything, to take a hand in things," she said." That's clearly what Father intended. This whole situation with the warehouses in India, I don't understand how it could have come to such a crisis." She paused, unwilling to be caught up in things, perhaps utterly incapable of it, and the tears flowed silently again.
"Leave it to me, Julie," he said wearily." I've been handling crises in India for years."
He pushed the documents towards her. Sign, please, sign. Do not ask for explanations now. Do not add humiliation to this pain.
For that is what was so surprising, that he missed his brother so much. We don't know what we feel for those we love until they're taken. All night he'd lain awake remembering things ... the Oxford days, their first trips to Egypt - Randolph, Lawrence and Elliott Savarell. Those nights in Cairo. He had awakened early and gone through old photographs, and papers. Such marvelously vivid memories.
And now, without spirit or will, he tried to cheat Lawrence's daughter. He tried to cover for ten years of lies and deceit. Lawrence had built Stratford Shipping because he really didn't care about money. Oh, the risks that Lawrence used to take. And what had Randolph done since he took over? Hold the reins and steal. To his utter amazement Julie lifted the pen and signed her name quickly on all the various papers, without so much as reading them. Well, he was safe from her inevitable questions for a little while.
I'm sorry, Lawrence. It was like a silent prayer. Perhaps if you knew the whole story.
"In a few days, Uncle Randolph, I want to sit down and go over everything with you. I mink that's what Father wanted. But I'm so tired. It's really time to go home."
"Yes, let me take you home now," Alex said immediately. He helped her to her feet.
Dear good Alex. Why couldn't my son have had a mere particle of that gentleness? The whole world could have been his. Quickly Randolph went to open the double doors. To his amazement he found the men from the British Museum waiting. An annoyance. He would have spirited her out another way, if he had known. He did not like the unctuous Mr. Hancock, who behaved as if everything Lawrence had discovered belonged to the museum and the world.
"Miss Stratford," the man said now as he approached Julie." Everything has been approved. The first showing of the mummy will take place in your home, just as your father would have wished. We will of course catalogue everything, and remove the collection to the museum as soon as you wish it. I thought you would want to have my personal assurance. . , ."
"Of course," Julie answered wearily. This interested her no more than the board meeting, obviously." I'm grateful to you, Mr. Hancock. You know what this discovery meant to my father." There was a pause again as if she would begin crying. And why not?" I only wish I'd been with him in Egypt."
"Darling, he died where he'd been most happy," Alex offered lamely." And among the things he loved."
Pretty words. Lawrence had been cheated. He'd had his momentous find for only a few short hours. Even Randolph understood as much.
Hancock took Julie's arm. They moved towards the door together.
"Of course it's impossible to authenticate the remains until we make a thorough examination. The coins, the bust, these are quite unprecedented discoveries. ..."
"We'll make no extravagant claims, Mr. Hancock. I only want a small reception for Father's oldest friends."
She offered her hand now, in effect dismissing him. She managed such things so