warm hand he had as he clasped hers and led her out on the floor. How peculiar that each couple should be dancing as if entirely alone and engaged in a private ritual. At once the melancholy rhythm swept her up. And this adorable young man, how lovingly he looked at her. This really was a lovely young man, this Alex, Lord Summerfield.
"How enchanting it is here," she said." A true palace. And the music, so piercing, but beautiful. It hurts my ears, but then I do not like loud noises - screeching birds, guns!"
"Of course you don't," he said with surprise." You're such a fragile creature. And your hair, may I tell that your hair is lovely? It's a rare thing to see a woman who wears her hair free, and natural. It makes you look like a goddess."
"Yes, that is very okay. Thank you."
He had a sweet laugh. So honest. No fear in his eyes, no shrinking. He was like a prince who had been reared with kind nurses in a palace. Altogether too gentle for the real world.
"Would you mind terribly telling me your name?" he asked." I know we've not been properly introduced, so we must introduce ourselves, it seems."
"My name is Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt." How she loved this dancing, being carried along, turned about; the floor shimmered like water beneath her.
"Oh, I could almost believe you," he said." You look like a Queen. May I call you Your Highness?"
She laughed." Your High-ness. Is that the proper address for a Queen! Yes, you may call me Your High-ness. And I shall call you Lord Summerfield. These men here, are they all...lords?"
Through the dark mirror on the panelled wall, Elliott saw Winthrop and his cohorts withdraw. Pitfield came directly back and took his chair opposite. He signaled for another drink.
"More mayhem," he said." What in God's name has happened to young Stratford!" "Tell me."
"Astonishing! Some belly dancer, Henry Stratford's mistress. They found her dead, neck broken, in the garden of the house she was sharing with Henry. All Henry's things were there. Passport, money, everything."
Elliott swallowed. He needed another drink badly. It occurred to him that he ought to take some supper just so that he could go on drinking without passing out.
"Same thing that happened to the Oxford student this afternoon, neck broken, and the American kid out at the pyramids, and the maid at the museum. Wonder why he bothered to use a knife on Sharpies! You'd better tell me everything you know about this."
The waiter set down the fresh glasses of Scotch and gin. Elliott took his drink and sipped it thoughtfully.
"Just what I was afraid of, the whole thing. He was going out of his mind with guilt."
"Over the gambling."
"No. Over Lawrence. It was Henry, you see, and the poisons in the tomb."
"Good Lord, man, are you serious?"
"Gerald, that's how it all started. He had papers for Lawrence to sign. He probably forged them. But that's not the point. He admitted the killing."
"To you."
"No, to someone else." He broke off, had to think this through, but there was no time." To Ramsey."
"Ramsey, the one they're searching for."
"Yes, Ramsey tried to talk to him, early this morning, before Henry went on the rampage and broke into the museum. By the way . . ? you said they'd been to the belly dancer's house. Did they find any evidence of a mummy there, any wrappings? That would certainly tie it up and then they'd stop persecuting poor Ramsey. Ramsey is entirely innocent, you see. He went to the museum to reason with Henry."
"You know this for a fact?"
"It was all my fault. I can't sleep of late, pain in my joints is too severe. Five o'clock this morning I was just coming in from my walk. I'd seen Henry, roaring drunk, near the museum, as I told you. I thought he was pub crawling. And I made the mistake of telling Ramsey, who had just come down for his morning coffee. Ramsey had tried to reason with Henry earlier. And off he went to find him again, for Julie's sake."
"Julie and this Ramsey, they're ..."
"Yes. The engagement's off with Alex. It's all quite amicable; Alex and Ramsey are friends. And the whole thing must be straightened out."
"Of course, of course."
"Ramsey was trying to stop the robbery when the police apprehended him. He's a strange man. He panicked. But surely you can get this cleared up."