No Greater Love - Eris Field Page 0,57

him when he returns to the archeological dig in the spring.”

Grispin groaned. “Is he going to stay a thoughtless brat forever?”

“He doesn’t know about the babies but I’m sure he will think of a way to get what he wants.” Wearily, he added, “He always does.”

“What are you going to do?”

“The question is, what is Janan going to do? Dirk is young, excited about taking her home, to Turkey, and he is healthy.” He fixed his older brother with a determined look. “I’ve loved her so long. I want to beg her to marry me as soon as possible but I am not in remission and may never be. I’m not sure it would be fair to even think of asking her to marry me.”

“If she loves you, and I think she must, your health won’t matter but it’s a no-win situation.” Crispin frowned. “If you wait out the year-long mourning period, she will have a very hard time alone with two small children. On the other hand”—he paused, staring at the drink in his hand—“if you marry soon after Carl’s death, there will be gossip.”

“There is going to be gossip no matter when she re-marries.” Pieter stated flatly. “But in a year, I might be dead. I am not waiting out any damn mourning period.” He tossed back the last of his Jenever.

As Dirk walked toward them, they stopped talking and waited. Dirk took a five-by-six-inch manila envelope from his pocket. “I know that it has been a long time since you asked me to find three Tambac bracelets but everything takes time in Anatolia.” He held the envelope out to Pieter. “One of the workers at the dig knew someone who was able to locate two of the bracelets you wanted and they were delivered to me yesterday. I have been assured that they are authentic Ottoman Tambac bracelets.”

Pieter took the envelope and put it in his jacket pocket. “Thank you, Dirk,” he said, his voice bleak.

“You never did say why you were collecting Tambac jewelry.”

“It seemed like a good idea at the time,” Pieter said, thinking back to that moment when he knew he wanted to replace the bracelets that had been lost in the earthquake. He had planned to take them back with him when he went to the States to see Janan again, to beg her to marry him despite his uncertain future.

“I am sorry that it took so long. Are you still looking for pieces?”

Pieter studied his brother, a sturdy, good-looking young man with a zest for life bouncing off him like rays of sunshine. “No, I doubt that I will be looking for any more Tambac.”

Chapter 16

In the days after Carl’s funeral, Janan was grateful for the presence of Sophia, now neatly dressed in a well-fitting white cotton blouse and black skirt, who never left her side. Carl had tried to tell her what to expect and she had prepared herself for seven days of condolence calls from people she did not know but the constant line of visitors was exhausting. She smoothed the skirt of the black serge dress that Emine had brought her and hurried to the drawing room as she heard the muffled sound of the doorknocker.

At Betje’s respectful announcement, “Mijnheer Bentinck,” Janan’s heart soared. Pieter had come. She would see him again. But it was not Pieter who stepped through the door that Betje held open.

“I am Dirk Bentinck,” he said. “May I express my deepest condolences at your loss.”

She tried to hide her disappointment as she extended her hand. “Thank you.” She motioned him to a chair while she struggled to regain her composure. Pieter’s younger brother, she thought wildly. Why had he come? He had not been at the burial and Carl had never talked about him. There was something about him, an air of barely contained energy that made her uneasy. Motioning him to a chair, she said, “If you’ll excuse me for a moment, I will arrange for coffee.” She hurried out of the room before he could say anything and found Sophia. “Please ask Betje for coffee for three and then I want you to stay with me in the living room.”

When Sophia slipped into the room and stood beside Janan, Dirk came politely to his feet, and, with a covert glance at the cream-colored headscarf trimmed with pink lace covering her hair, waited.

“This is Sophia Sadik,” Janan said quietly. “She has traveled from Kirkuk and is now my helper.”

Dirk nodded and asked politely,