women mistreated by their men. But they were all tormented creatures, with eyes like caged animals and a tightly wound intensity that burned them inside. Jude was different, cool as a mountain lake, and I suspected she stayed with Wickenden because his beatings couldn’t really touch her. Perhaps that was why he beat her. Some men can only stand to be ignored for so long before they have to do something about it.
The soup was handed around by native servants wearing red fezzes and long white robes. They gave us little cups of consommé, and I dipped in my spoon, sighing in pleasure as I tasted it.
“The secret is eggshells,” Helen told me. “That’s how you clarify it. I’ll give you the recipe for your cook.”
Dora snickered into her soup, but I thanked Helen politely. Talk then turned to kitchen help and servants in general and how difficult it was to put together a competent staff.
“Of course, the language problem always gets in the way,” Helen said. “I can spend an entire morning trying to make them understand exactly what I want and end up with nothing more than a headache for my pains!”
“Why don’t you learn some of their language?” I asked.
The table went quiet for a moment, then erupted in laughter.
“You are optimistic, Miss Drummond,” the missionary Halliwell put in, not unkindly. “In any given household, there may be a Somali or Egyptian who speaks French or Arabic, a number of local tribesmen who speak their own languages, and some coastal folk who speak Swahili. Is a householder expected to learn all of these tongues just to be master of his own home? Far better for them to learn a little English, don’t you think?”
His argument wasn’t unreasonable, but it put my back up just the same. Before I could respond, Gervase looked up from the plate of duck that had been put in front of him.
“Typical clergyman,” he said lightly. “Would it suit you best if they were all speaking Latin and begging for the Host?”
Mr. Halliwell’s gentle expression did not falter. “Not at all. I accept that not all of them will be saved, but I live in hope, Gervase. As I live in hope that you, too, will come into the fold.”
Gervase rolled his eyes toward me. “Lawrence cannot bear having an atheist in the herd.”
“On the contrary,” Halliwell returned quietly. “I consider you to be a testimony to God’s faith that whatever questions you might raise, I am sufficient to answer.”
Bianca’s eyes flashed. “He does not require your answers.”
“Now really, Bianca,” Miss Halliwell said, putting her fork down. “There’s no call to be rude just because Lawrence is doing his job.”
“His job?” Bianca’s upper lip curled a bit. She wasn’t a particularly attractive woman, but she did scorn well.
“Yes, his job,” Miss Halliwell said firmly. “And furthermore—”
“Oh, will the lot of you shut up before you give me indigestion?” Sybil Balfour spoke up sharply. She reached down under the table and pulled out a tiffin box which she proceeded to fill with the contents of her dinner plate.
“Sybil, darling, you do a better job at hostessing my parties than I do!” Helen said, almost sincerely. She looked to me. “Sybil has a frightful cook. He prepares everything out of tins and even then he’s a menace. How many times has he poisoned you now, Sybil?”
“Seven,” the older woman put in promptly. She motioned to the doctor who reluctantly gave up half of his portion of duck for her tiffin box.
“If he’s so awful, why do you keep him?” I asked.
Sybil shrugged. “Obligation. I saved his life once. Nasty business with a snake. Anyway, he believes he’s indebted to me and won’t leave. He thinks he’s a fine cook, and I haven’t the heart to tell him otherwise. If it weren’t for the leftovers from Helen’s dinner parties, I’d never get a decent meal at Nyama.”
I passed her my dinner roll for her tiffin box and she gave me a gruff nod.
Dessert was a fig gratin, and with it came small glasses of Sauternes, the pale gold wine gleaming under the soft lights.
“Château d’Yquem,” Helen said. “I ordered it when I thought Ryder might be coming, but he begged off. Always out adventuring, we never know if he’ll turn up or not. He sends his regards to everyone.”
If anyone thought it strange that Ryder and Wickenden should be expected to meet socially so soon after the railway station thrashing, no one said a word. Wickenden