Gene of Isis

compulsion was obliged.

A pregnancy could place my whole mission in peril, for if Devere found out, I was fairly confident he would do everything in his power to prevent me travelling further. I was even more fearful of Devere’s secret brotherhood discovering I was with child, for I suspected they hoped for this very outcome when they had matched me with Devere in the first place.

‘You haven’t mentioned your suspicions to anyone, have you, Jessenia?’ I tried not to sound as panicked as I felt. I was relieved when Jessenia shook her head. The poor woman obviously didn’t know what to make of my unfavourable reaction.

‘My people believe it is a great blessing to fall with child so early in a marriage.’

I forced a smile, knowing she was happy for me. ‘How long until it starts to show?’ I knew nothing about children or childbirth, as it was hardly a course of study that had ever interested me.

‘Maybe ten weeks,’ she advised, ‘but as you are so slight, perhaps less.’

‘And how long to Alexandria from Sicily?’

Jessenia was starting to catch the drift of my questioning. ‘Two to three weeks at the most.’

With any luck I could complete my journey to the Sinai and be back home in England before my husband became aware of my condition.

‘I would be very grateful if we could keep this theory between us for the time being,’ I requested.

‘But surely your husband will be overjoyed?’ She edged around making any promise.

‘I should not get his hopes up until I’m more certain of my condition, and even then I should wait until it is clear that I am likely to carry the child to full term,’ I lied. The gypsy woman would not have understood my true concerns, even if I had been able to share them with her.

‘It is hardly my place to go against your wishes,’ she assured me. ‘But I should take care, if I were you, of what activities you indulge in, as your body could be more prone to suffer injury and fatigue.’

‘No more thundering around on horseback and clashing swords with bandits then.’ I made light of her warning.

Jessenia smiled, although her concern did not lift. ‘As most mothers would tell you, your body and your life are no longer your own.’

Here I was, a psychic, and yet I’d been unable to predict my own pregnancy! Now that Jessenia had suggested it, however, I knew her hunch was correct. I did not feel at all myself; rather, I felt a sensation similar to that of Albray seizing control of my body. It seemed I now only had partial control over my own being; there was another will operating inside me that was just as determined to have its way. I immediately noticed how hungry I was; the poor little mite must have been starving.

I reached for the bread and began to devour it.

Now that I’d accepted my predicament, perhaps I’d be able to overcome this illness and keep food down.

Later that day I felt much improved, and was able to make my way up to the deck to view the port at the mouth of the Tiber River.

The vessel that had stolen Susan away was not hard to spot. There were few large vessels moored here at present, and it was particularly extravagant in design.

‘That’s it, The Sea Grail.’ I pointed it out.

I agree, Albray advised Devere and me.

‘Sounds like a name the brothers would use,’ Devere noted, not as sceptical as usual; he’d obviously psychically scrutinised the fabric, too. ‘She’s light in the water,’ he commented to his brother, who realised that this was not to our advantage.

‘If this is the vessel we seek,’ Lord Devere paused to emphasise his words, ‘and she’s not carrying cargo, she may have arrived quite some days ahead of us.’ He was angered by this possibility, and even more vexed at the means we were using to advise him.

I’ll go see if your friend is still on board. Albray vanished to go about his mission.

‘And how are we to know for sure whether Susan is on board?’ Lord Devere queried. ‘We can hardly just climb on and search it.’

‘I have certain sources who are currently finding out for me,’ I replied, ‘although I doubt very much that you would want to know any more than that.’

My husband cringed, able to foresee the clash of beliefs that was about to take place.

‘I am hardly going to invade another vessel on some supposed spirit’s say-so!’ Lord Devere was very close to losing his temper.

‘Fine,’ I assured him. ‘No one is forcing you to come.’ I turned and walked to the opposite side of the deck to avoid any further unpleasantness.

‘Maybe you should leave this to us?’ my husband said, as he could see that Lord Devere was frustrated by my response. ‘After all, it is our fault that Lady Devere was abducted. If we are wrong about this vessel, then only we shall suffer the consequences.’

‘And what if you are right?’ Lord Devere reasoned with himself. ‘How would it appear to my wife if I have not participated in her rescue?’

Earnest smiled, sympathetic to his brother’s feelings. ‘You have more chivalry than commonsense, it would seem.’ His smile turned into a cheekier grin.

‘And this is surprising to you?’ Lord Devere let his anger go, resigning himself to following our lead, for better or worse.