‘I thought Lord Malory was completely insane and I would still…’ James said, wishing it was so, ‘had I not seen that demon leaning over you at Maximoff’s.’
‘You saw him!’ Earnest was horrified, and yet excited as his brother nodded gravely. ‘But how did Molier find me when my wife has repelled him?’
I
Now that she was no longer in his company, Molier couldn’t find Mrs Devere but he could now find her husband. Or the creature could pursue Lady Devere, or anyone that Mrs Devere knew, who might lead the way to her.
‘This is very bad,’ Earnest realised.
The sound of several pistols being cocked made it painfully clear that the situation had just got worse. But it was not Lord Malory’s men, or Molier’s, that held them at gunpoint this time. It was the local law enforcement. The Devere brothers were seized and escorted into the consulate.
‘Excellent,’ James uttered to his brother with a satisfied grin.
Earnest, who was in a hurry to catch his wife, did not agree. ‘How do you figure that?’
When my husband and his brother entered the consulate lounge, I ran to embrace my Lord Devere. His captors released him, his identity confirmed by my reaction.
‘Praise god you’re safe.’ I looked from my husband to my brother-in-law, perplexed. ‘But where is Ashlee?’
‘A good question.’ My husband was equally eager to know.
‘Halfway to Cairo in all probability,’ Mr Devere was most annoyed to concede. ‘We had a little disagreement,’ he added in further explanation.
‘Not another one,’ James complained, fed up. ‘Haven’t you two got the faintest idea of what a marriage commitment actually is?’
With a pat on the arm I urged my husband to settle down. I took Mr Devere aside, whilst James moved to congratulate Mr Banks on apprehending two of the kidnappers. He also wished to clarify any questions the officers of the Pasha might have about Lord Malory and his men.
‘What did you argue about?’ I sat down with Mr Devere in a quiet corner.
‘My wife is pregnant,’ he announced solemnly.
‘Oh, my god!’ My heart nearly stopped with all the joy that flooded it. ‘Congratulations!’ I made my brother-in- law smile briefly.
‘Thank you.’ He conceded that it was grand news. ‘I thought that it would be wiser to return home to England, rather than risk a mishap in the desert.’ He justified his side of the argument.
‘Oh dear,’ I said, knowing how Ashlee would have taken to the suggestion.
‘I know,’ he scolded himself, feeling that he should have known better. ‘Now she is tackling the quest alone. Well, not alone,’ he corrected himself, rather bitterly. ‘She has Cingar and Albray to aid her.’
‘Albray?’ I frowned.
Devere was wearied by the very mention of the name. ‘You were right in saying that my wife had not taken a lover, that it was more likely to be a male spirit advising her. Mrs Devere trusts him so implicitly that he may as well be her lover.’
‘I doubt very much that a ghost would be able to match your relationship with your wife.’ I suppressed a grin at my boldness in saying so, but at least the comment did manage to raise my brother-in-law’s spirits. ‘We should resume our pursuit of our sister without delay.’ I made to move, when Mr Devere grabbed my arm.
‘We have another problem…’
I sat back down to learn what it was.
‘I believe that Molier can track us to my wife.’
This adventure just got more and more complex. ‘So by trying to assist Ashlee, we might only be placing her in more danger?’
Mr Devere nodded. ‘I need to speak with an authority on spiritual shielding before we pursue her.’
‘Do you know of such an authority here in Alexandria?’ I implored him, just as concerned about Ashlee’s welfare.
‘I need to speak with Lord Malory,’ he replied, as someone knocked on the door of the house.
‘That will be Lord Malory now,’ I informed him cheerily. ‘Come to collect Lord Devere and myself.’
Once Malory and the other men in his company had joined the growing crowd in the English consul’s lounge, Mr Devere, Lord Malory and I joined forces to do a lot of fast talking. We managed to convince the Pasha’s officials that there had been a giant misunderstanding.
My husband looked on in disbelief as Mr Devere insisted he knew about Lord Malory’s visit, and I stated that my husband and I had come in pursuit of our relatives of our own free will.
‘We did?’ My husband cocked an eye in question, wondering what the hell I was up to now.
‘It is our sister-in-law who has been kidnapped,’ I said, to the shock of everyone present. ‘We believe she has been taken to Cairo and so require a speedy passage there.’
‘I can arrange that,’ Lord Malory said, eager to deal himself into my favour and grateful that I was not exposing him for the kidnapper he was.
‘I felt sure of it.’ I accepted the deal.
‘Is there anything I can do?’ Mr Banks offered.
