He Shall Thunder in the Sky - Elizabeth Peters [151]
I picked up the bag and rose to my feet. Sethos’s taut muscles relaxed. He smiled amiably at me.
“Leaving so soon? Without getting answers to your other questions?”
“Why, yes.” I took hold of the parasol and edged round the table. “We seem to have reached an impasse. I cannot force you to accompany me, and I am willing to accept your word that you will leave Cairo at once. Good-bye, and—er—thank you for the tea.”
“Your manners are impeccable!” Sethos laughed. “But I fear you cannot leave just yet.”
He came toward me, with that light, lithe step I knew so well. I backed away. “You said you would not keep me here.”
“Not indefinitely, I said. But my dear, you don’t suppose I am going to let you go scurrying off to the police? It will take me a few hours to complete the preparations for my departure. Resign yourself to waiting a while. I promise you won’t be uncomfortable, and I will take steps to have you released once I am safely on my way.”
I raised my parasol. With a sudden sweep of his arm Sethos knocked it out of my hand.
“You drugged the tea,” I gasped, as he reached for me.
“No. If your hands were unsteady, it must have been for another reason.” He held me in the circle of his arm and pulled me close. The other hand came to rest on my cheek. “Do you remember my telling you once about a certain nerve just behind the ear?”
“Yes. Do it, then! Render me instantly and painlessly unconscious, as you threatened, you—you cad!”
He laughed his soundless laugh. “Oh, my dearest Amelia, I haven’t even begun to be a cad. Shall I?”
His long hard fingers slid through my hair and tilted my head back. His face was only a few inches from mine. I peered intently into that enigmatic countenance. His eyes were gray, with just a hint of green. I thought I detected a faint line along the bridge of his nose, where some substance had been added to fill out the shape of that member. His long flexible lips were not quite so thin as they seemed. . . .
They closed in a hard line, and the arm that held me tightened painfully. “For God’s sake, Amelia, the least you can do is pay attention when I am trying to decide whether to take advantage of you! After all, why should I not? How many times have you been in my power, and how often have I dared to do so much as kiss your hands? I have never loved another woman but you. These are perilous times; I may never see you again. What is to stop me from doing what I have always yearned to do?”
I couldn’t think of anything either.
“Er—your sense of honor?” I suggested.
“According to you, I have none,” Sethos said bitterly. “And don’t think that tears will deter me from my purpose!”
“I have no intention of weeping.”
“No, you wouldn’t. That is one of the reasons why I love you so much.” His lips came lightly to rest on mine. I felt him tremble; then he clasped me tightly to him and captured my mouth in a hard, passionate kiss.
I struggled, of course. Dignity and my duty to my adored spouse demanded no less. In practical terms it was a wasted effort. Those strong arms held me as easily as if I had been a child. His lips moved to my cheek, and as I gasped for air he whispered, “Don’t fight me, Amelia, you will only hurt yourself, and resistance brings out the worst in men of my evil temperament. I refuse to be held wholly accountable for my actions if you continue. There. That is much better. . . .”
Again his mouth covered mine.
I could not have said how long that burning kiss went on. I did not feel the touch that deprived me of consciousness.
When I came to my senses I felt as if I had woken from a restful sleep—pleasantly relaxed and comfortable. Then I remembered. I sat up with a muffled shriek and glared wildly at my surroundings.
I was alone. The room was dark except for the glow of a single lamp. It was a bedchamber. The couch on which I had reposed was soft, piled with cushions and draped with silken hangings of azure and silver. Typical of the Count, and also of Sethos; he had luxurious tastes. On a table beside the bed was a crystal carafe of water, a silver cup, and