He Shall Thunder in the Sky - Elizabeth Peters [164]
The only remaining difficulty was how to conceal from Ramses the fact that his father meant to follow him that night—for that was what Emerson must do if he wanted to avoid an argument or even a flat refusal from his son. Emerson may sneer at psychology all he likes, but it was not difficult for me to understand why Ramses was reluctant to accept his father’s help. According to the best authorities, all boys go through such a stage when they approach manhood, and trying to live up to a father like Emerson would put a strain on any individual.
It was difficult to concentrate with Emerson demanding I repeat back the numbers he kept calling out, so I gave it up for the time being. No doubt something will occur to me, I thought; it usually does.
We stopped work a little earlier than usual, since Katherine and Cyrus were dining with us. Something had occurred to me. I knew Emerson would not like it at all. I had certain reservations of my own, but I put these aside. Emerson’s objections would also have to be put aside, since I did not intend to give him time to argue.
The Vandergelts arrived in time for tea. After they had extricated themselves from the muffling garments motoring requires, we women retired to the roof, leaving Cyrus to admire our latest discoveries, while Emerson told him all about them and Ramses hung about trying to get a word in. Nefret would have liked to stay with them, I think, but Anna did not bother to conceal her disinterest, and my daughter had been too well brought up (by me) to abandon a guest.
Anna was more than happy to talk about her nursing duties. A single courteous question from me produced a spate of information, some of which I could have done without. It was her mother who cut her short.
“Don’t talk about wounds and—and infections,” Katherine exclaimed. “Especially at teatime.”
Anna’s lips set. Her physical appearance had improved greatly these past weeks; Nefret had been giving her gentle hints about clothes and hairstyles, but the greatest change was in her expression. Even a plain woman may look attractive when she is happy and proud of herself. Watching the old sullen look dim the girl’s face, I thought I just might drop a little hint to Katherine not to be so hard on Anna. Bertie had always been her favorite, and at the present time she was desperately worried about the boy.
I asked whether she had heard from him, and she nodded. “Not much of a letter, Amelia. It was full of holes, where the censor had cut out various phrases. It is so stupidly unfair! What could he possibly tell me that would give aid and comfort to anyone except me?”
“Some of the censors are overly conscientious, I believe,” I agreed. “Evelyn says the same of Johnny’s letters. Willy’s seem to come through relatively intact, but he has always been more discreet than his brother.”
“It is Johnny’s sense of humor that leads him into indiscretions,” Nefret said with a fond smile. “I can easily imagine him making rude personal remarks about one of his officers, or giving a vulgar description of the food they are served.”
“That would be destructive of civilian morale,” said Anna, whose sense of humor left a great deal to be desired.
The men finally joined us, followed by Seshat, who, I was pleased to observe, had decided not to contribute to the canapés. She settled down next to Ramses. Cyrus was still talking about the royal statue, which he had the expertise and experience to appreciate fully.
“It just doesn’t seem fair,” he declared, shaking his head. “Not to take away from you folks, but I sure would like to find some little treasure myself.”
“Such as an unrobbed royal tomb or a cache of mummies decked out in jewels?” Nefret inquired. She and Cyrus were good friends, and he enjoyed her teasing him. His dour face broadened into