The Ape Who Guards the Balance - Elizabeth Peters [98]
“It does rather suggest rotting flesh,” Ramses agreed. “But it feels considerably better. I suppose Kadija gave you the ointment this morning?”
“She slipped it to me while Aunt Amelia wasn’t looking. Daoud got it from her, did you know that? She says the women of her family have handed the recipe down for generations. One of these days I must take a sample home and have it analyzed. Now, this is going to hurt. What shall we talk about that will prove sufficiently distracting? I know! Sir Edward. Do you think he’s the Master Criminal in disguise?”
It did hurt. He set his teeth. “So that occurred to you, did it?”
“Really, Ramses, you are so exasperating! You might at least look surprised when I announce a startling theory. I’ve been thinking about the fortuitous appearance of the gallant Sir Edward. The last time we saw him was the year we had all that trouble with Riccetti and the rival gang of antiquities thieves. It was Sir Edward who rescued Aunt Amelia from one of the latter group. He had followed her that day for reasons that have never been satisfactorily explained—”
“That was just Father being sarcastic,” Ramses said impatiently. “He thinks every man Mother meets falls madly in love with her.”
“But Sir Edward wasn’t madly in love with her, was he? So why did he follow her that day? Riccetti was trying to reestablish his control over the illegal antiquities game in Egypt. So were other people. Why should not one of them have been the Master Criminal himself?”
“It’s an interesting idea,” David said thoughtfully. “Sir Edward does match her description, doesn’t he? Just under six feet tall, well-built, athletic. And an Englishman.”
“He’s too young,” Ramses objected.
“Too young for what?” David asked. “He appears to be in his middle to late thirties, but the man is an expert at disguise. And you don’t know how old Sethos was when you first met him. A very young man can be brilliant, and be capable of a grand passion.”
Ramses stiffened. Nefret paused in the act of winding the bandage round his hand. “Too tight?”
“No. Get it over with, can’t you?”
“Ungrateful brute,” said Nefret without rancor. “There’s another suspicious point about the gentleman. When we first knew him, he called himself a poor relation, a younger son who had to work for a living. You heard what he said the other night, about an inheritance from an uncle that had made him financially independent. So what’s he doing in Egypt? He did demonstrate some interest in and talent for archaeology, but if that interest had been sincere he’d have come back before this, wouldn’t he? Why has he turned up now? There you are, my boy. All done.”
“Thank you.” He wriggled the fingers she had left protruding. “Far be it from me to cast cold water on an intriguing theory, but I can think of another reason for Sir Edward’s reapparance that has nothing to do with criminal activities.”
Nefret sat back on her heels and smiled at him. “Me.”
“You. Yes.”
“Oh, he’s interested,” Nefret said calmly. “He might be even more interested if I gave him any encouragement.”
“You’ve flirted outrageously with him!”
“Of course.” Nefret chuckled. “It’s fun. Ramses, you are such an old Puritan! If it will relieve your mind, I am not in love with Sir Edward. He’s extremely attractive and utterly charming, but I don’t care for him that way.”
“Then he wasn’t the man you were seeing in . . . Sorry. None of my affair.”
“In London?” The soft chuckle deepened into a laugh. “No, it isn’t your affair, but if you hadn’t been so confounded inquisitive I’d have told you. He was one of the medical students from Saint Bart’s. I thought, innocent creature that I am, that he was interested in my mind. He wasn’t. Now can we get back to business?”
Ramses nodded. A few days earlier he would have been delighted to learn she wasn’t interested in Sir Edward or the unfortunate medical student (he wished he had been on the scene when Nefret dealt with the fellow’s advances). Now there was another, far more dangerous rival. Or was there? He wondered if he was losing what was left of his mind.
“I suppose