The Hippopotamus Pool - Elizabeth Peters [138]
We had talked only of archaeological matters during the evening meal. Not until after the dinner things had been cleared away did Walter abruptly introduce another subject. ‘Why didn’t you and Radcliffe tell me you had seen and spoken with Riccetti?’ he demanded.
‘You speak of him as if you knew him,’ I countered, hoping I would not have to invent an excuse.
‘I met him once. It was a good many years ago, but the tales that were told about him made him a character one would not soon forget. Confound it, Amelia, you had no right to keep this from me. If I had known he was back in business –’
‘You would have tried to send me home,’ Evelyn interrupted.
‘I would not have allowed you to come in the first place.’
‘Allowed?’ Her tone of voice should have warned him to desist. Since he was a man, he began to lose his temper.
‘You don’t know what a cad like Riccetti is capable of. You are unaccustomed to violence.’
Her voice rose. ‘You seem to have forgotten the circumstances under which we first met.’
The reproof was just. Naturally this infuriated Walter even more. ‘I suppose you think you can defend yourself – and me? – with that absurd umbrella you have kept hidden all these years. I knew you had it, you know. I saw no reason to object if it pleased you to play at being a heroine –’
‘Oh, dear,’ I said. ‘Please, Walter – Evelyn – not in front of the children.’
They were both too angry to heed me. Evelyn had risen. The ruffles at her breast trembled with the rapidity of her breathing. ‘You did not object? How kind and generous of you. To allow me my toys, as if I were a child –’
‘You are behaving like a child!’ Walter shouted. ‘Denying your responsibilities –’
‘And what of your responsibilities?’
I decided the quarrel had gone far enough. It was probably an excellent exercise for people who were too accustomed to keeping their feelings closely controlled, but Nefret and Ramses needed no lessons in bad manners, and David had crept closer, his chisel-like knife in his hand. I did not like the way he was looking at Walter.
‘Enough!’ I said loudly. ‘That will do. Apologize to one another at once. And,’ I added, ‘you had better apologize to me as well, Walter, for your derogatory remark about umbrellas.’
As I had planned, my little touch of humour broke the tension. The apologies I had demanded were rendered (though not, I must say with a great deal of conviction). Evelyn resumed her chair and Walter turned to me with a rueful smile.
‘I beg your pardon, Amelia dear.’
‘Granted. We are all suffering from excitement and nervous strain. Instead of indulging in recriminations and asking idle questions, would we not be better employed at discussing how to deal with our various opponents?’
Walter said hesitantly, ‘I would never question your detectival abilities, Amelia, but what makes you so certain Riccetti is not our only enemy? I cannot see any evidence of a second party of villains.’
I gave Evelyn a little sidelong smile. Walter’s statement was a perfect example of that male illogic we had discussed the previous night. I said slowly and patiently, ‘Mr Shelmadine was murdered, Walter. I assure you I did not do it and I really don’t suspect Emerson either.’
‘How do you know he was murdered?’ Walter demanded. ‘Was an autopsy performed?’
Nefret proved herself an admirable pupil by remarking interestedly, ‘I don’t suppose they could do an autopsy, Uncle Walter. After being in the water so long, the body was probably falling apart and gnawed by fishes and lobsters.’
‘There are no lobsters in the Nile,’ said Ramses, in a peculiar voice. He covered his mouth with his hand.
‘Never mind that,’ I said, before Nefret could take exception to his laughter. ‘For heaven’s sake, Walter, Mr Shelmadine fell down in a fit, Emerson was struck unconscious, Shelmadine disappeared, and two weeks later his body turned up in the Nile. Unless you