When they arrived back at the camp, the children and Mrs Bennet were still eating luncheon. Four more places were quickly set at the informal al fresco tables. The meal was simple but tasty with many of the unusual dishes they had learned to appreciate in the heat of the desert. Salads of cucumber, tomatoes, and chickpeas were a staple and the sweet stuffed peppers were quickly becoming a favourite with the children, as were melons and spiced oranges. Most of the conversation was taken up with the new discovery. Mrs Bennet at first expressed a wish to see it, but Elizabeth’s graphic descriptions of the unpleasant interior made a deep impression on her and she decided she would rather remain in the relative comfort of the camp.
After they had eaten and rested during the hottest part of the day, Paul set up his easel in the shade, but instead of painting any of the marvels he had seen, he asked Sophie to sit for him. She did so gladly, and as he painted in quick, assured strokes, they talked and smiled and laughed together and Paul was obviously enchanted.
When Elizabeth walked past the easel as afternoon turned to evening, she was not surprised to see an extraordinary portrait.
“When she sees that portrait, I fear Edward’s fate is sealed,” she said to Darcy.
“He has made his choice,” said Darcy, “although I cannot help feeling… but he had a chance to stop her leaving this afternoon, and yet he could think only of the dead.”
Elizabeth shivered.
“Cold?” he asked, shrugging out of his coat and putting it round her shoulders.
“Yes,” she said. “It is growing late.”
“Too late for a turn around the camp?” he asked, offering her his arm.
She took it willingly and they began to stroll in the pleasant cool of the evening. There was a breeze which ruffled her hair, blowing tendrils across her face, and he turned to face her, brushing the tendrils aside and looking down into her eyes with a tenderness that made her heart turn over.
“What fools these young people are,” he said. “I would like to be superior and say that I was never the same, but unfortunately that would not be true. I turned away from you just as Edward is turning away from Sophie. I cannot even plead that I did it with better cause, for I was motivated by pride, which is surely a worse reason than a desire to discover a piece of history. I cannot believe how lucky I was to be given a second chance. I only hope that Edward is given the same.”
“Are you motivated by partiality?” asked Elizabeth as they walked on again.
“No. I think she would be good for him, and he for her.”
“Whereas she would not be good for Paul Inkworthy?”
“I think she would be good for any man, but I doubt if he would be good for her. I have had a chance to talk to him on many occasions, and it seems to me that he is already in love with his art. I pity any woman who had to compete with that for more than a few months. A beautiful face will attract him, but when he sees one more beautiful, and one he prefers to paint?”
“So you think his interest in her is only that of an artist?”
“I am not certain of it, but I think it might be the case, yes. Only time will tell.”
Elizabeth was thoughtful. “It will be interesting to see how their tangled feelings unravel themselves. But of one thing I am certain: I am glad that I am not courting again. I remember thinking that no amount of future happiness could make up for the turmoil I endured when I did not know if you loved me and if you would ever propose again.”
“And were you right? Has your future happiness fallen short?” he teased her.
“No!” she said with a laugh. “Even so, it was an uncomfortable time. I would much rather be here with you now, secure in your love and happy in my marriage.”
“There are times when we argue, but with that I can only agree.”
***
Sir Matthew’s prophecy had been correct. After a few days’ further searching, another set of steps was found about half a mile away from the original chamber. Sir Matthew, together with Edward and the fellahs, worked tirelessly to excavate the steps and promised to send word to the camp when the door was reached.
And that was not the only good news. As Elizabeth sat sunning herself early one morning, she was distracted by the sound of the children arguing beyond the tents. She was spared from pursuing the problem herself by the sight of Margaret running toward them.
“Mama, Papa, Laurence has hidden my doll and won’t tell me where it is,” she said.
“Your doll, Meg?” asked Darcy in surprise, noticing that she held the wooden doll—still sometimes in her possession, though less than before.
Margaret looked down at the rather grubby figure disdainfully.
“Not this one, Papa,” she said and threw it on the sand. “Mama bought me a beautiful new doll in Cairo with a red and green dress and sparkling veil and black slippers, and I want to play with it and Laurence won’t—”
“Come with me, darling,” said Mrs Bennet, getting up and taking her granddaughter’s hand. “I’m sure Laurence is only teasing you and when Grandmama explains how important your new dolly is to you, he will gladly return it…”
She led Margaret away.
For a moment Darcy and Elizabeth were speechless; then they both laughed at the same time.
“Well, at last Madam Aahotep has been ousted from her spot as most favoured toy,” said Darcy, picking up the discarded doll and brushing off a few specks of sand. “Do you know, just for a moment…”
He broke off.
“Just for a moment you thought the doll was alive, inhabited by the evil spirit of Aahotep?” asked Elizabeth.
Darcy looked embarrassed.
“You were not the only one. I must confess that, for a while, so did I. And Sophie, I think, has entertained similar notions. Even Edward has once or twice said something that has made me think he distrusted it, too. But it is nothing but a doll, after all.”
“And one Margaret has finally tired of,” said Darcy.
“Not before time,” Elizabeth replied with relief. “Here, let me take it. I will put it in my embroidery basket. Out of sight means out of mind, and I think we should do everything we can to encourage Margaret’s change of heart.” So saying, she took the doll from Darcy’s hand and buried it deep at the bottom of her workbasket, hiding it among many skeins of wool and silk.
“I agree. It will do Meg no harm at all to concentrate on her other toys. But I wonder why the sudden change.” Without being aware of it, he looked across to the direction of the new campsites beyond the oasis. Elizabeth followed his gaze.
“You are thinking that because Edward and Sir Matthew have indeed found the tomb of the two lovers, Aahotep no longer needs our daughter?” she teased him.
“It is a fascinating thought,” Darcy admitted.
Elizabeth leaned across and laid a cool hand on his cheek. She knew Margaret, as his youngest daughter, held a special place in his heart and seeing her sleepwalking had frightened him more than he would ever care to admit.
“It is coincidence, nothing more, my love,” she said softly.
Darcy took her hand and kissed it.
“Let us see if the children would like to go for a camel ride.”
Laughing, they set off in search of their family.
***
The second find proved more promising than the first, and when the entire set of steps had been revealed, a new excitement filled the camp. Darcy and Elizabeth were eager to see the new discovery, and the children were no less excited. Sophie, too, expressed an inclination to visit the excavations. There was a look of lingering longing on her face, and Elizabeth thought, So it is Edward after all. She has her pride and will not let him see it, but it is still Edward she dreams about.
They made the journey out into the desert in the early morning, when the sun was j
ust rising and casting pink shadows over the dunes. The dig was visible from some distance and they quickened their step until they were at the scene. Sir Matthew came to meet them, his face wreathed in smiles.
“This will be much more worth your while to inspect,” were his first words as they walked toward the tunnel, which was protected with awnings.
“It was all Sir Matthew’s doing,” said Edward with enthusiasm. “He seemed to know exactly where to go almost as though he could have done it blindfolded.”
Sir Matthew looked pleased. “Many years of experience, my young friend. When you’ve seen as many tombs as I have, you gain an instinct for this kind of work. Perhaps Mr and Mrs Darcy would care to see what we have uncovered so far.”
Mr and Mrs Darcy did and were thrilled by the hieroglyphs embedded in the steps already uncovered, as was Paul, who had been hard at work.
“We found a chest in the first chamber,” Edward continued.
Sophie congratulated him, but he hurried into the gaping hole without a word of reply.
It was left to Sir Matthew to lead them across to the awnings by the new tomb. The fantastically coloured canvas stretched far beyond the mouth of the tomb and gave much needed shade to the entrance. They descended the steps, and at the bottom they saw the final steps give way to a vast portal through which the workmen streamed continuously, carrying baskets of stones and rubble.
“Sir Matthew was right, then, when he said the entrance to the true tomb would be blocked with rubble,” Darcy remarked.
“Indeed, sir. Come, you should see what has been uncovered so far. Perhaps the children should remain behind at first,” Paul added. “The tunnel is quite cramped and will admit only a few at a time.”
Immediately John and Laurence began to complain, but it was clear to Darcy that there would not be enough room inside for the entire family, and it was promised to the children that they would be allowed to return later. Instead, Saeed offered to take them to the false tomb with many promises of gruesome drawings, and they left eagerly enough.
“This way,” Sir Matthew said, lighting a torch near the entrance.
Slowly Darcy and Elizabeth made their way down the steps, with Sophie and Paul close behind them. They stopped to stare at the doorway. It was covered with fabulous designs of bird-headed men and slaves carrying priceless possessions. Above it all was the golden face of the sun with rays spilling away and covering all around with its life force. Against the flickering of the torch it made an eerie picture, and Elizabeth could not suppress a shudder.
They could see straightaway that the workmen had been busy. The tunnel was long and dark, barely high enough to accommodate the average man and no more than four feet wide. As they followed Edward, squeezing continuously to the side to allow the workmen to pass by them with their baskets, they saw more drawings. These seemed more intimate in nature, depicting what were clearly a man and a woman hand in hand in some designs and seated opposite each other in several frames, on boats and on land. The smell was a curious mixture of damp earth and stale air.
At the end of the tunnel were several torches and they could see, and more importantly hear, Edward talking excitedly to his mentor. He turned as they caught up with him, his eyes feverish and his words very fast.
“Darcy and Elizabeth! Is this not wonderful? And you have arrived at the most opportune moment. Sir Matthew thinks we have reached the door to the tomb itself and I am sure—yes, I am sure—he is right!”
“Is this true, Sir Matthew?” Darcy asked.
But even as they reached their friends and Paul held up his torch, he could see that they were indeed looking at another door with even more fabulous exotic drawings. As Sir Matthew nodded, the workmen removed the last few pieces of rubble and the doorway stood in front of them, at last ready to be breached.
“I am hopeful that we will find something of great historical interest here, gentlemen, ladies,” he said as he examined the door seals, brushing specks of dirt away and tracing the designs reverently. “As you can see, the hieroglyphs are much more intricate and elegant than at the false tomb—and still intact, which strongly suggests no one has ever broken through. Well, well. Now let us see what is beyond.”
He took a chisel and, working slowly and with infinite patience, began to break the seal. Behind him it was almost possible to see steam coming from Edward’s ears as he fought to control his own impatience. But Sir Matthew seemed unaware of his young protégé’s eagerness and continued to work with a calm unhurried air.
At last he had worked his way round the entire door, and they were ready to proceed. Darcy and Elizabeth moved back to allow the fellahs, along with Edward and Sir Matthew, to push against the door. It seemed to take a long time and Elizabeth thought the door would never budge, but finally there was a sound of stone moving against stone and Sir Matthew’s eyes widened in surprise for a moment. Then they all felt it—a waft of hot air against their faces. The tomb was open.
The fellahs moved back, muttering to themselves, clearly not eager to be the first into the tomb in case of some potent curse. But Edward suffered no such inhibitions. He strained against the door one last time, pushing it wide open, then picked up a torch. At the last moment he hesitated a second, then with a glance at Sir Matthew, who nodded, he put a foot past the doorway and disappeared from their sight.
“Mr Darcy, Mrs Darcy, wait here a second,” Sir Matthew cautioned. “You too, young Inkworthy. I would like to…”
He got no further. There was a shout of unbridled pleasure from within the tomb and then Edward’s face appeared round the door again, covered in cobwebs and eerily flushed in the flickering orange flames of the torch.
“It is fantastic!” he cried. “You must come see immediately. But take care, the flooring seems rotten in places and some of the Nile has crept in over the aeons. Do you see?”
He held up his left foot and they saw his boot was soaking wet well up to his ankles. He disappeared again almost immediately. More cautiously, the others followed. The workmen did not.
As Elizabeth and Darcy entered the tomb they could not help but give gasps of amazement. It was as unlike the false chamber as it was possible for two spaces to be, and they both understood straightaway why Sir Matthew had been so skeptical when he saw it. This new tomb was vast, cathedral-like in its dimensions, stretching what must have been fifty feet up above them and away beyond their sight. Their footsteps echoed along the walls and back again. And in between were vast stores of possessions—chests and boxes, all gaily bedecked in the most brilliant oranges and yellows and reds, all the colours of the rainbow. A boat stretched out across the centre of the room and as they turned and surveyed the tomb, the light from their torches constantly set off hundreds of thousands of twinkling lights from jewellery that littered the whole place. It was like an exotic fairyland.
But like all stories of fairyland, there was a sinister twist. As they moved farther in, unable to take their eyes off all the treasures in front of them, Edward lurched forward suddenly. He gave a sickening cry that set Elizabeth’s heart racing and then seemed to disappear right before their eyes. At the last moment Darcy caught him by his arm and dragged him back to where they were standing. Sir Matthew and Paul swept their torches down to the floor and they all gasped. The entire chamber was ringed with a moat which was invisible to the naked eye in the gloom. It needed the merciless illumination of fire to make it detectable and as they peered into its depths, Paul’s foot dislodged some stones which fell into the abyss. It was at least ten seconds before they heard the sound of the pebbles hitting the floor.
“And that, gentlemen, is how the ancients kept grave robbers on their toes,” said Sir Matthew dryly. “My dear sir, you must take far greater care in here.”
Edward said nothing. His face was parchment white, and for a moment the excitement that had been almost tangible in his face disap
peared. Then he nodded and took hold of Darcy’s arm.
“My profound thanks, cousin,” he said, passing his hand over his eyes.
Darcy nodded in reply and gripped his cousin’s arm tightly. Then he turned to Elizabeth.
“How are you, my love?”
“Very well, Darcy,” she replied, only slightly disconcerted by the wobble in her voice. “But I fear we must disappoint the children. They cannot be allowed in here now.”
“Indeed not,” Darcy replied fervently. “In fact I do not see how anyone can get past this obstacle.”
“I have heard of this device before, Mr Darcy,” said Sir Matthew, walking slowly along the moat. “It merely needs the application of some sturdy walkways to act as a temporary bridge. The moats are deep but not usually very wide. I think we will be able to accommodate such needs and then we will be able to touch these sumptuous treasures. This is truly a magnificent find. Well done, young Fitzwilliam. I confess that when you first came to me back in London with your plans, I expected that I had heard nothing more than a colourful fairy tale. But this is outstanding.” He shook Edward’s hand vigorously, looking very pleased.
They spent a little more time examining the treasures that were tantalisingly out of reach, taking care to keep well away from the moat. Then gradually, curiosity overcoming their fears, the fellahs started coming in and soon the chamber was alive with the sound of human voices for the first time in thousands of years.
Chapter 13
There was much rejoicing at the camp that night. The children were allowed to stay up late and even join in at dinner, and many toasts were made to Edward and Sir Matthew, and Ammon and Husn. Edward seemed to have lost some of his obsession now that the tomb had been found, and he paid Sophie several compliments. Mrs Bennet was beside herself with joy and became tipsy early on and had to be helped to bed by Elizabeth and Sophie.
“Well, my dear,” Mrs Bennet said to Sophie as she removed her bonnet. “You must be very excited. Mr Fitzwilliam is a fine young man and he will be set for life with this magnificent find. Your dear mama will be very pleased.” Try as she might, Mrs Bennet could not help but allow a little envy creep into her voice as she thought once more how tiresome it was that all her daughters were already married.