Page 58 of Sands of Sirocco
A warm light shone his eyes.“In the meantime, I’ll do my best to go on waiting until I can tell the world you’re my wife.Though there’s something I appreciate about sharing the secret with you.”
Noah’s face sobered.“Lord Helton has asked me to help find Victoria.I spent the better part of the day trying to learn more about the group of men who have claimed responsibility for her kidnapping.You may not see me much in the next few days—but, hopefully, Victoria will be safely returned to us as soon as possible.”
Returned to us.Gauche as it may be, she felt a stab of jealousy.Noah’s friendship with that woman would never be something she’d understand.Shewantedhim to find Victoria.Just not care about her.“What about Jack?I thought you were going after him.”
Noah released a guttural sigh.“Don’t remind me.I’ll leave as soon as I find Victoria.Hopefully finding her will help soften Lord Helton’s anger toward us.He agreed to release you of your promise to him if I helped.”
She smiled, her relief palpable.“Thank goodness.”That had gone better than expected.
“And one more thing.”Noah tore his gaze from the field.“Be careful with Peter Osborne.I have my doubts about him.He sent a man to follow me today.”Before she could tell him about Osborne’s less than savory comments about him, he bowed his head more formally.“I should go.”
Noah continued across the field, soon becoming a silhouette in the blazing sun.She squinted, shading her eyes, then looked back toward the other players.
Osborne had sent a man to follow Noah?An unsettled feeling crept into her lungs, burning the oxygen there.Just what had she gotten herself involved in?
ChapterTwenty
“Of all the places I’d never thought I’d see you set foot, the Turf Club ranks up at the top.”Alastair smiled as Noah sat across from him at a table in the lounge.A chess game lay in front of Alastair, ready for players.Noah settled in his seat, then moved a white pawn forward.
Noah scanned the interior of the exclusive men-only club.Alastair exaggerated: Noah had been in here before.One could hardly try to be effectual in the world of intelligence and politics in Cairo without entering the Turf Club.Noah suspected Alastair kept his membership for the same reason.But Noah did loathe it, especially as the war had gone on.
“The epicenter of misogynistic British imperialism?”Noah raised a brow.“We put a club a few blocks from Opera Square, then bar entrance to any locals, no matter their status.No wonder they hate us.”
Alastair chuckled, sipping his tea.He pushed a pawn forward.“How was the polo match yesterday?”
“Uneventful.”Seeing Ginger had been a highlight, but his shoulder was sorer.“Though, I have more reason than ever to believe Stephen Fisher is planning something.”Noah studied the chess board.Alastair had pushed his lowly pawn into a position to be taken by his own.But today Noah didn’t feel like forcing his mind into studying his opponent.He did that enough in everyday life.He took Alastair’s pawn with his own.
Alastair leaned back in his leather chair.“That’s hardly news.I have two pieces of information for you.”He moved his knight out, his eyes guarded.
Noah held a smile back.He knew better than to try to win a game of chess with either Alastair or Jack.The two of them understood the mechanics of the game in a way Noah’s mind couldn’t fathom.Knowing he was being baited, he moved his own knight forward to protect his pawn.He asked a passing waiter for coffee, then turned his attention back to Alastair.“The Aleaqrab?”
“Fisher was right.They’re highly secretive.But not too secretive for me.”A ghost of a smile spread on Alastair’s lips.“One of my contacts told me of a meeting they’re having tonight.To recruit.This is the password to get in.”Alastair slid an envelope across the table.“They’re meeting in the basement of Café Riche.”He patted a canvas rucksack beside his chair.“I have clothes for you here, no big disguise.You’ll be in close quarters, and I don’t know what they’ll put you through for recruitment.”Alastair moved his queen to threaten Noah’s pawn once again.
The lead about the Aleaqrabwas significant.Noah hadn’t been able to pick up any other trace of them, even among his most trusted contacts.But that they had yet to contact Lord Helton with further news was even more worrisome.Helton was half-mad with worry.Noah had never seen him like this.This morning the man had greeted him in his dressing gown, unshaven, with insomnia written on every crease of his face.
Noah took the envelope and tucked it into the breast pocket of his uniform.“What’s the second piece of information?”He moved his bishop across the board to protect the threatened pawn.
“Just an interesting tidbit.Your camel bone knife—the one your assailant at Ezbekieh had?”As Alastair moved his queen to threaten both Noah’s bishop and king, his lips twitched.
Noah blinked up from the game.Whatever he did now, Alastair would be likely to win quickly.He moved his bishop to protect the king.“What of it?”He’d forgotten about the damned knife.
Alastair waved at a passing acquaintance, then took one of Noah’s pawns with his queen.“I traced it to a merchant in the Khan.He claims he sold that knife to an English gentleman.He was quite proud of the fact.”
Noah moved his bishop out and tilted his head with surprise at Alastair’s words.
The news was more than an interesting tidbit.While the merchant could be lying, Noah doubted it.Culturally, many of the Egyptian merchants enjoyed their boasting, but Alastair was known among the native population.Few would dare to lie to his face.“How did the knife get from an English gentleman to the Aleaqrab?” Noah asked.
Alastair gave him a sharp look, then moved his own bishop out.“How indeed?”
Fisher.Noah frowned.Stephen had been out of Egypt for over six months.The timing didn’t seem likely.“Could Fisher have bought the knife while he was still in Cairo?”He looked at the game in front of him, then nearly groaned at the trap Alastair had set for him.Only a handful of moves and another humiliating loss would be his.Alastair’s eyes reflected as much.
“The merchant claims he sold it only a month ago.”A pensive look came to Alastair’s eyes as he took another of Noah’s pieces.“You know I’m going to win in the next move, don’t you?”
Noah took one of Alastair’s pieces then knocked his own king over.“One of these days I’ll take the time to read that book on chess you bought me.If you’d like to play checkers, you might find my skills are much better.”
Alastair huffed, moving his queen into checkmate.“Don’t take the fun out of the game, old boy.Checkmate.”He set the board up once again as the waiter brought Noah’s coffee.“You’d better get Darby sooner rather than later.I haven’t had a decent game of chess since he left.”
“As soon as I have Victoria back, I’m leaving.”The delay in going to get Jack weighed on him heavily.Noah ducked his chin.“Speaking of information, I have two more people to inquire about.Peter Osborne, who works for the Foreign Office, and Freddy Mortimer.The latter is connected to the Braddock concession and Ginger needs to find him.”
