Page 90 of Sands of Sirocco
Malta?Ginger’s lips parted.
Her father had a house in Malta.
It must be.
“What do you mean ‘the oil company’?”
“The Arab Anglo Oil Company, of course.”Sarah gave her a doubtful expression.“I thought—” She broke off, then tilted her head.“You don’t know?”
“I barely know about the concession,” Ginger admitted, feeling foolish.
Sarah chewed on her lower lip as though she wondered what she should tell Ginger.“Paul met your father in 1911 in England.He’d gone there to speak to the British Museum about some archeological …”
She shook her head.“Never mind, it’s not important.At any rate, your father learned Paul was a geologist.And he asked him about his opinion on which parts of Arabia showed the most promise for oil exploration.Together they negotiated a concession with Ibn Saud and formed the Arab Anglo Oil Company.Your father had a majority share as he invested most of the funds.Twenty thousand pounds, I believe.Paul was given a five percent share of the company, and Ibn Saud retained twenty percent of future royalties.”
The news was shocking.
It also meant the government had no business trying to take her father’s company and concession.Her father must have spent every penny he had on the concession.
Her heart fell.
This is how her father lost his fortune.
Why hadn’t her father attempted to do anything with the concession and the oil company?“Then why is the company not on record?Did Mr.Hanover ever do oil exploration?”
Sarah shifted.“Well, that’s the problem.Your father didn’t want to formalize the company in his own name.He asked Paul to register it in America.He’d been following the way the British government had handled the Persians and Mr.D’Arcy’s concession, and he was worried, especially once the war began.Ibn Saud also asked him for another twenty thousand pounds in the concession to begin the oil exploration, which your father needed to get from an investor.”
An investor like Stephen Fisher.The pieces were coming together.
Ginger could no longer remain seated, her nerves were firing in a way that made her want to go for a brisk walk.“Mrs.Hanover, do you think you could come back with me to Cairo and make an official statement about what you’ve just told me?”
Sarah combed her fingers through her hair, then pushed it over one shoulder.“I can do that if it helps you.But I’m guessing it won’t help unless you find Paul, will it?”
“No, you’re right.”Some of the hopeful feeling fizzled.“Without your husband, my family has nothing.My father entrusted your husband with the concession documents before my father’s untimely death last May.Then your husband was never seen again.”
“More than likely he left them on the island of Malta.It makes sense that he would have hidden them there.”Sarah’s tough exterior faded, her expression faltering.“Before he left, Paul told me he wanted a divorce.He had a woman in Cairo—the affair had been going on for some time.When the woman tried to end it, he, uh”—she swallowed hard—“he told me he realized she was the one he really loved.”Sarah moistened her dry lips, then met Ginger’s eyes.“Her name is Olivia Hendricks.He’s probably with her.But if he is, he’s using the name Freddy Mortimer.”
Ginger’s heart squeezed.That was why Sarah hadn’t gone to look for her husband.She hated Paul Hanover for it.And Lady Hendricks of all people?Sarah was a thousand times prettier and more pleasant.
“Mrs.Hanover—”
“Please, call me Sarah.”
“—Lady Hendricks is the one who told me your husband’s real name.I was looking for Freddy Mortimer in Cairo and found her.She hasn’t seen him in months.”
Sarah’s face registered sadness as she blinked slowly.“Paul was worried about going to Malta.I’d never seen him like that.”She released a slow breath.“Let me tell my team we’re shutting down for the day.And then I can drive you back to Cairo.”
A gust of wind rustled the sides of the tent and Ginger gave Sarah a hard stare.Osborne’s behavior had been more than suspicious lately.Did she really trust Osborne anymore?“On second thought, why don’t we keep the information about Malta to ourselves for now?We can tell the government officials in charge of this investigation you simply don’t know what happened to your husband.If my father obtained that concession before the war, there’s no reason to let the government think they deserve a part of it.”
A smile tipped Sarah’s lips.“I like the way you think.”
Osborne lookedup from his notes as Sarah finished speaking.He tapped the end of his pencil against the book and frowned.
Ginger checked the time.She’d told her mother the evening before that she’d accompany them to the dinner at the palace this evening, but the afternoon was creeping along, and she hadn’t been home since.Would they leave without her?
Beside her, Sarah shifted, then exchanged a look with Ginger.She cleared her throat.“Is there anything else you need, Mr.Osborne?”
“Not now.You’ll likely need to make a statement before a judge about all this.”He set his pencil down and folded his hands together.“Unfortunately, Mrs.Hanover, I’m in the position of informing you that your husband perished.”
