Free The Hippopotamus Pool by Elizabeth Peters Page B

delightful little dinner parties of yours? It has become a pleasant custom, meeting with our friends on our arrival in Egypt."
    "Pleasant little custom?" I repeated incredulously. "Delightful? Emerson, you despise formal dinner parties and you always complain bitterly about them."
    "I cannot imagine where you got that idea," Emerson declared with the utmost sincerity. "Vandergelt has not yet arrived, but some of our archaeological acquaintances must be in town; Newberry and Sayce and— er—Newberry."
    "I will be glad to, Emerson," I replied, conquering my astonishment and wondering what the devil he was up to now. In fact, the request suited certain of my own purposes very well.
    "Excellent, excellent. I look forward to meeting Newberry and—er— again. Until teatime, my dears."
    And off he went, without giving any of us a chance to ask where he was going. I thought I knew, though. I would have insisted on accompanying him if his absence had not provided me with an opportunity to begin my shopping. Besides, I told myself, I would get it out of him later—and without the children knowing.
    But why the devil was he so anxious to see Mr. Newberry?
    I scribbled a few hasty notes and dispatched them, and then we set out for the Khan el-Khalili. Nefret had been in Cairo only once, and then for scarcely three days. Everything was new and fascinating to her; eyes wide, lips parted, she was constantly distracted by the wares of goldsmiths and silk merchants. Naturally I bore this with my customary good humor. Ramses kept wandering off, as was his habit; like his father, he had acquaintances everywhere, and I had become resigned to seeing him greeted familiarly by pickpockets, beggars and sellers of forged antiquities.
    Our last stop was at Paschal and Company in the Ezbekiyeh, where I was able to obtain a number of the household articles Emerson had overlooked.
    Glancing first at my list, which was still far from complete, and then at the sun, I concluded we had done enough for one day, and led my entourage back to the hotel.
    A great splashing and a burst of unmelodious song from the bath chamber informed me that Emerson had already returned. I was tidying myself when he joined me in our room, and I was pleased to see that he was in an excellent humor. His first act was to demand that I thank him properly for his kindness, which I did, but the sound of voices in the adjoining sitting room forced me to put an end to that.
    "The children must be ready," I said. "How astonishing. I told them to meet us for tea in fifteen minutes, but I never expected Ramses would be so prompt. Hurry, Emerson; here, let me tie your cravat. Where is your hat?"
    "I won't wear a cursed hat," Emerson said calmly. "What news from our friends, Peabody? Have you arranged your dinner party?"
    "I did not look to see if any messages had been delivered, Emerson, but I will do so now."
    There were no letters or notes on the table, and when I looked for the suffragi I did not find him at his post. Concluding that he must be attending to the needs of some other guest, I led the party downstairs. Several messages awaited us at the desk; after collecting them we went to the terrace and selected a table.
    I must say we made a handsome group. Emerson's imposing form always attracts attention, especially from the ladies. Nefret's white frock was in the latest mode, with a high net collar and long close-fitting sleeves. Her hair flowed down her back in waves of red gold, and the hat tipped over one eye was of fine white straw trimmed with silk bows and flowers. Ramses was looking remarkably smart. I had observed signs of dandyism of late; he was, however, in that uncomfortable intermediate stage between child and man, when a boy may be transformed all at once from a proper young gentleman to a grubby urchin. All the more reason, I thought, to appreciate the young gentleman. I gave him an approving smile.
    He was not looking at me. He was watching Nefret, who demanded