by Ruth Hay
The entire effect was breathtaking and the pose she adopted as she waited for her seat to be pulled out for her, signalled clearly to the two women that she was well aware of the stunning effect she created.
The man who followed in her wake, seated himself on her right side beside Alina with Philip on her left side and Anna next to him. Nigel was between Anna and Alina. Anna smiled to herself at the bemused expression on Nigel’s face as he confronted the vision settling herself opposite him and it was a moment or two before she had the chance to focus on the lady’s husband.
A shock of recognition raced through her like a bolt of lightning.
Her breath stopped.
Alina’s assertion in the Luxor Museum echoed in her mind.
“I tell you, it was Richard!”
Here he was sitting across the table in this spectacular dining room. It had been years since she had last seen him. There was more grey in his hair and eyebrows, of course, and he was heavier of face, but it was her ex-husband without a doubt and she was trapped here with no way to escape.
Anna was temporarily distracted as Philip stood to perform the introductions.
“Madame Nefer al-Sayyid and Mr. Richard Mason, may I present my sister Anna Mason and her friend Alina Barlow from Canada, and also my colleague Nigel Ogilvy.
Her worst fears were confirmed.
Richard did not connect the name with that of his first wife until he heard a gasp from the woman beside him at the table. Alina was looking frantically at Anna and then back at him in a manner even he could recognize as astonishment. At the same moment, the principal private secretary to the Egyptian ambassador to Canada also registered the name of Anna Mason and immediately knew who the attractive older woman across from her was.
There was a second or two of tense silence that was shared by all except Philip and Nigel, then compliments and conversation resumed to cover the gap. There was no mistaking the social bomb that had dropped onto the table, however. No one attempted to diffuse that bomb by taking responsibility for lightening the atmosphere and commenting on the unusual coincidence that had occurred.
Anna was transfixed by shock. Alina had resorted to gazing at the silverware. Richard was dabbing at his hands with a pocket handkerchief and his wife was glaring at Anna with kohl-lined, dark eyes that resembled black pits.
The breath rushed back into Anna’s lungs as the paralysis abated. In its place a wave of unexpected and powerful emotion engulfed her.
It was anger; pure unadulterated rage from a place inside her she had not known existed until now. Anger at Richard consumed her as if all the hurts and disappointments of their marriage coalesced into one burning spot in her chest.
Where had this emotion come from so suddenly? Could one quick look at her ex-husband produce this torrent of feelings? She could not remember anything this powerful happening before. Even in the grim weeks after the divorce was finalized, Anna’s state of mind was one of self-blame and depression, never anger at this level.
Could it be that this emotion had been suppressed for all these years, to emerge now that her life was finally back on an even keel again?
The feeling of rage burned itself out as quickly as it had come, leaving a flush on her face.
In the seconds it had taken to register and release her torrent of feelings, Anna had been unaware of what was happening around the table.
She came back to the present in the midst of a conversation among Philip, Nigel and Madame al-Sayyid about Egypt’s current political situation.
“Do not use the term Arab Spring.” she insisted. “What is happening here is a revolution against three generations of incompetent police and family-mafia rule. Yes, there is sectarian strife and it will take time for the new government structures to settle into their power but, make no mistake, Egypt has broken free from oppression and we will define ourselves and shape our own national policies in the future.”
Philip summoned up a reply to her impassioned statements.
“These are extraordinary times for Egypt. You must be excited to be here at this moment.”
She responded in a calmer tone. “I am always happy to return to my roots and to my home in Luxor, but this year it is especially significant.”
She made the tiniest motion of her finger towards her left shoulder and a sommelier appeared to hear her request. “Let us share a toast to the new Egypt.”
The sparkling wine frothed into crystal glasses as if summoned by a genie as she proclaimed “Egypt!” and raised her glass high.
Everyone sipped the champagne while around them other diners politely applauded her passionate toast.
After this moment of public attention, she cleverly switched to her guests’ interests.
“Please tell me how your building project is progressing. I am very interested in the new technologies you plan to incorporate.”
Nigel proudly recounted the latest developments at the site with water purification systems and solar panels in place. Philip responded with updates on the projected completion schedule and cautioned that these were provisional at this point.
It was clear to the remaining three at the table that their role was to be listeners and not participants. Anna watched the exchanges between the men and Madame al-Sayyid and tried to figure out how Richard had met and married such a powerful woman. In the days of her own marriage, Richard had been anything but the passive partner she saw before her now. Whenever Anna had tried to assert herself by objecting to one of his unilateral decisions, his reactions were loud and uncompromising. She could not imagine his current wife accepting that kind of verbal bullying.
Waiters had removed the delicate charger plates and substituted salad plates which were filled with selections of green and bean salad dishes spiced with beetroot. Anna noted it was French service and knew the meal would be superlative but possibly lengthy. It was a relief to focus on her plate and not to have to look at Richard. Whenever she did glance his way, he seemed to be watching her intently.
Nigel had now embarked on an account of his family background. Anna’s attention was alerted by this topic. She wondered what he might say about his Scottish relatives. A trickle of anxiety began to affect Anna’s heart rate but she calmed herself by remembering that she was the only person who knew about the connection to Helen Dunlop and it was highly unlikely that Nigel would mention that name here.
“Yes, my father inherited the business from his mother, a grand old lady called Rachel Fraser, although it was a well-established firm a generation before that.”
“Did you live in a fine Scottish castle, Nigel, and that prompted your interest in architecture?”
Anna was surprised to hear a flirtatious note in the cultured voice of Madame al-Sayyid. Nigel’s good looks must be having an effect on her also, she thought.
“Ah, no, I’m afraid not. There was an elegant family house near Stirling Castle at one period but a mysterious loss of money resulted in a move to the countryside and that’s where my interest in buildings was nurtured.”
“I see. Most families have a mystery of one kind or another, I believe, Nigel.”
Anna and Philip exchanged glances. Their family was a case in point and only Anna knew how much information she could have added to Nigel’s family mystery.
Two more courses had come and gone before Madame al-Sayyid’s attention turned to her women guests.
“I understand you two ladies are business people also? What are your business interests?”
Alina responded before Anna could reply. She could sense Anna’s tension in her clenched hands and stiff posture and wished to spare her the ordeal of social conversation, under the present circumstances.
“Our company is named A Plus, which, of course, denotes excellence. We have many internet clientele on both sides of the Atlantic and we supply a wide variety of knitted, crochet and special-order goods to discerning women.”
Richard’s wife watched Anna during Alina’s promo. She had wished to hear her
husband’s former wife speak, but Alina was clearly determined to avoid this.
“I see. Would you have any interest in expanding your business in Egypt?”
“I........” Alina turned to consult Anna about her reply and received a nod of her head giving her permission to say whatever she wished. “We have not given that idea any consideration so far, but I have recently purchased here, some beautiful fabrics that might be incorporated into new designs.”
“I am pleased to hear this. You may have read about a government initiative being broached in Canada to initiate visas specifically for entrepreneurs. This would allow those with new ideas to be granted access to Canada to establish and promote technologies or manufacturing skills that are not currently in production. I would be pleased to act as an intermediary should you and your partner decide to pursue this idea. There are many expert weavers and designers here in Egypt who could help you in such an enterprise.”
Alina was not the only person at the table to be surprised by this offer.
“That is very generous of you,” she replied. “My partner and I will give your suggestion our most careful consideration. Thank you, Madame al-Sayyid.”
Two more courses were presented and removed. The superb quality of the meal was now the focus of the discussion.
Anna was beginning to feel she had been transported back to the nightmare that had begun her day. All she wanted was to escape from the dining room and talk the whole series of strange events over with Alina, but it seemed as if she was trapped in her chair with no hope of escape as the meal went on and on.
Increasingly, she could see a resemblance between Richard’s imperious wife and the Sekhmet judge in her dream. The silent Richard was akin to the prosecutor and the loquacious Nigel, who was now carrying the bulk of the dinner conversation, was her defense lawyer.
Anna shook her head and wiped her mouth with her napkin to dispel the ridiculous images she was superimposing on her dinner companions.
She looked up to see coffee and sweets being placed on the table. Surely that indicated the meal was almost at an end?
Neither she nor Richard had contributed anything to the general conversation and their silence was starting to become embarrassing. Anna could see Philip’s questioning gaze on her whenever she glanced his way. There were going to be explanations required of her soon.
Then their hostess made an unexpected request that seemed to signal the conclusion of the evening.
“Perhaps I could arrange a special tour for you tomorrow, if you wish? I can have tickets messengered to your hotel in the morning. Afterwards I would be delighted to welcome you to my home in Luxor for refreshments. We have a charming garden.”
Spending more time with Richard’s new wife was about the last thing Anna wanted, but she could hardly refuse such an openhanded offer. This important woman was responsible for the superior accommodations she and Alina had enjoyed on their trip. It would be churlish to refuse and might have repercussions for Philip.
She quickly cleared her throat and managed to utter a ‘thank you’ together with Alina, whose voice was able to express a more sincere gratitude.
At last they escaped down the circular stairs. The idea of Cinderella fleeing at midnight did not seem too far removed from Anna’s feelings as she held onto the white balustrade for balance. She felt as if days had passed since she climbed up these stairs.
There were still tomorrow’s events to get through, she thought. What would it feel like to be in a home shared by Richard and his brilliant new wife?
How on earth would she cope?
Chapter Twenty-Two
Anna and Alina had little sleep during the night after the dinner at The Winter Palace.
They prepared for bed then sat talking about the extraordinary coincidence of meeting Richard Mason in Luxor.
“And what about his wife!” Alina exclaimed. “She is a force to be reckoned with, all right.
I could not believe her outfit. It must have been worth thousands.”
“Look, Alina! I have to say how much I am indebted to you for representing us so well tonight. I just couldn’t cope with the situation. Richard’s wife must have wondered why he had ever married such a strange, mute woman.”
“I could see how overwhelmed you were, Anna. Don’t worry about it. We’ll devise a strategy for tomorrow so you can demonstrate what an astute businesswoman you really are.”
“I also owe an explanation to Philip,” Anna continued, “I can’t imagine what he must have thought about me during that endless meal.”
“Well, he wasn’t exactly a fount of information himself. I could have kissed Nigel for being totally unaware of the tension around him. He kept the conversation going for the rest of us.
Did you notice how attentive to Nigel the Madame was?”
“Now, Alina, don’t start anything in that department. He is a young, attractive guy who was trying to be pleasant and I think she appreciated it.”
“Well, I didn’t appreciate the looks she was giving you. I think she was jealous.”
“What! Jealous of me? You must be joking! I could not compete with that lady, now, or ever in my past life. Even on my best day.”
Laughter spewed out of them and it released the worst of the evening’s tensions.
Speculation about the tickets to arrive in the morning took up another hour when they should have been recovering their energy in sleep.
Finally, Alina could not keep her eyes open any longer and she slid down under the light covers.
Anna’s thoughts were still tumbling around in her brain. She could hear the wind outside the balcony swirling leaves around as if it was patterned on her own restless feelings and emotions.
Her last waking thought was concern about the day to come.
A gentle tap on the door woke Alina. She stretched and crept out of bed, noticing the beginning of daylight in the room.
A young woman in hotel uniform wearing a head-covering scarf, presented an embossed note to Alina after apologizing for disturbing her.
She smiled and murmured ‘afwan’, a word she had learned from Anna that seemed to mean “no problem”, then she closed the door quietly and went into the washroom to read the note.
A car and driver will meet you at the hotel entrance and take you to the tomb of Nefertari in the Valley of the Queens.
Tickets have been purchased and you may stay for one half hour.
The driver will bring you to my home afterward.
* * *
The note was signed with the elaborate signature of Nefer al-Sayyid and stamped with a time frame in the early afternoon. Alina was pleased she did not need to waken Anna just yet.
She had the feeling that the day’s events might be better faced when Anna had a decent night’s sleep under her belt.
* * *
They decided to have breakfast beneath the trees on the terrace since they had missed their relaxing nightly ritual there on the previous evening. Anna was astonished to see the note Alina presented.
“But Nefertari’s tomb is the most expensive and most difficult to schedule in the whole west bank area! You can usually get about ten minutes in there and these tickets are like hen’s teeth they’re so rare. How did she do it so quickly?”
“I have no idea. I guess Canadian government officials still have some influence in Egypt even with the change in organizations.”
“If we have to be there for this time slot we had better be ready well ahead to allow the driver to get us to the Valley on time.”
“Do not worry, Anna. I have checked that out on the big map in the hotel foyer. There is a bridge south of here that crosses the Nile so we won’t have to wait for a ferry.”
“That’s a relief! Well done, you!”
“No problem! I mean ‘afwan’. I have a question only you can answer, oh guru of the trip. What does this word ‘nefer’ mean? It is obviously significant.”
“Now that I do happen to know, Alina. It will not surpr
ise you to find out that ‘nefer’ means beautiful.”
“Aha! So Ramses the Great’s chief wife was so beautiful and beloved she was awarded a temple of her own at Abu Simbel as well as this exceptional tomb here in Luxor.”
“Yes. And the lady we met last night surely deserves the name also.”
“You are more charitable than I am, Anna. The more I think about that Nefer, the more dangerous I think she is.”
“She can’t harm us, and you must admit she has been extremely kind to us.”
“Huh! I will reserve my opinion on that once today is over. Now pour me some more of that divine orange juice.”
* * *
The trip across the Nile went very smoothly in a large private car with a chauffeur who was not mean with the air conditioning. The journey took them far from other tombs in the Valley of the Queens. They would never have found it on their own.
Anna and Alina stepped out of the car right at the entrance to Nefertari’s tomb. Two people awaited them. The first was an armed tourist guard, and the second was an Egyptologist guide who would introduce them to this exceptional treasure, one which neither woman had expected to see.
A sense of anticipation accompanied the trio as they descended the twenty steps to the tomb entrance. The female guide pointed out that the stairs had a raised, smooth, centre section which was designed to allow the queen’s sarcophagus to be slid down safely to its final destination.
The first impression on entering the tomb caused the two women to gasp out loud.
Mostly this was the result of the incredible artistry of the brilliantly-painted walls but also by the fact that the air inside was pure, cooled and dry, unlike any other temple or tomb they had encountered before.
The expert’s explanation was that this small tomb had not been subjected to the flash flooding that had affected other tombs in the valleys. It rained rarely in Egypt but when it did, it was heavy and damaging, as the tomb entrances were now open and exposed to the rain.