Chapter 32
Chapter Thirty-Two
A TRUE HERO . . .
Hattie returned to her room to get changed. She’d arranged to meet Gerald in the foyer and, after stopping to have a conversation with Sue in the lounge, made her way down the stairs, where she found him standing by the reception desk.
‘I love your bird-patterned shirt,’ Hattie said as she joined him. ‘The colours look wonderful on you.’
‘Anouska hated it,’ Gerald replied. ‘She said I looked like an obese garish parrot.’
‘What nonsense – I think it suits you.’
‘But you outshine me,’ Gerald said with a smile. ‘Your outfit is lovely.’
Hattie wore a long, floaty kaftan in rainbow colours, offset with a wide-brimmed straw hat. Her toes, painted pearly pink, peeped out from glittery sandals, and she carried her sequined tote over one arm.
‘Well, we will be gloriously garish together,’ she said cheerfully as they set off.
They disembarked from the boat into the sunshine, then began walking along the Corniche.
‘Where shall we go?’ Hattie asked as she stopped to buy a bookmark from a young boy.
‘I thought we might go to the Winter Palace and have coffee or a drink in the gardens.’
‘That sounds perfect.’
Set behind the hotel’s Victorian facade and only a short walk away, the gardens were a lush oasis, with wide, manicured lawns and shaded pathways lined with date palms and flowering shrubs.
Sweet, heady-smelling hibiscus, bougainvillaea, and fragrant jasmine bordered gravel paths that wound through the greenery.
‘Oh, look!’ Hattie pointed to a large, cage-like structure where several peacocks strutted. She remembered the peacocks that roamed freely in the garden at Jo’s country hotel.
‘Why are they caged?’ she asked Gerald.
‘Probably for their own safety,’ he said, ‘to prevent them from wandering into the city.’
They passed a pigeonnier and paused to ask a gardener its significance.
He explained that the wooden tower, painted white and dotted with dozens of tiny round openings, provided a nesting place and home for pigeons that were raised for food and droppings. The droppings were much prized as fertiliser.
‘They don’t prize the pigeons as highly in Trafalgar Square,’ Hattie remarked, as they wandered to a seated area, shaded with parasols, surrounding a vast swimming pool.
Gerald pulled out a chair, and Hattie sat down.
Sitting beside her, he asked her what she’d like to drink.
‘My favourite is a G and T.’
‘My favourite too.’
‘Now tell me,’ Hattie said, watching several swimmers glide up and down the pool. ‘How are things with Anouska?’
‘She’s gone.’
‘Gone?’
‘Yes,’ Gerald said with a weary shrug. ‘I heard a lot of banging about on her side of the suite in the early hours, followed by a rather dramatic slamming of the outer door just before breakfast.’
‘My goodness . . .’
‘When I went in, I saw she’d cleared out all her things. Clothes, cases, and all.’
‘But where would she have gone?’
‘I’ve no idea,’ Gerald said. ‘Though I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s already at the airport, boarding a flight home to find the most formidable divorce solicitor my money can buy.’
‘I see.’
Gerald turned to face Hattie. ‘The other afternoon, I instructed my own solicitor to draw up an emergency will. It was emailed to the boat, printed in the business centre, and independently witnessed by Sue and Sam.’
‘Is that valid in England?’
‘Yes, perfectly valid,’ Gerald replied calmly. ‘Not that it matters now. I’m no longer worried about my sudden demise, with Anouska taking off, and I have a recording of her threats.’
‘But what will she do?’
‘Oh, I’ll settle a decent sum. She won’t be short of funds for a while unless she blows it all, and I am sure that my dear ex-wife will soon be husband-hunting again. Even though Peter didn’t turn out to be Mr Anouska Delusca the Fourth.’
A steward in a white jacket arrived with their drinks and placed them on the marble-topped table. Thanking him, Gerald took a sip. ‘I feel rather sorry for Peter, though.’
‘Oh, I wouldn’t be too sorry,’ Hattie said as she stirred a slice of lemon. ‘I have a feeling that Peter will be alright in time.’
Gerald raised an eyebrow. ‘You sound confident?’
‘Peter may think he’s fallen rather badly, but I think he’ll find a way of landing back on his feet.’
‘He did seem rather lost last night when his cover was blown, and Anouska stormed out.’
Hattie smiled. ‘Lost isn’t the same as finished.’
‘I hope you’re right. The man saved my life, and although he’s far too modest to admit it, he’s a hero.’
‘He is.’ Hattie nodded. ‘A true hero.’
Time seemed suspended beneath the tall palms that circled the pool, the fronds leaning lazily in the heat, creating shade from the fierce Egyptian sun. Hattie reached into her tote and produced a small battery-operated fan, offering it to Gerald to keep him cool.
As she handed it over, she told him how she once managed to catch the blades in her hair, an incident that ended with one half of her head having to be shaved.
‘I thought it quite trendy at the time . . .’ Hattie giggled ‘. . . though I probably looked a bit of a twit.’
‘I doubt it, I suspect you carried it off beautifully,’ he said.
Beside them, a couple in Bermuda shorts, wearing matching baseball hats, discussed their morning visit to the temples while an Indian woman walked by, comparing cruise itineraries with her friend.
Hattie watched a swimmer move slowly across the pool before stopping to lean on the side, to talk to a guest beneath a parasol.
‘It’s another world out here. Isn’t it lovely to just sit and watch everything go by,’ she said, swirling the lemon in her drink before taking the last sip.
‘I think it’s the company,’ Gerald said. ‘Sally and I could sit people-watching and chatting for hours. It was something that never quite happened with Anouska.’
‘I know exactly what you mean. Hugo and I liked nothing better than to put the world to rights while life carried on around us.’
Gerald ordered another round of drinks, and Hattie asked him about Sally. She learned that they’d met when they were still in their teens.
‘We were married before either of us turned twenty-one,’ he said with a fond smile, and spoke of the business he’d built with Sally at his side, and of their daughter Judith, in whom he took great pride.
‘You’ll like her,’ he added. ‘Judith’s a hardworking woman.
She chairs a children’s charity and insists on ringing me several times a week to see that I’m behaving myself. ’
‘And are you?’
‘Sadly, yes, though the calls used to annoy Anouska. They never got on.’
Hattie wasn’t surprised when Gerald explained that Judith had always suspected Anouska was only interested in the material advantage the marriage gave her.
‘But what about you?’ Gerald asked, ‘You’ve led an interesting life?’
‘I have. I’ve been very lucky.’
Hattie told Gerald that she, too, had married young, though things hadn’t worked out.
Still, she’d been blessed with two sons and now grandchildren.
The years working in her friend Jo’s hotels had been some of her happiest. ‘I’ve had a wonderful life and enjoy getting older.
Age has a way of stripping away the nonsense and leaving only the good bits. ’
Gerald laughed. ‘I hope I’m one of the good bits?’
‘The icing on my cake.’
Hattie leaned in and kissed him.
Gerald settled back in his chair, still smiling. ‘How easily we seem to get on, having known each other for such a short time.’
‘I think that might be because over the years, life experience teaches you what really matters.’ Hattie paused. ‘You learn to recognise when something feels right.’
‘Since Sally died and despite my blip with Anouska, you feel right to me,’ Gerald said quietly.
‘We’re all entitled to a blip.’ Hattie grinned. ‘Don’t be hard on yourself.’
‘Have you seen everything you wanted to see during the trip?’ he asked.
‘The only thing missing on my Nile bucket list now is the balloon flight, which I’ve booked.’
‘You’re brave. I opted out on the first day, when I saw the height of the basket.’
‘It would be a shame not to experience it,’ she reasoned, ‘and if I can do it, surely you can too?’
‘You’re right, I’ll get it booked as well.’ Gerald smiled. ‘I know that we said we’d take things one step at a time, but could we meet soon after we get home? Perhaps I could come and see you.’
‘I’d like that.’
‘I could meet Alf and Drake.’
‘They might put you off.’
‘That is, of course, if you’re not sleuthing?’
‘Who knows what will have dropped into my inbox while I’ve been away,’ Hattie replied. ‘But I’ll be open for business again very soon.’
‘It all sounds intriguing.’
‘For me, the trick to getting older,’ Hattie said, ‘is to keep busy and stay curious. Never stop learning or trying something new while you still can.’
‘Like a balloon flight?’
‘Exactly.’
The afternoon passed pleasantly, and after snacking on a shared meze plate of hummus, olives, warm pita bread and a roasted aubergine dip, they finished their drinks, and Gerald settled the bill.
He offered Hattie his arm, and as they wandered through the hushed coolness of the hotel, Hattie marvelled once again at the faded colonial grandness, imagining how Agatha must have seen it.
She could almost hear the chatter of archaeologists and diplomats discussing the latest discoveries in the Valley of the Kings and see the swirling skirts and parasols of passengers preparing to set off on a felucca sail.
What a time to have experienced Luxor!
Back in the sunshine, they walked back to the boat, surrounded on the Corniche once more by vendors calling eagerly after them, their arms laden with trinkets, postcards and scarves. Gerald chose a cerise-coloured shawl, saying the colour was perfect for Hattie.
‘It will match my nose,’ she joked as the vendor slipped it into a bag and thrust it into her hands. ‘At least the redness has faded a little. Yesterday I could have guided ships down the Nile with it.’
Boarding, they walked through the reception area of five boats before reaching the SS Nefertari, and as they climbed the stairs, Sylvie came hurrying out of the lounge.
‘Hattie!’ she yelled. ‘I won the Toughest Quiz of the Cruise.’
Behind his mother, Ezra carried a large stuffed donkey, its soft grey fur and long floppy ears bobbing as he moved.
‘Oh, no . . .’ Hattie whispered to Gerald.
‘This is Donald,’ Sylvie said excitedly, lifting the donkey from Ezra’s arms. ‘And I want you to have him.’
‘Really, Sylvie, you’ve been kind enough already to . . .’
But Sylvie wasn’t to be deterred.
‘Honey, it’s the least I can do.’
Hattie looked to Gerald, who only chuckled.
‘Donald,’ he said with a smile. ‘Very Egyptian.’
‘Thank you,’ Hattie said, accepting the gift. ‘I don’t know what the other creatures crowding my room will make of Donald, but we’ll soon find out.’ She stroked the donkey’s nose and asked Sylvie, ‘Did you enjoy the museum?’
‘It was fabulous.’ Sylvie turned to Ezra. ‘Tell Hattie what you saw.’
Ezra described how he’d studied a glass case that held objects from the tomb of Tutankhamun.
‘There was this dagger,’ he began. ‘It had a gold handle, and Sam said King Tut would have used it for ceremonies.’ Ezra’s eyes lit up.
‘It was covered in tiny hieroglyphs, and I kept imagining him carrying it. It was awesome.’
‘That’s interesting.’
‘Yeah. It’s weird to think the dagger is thousands of years old and it’s just sitting in a museum while people like me stare at it.’ He looked thoughtful. ‘Makes you wonder what stories King Tut could tell if he could talk.’
‘No curses?’ Hattie smiled.
‘No, I think King Tut would be too busy being dead to bother cursing anyone. Besides, Sam said most of the curse stuff was made up by newspaper reporters.’
‘I’m sure he’s right.’ Hattie nodded.
Changing the subject she said, ‘As it’s our last night, we should do something special. Why don’t we dine together in 1886 at the Winter Palace?’
‘That’s a great idea,’ Sylvie said eagerly. ‘I’d love to be able to tell Errol that Ezra and I ate somewhere so famous.’
Gerald nodded. ‘I’ve dined there before, and the food is excellent. Although the company was rather less agreeable than it will be this time,’ he added.
‘We must ask Peter to join us too,’ Hattie said.
‘Leave it to me,’ Gerald replied. ‘I’ll book the table and let Peter know. Does eight o’clock suit everyone?’
‘Perfect!’ Sylvie clapped her hands together.
Gerald excused himself and headed off towards reception to make the reservation.
Sylvie turned to Hattie. ‘I’d better go and get ready. I have a lot to do.’ She ran her fingers through her hair, staring down at her rumpled trousers.
‘Me too,’ Hattie said, hitching her tote higher on her shoulder and tightening her grip on Donald.
As Hattie made her way along the corridor to her suite, she slipped her keycard from her bag, before pausing at the door to swipe it.
‘There you go, Donald, meet Claude, Clement and Kitty.’ Hattie settled the donkey on the bed next to his fellow stuffed animals.
She was pleased that the others had liked her idea of dining in 1886 and now looked forward to the dinner. As Hattie set down her bag and made her way to the bathroom, she hummed happily to herself and wondered what the evening had in store for them all.