Captain Carter took a step backwards, and the light flooding from the open doorway fell across his face. A handsome face, a roguish speck of beard, a mane of brown hair - it was indeed him, in the flesh.
He? Here?
How could he be here? He said he was going to…
Oh.
Of course! A memory of his words during our last conversation flashed through my mind.
‘We’ve had reports of a series of vicious attacks on traders in one of the eastern protectorates. There’s pressure on the Admiralty and the Commander-in-Chief to get quick results. The navy has already dispatched several vessels, and if they can’t root the bandits out from sea, we’ll probably be sent in.’
I stared at him in stunned realization. Of all the countries in the world he could have been talking about, it had to be this one! And I already had a good idea who had perpetrated those ‘vicious attacks’ he had mentioned. Talk about coincidence. Bloody hell!
The surprise must have shown on my face. But if I was surprised, it was nothing compared to the utter incredulity in his tone when he next spoke.
‘Miss… Linton? Miss Lilly Linton?’
I gave him a smile I hoped was casual and relaxed. It probably wasn’t. ‘The one and only.’
‘What in the name of all that is holy are you doing here?’
Looking from left to right, I desperately wrecked my brain for something to say. ‘I, um… went out for a walk.’
His eyebrows, already quite high up, hastily climbed another few dozen rungs on the ladder of his face. ‘From London to Alexandria?’
‘No, of course not! I came here by ship! On my ho-’ I bit down on my tongue just in time. Blast! I had just been about to tell him I was here on my honeymoon! That might lead to slightly awkward results, seeing as he knew perfectly well I wasn’t married and that my last name wasn’t Mrs Thomson. ‘I, um… I’m here on a holiday.’
Quickly, I hid the hand with the wedding ring behind my back.
‘Here?’ Captain Carter looked around at the dark, dingy alleyway. Most windows and doorways were as black as pitch. The few that betrayed some sign of life echoed with raucous laughter, or the sound of fighting. Finally, his eyes settled on the doorway behind me, throu
gh which, I knew, the forms of half-naked women had to be perfectly visible. ‘An, um… interesting spot for a young lady to spend her holiday.’
I rolled my eyes. ‘Not here in this place, obviously. I mean I’m here in Egypt on holiday.’
‘Oh. I see.’ He still didn’t seem very reassured. ‘You’re here all alone?’
No, of course not. I’m here with a chauvinistic businessman who is forcing me to pretend to be his wife so he can take his time finding and slaughtering a few dozen bandits.
‘No, of course not. I’m staying at the Hotel Luxor, with my grandmother,’ I lied. It seemed believable. There were plenty of old ladies back at the hotel, here in Egypt to cure their rheumatism or something. I could only hope to God Captain Carter would never come to the hotel and find out the truth.
‘The Hotel Luxor?’ He took another look around. ‘That’s quite a long way away from here, isn’t it?’
I shrugged. ‘Like I said, I went for a walk, and I must have lost my way a bit.’
‘I’d say!’
My chin lifted. Enough with this inquisition! It was time to go on the offensive.
‘Since we’re on the subject, Captain, what are you doing here?’
The captain bit his lip. ‘I’m not really supposed to say…’
I gave him my most charming smile, and even went so far as to bat my eyelashes. ‘Oh, Captain! You know you can trust me, don’t you?’
There were a few more seconds of hesitation - then Captain Carter released his lip with a sigh. ‘Bloody hell! You’re a dangerous woman, do you know that?’
‘Yes.’