Light of a Nile Moon: A Sweet Victorian Romance (Love’s Journey Book 2) by K. Lyn Smith

Author:K. Lyn Smith [Smith, K. Lyn]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-08-31T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Heavens! Was that what she’d been missing? The poets’ ink and paper had not been wasted after all. Helen could still feel the press of Mr. Evelyn’s warm hand along her spine. She lifted a shaky hand and gingerly touched her lips. They burned with a feverish tingle, and even her hair felt electrified, as if she’d come too close to one of Edmund’s experiments.

But far more important than the delicious sensations Mr. Evelyn’s lips had wrought was the relief she felt to have the truth. Mr. Evelyn was not a smuggler of artifacts, nor did he make a habit of robbing museums.

While she couldn’t deny the excitement of their encounter behind the Egyptian Saloon, the knowledge that he was simply a man concerned for his sister was welcome, and her tension eased along with her uncertainties about his character.

He spoke, his words dim as if coming to her through water. “Tell me about the Pharaoh’s Trinity.”

The Pharaoh’s Trinity… right. Her pulse thrummed a rapid beat, this time for purely academic reasons. No one would ever believe she’d beheld such a legendary piece. It belonged in a museum where it could be studied, not hidden in Mr. Evelyn’s watch, although she understood his need for secrecy and security. His sister’s very life depended on it.

She recalled his earlier question: Would you fault a man for doing what he must to protect his own? She pressed her lips against a niggling sense of shame. She’d been so rigid in her argument when the truth of the matter was simple: she and Mr. Evelyn weren’t so very different in this regard, as she’d do whatever was needed to protect a member of her own family. Perhaps she would do well to seek more understanding. To extend more empathy.

He motioned to the saddle and they settled back in their places. He leaned close enough that she caught whiffs of his sandalwood scent as she shared the legend of the Trinity.

“The texts tell of a powerful amulet coveted by pharaohs and alchemists alike. It’s comprised of three pieces,” she said. “A scarab beetle’s body and two jeweled wings that can be attached to either side.”

“I suspected as much from the holes,” he said.

“Professor Tyndale believes the Order of Osiris may have uncovered one of the wings in a market in Nubia, although it’s not a fact that’s widely known. He’s been invited to consult on the authenticity of their find, and I myself have seen obscure references to the Trinity in some newly unearthed texts.”

He turned the amulet in his fingers with a frown. “But I’ve seen countless artifacts like this scarab. How can this piece be any different?”

“The Trinity is special,” Helen said with a smile. “It’s said that when it’s fully assembled, the etchings on the back provide an alchemist’s recipe.”

“A recipe? To turn lead into gold or some such nonsense?”

“It’s not nonsense to those who believe, but this recipe doesn’t promise to create wealth. It provides direction for an immortality elixir.

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