The Cairo Brief by Fiona Veitch Smith

Author:Fiona Veitch Smith
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781782642503
Publisher: Lion Hudson

CHAPTER 17

Breakfast the next morning was a very subdued affair. Grimes was in attendance and told each guest as they arrived that Lady Ursula sent her apologies but would not be coming down. No one was told that they were expected to leave, but it was assumed. It was announced that the Winterton Rolls Royce would run anyone to the station who didn’t have their own transport. It would be leaving at ten o’clock.

Poppy accepted a poached egg from Grimes, wondering how on earth she could now question him about the maze and the boat house. No doubt behind the professional facade was a man devastated by the recent death of his employer. His coal-dark eyes were fixed and staring at a point beyond Poppy when she thanked him for the egg and retreated to join her colleagues at the table.

“Morning Rollo. Morning Daniel.”

“Morning Poppy,” they muttered in unison. Delilah, Marjorie, and Yasmin soon joined them. The two German men had already eaten and were having coffee and cigarettes, while the Americans, Giles Mortimer, and Howard Carter were still eating. Faizal Osman arrived and said that Miss El Farouk would not be having breakfast and was busy packing. There was no sign of Fox Flinton, Albert Carnaby nor the two Courier journalists.

“I think Lionel and Harry left last night – after the doctor and the mortuary van left. I heard their motor,” said Daniel.

“It would have been heavy going in the snow,” said Rollo. “It didn’t stop falling until well after midnight.”

Poppy didn’t ask why Rollo had been up well after midnight. She too had lain awake well into the early hours going over the events of the evening.

The general consensus was that Sir James had died of a heart attack. After the hysterical Lady Ursula was helped from the room by Fox Flinton and Marjorie Reynolds, Grimes used the cloth that had covered the Nefertiti mask as a temporary shroud and laid it over his employer’s livid face. Then, with a remarkable sense of decorum, suggested the guests leave the drawing room. Drinks, he said, would be served in the dining room. Poppy followed the crowd into the dining room and accepted a glass of sherry to steady her nerves. Conversation was stilted. It would be impolite to talk about anything other than Sir James, but there wasn’t much that could be said other than “shocking”, “dreadful”, and “tragic”. Poppy did catch Howard Carter whispering to Dr Mortimer, however, that a decision still needed to be made about the mask, and Mortimer had whispered in reply that he’d make enquiries about it when it was polite to do so.

Fox Flinton returned from helping his cousin to her room. He said her maid and Mrs Reynolds would be sitting with her until the doctor arrived. Then he confirmed what Poppy already knew: Sir James had a weak heart and had been taking medication for it for a few years. That was one of the main reasons he had stopped going to archaeological digs.

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