The Curse of the Kings by Victoria Holt

Author:Victoria Holt [Holt, Victoria]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, Romance, General, Suspense
ISBN: 9780613095501
Publisher: Turtleback Books
Published: 1999-10-01T01:50:47+00:00

“I’m afraid that’s impossible,” I said. “Plans are going ahead. They couldn’t be altered now.”

“Must be,” said Mustapha.

“I am sure Sir Tybalt would not agree with you.”

“It is death, there. There is a curse …”

Of course, I thought, they would be very superstitious.

I said: “Have you spoken to Sir Tybalt?”

They shook their heads in unison. “No use. No use to speak to his great father. No use. So he die. The Curse comes to him and it will come to others.”

“It’s a legend,” I said, “nothing more. All will be well. Sir Tybalt will make sure of that.”

Absalam came to me and stood before me. The palms of his hands were together, his eyes raised. “My lady, must speak. My lady is the new wife. A husband listens to his beloved.”

“It would be impossible,” I said.

“It is death … death.”

“It is good of you to be so concerned,” I said, “but there is nothing I can do.”

They looked at me with great sorrowing eyes and shook their heads mournfully.

I slipped through to the bedroom. Naturally, I told myself again, they would be superstitious.

That night as we lay in bed I said to Tybalt: “The Egyptians spoke to me today. They are very frightened.”

“Frightened of what?”

“What they call the Curse. They believe that if we go to Egypt there will be disaster.”

“If they feel that they must stay behind.”

“They asked me to speak to you. They said a husband loves his beloved and would listen.”

He laughed.

“I told them it was futile.”

“They are very superstitious.”

“Sometimes I’m a little frightened.”

“You, Judith?”

I clung to him.

“Only because of you,” I assured him. “What if what happened to your father should happen to you?”

“Why should it?”

“What if there is something in this Curse?”

“My dear Judith you don’t believe that.”

“If anyone else was leading this expedition I would laugh the idea to scorn. But this is you.”

He laughed in the darkness.

“My dear Judith,” he said.

And that was all.

I was longing for the days to pass. What dark ones they were before Christmas. There was a great deal of rain and the fir trees glistened and dripped; the soft-scented southwest wind blew through the trees and moaned outside the windows. Whenever I saw the Egyptians their eyes seemed to be fixed on me, half sorrowfully, half hopefully. I saw Nanny Tester but only in the presence of Tabitha for she kept mainly to her own apartments and only rarely emerged.

Theodosia and Evan came to stay at Keverall Court for Christmas, and Tybalt and I and Sabina and Oliver were invited for Christmas Eve. Hadrian was there too; he was going to stay until we left for Egypt.

It had long been a custom to sing carols in the Keverall Court ballroom on Christmas Eve and many of the people from the neighborhood joined the company. Oliver officiated as the Reverend James Osmond used to and it was a very impressive occasion for there was a torchlight procession from the church to Keverall.

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