Medical Hints. Bathing in the Nile should not be rashly indulged in on account of the swift and dangerous undercurrents. A Turkish bath will be found delightful after a fatiguing day of sightseeing, but the bather must be very careful of draughts, and dress with due regard to the temperature out of doors. At all costs the traveller should guard against chill or cold, for the results are troublesome and annoying, and may be dangerous. Fever, diarrhoea and dysentery are generally the result of cold.
Cook’s Traveller’s Handbook to Egypt and the Sudan
Poppycock! thought Clara as she reviewed the health section in her Cook’s. Diarrhoea and dysentery are generally the result of bacterial or viral infection! Did they not consult a proper medical authority when they wrote this? And as for recommending opium … Clara felt a strongly worded letter to the publisher was in order, perhaps jointly penned by Dr Charlie Malone, but she would save that for her return to England. For now, she had a case to solve, and she needed her assistant to help her. She chuckled at the thought of Bella – a robust Geordie woman – succumbing to a mere chill. The author has obviously never been to Newcastle in the dead of winter …
So she was relieved, but not surprised, to hear that Bella was fighting fit and ready for breakfast. The two women sat at Clara’s favourite sunny table, aware of a more relaxed rapport with hotel staff now that Clara was no longer dining alone. Bella decided to treat her stomach gently and just have toast. But what she lacked in variety she made up for in quantity. Clara helped herself once again to the ‘exotic’ buffet, with fruit, yoghurt, cured meats and pastries, while both women shared a pot of English tea.
The Fitzgilbert family arrived soon afterwards. Clara had made a point, last evening, of seeking Lady Gertrude out at dinner to apologise once again for snubbing her hospitality at Mena House. She had also sent a handwritten note. The latter appeared to have done the trick as she received a short note in reply saying the apology had been accepted.
However, her son, Archie, did not appear mollified, and he pointedly walked past Clara and Bella without acknowledging them. The cousins, though, stopped for a brief chat.
‘Ah, Miss Vale,’ said Lily. ‘I see your maid has arrived.’
There was a sharp intake of breath from Bella. Clara tapped her ankle under the table in warning.
‘I do not have a maid, Miss Fitzgilbert. This is my assistant, Miss Bella Cuddy. Miss Cuddy, may I introduce Miss Elsie and Miss Lily Fitzgilbert. They are the nieces – by marriage – of a dear friend of my mother, Lady Gertrude Fitzgilbert.’
‘I’m very pleased to make your ladies’ acquaintance,’ said Bella, in her poshest voice, which was still distinctly Geordie.
Miss Lily giggled. Then Miss Elsie mockingly turned to Clara and asked: ‘With what does she assist you, pray tell?’
Bella stiffened. Another tap on the ankle from Clara, but it was too late. In the broadest Geordie accent imaginable, Bella declared: ‘It’s not lickin’ her shoes or wipin’ her arse, if that’s what yer thinkin’. Now had away. You’re spoilin’ me breakfast.’
Lily and Elsie gasped in unison. Elsie opened her mouth to speak, but before she could, Clara interjected. ‘I hope you have a lovely day, ladies.’ Then she turned to Bella and smiled. ‘More tea, Miss Cuddy?’
Bella smiled broadly in return. ‘Thank you, Miss Vale. I don’t mind if I do. And have a cup yerself while yer at it.’
‘Why thank you, Miss Cuddy.’
Lily and Elsie tutted their retreat.
Bella and Clara suppressed their mirth. ‘There’ll be hell to pay with their aunt now,’ muttered Clara.
‘I’m sorry, Miss Vale,’ said Bella. ‘But I couldn’t just say nowt.’
Clara nodded her understanding. ‘I know you couldn’t. And it did make me laugh. Oh, Bella, I’d never want you to wipe my arse!’
Bella burst out laughing. ‘Aye, and ain’t that a relief!’
Before the women could continue their conversation, they were approached by two gentlemen: Rudy Werner and Larry Winter.
‘Ladies! Don’t you both look fine this morning!’ said Larry, cheerily.
‘May we join you?’ asked Rudy, beaming appreciatively at Bella.
‘But of course!’ said Clara.
The men seated themselves and ordered coffee from the hovering waiter.
Larry addressed Bella. ‘I see, Miss Cuddy, it is only you and Herr Werner here, who have survived the plague of the Olympic! You’re obviously made of strong stuff.’
‘Not that strong, Lieutenant Winter. I was poorly for a day or two. Just not as bad as some of the others.’
‘Yes,’ said Larry. ‘I believe Petit, Stein and Miss Philpott are still green around the gills.’
‘And Dr Davies?’ asked Clara.
Rudy cleared his throat. ‘He has recovered too. However, he – well – he rarely comes down for breakfast.’
Bella gave Clara a knowing look. A hangover, thought Clara. She had seen him briefly last night in the hotel bar and he had been tossing them back in the company of Larry Winter. Larry, however, was all bright-eyed and bushytailed.
‘Breakfast!’ he announced. Then to Rudy. ‘Komm schon, Werner. Ich bin ausgehungert.’
The two men excused themselves and headed for the buffet. Clara teased Bella about colour returning to her cheeks the moment she saw Rudy. Bella retaliated by probing Clara about what happened on the flight to Cairo, noting there were quite a few nights and quite a few hotels on the way. Clara raised a playfully suggestive brow but would otherwise not be drawn.
On the men’s return, Clara observed, ‘You speak German, Lieutenant Winter.’
‘I do. My father’s name is actually Winter pronounced with a V. Just like in Werner. He changed it to Winter with a W when he moved to America. It is common practice to change surnames there. If Herr Werner here moved to America, he might very well change his name to Warner.’
‘Interesting,’ noted Clara. ‘Yet you joined the war on the side of the Allies rather than the Central Powers.’
Larry shrugged apologetically to Werner. ‘I did. America is my country. Although it took them a while, they eventually joined the war on the side of the Allies. I just got a head start. That doesn’t mean I don’t have the greatest respect for Germany. I certainly do. As does my father. In fact, Dr Stein and he knew each other in the old country. That’s how I was first introduced to him. I met Dr Davies and Professor Petit here in Cairo during the war, but of course,’ and he nodded another apology to Rudy, ‘the Germans were forced to leave Egypt at the time. It took a while for them to return after the peace. And then my father helped finance one of their first digs. Isn’t that correct, Werner?’
Rudy nodded. ‘It is. Your father is a very generous man. And he is helping to finance this one too. Without that, we Germans might not have had a look in.’
‘I’m glad to see you’re all working together again,’ said Clara, approvingly. ‘Like the League of Nations. When will you all be heading out to the new dig?’
‘When everyone is well again,’ said Larry, then picked up his knife and fork and started on his breakfast.
Clara nodded, thinking through her conversation yesterday with Daphne and which, if any, of the archaeologists might be involved in smuggling. However, there was something else that bothered her. Something she’d been wondering for a while. ‘Tell me, gentlemen, why is there is no British representative on your team? It seems an odd omission on such an international collaboration. Why is that?’
‘There was supposed to be,’ said Rudy, with a forkful of bacon poised above his plate. ‘James Farnsworth. You heard him mentioned, I think, at the Hancock. When Giles Mortimer was unable to bring up the sarcophagus, we expected Farnsworth instead. He was planning on coming with us. Not on the ship – he can’t abide sailing – so he was going to get the Orient Express. However …’ Rudy gestured around ‘… he doesn’t appear to be here. Unless you have seen him?’
‘I haven’t,’ said Clara. ‘And it’s a pity that there is no British representative.’ Then she took a sip of tea to give herself time to process everything she’d heard. Interesting. Very interesting.
Everyone fell silent for a while and ate their breakfast. As Clara and Bella had a head start, they finished first. They had a busy day ahead, Clara announced, and wished the gentlemen good morning.
‘Oh, Miss Vale,’ replied Larry, as he and Rudy stood to allow the ladies to leave. ‘You were asking yesterday to see the aerial photographs your uncle took. Would you still be interested to see them?’
‘I certainly would,’ said Clara.
Larry smiled. ‘Good. Then I shall get them. Shall we meet in the cocktail lounge this evening? Then I can show them to you.’
‘Yes, let’s do that.’
‘Good.’ He smiled. ‘I’ll look forward to that.’ And then he cocked his head, responding to a sudden thought. ‘Then perhaps you – and Miss Cuddy, of course – would grant me the honour of dining with me at a splendid Egyptian restaurant I know. There’ll be a belly dancer and local music.’ He gestured around him at the room full of pink-faced Europeans tucking into their bacon and eggs and chattering about their most recent guided tour to the pyramids. ‘This is not the real Egypt, ladies.’ And then he turned to his companion. ‘Werner, would you care to join us?’
Rudy nodded his approval. ‘I would be honoured if the ladies agree.’
Clara and Bella looked at one another and smiled simultaneously. ‘We do,’ said Bella on behalf of them both.