Seb couldn’t bring himself to look at Emma. He felt angry, angrier than he’d ever felt before. Not at her, but at the danger he’d placed her in. If he was any kind of gentleman he would have refused to bring her on this foolhardy trip, he would have insisted she stay safe in Cairo, attending dinners and dances and visiting the new Museum of Antiquities. Instead here she was, trussed up and the prisoner of some very dangerous men.
Seb didn’t know what the bandits were planning on doing with them, but he doubted it would be anything good. If they left them alive both Seb and Emma would be able to identify them, and that was dangerous. It would be much easier to kill them out here in the desert, bury the bodies and have the world assume they’d got lost in a sandstorm and died of dehydration or exposure.
‘Sebastian,’ Emma whispered.
He turned to face her and saw the tears running down her cheeks.
‘It’ll all work out,’ he said gruffly.
‘I’m so sorry.’
He looked at her and realised she was crying because she thought he was angry with her.
He had to admit he did feel a bit hurt she’d assumed that he’d taken off with her scroll, that he’d made love to her then abandoned her in the cold light of day.
Seb knew Emma had an issue with trust—she had good reason to, she’d been hurt before and just assumed it would happen again—but he had hoped she would have started to trust him over the last few weeks. He had hoped she would not assume the worst.
‘You were gone and I couldn’t find the scroll and I didn’t know what to think.’
‘So you assumed I’d stolen it and left you alone in the middle of the desert?’ Seb regretted the words as soon as they were out of his mouth. He didn’t want to make Emma feel any worse than she already did. What he really wanted was to put his arms around her and tell her that everything would turn out well. But he couldn’t do that. Unfortunately his hands were tied securely and even worse he didn’t know they were going to be all right.
‘I’m sorry,’ Emma whispered again.
‘Don’t apologise,’ Seb said. ‘I should never have left you alone.’
He cursed his decision for the hundredth time. It was pure pride that had made him leave Emma sleeping in the camp whilst he tried to lure their pursuers away. At the time he had told himself that he hadn’t wanted to worry her, but the truth was much less noble. He had wanted to be the big hero, Emma’s protector, to draw away the bandits and be back triumphant before Emma was even awake. Look where that pride had got them now.
‘It was stupid and reckless and if anything happens to you I’ll never forgive myself.’
‘I’m sorry. I should have...’ Emma started again.
Seb shuffled a little closer to her, keeping one eye on the bandits who were engrossed in studying the scroll.
‘Don’t apologise,’ he repeated. ‘This whole thing is my fault.’
‘Why didn’t you tell me you were leaving?’
Seb smiled ruefully. ‘I thought I’d be the hero and lead our pursuers away whilst you were sleeping and be back before you awoke.’
‘So you were going to come back?’ Emma asked, her voice small.
Seb saw all the years of hurt and rejection on her face. Freddie had destroyed much of her confidence and now he’d nearly ruined the remaining shreds. He hoped the damage wasn’t irreversible.
‘For the last few hours I’ve thought of nothing but you. I wanted to be back beside you with all my heart. Did you not see my note?’
Emma looked at him searchingly and Seb felt as if she were looking into his soul. Finally she shook her head.
‘I left it right in front of you.’
‘There was no note, Sebastian.’
Seb shook his head as he realised the note must have become dislodged and blown away in the gentle desert breeze.
‘I promise you I was going to come back.’
Emma looked him directly in the eye then nodded. She believed him.
‘So what went wrong?’ she asked.
‘They were much closer than I realised. I thought I’d be able to set a false trail for them, then double back to our camp before it got light.’
‘How did you know they were following us?’ Emma asked, as if this had just occurred to her.
‘Someone’s been following us since we left Cairo. When the boys were with us it was easier to keep watch. Since they left for Luxor it’s been more difficult.’
‘Why didn’t you tell me?’
‘I didn’t want to worry you.’ And he’d had this stupid notion of being her protector.
‘You see the man holding the scroll? Their leader?’ Emma asked. ‘He ransacked my room at the Fitzgeralds’ whilst I was staying there.’
Seb felt his mouth open with surprise.
‘You knew you could be in danger?’
Emma shrugged. ‘I never thought anyone would go to this length to get their hands on the scroll.’
Seb shifted slightly and watched the four men squatting on the ground. They were talking animatedly and gesturing wildly. All four men seemed very excited by what they saw.
‘What are we going to do?’ Emma asked.
Seb didn’t answer for a minute or two.
‘We need to escape,’ he said eventually.
‘With the scroll,’ Emma prompted.
He frowned at her. ‘The most important thing is that you get away safely. I do not give a damn about that scroll. I’d trade one hundred scrolls for your safety.’
He saw her start to smile and wanted to reach out and shake her.
‘I’m serious, Emma. You must promise me if an opportunity arises you’ll run. Without the scroll and without me if needs be.’
He saw the colour drain from her cheeks.
‘Not without you,’ she said.
‘I’m not planning on getting killed, but you are my priority here. If there is a chance you can escape without me then you have to take it.’
She shook her head stubbornly. ‘I’m not leaving you behind.’
‘Please, Emma.’ Seb could hear the desperation in his voice.
She shook her head again. ‘We will escape and we will escape together.’
Seb was about to continue the argument when the leader of the bandits stood and started to walk towards them.
‘Quiet,’ he barked.
Both Seb and Emma closed their mouths firmly, but Seb sidled even closer to Emma’s side. He wasn’t sure what he could do tied up quite so tightly, but if this criminal even looked at Emma in the wrong way he would attack him with everything he had.
‘The scroll is very beautiful,’ the bandit said, directing his words at Emma. ‘Just as I had been led to believe.’
Seb saw Emma frown beside him but thankfully she bit her tongue and didn’t utter a word.
‘It is good to have such a valuable treasure back in our family.’
‘What?’ Emma asked sharply.
‘How do you think your father came into possession of this piece of our heritage?’ The bandit was smiling now, obviously trying to goad Emma.
Seb sensed her stiffen beside him and wished he could reach out a hand to try and calm her down.
‘I don’t know what you are suggesting but my father was an honourable man.’
The bandit shook his head slowly, clearly enjoying taunting Emma.
‘An honourable man wouldn’t have taken such a valuable artefact from our country.’
‘If he was the rightful owner he could do whatever he liked with it. Your family shouldn’t have been so careless as to lose it in the first place.’
Seb felt the muscles in his legs tense as his body got ready to attack. He could see anger lurking just behind the bandit’s smile. A few more inflammatory words from Emma and who knew what he would do?
‘My grandfather lost the scroll in a wager,’ the bandit spat. ‘An unfair wager that your father should never have agreed to.’
‘You can’t blame my father for your grandfather’s unwise betting actions.’ Emma was almost laughing, seemingly unaware of the danger she was putting herself in.
‘An honourable man would have refused the wager if he already knew the outcome.’
The bandit crouched down so he was level with Emma.
‘Why don’t we have a little wager now?’ he asked, his eyes glinting maliciously.
Seb wished he could do something to intervene. He hated feeling so helpless. Every fibre in his body wanted to launch itself at the bandit and batter him into the ground, but he knew with his hands tied as they were he had no chance of beating four able-bodied men. He might succeed in knocking one or two to the ground, but he knew before he could do any more he’d have a sword through his gut and then Emma would be truly alone.
‘I wager that you won’t escape this desert alive.’
Seb watched as all the blood drained from Emma’s face. He wondered if she would swoon, but he saw her rally herself, set her shoulders and tilt her chin ever so slightly upwards.
‘And if you win?’ she asked.
The bandit laughed, as did his three companions. Seb started to feel sick to his stomach.
‘If you can escape by nightfall tomorrow night then you win your life. If you don’t...’ he left the sentence trailing for a few seconds ‘...then you’ll be begging me to kill you when the time comes.’
Seb felt Emma lean against him and he knew she realised the implications of the bandit’s words.
‘So if we escape by tomorrow night you’ll let us live, you won’t pursue us?’ Emma asked.
Seb could have kissed her. She was so brave and strong, much braver and stronger than she gave herself credit for.
He saw the momentary frown cross the bandit’s face. He’d obviously wanted to scare her more.
The bandit nodded curtly.
‘Deal,’ she said.
After a few seconds the bandit snorted.
‘This is not a wager I will let you win, Miss Knight.’