Page 27 of Sands of Sirocco
But he’d proven himself beyond reasonable doubt.Why would Osborne think otherwise?
Lord Helton remained inscrutable in his expression but watched her closely.
Not commenting on the matter seemed wise.“I understand, Mr.Osborne.”
Osborne cleared his throat.“Shall we go on, then?I don’t want to keep you in suspense.”He looked to Lord Helton.
Lord Helton leaned forward.“Lady Virginia, were you aware that your late father had obtained an oil concession from one of the local Arabian warlords?”
She raised her brows.Her father had spoken about oil and the importance it held to the motivation for the British Empire’s presence in this region.“An oil concession?What would that entail?”
“Typically, it’s a contract between a landowner and an investor, giving permission to drill,” Osborne said, amiably.“Both parties split the profits at a certain percentage.Unfortunately, the details about your father’s concession are unknown, other than that Ibn Saud appears to have granted it.We can’t find any record or paperwork for it.”
She held back a laugh.His attempt to educate her about a concession was both charming and patronizing, as though she didn’t understand that part of it.She’d been in Egypt long enough to hear the wordconcessionused, both for digging archeological sites and for oil exploration.“I know what a concession is, Mr.Osborne.I wondered about the details of the concession in question.You need the paperwork?”
“Precisely,” Osborne said.“Ibn Saud and your father would have come up with a written agreement as to the concession—what area it covered and the terms, both financial and legal.With the agreement, we may see about doing oil exploration.As it stands, without the paperwork, the concession does no one any good.”
In a typically impatient fashion, Lord Helton sighed.“The details are unimportant.As your father most likely obtained the concession under the auspices of representing His Majesty’s government, he was not under any authority to get one to add to his own personal wealth.”
Annoyance made the muscles in her shoulders bunch.Lord Helton said it as a fact but how could he know?The government would assume her father had obtained the concession illegally.Knowing her father, he’d likely been looking for a way to recover the fortune he’d lost.“Isn’t this a rather trivial thing for the government to waste their time with?Aren’t there more consequential matters to tend to besides hunting down and seizing the property of a dead man?”
Osborne barked with laughter and then stilled it.He glanced at Lord Helton, as though to assure himself that his surprised reaction hadn’t been inappropriate.Lord Helton didn’t so much as twitch.
Sobering, Osborne said, “It’s a complex issue, Lady Virginia.We must think of our interests beyond this war.And oil could very well determine the outcome of the war itself.Our enemies are exhausting their resources.Think of what it might mean if Germany or the Ottomans find a fresh supply of oil—it might change the tide of the war.You could have a hand in preventing that from happening by helping us.”
She stared at him evenly.He implied it was her patriotic duty.“Has oil been found in Ibn Saud’s lands?”
“We don’t know.But it’s likely the land shows promise.I doubt your father would have arranged for a concession otherwise.”Lord Helton stood and faced the window in the office, staring out at the busy street.“And our enemies know of it.They also know of the concession paperwork and that the agreement is in question with the death of your father.They may attempt to see what they can do about obtaining their own concession.”
“From Ibn Saud?”Ginger asked.She was finding it difficult to follow Lord Helton’s logic—and not just because he was being vague.The geopolitics of the region were cloaked with intrigue and conflicts between the locals that went back for centuries.
Lord Helton continued to face away from her, as though it pained him to have to answer her questions.“The more likely course of action is that they would attempt to strengthen Ibn Rashid’s forces against the Saud and obtain a concession from Rashid.”
Ginger’s gaze bore into the back of Lord Helton’s head.Facing her as he spoke to her was the minimum courtesy.As though I’m not worthy of such a conversation.She’d made it a point to study and was determined to prove she understood him.“Of course.Because Ibn Rashid declared himself loyal to the Ottomans.”
Osborne lifted a brow, clearly surprised she knew anything.
Ginger put on a pleasant smile.“These are interesting speculations, Lord Helton.But if there’s no known oil in that region, and the concession is nowhere to be found, and even if it is found, the government intends to seize it—I don’t know what this has to do with me.Why ask me to be involved at all?”
“We’d like you to find the concession if you can.If you are successful, we will bestow a ten percent private stake in the concession for your family.”Osborne settled his weight against the back of his chair.
A ten percent stake?Ginger’s jaw dropped.If the concession produced oil, that could mean untold wealth for her family.“I—” She frowned.“That’s generous.Unless the concession wasn’t obtained illegally.In which case it belongs to my family.”
Osborne smiled easily.“Well, I’d say that’s even more motivation to find the paperwork.If your father did nothing illegal, it would be in your family’s best interest to prove it.You won’t be able to do so without the agreement.”
He has a point.“The logical first step would be to ask my mother about this.”
“We have.She claims to know nothing of it.”Lord Helton still didn’t turn around from the window.
Claims to.His doubt was clear enough.When had they talked to her mother?“And you think I’ll have more success?”
“Hopefully.”Mr.Osborne looked apologetic at Lord Helton’s rudeness.“Besides which, we’re offering you significantly more motivation to learn what happened to the paperwork—and find it for us, if you can.”
Ginger raised her chin.“You have men in your office dedicated to this sort of thing, don’t you?Wouldn’t it be easier to ask them?”
Osborne rubbed the bridge of his nose.“We’ve made little headway in discovering anything.And your father’s most trusted associates seem to go mute when we approach them.We’re hoping they might be more congenial to his daughter.”
“You were also at home prior to your father’s death.You might investigate his activities during those last days.”Lord Helton’s voice was flat.
