Page 74 of Sands of Sirocco
“A picnic for the nurses?”William gave an amused look.“War life in Cairo is much more adventurous than at home.Camel rides in the Sahara, the pyramids by moonlight, plus all the delightful places we saw in Alexandria.And nurses and officers everywhere at these sights.”
Ginger drew a calming breath and sipped the cool water again.“Many of the nurses and soldiers who have been ordered here never would have been able to travel to places like these in their lifetimes, let alone have the access that they do.Besides”—she set her glass down with a bit more force than she intended—“we all need some distraction from the horrors faced daily.”
William sobered.“Quite right.I apologize.I didn’t mean to suggest the war has been pleasant here.”
She shouldn’t have displaced her anger onto William, but she couldn’t help it.She was still seething from her conversation with Osborne.
“Well, I for one would love to go back to England.”Lucy slathered cream on a scone.A dry smudge of crumbs beaded on her lips.
“If I might ask, why didn’t you return earlier?”William directed his question to her mother.He shifted in his seat, and his knee bumped against Ginger’s.
Ginger said nothing.His knee brushed against hers again and her breath stilled.Was he being flirtatious?
She shifted her leg back, to leave more space between them.
Her mother’s lips pressed together as she considered William’s question.She lifted the porcelain teacup in front of her.“When Edmund was first ordered to Egypt, officers and diplomats were encouraged to bring their wives and families.Soon there was an influx of wives here, which made for quite the social scene—but then the disastrous campaign at the Dardanelles began and the practice was outlawed, in part because of the many troops stationed here.But those of us who were already here were forbidden to leave.”
“Because of the danger to passenger liners afterLusitania?” William asked with interest.
“In part.The navy has enough trouble keeping their vessels and hospital ships safe, let alone passenger liners.”Her mother gave him a taut smile, her gaze traveling to the street vendors who passed in front of Groppi’s.
“Oh, William, dearest,” her mother said, “there’s a vendor over there with head scarves.Can you and Lucy pick one out for me?I’d like to have one for our trip to Gezira this afternoon.”
“Of course, Lady Braddock.”William scrambled to his feet, setting his serviette down.
“You’re going to Gezira Island?”Ginger hadn’t heard of her family’s plans, and she felt oddly disappointed.Not only to not have been included but because she would have enjoyed going with them on the outing.She ran her fingers along the soft folds of the serviette in her lap.
“Isn’t it marvelous?All the best neighborhoods are in Gezira.”Lucy beamed at William.“And then tomorrow we have dinner at the palace.”She took his arm as they left the table together.
Maybe William really was growing on her younger sister.
“Dinner at the palace?”Ginger raised a brow.Only a few weeks down in Cairo, William was already settling in well.
“You’re invited too, of course.The new sultan issued an invitation for all society members weeks ago.I didn’t think at the time you would be available.”Her mother’s face sobered.She looked Ginger directly in the eye.“What happened with that man who was following you?”
Her mother’s astuteness was unsurprising to her by now.Ginger poured herself a cup of tea, and the steam rose toward her face.“I work for Mr.Osborne.”The aromatic scent of the tea leaves comforted her.“He’s not the nicest man.”
“Work for him … how?”
Ginger kept her gaze down, knowing her mother wouldn’t like the answer.“In intelligence.Trying to find the concession.That’s why I came to Cairo.”
“Oh, Ginger.”Her mother bit her lip.“You know what we went through with your father.”
“Only too well, Mama, and unfortunately, that’s why they approached me.”
Her mother paled.“Have you made any progress on the matter?”
Ginger lowered her voice, aware of the proximity of neighboring café patrons.“Not much.I stopped in to see Mr.Brandeis.He told me of the various properties father had throughout Egypt and in Malta?”
Her mother looked anxiously out toward the street, as though to make certain William and Lucy were still occupied.“The properties are in your name.Brandeis thought it best for us to wait to sell them until William had arrived and we’d settled the estate completely.”
“But why in Malta?”Ginger’s eyes wandered through the sea of uniforms present at Groppi’s.How often had she come here with other QAs, like Beatrice?She missed those simpler times.
“Your father helped round up the Egyptian nationalists that were exiled and imprisoned on Malta after the beginning of the war.He was in Malta so often, he ended up purchasing a home to stay in.”
“Father helped to round up the nationalists?”She hadn’t ever heard him speak of it.Once again she felt as though he had hidden so much from her.How well had she really known her father?
“He rather disliked the task.”Her mother wrinkled her nose.“But your father disliked many things he was assigned to do over the years.”She shook her head, clearing the memories away like cobwebs in her mind.“At any rate, I take it Mr.Brandeis was of no more use to you than he was to me?”
