Page 93 of Sands of Sirocco
Victoria?
She was the last person Ginger had expected to see, given her recent ordeal.Ginger’s fingers tightened on the stem of her glass.Whatever the woman had been through, she didn’t seem to suffer as much as Noah had suggested the day before.In fact, she was smiling and laughing with some of her friends.
Lucy caught the direction of her stare.They’d tiptoed carefully around the topic of Victoria and the social losses that Lucy attributed to Ginger in the last few weeks.Ginger hadn’t even really heard Lucy carry on about Angelica Fisher, as though Lucy was slowly growing more comfortable in society without an older, more experienced socialite to cling to.
“Ginger?”Her mother’s voice broke into her thoughts.She gestured toward William expectantly.“I think William asked you something.”
Ginger blinked, trying to remember what William had asked.Oh, yes, go outside.Her brows furrowed as she looked from her mother to William.They had only been in the stateroom for about ten minutes.What was the urgent need?“We’ve just arrived—”
“Ginger, go with William.”Her mother gave her a stern look.
What was her mother playing at?
Lucy looked suddenly somber.
Ginger gave Lucy a sweet smile.“Lucy, would you like to come with us?”
Lucy lifted her gaze sharply.Her dark eyes seemed unusually bright.“I don’t think that would be the best idea.”
Oh, no …
William cleared his throat.“Actually, Ginger, I really must speak to you.Forgive me if I wasn’t clearer.It’s regarding something that came up in our last discussion.”
Ginger groaned inwardly.And he couldn’t have done this at the house?Still, maybe something had come up in his confession to her family.She sipped her champagne.“In that case, to outside it is.”
Ginger gave her mother a parting, questioning glance and made her way toward the back of the room with William.They proceeded out to a well-lit courtyard, then down a set of stairs onto the dusty path lit with flaming torches staked into the ground at intervals.
The grounds were lacking in gardens.Irritation tickled the back of her throat, and she’d been grinding her teeth while they walked.After downing a few more swallows of champagne, she discarded the empty glass to a passing servant.
They didn’t appear to be the only guests who had come outside from the overly-crowded stateroom.Several ladies and gentlemen gathered in small groups, smoking or conversing together.
“I see you’ve regained full usage of your arm,” Ginger said.
William bowed his head.“You can’t know how much I regret lying to you, dear cousin.To all of you.I spoke with Lucy and your mother about it first thing this morning and made my apologies.”
The moon was nearly full, illuminating the surrounding area.A few tall palms in the courtyard stood silhouetted against the inky sky awash with stars.She thought of her wedding to Noah, the warmth of the Egyptian night.
She shouldn’t have come into the courtyard with William.
“Impersonating a serviceman is disgraceful, William.But pretending to be a cripple?After the work that I’ve done as a nurse, that’s a little harder for me to forgive.You don’t know what these men have suffered.”Ginger bristled, realizing she was more frustrated with his deception than she’d had time to think about.
William stopped, clasping his hands behind his back.He ensured they were sufficiently alone, and asked, “Then you don’t forgive me?”
She sighed with a bit too much exasperation.“It’s not about forgiveness.I can forgive you easily enough.But if you lied about something like that, how do I know what else you’ll lie about?”
William reached for her hands and took them in his own.“Allow me to make my apologies another way, then.Do me the honor of being my wife.”
He can’t be serious.“William!”She pulled her hands away, her own wedding ring seeming to weigh more noticeably than before.
“I want to assure you—I discussed it all thoroughly with your mother.I know your love for the medical world has your heart, but, I can promise you, I would take no issue with you continuing your studies if you wanted to in England.I must admit, I had the impression that you were in love with someone else, until your mother disabused me of the notion.And I can’t tell you how much relief that brought me.”
William reached for her, a hopeful smile hinting at his lips.
My mother did what?
Before she could answer, a servant carrying a tray of champagne glasses came waltzing by.He thrust the tray between them.“Marhaba.”
The servant lifted his head, meeting her gaze.His dark-blue eyes fringed with long dark lashes scrutinized her.Her heart gave a jolt.Noah!
