Rick and Evy were in their room, packing for another trip to Egypt.
“So where is it exactly we are going?” asked Rick
“It’s a tomb, supposedly of an Egyptian prince. Here,” she passed Rick an opened book, “this is where I read about it. Apparently there are a number of scrolls buried with him that should give us more insight into life at the time. He was quite the scholar so the scrolls should be very interesting.”
“Evy, Evy, promise me you will not read them aloud. You know what happened last time”
“Oh, Rick! They’re only scrolls!” Evy laughed.
“Yes, and it was ‘only a book’ and ‘only an oasis’ and you know what happened last time, twice. Just don’t bring anyone back from the dead now.” Rick told her.
“I won’t, I promise”
“Good,” Rick said as he took her in his arms, “’Cause,” he said, then kissing her on the lips, “I’ve had enough of mummies and curses and anything else like that.” They stood together.
“Rick, we really must get done.”
“Yeah. So Alex is still staying with your aunt?” Rick asked.
“Yes, I know he really wants to come but there is his schoolwork to think of. Aunt Beatrice will look after him well.”
“And what about this pair of twins who are coming with us. Some friends of your parents.”
“No, their parents were friends of my parents. They are the youngest children of Lord Roderick Mackenzie-Watson, we’ve met him a few times; he’s a rather renowned Egyptologist. Charles and Josephine, the twins, are 20yrs old, they’re doing Egyptology at Oxford, Charles has already made an impression, I understand he’s something of a genius. I met them a few times when they were younger, she was a pretty little thing, always smiling whereas he was quite the opposite, I remember him being very serious, especially for someone young.”
“So they’re coming with us because…”
“Lord Roderick was supposed to go on an expedition of his own but Lady Mackenzie-Watson hasn’t been well so he doesn’t want to leave her. However he wants the twins to have more experience in the field, so he asked me if they could come with us and I said yes,” Evy smiled at Rick, “I knew you wouldn’t mind, darling. And Jonathan’s coming of course.”
“Hmm. Just as long as I get the chance to be with you. Alone.” He looked down at his wife.
“Oh yes. I’m sure that if we ask Jonathan very nicely he’ll entertain them for us. And there will be no Alex to look after”
“Hmm, I’m looking forward to it already,” Rick said, moving with Evy towards the bed, “How much packing is there left to do?”
Evy smile at her husband, “Ooh, not that much I’m sure it can wait…Ah doorbell, we’ll have to go, it will be the Mackenzie-Watson’s.
Rick and Evy went down the stairs, down into the hall of Carnahan Manor. The room was decorated with objects and artefacts from both modern and ancient Egypt, many of which had been collected by Evelyn and Jonathan’s mother and father. There was also a collection of family heirlooms that had been pasted down the generations of the Carnahan family. Alex also came out of the library.
Jonathan opened the door to reveal a handsome well-built man in his early sixties with a man and woman, both looking to be around 20. The woman was very beautiful, with long dark curls and laughing brown eyes and a big smile, she was small and slimly built. The man was obviously the brother of the woman; he had the same dark curls and brown eyes and was also small (no more than 5’4”) with the same slim build but he looked much more serious.
“Lord Roderick!” greeted Jonathan.
“Jonathan Carnahan, you get more like your father every time,” his lordship said back, he had a noticeable Scottish accent, “and Evelyn, thank you for allowing the twins to come with you. Josephine, Charles, this is Dr. Evelyn O’Connell, her brother Jonathan and I presume this is Mr O’Connell?”
“Yes, I’m am Rick O’Connell, this is our son Alex. He won’t be coming with us though, he has school, so he’s staying with Evy’s aunt.”
“Ah, the lovely Beatrice! My brother had his eye on her once, but she refused him, can’t blame her, James is an absolute fool. How is she?” Lord Roderick asked.
“She’s fine, looking forward to having Alex about. How is Lady Henriette?” asked Evy.
“She’s getting better, it’s not often she is ill, the last time she was confined to bed like this was when the twins were born,” he answered. He looked around and suddenly remembered the presence of his son and daughter. “Oh, I am sorry, I’ve just realised; this is Charles,” he pulled his son towards them, “and this is Josephine,” doing the same with his daughter, he introduced them. “Now, I am sorry if I appear rude but I must go, I have a rather important meeting to attend. Be good you two, especially you, Josie. Goodbye all.”
“Bye, Daddy,” Josie grinned at her father, he hugged her and turned to his son and hands on the tops of his arms, “Charlie,” “Goodbye, Father” his son said.
Jonathan showed out Lord Roderick, he waved goodbye as he went through the front door.
As soon as her father left Josie moved over to where Jonathan was stood, and smiled at him. Jonathan smiled back, he has found himself quite smitten with her ever since her arrival and he rather hoped that the feeling was returned.
“Are you coming too?” Josephine asked him, she smiled at him, “I hope you are,” ‘Gosh, I’m not usually this forward,’ she thought.
“Yes, I’m am, Miss Mackenzie-Watson,” Jonathan replied.
“Call me Josie,” she said.
“Josie then,” Jonathan said, ‘God, she’s beautiful.’
Evy watched the exchange between her brother and Josie, she also noticed Charles was watching the conversation and he didn’t look happy about it.
“Shall I show you to your rooms,” she asked, “Dinner will in about an hour”
She led them upstairs and showed them to their rooms.
Before he went into his room, Charles turned to her,
“Thank you for letting us come, I appreciate it,” he smiled at her briefly, and Evy smiled back.
~*~
After they had eaten they sat and talked for a while.
“What do you intend to do after you’ve finished your degree, Charles,” Evy asked.
“Please, call me Charlie. I’m going to do my PhD, the probably follow in my father’s footsteps, become an Egyptologist,” he answered.
“Have you been on many expeditions before”
“Not really, Father wouldn’t let me, he said I wasn’t strong enough. He was afraid it would make me ill.” He said.
“Oh. What about you, Josie?”
“I could have done but I wanted to stay with Charlie, plus Mother was never really fond of us going when we were young, she felt that the desert wasn’t a good place for a child.”
Evy nodded, and passed a book over to where they were sitting, “There is a chapter in here with gives a good background, there’s only one copy though, I’m afraid”
“Doesn’t matter,” said Josie, “I’ll get Charlie to read it then tell me about it. He’s good at doing that.”
They sat for a while enjoying each others company. Presently Josie and Charlie stood up.
“We’re going to bed now, we don’t want to be too tired for tomorrow. Goodnight.” Josie said, and went towards the door.
Charlie followed her, “Goodnight everyone and thank you again,” he said, then followed his sister.
“He doesn’t say much,” Rick commented.
“Probably shy, Lord Roderick did say he was. He’s very serious though; he rarely seems to smile. The total opposite of Josie in that respect” Evy said. She then looked at her brother, his eyes still on the door Josie had departed through.
“She’s certainly got an admirer,” Evy laughed, “Jonathan, are you there? Wakey, wakey.” She laughed again as Jonathan turned towards her.
“Hmm,” he said, his mind elsewhere, “Evy, dear, I think I could be in love.”