“I was with Jack in Jerusalem”—Noah’s voice was strained—“when Stephen surrendered.We escaped and ended up in a tribal encampment outside of the city.Then we were attacked, and I lost consciousness.When I awoke, Stephen had tied me to a camel.He forced me at gunpoint to take him back to the British side.But Jack…” He swallowed.“Jack was left behind.Stephen claimed the Turks executed him.”
She gripped his forearm to steady herself.“No, not Jack.”Her eyes darted to Noah’s face.Could he really be gone?She loved Noah’s American friend nearly as much as Noah did.He’d been a loyal friend and the only one who’d taken the time to console her after she and Noah had parted last spring.Then he’d been sent off for intelligence work, and she hadn’t heard from him since.
“I don’t believe he’s dead.Stephen had every reason to lie to me.If he hadn’t pulled a gun on me, I would have gone back, and he knew it.”
The idea of Noah heading back into the front lines of the Turkish occupation brought a sick feeling to her gut, but didn’t surprise her.Noah would never leave Jack captured.“Are you planning to go back, then?”
Noah’s pupils were large in the dark.“Yes.”
She swallowed a lump in her throat.She’d known of the danger he faced, but not always so concretely.“When?”
“As soon as I can arrange it.”Distant laughter sounded in the park.Perhaps patrons of the theater or the nearby opera house getting out from a picture show or production.“But I’m sure Stephen is playing some larger game.I can’t tell you more because I don’t know more.But you needed to know that he’s returned, especially now that you’re in Cairo.”
She didn’t want to think about Stephen being back.
But the attack in the garden tonight … She shivered.Could he have had something to do with it?
Ginger’s eyes were drawn to his wound.Even though he could go to a hospital easily enough, she didn’t want to send him off with a wound, not when it was her fault that he’d received it.“Are you certain you won’t allow me to treat this?If you’re planning on heading back to the front, the last thing you’ll want is an infection.”
“I’m certain I want you to treat it.But taking you back to my room after Victoria’s little stunt would be foolish.All it would take is one person who recognizes you to do irreparable damage.”Noah kissed her temple, his lips hovering above her skin so that his breath was warm against her.“Were it up to me, I wouldn’t let you go back tonight, particularly not when your mother is threatening to marry you off.”
Ginger rolled her eyes.“I’ve already told her it’s not a possibility, but I think she’s hoping she can prevail upon me.”
“Is that why you’ve removed the ring I gave you?”
Noah was too astute not to notice a significant detail like that.She rubbed the bare spot on her finger.“I didn’t want anyone asking questions, to be honest.My mother and Lucy won’t be happy when I tell them we plan to marry.”Or Lord Helton.“And my promise to Lord Helton to stay away from you—I know he’s watching you.If he knows we spoke tonight it will just be one more instance to infuriate him.”
“Leave him to me.I’ll speak to him about the matter.Disabuse him of the notion that it’s your fault.”Noah curled his good arm around her, pressing her in against him.
“But your arm—”
“Leave the damned thing.I’ll be fine.”He set his chin on the top of her head.“At any rate, I suppose you’re right about your family.Especially if your mother hopes a marriage to the new earl can settle the inheritance issues that arose when Henry died.Speaking of inheritance—did your father ever mention Ibn Saud?”
Her lips parted in surprise.What did Noah know of this?
She’d intended to tell him about Peter Osborne but hadn’t expected for him to bring up the issue first.“Yes, but not for many years.He went on some sort of diplomatic mission to Hayil to meet Ibn Rashid and ended up staying with Ibn Saud instead.I don’t know the details.”
He had a thoughtful look in his eyes.“That’s not surprising.Ibn Rashid and Ibn Saud are enemy leaders of different tribes in Arabia.Ibn Rashid declared his loyalty to the Ottomans early in the war.”
She closed her eyes, relishing the warmth of his closeness, the comfort of his heartbeat against her ear.Certain she knew where he was going with this line of thought, she asked, “Does this have to do with the oil concession granted to my father?”
Silence ensued.Then, after a few beats, Noah nodded.“Who told you about it?”
“As it so happened, around the time they dismissed me from nursing, one of Sir Reginald Wingate’s men approached me about a job.A delicate matter, he said—”
“Who?”Noah’s voice was flat.
Naturally, he’d want to know.Chances were he even knew Osborne.“A man named Peter Osborne.Do you know him?”
“Osborne?”Noah’s face scrunched as he considered the name.“I can’t say I do.”
“He offered me passage for my sister and mother out of Egypt when I’m through with the job he has for me.And to pay for my medical school.And a position working as the assistant to a female surgeon here in Cairo.”
“It sounds as though he knew just how to bait you into the game.”Noah flexed his arm, the only sign he’d given of the pain he must be in.“What was the job?”
She told him, a nervous feeling creeping up her spine as she spoke.Though there was no one around to listen, she couldn’t help feeling watched.Especially after the incident with the Egyptian man.
Noah listened without a visible response.When she’d finished, his blue eyes scanned hers.“And you agreed to do it?”
