don’t like watching you walk—sprint—to danger.”
“I’m well trained by experience to handle this particular situation.”
“Can we compromise?” I asked. “We can both travel to whatever is the nearest town. You can go on to the site alone. If the person firing the shots is fixated on Benjamin, there’s no reason to think anyone else is in danger. I trust you to determine if that’s the case, and if it is, you can send for me.”
“And if it’s not?”
“I shall stay in town and content myself with reading,” I said.
“How can I possibly count on you to stay and wait for my message?”
“I’m reliability itself. I give you my word.”
He nodded. “All right. I’m willing to agree to that.”
I kissed him. “Thank you. You won’t regret it. Just think how tedious the trip would be without me.”
“I do rather like you on trains, although Benjamin said it’s not so far as to require that,” he said. “Regardless, there are several avenues I want to pursue here in town first.”
“Just don’t forget you agreed to take me,” I said, refilling his whiskey. “In the meantime, have you given any thought to taking up a swimming regimen? The Bosphorus is dangerous, and I can’t have you drowning when you lose our bet.”
“You’ve nothing to fear on that account.” His smile made every nerve in my body tingle. “I’m meeting with Abdül Hamit tomorrow afternoon.”
“You think he knows something?”
“We’re to be joined by the members of his palace spy network. He’s a paranoid man, our sultan—I’ve great hopes that at least one of his minions has seen something that can be of use to us.”
“So you’re trying to leap ahead of me?” I asked. “It won’t work, you know.”
“Do you know how to peel grapes, Emily? I’m told it’s hard work.”
“Is that so?” I gave him a quick kiss on each cheek. “Then I’m not sorry in the least I shall never have to learn how to do it.”
5 April 1892
Darnley House, Kent
My dear daughter,
I hope that you and your husband are enjoying fine health and learning to adjust to the many challenges of married life. Your father and I are exceedingly happy for you, despite your unorthodox and, frankly, unacceptable wedding.
What’s done is done, so I will say nothing further on the subject. Do not, however, expect the queen to offer the chapel at Windsor again. Your children will have to be baptized elsewhere.
On that subject, your friend Ivy has continued to prove a most agreeable houseguest, and I will confess to finding more pleasure in taking care of her during this time than I would have expected. I’ll be more than ready to do the same for you when the time arrives—and I hope you are not impeding your husband’s efforts to bring this about. A lady must graciously accept her duty.
Be careful of the food in Constantinople. I hear dreadful stories everywhere about it. Not to be trusted, these foreign locations.
I am, your most devoted mother,
C. Bromley
5
I woke before the sun, roused by the haunting and spiritually seductive voice coming from the nearest mosque. As the muezzin called the faithful to prayer, I lay, still and silent, absorbing the sound—at once comforting and eerie—as it trembled through my body. When it fell quiet, I stretched and reached for Colin, who was as eager as I to take full advantage of the myriad daily benefits of married life.
The time passed quickly, and too soon we were up and dressed, both of us headed for appointments. I’d applied to Perestu, the valide sultan, asking that I be allowed to come to the harem and begin interviewing Abdül Hamit’s concubines, in particular Roxelana, who had discovered Ceyden’s body. Although I knew well the dangers of assumption—of following baseless instinct—I could not help conjuring up any number of romantic scenarios surrounding the girl, namesake of the most famous—infamous—of harem women. In the sixteenth century, a stunning and
“I’m well trained by experience to handle this particular situation.”
“Can we compromise?” I asked. “We can both travel to whatever is the nearest town. You can go on to the site alone. If the person firing the shots is fixated on Benjamin, there’s no reason to think anyone else is in danger. I trust you to determine if that’s the case, and if it is, you can send for me.”
“And if it’s not?”
“I shall stay in town and content myself with reading,” I said.
“How can I possibly count on you to stay and wait for my message?”
“I’m reliability itself. I give you my word.”
He nodded. “All right. I’m willing to agree to that.”
I kissed him. “Thank you. You won’t regret it. Just think how tedious the trip would be without me.”
“I do rather like you on trains, although Benjamin said it’s not so far as to require that,” he said. “Regardless, there are several avenues I want to pursue here in town first.”
“Just don’t forget you agreed to take me,” I said, refilling his whiskey. “In the meantime, have you given any thought to taking up a swimming regimen? The Bosphorus is dangerous, and I can’t have you drowning when you lose our bet.”
“You’ve nothing to fear on that account.” His smile made every nerve in my body tingle. “I’m meeting with Abdül Hamit tomorrow afternoon.”
“You think he knows something?”
“We’re to be joined by the members of his palace spy network. He’s a paranoid man, our sultan—I’ve great hopes that at least one of his minions has seen something that can be of use to us.”
“So you’re trying to leap ahead of me?” I asked. “It won’t work, you know.”
“Do you know how to peel grapes, Emily? I’m told it’s hard work.”
“Is that so?” I gave him a quick kiss on each cheek. “Then I’m not sorry in the least I shall never have to learn how to do it.”
5 April 1892
Darnley House, Kent
My dear daughter,
I hope that you and your husband are enjoying fine health and learning to adjust to the many challenges of married life. Your father and I are exceedingly happy for you, despite your unorthodox and, frankly, unacceptable wedding.
What’s done is done, so I will say nothing further on the subject. Do not, however, expect the queen to offer the chapel at Windsor again. Your children will have to be baptized elsewhere.
On that subject, your friend Ivy has continued to prove a most agreeable houseguest, and I will confess to finding more pleasure in taking care of her during this time than I would have expected. I’ll be more than ready to do the same for you when the time arrives—and I hope you are not impeding your husband’s efforts to bring this about. A lady must graciously accept her duty.
Be careful of the food in Constantinople. I hear dreadful stories everywhere about it. Not to be trusted, these foreign locations.
I am, your most devoted mother,
C. Bromley
5
I woke before the sun, roused by the haunting and spiritually seductive voice coming from the nearest mosque. As the muezzin called the faithful to prayer, I lay, still and silent, absorbing the sound—at once comforting and eerie—as it trembled through my body. When it fell quiet, I stretched and reached for Colin, who was as eager as I to take full advantage of the myriad daily benefits of married life.
The time passed quickly, and too soon we were up and dressed, both of us headed for appointments. I’d applied to Perestu, the valide sultan, asking that I be allowed to come to the harem and begin interviewing Abdül Hamit’s concubines, in particular Roxelana, who had discovered Ceyden’s body. Although I knew well the dangers of assumption—of following baseless instinct—I could not help conjuring up any number of romantic scenarios surrounding the girl, namesake of the most famous—infamous—of harem women. In the sixteenth century, a stunning and
Similar Books
