Three Rivers by Roberta Latow Read Free Book Online

and the heat of Egypt hit her. She had learned long ago to dress for her destination when traveling from a cold climate to a hot one. Now at least she would not wilt away in London clothes as she tried to get through the landing, customs, and getting unpacked syndrome.
    She went over to the fireplace and put another log on the fire. Standing there watching the flames she became sad. How she hated having to leave her animals and “Meredith Montague” behind, not to mention Max. She was more than a little upset because she had heard nothing from Max since Friday, and he
knew
that she was going away on a job. There was something wrong there, but she put the thought from her mind out of fear of losing what she did have with Max by wanting something more. Sometimes free love does backfire; she wistfully sighed.
    Isabel had picked up the poker and was rearranging the logs in order to gain more heat when the doorbell rang. The dogs raised their heads just a little to see who came into the room. When they saw it was Endo, they went back to their dozing. He told Isabel that the car had arrived and someone was on his way up. She picked up her white alligator shoulder bag and made no fuss whatsoever about saying good-bye to the dogs, because she could not bear to. Quickly she left the drawing room, closing the door as gently as possible. It was too late: Just as the door was about to shut she could see them bounding towards her. Endo told them to be quiet in a firmvoice, and much to Isabel’s surprise they were. Then, going to the chair in the hall, she picked up her raincoat, which she threw around her shoulders. She would take it off once she was settled in the car, and give it to Endo to return to the house. She turned around, and much to her surprise, standing in the hall was Alexander Gordon-Spencer.
    “I had no idea you were coming to take me to the airport — or are you?” Isabel smiled.
    Kissing her hand, he said, “No, I’m
not
going to take you to the plane. I’m going to take you to Cairo.” With that he turned to a Sudanese servant who had come in with him and gave instructions for Isabel’s cases to be put in the car.
    “I did not realize that you were coming to Cairo when you were here on Friday evening.”
    “The truth is,” he said, “I did not know that I was going when I was here on Friday.”
    “But surely you are not making this trip just to accompany me? I assure you, I am quite capable of getting there on my own.”
    “Now, Miss Wells, I have no doubt that you are most capable in all that you do, but as it happens Sir Alexis has two other guests going on the same flight, and when I spoke to him this afternoon, he thought it might be more hospitable for me to accompany the three of you. I do think we should go now.”
    He took Isabel — who was feeling quite foolish — by the elbow, and they went down to the car. Isabel had a few words with Endo as the three of them went down the winding staircase.
    The rain had not let up, and although it was only a few steps to the car, Isabel looked with dismay at the water she would have to prance through in her nearly bare feet. She braved it with Endo holding a large umbrella over her head, and dashed into the waiting dark blue Mercedes 600. Settling in, she removed the raincoat and handed it to Endo, who had been waiting by the open car door under the umbrella.
    Endo said good-bye and gave Isabel a small bow, something he never did unless he was trying to impress someone. Isabel picked up his cue and said, in perfect Japanese, “Good-bye. Take care of the house, and most of all, the animals.” He closed the door with his headslightly bowed and stood waiting in the rain until the car was out of sight before he went into the house.
    There was only the chauffeur in the front and Mr. Gordon-Spencer in the back seat, next to Isabel. She wondered what had happened to the Sudanese servant, and where the other guests were; why did this Gordon-Spencer call
her
a