the temple.
‘It’s really going well,’ Jackson said, falling into step with Freya on their way back to the coach. ‘Amos doesn’t seem at all weak any more.’
‘You’re right. I think I may be able to return home soon.’
‘Don’t be in a rush. You should be having a good time out here.’
‘No, I’m just getting in the way of your work. You’ll be glad when I’m gone.’
‘I’ll be glad when I’m not being snubbed by you for no reason,’ he said wryly. ‘I thought we were friends again?’
‘We are. I’m not snubbing you. I have an important reason for needing to get home.’
‘I see. Should I be happy for you?’
‘No,’ she said vaguely. ‘It’s nothing like that.’
‘You mean it’s not another guy?’
‘I mean it’s nothing I’m prepared to talk about.’
‘But it’s important?’
‘Yes.’
She hurried away, leaving Jackson staring after her, wishing he could sort his brain out one way or the other. But with Freya that was increasingly difficult.
And he was beginning to fear that it wasn’t his brain that caused the problems.
* * *
For some reason Freya couldn’t quite enter into the spirit of the evening when they all met downstairs for supper. She chatted with Amos, encouraging his triumphant mood at the memory of his encounter with Horus, and she reassured Janine that all was well with her husband. But as the evening drew on she knew that something was missing between them.
Tommy, Larry’s irritating second-in-command, was at his liveliest and most tiresome, flirting madly with every female in the group and finally announcing his intention of kissing each of them, one by one.
The others smiled with pleasure at the thought, but Freya shied away.
‘I’m leaving,’ she said.
‘Oh, you’re not going now, are you?’ Tommy said, confronting her as she rose. ‘Just one little kiss.’
‘Not me. Please get out of my way.’
‘The others were nice about it. Why can’t you be nice?’
‘I’m not nice,’ she told him coldly. ‘And if you don’t stand aside I’ll make you regret it.’
But Tommy obviously didn’t believe her. He lunged. She ducked, but not in time to avoid him. His lips brushed over hers, lightly, but enough to horrify her and to make Jackson furious.
‘That’s enough,’ he said, seizing Tommy in a fierce grip. ‘Get out before I make you sorry.’
‘Ah, c’mon, it’s just a joke. Freya understands—don’t you, Freya? Freya? Where’s she gone?’
Where Freya had stood a moment earlier there was only a space.
‘She ran out through that door,’ Larry said.
‘I’ll get you for this,’ Jackson snapped at Tommy.
‘OK, OK...no need to get violent.’
‘There’s every need. But I’ll deal with you later.’
He ran out of the door, looking right and left. There was no sign of Freya, but the door to the street was half open. Frantically he dashed through it, and saw her on the far side of the road.
‘Freya!’ he yelled. She stopped and looked back at him. ‘Come back here, now.’
He couldn’t tell if she’d heard him above the noise of the street, but she turned away and plunged down a side street, vanishing at once. Jackson darted across the road, causing cars to stop abruptly and horns to blare. He didn’t hear them. All his attention was taken up by the chase and his fear of losing her. He ran down the road she’d taken and just saw her at the other end before she vanished behind a building.
An alarming sense of déjà vu overtook him. Once before he’d chased someone down side streets, losing him in the distance. The result had been a catastrophe. Driven by desperation, he raced to the far end, just in time to catch a glimpse of her before she vanished again. He tore on and this time luck was with him, for she’d run into a dead end and he caught her as she turned back.
‘You crazy woman!’ he cried, seizing hold of her. ‘Of all the daft things to do! Suppose you’d got lost in these streets? How would you have found your way back? Stupid! Stupid!’
‘I’ll come back when I’m ready,’ she said. ‘Just let me go!’
‘Not in a million years,’ he snapped, tightening his grip.
‘I said, let me go.’
‘And I said no. Do you want to make a fight of it here in the street?’
‘If I have to.’
A noise from behind Jackson made them both freeze and turn to see a policeman. He’d plainly heard them speaking, for he addressed them in careful English.
‘You don’t treat a woman like that,’ he said. ‘I arrest you.’
Freya drew a sharp breath. ‘No,’ she said. ‘There is no need.’
‘This man attacked you.’
‘No—it’s a misunderstanding.’
‘You do not mind that he attacked you?’
‘It’s not like that.’
He studied them, undecided. Jackson placed both hands on Freya’s shoulders.
‘We are a couple,’ he said. ‘We belong together.’
The policeman spoke to Freya. ‘You do not wish to be rescued from this man?’
‘No, he isn’t dangerous,’ she said. ‘But I thank you for your concern.’
He nodded and backed away. They watched until he was out of sight. Then Jackson blew out his lips in relief.
‘Thank you,’ he said. ‘That could have ended badly.’
‘Oh, heavens! I’m so sorry.’
‘No need for you to be sorry. Let’s just get away from here.’
He hailed a horse carriage that was passing by. It stopped and he helped her aboard, calling to the driver, ‘Just take us to the river.’
He got in beside her and they moved off.
‘Are
