Richard Mallet—known to his family as Aeneas—had never seen a creature like the one he encountered in a narrow lane in the souks of Cairo, a tiny woman in Turkish dress challenging a man three times her size.
And so it begins…
The Price of Glory—Coming in July
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A voice—sweet but with the sting of a bee beneath the honey—brought him up short. “Do you always wear Arabic clothing?”
He turned to the speaker and bowed. “Miss Cloutier. That magnificent gown must have come from Paris. How on earth did you manage it?” He didn’t flatter. She wore a teal and peach wonder that complimented her complexion and showcased her luscious figure so enticingly he struggled to keep his eyes above her graceful shoulders.
“It did indeed. My aunt supplies my wardrobe.”
“And yet we meet in the souk again. If you are here to trouble the rug seller, your choice of fashion may not be quite the thing.”
When she stiffened, he regretted his teasing. He glanced at the tall guard that followed her and rushed on, “Apologies, Ma’am. I congratulate you for being part of Egypt’s famous public health programs.”
The storm abated in her sea blue eyes, leaving her intelligent gaze sharp as any Ottoman dagger. “The task is monumental,” she replied. “It takes many hands and much patience.”
If the rug seller represented but one example, it would take decades to protect the population. “I can see that it might,” he said. “To answer your question, I try to dress as appropriate for the occasion. I suspect you do the same.”
“Just so. What prompts today’s decision?”
“Dealings with a merchant—and comfort of course. Isn’t that why you wear Egyptian clothing when you work? It’s freeing, is it not?” he went on.
“It can be that, but it is also confining in its own way.” She referred no doubt to the restrictions put on women here, and he had no answer for that.
Note: excerpts from works in progress have not yet been edited, will likely undergo change, and may not even make it into the final work!