Hello all! Glad I managed to get one more up before heading overseas again! I'll try to get one up every month, but as a I do so much traveling it might be hard. Hope you enjoy this latest installment, the plot is starting to take off now!

CHAPTER FOUR

Evie relished the feeling of the wind in her face as her horse galloped across the estate. She hadn't had much of an opportunity to ride a horse so freely in Egypt, so aside from the race to Hamunaptra on camels, she hadn't felt this type of bliss in years. At the moment it was a perfect remedy to the lack of sleep she'd been experiencing the past two nights, as Imhotep had found his way back into her dreams.

That race had one thing in common with this ride, and that was her companion. Rick was with her, on a different horse, galloping close to her. As the way in front of her was nothing but clear meadow, she turned her head and saw him grinning at her as their horses continued to run over the luscious green grass at the back of the estate.

"There's a pond not far from here," Evie called out to him. "We can stop there and let them have a drink."

"Okay," he agreed, then grinned at her. "Last one owes the first one a kiss?"

She rolled her eyes but couldn't hide her smile.

"Isn't that the same result either way?" she asked.

"You got me," he said.

"You're incorrigible. But okay," she said, pushing her horse a bit more and refocusing on where they were going.

They were forced to slow down for trees as they got closer to the area where the pond was so it wound up being a draw on who actually reached it first. When they dismounted, Rick still approached her with his oh so charming grin, but Evie pretended to wave him off.

"Well there was no first or last," she said. "So, no one owes anyone a kiss."

Rick gave her his pretend annoyed look and took her hands in his when he reached her. He massaged them playfully for a moment and asked,

"Does that mean you don't want one?"

She tried keeping a straight face, but failed as giggles escaped her when she looked into his eyes.

"Oh, go on then," she said, and he happily obliged with a gentle kiss on her lips. After a moment, she moved away to remove the bag she had around her shoulder.

"What's that?" Rick asked, curiously.

"Lunch," she answered simply. "Nothing fancy, I just took some bread, cheese, and fruit from the kitchen before we left. Mrs. Rockland doesn't mind.

The horses moved toward the water of their own free will and began drinking and grazing from the surrounding grass. Evie found a spot on some large rocks that were far enough away from the water that they weren't wet, and soon they were sitting down and eating. Rick leaned back against the tree that was against the rocks and let the sun warm his face.

"I figured we could enjoy it while it lasts," Evie joked, turning her own face upwards. "It'll probably rain again soon."

"No surprise there," he said, his eyes closed, but smiling.

"I think I'd forgotten what it was like to not be hot," Evie said.

"Me too," Rick agreed. "I'm getting used to not sweating, but I don't think I'll mind when we go back."

Evie paused as she brought some bread and cheese to her mouth. They had been in England just about a week, she hoped he wasn't too restless already. She could be here awhile.

"Do you want to go back?" she asked. "Now, I mean? Have we bored you that quickly?" she giggled to try to cover her nerves.

He opened his eyes, and looked at her curiously.

"Trust me Evelyn, it's hard to be bored around you," he quipped. "Even when you're not waking the dead."

When she didn't laugh at that, he sat up.

"I mean, maybe I was wrong, but I assumed you'd want to get back into exploring and researching, so I did think we'd be going back to Egypt at some point."

Liking that he was saying "we," and for the moment ignoring the societal implications, Evie relaxed her shoulders when she answered.

"Oh, of course, no, I do want that, I'm just not sure how quickly it's going to happen. The museum is buying the artifacts, but they may want me…well actually they'll probably want all of us to do some press relations in regards to how we found them, because that could get more funding for further digs and excavations..." she said, stopping when she saw him looking concerned.

"Press? No one ever said anything about that," Rick said.

"Well, it is a big discovery, the archeological community is going to want to know more about it," she explained.

"So, what else will we have to do?" Rick asked, cautiously.

"I promise, it won't be that bad. They'll take pictures of the artifacts, maybe one or two of us, and the questions will mostly be about how we found the artifacts, and we've already agreed on how to tell that story. Jonathan and I can probably do most of the talking, if you really don't want to," she tried to reassure him as he leaned back against the tree.

Rick took a bite of bread and thought for a moment.

"So, how much do I have to pretend I fit in with scholars and…other fancy people types."

Evie snorted and had to cover her mouth so she didn't spit out the bit of fruit she was eating.

"Fancy people?" she asked.

"You know what I mean," Rick sighed, rolling his eyes a bit. "People like…people who are a lot richer and went to fancy schools."

"People like me?" Evie asked, her smile fading.

"No that's not…" Rick said. "People who might be a bit shocked that a poor ex-legionnaire is associated with this…major historical discovery."

"Is that what you're worried about?" Evie asked, taking his hand.

"Should I not be?" he asked.

Evie hesitated.

"Maybe. I'm sure some of them will find a way to be uppity, but honestly, they would do that no matter what. I'm betting many of them might simply be impressed that you managed to survive in the desert and then find your way back to the same spot later on. That's something most of them could never dream of doing."

She meant to go on but she suddenly yawned and put her hand up to her mouth.

"Oh, sorry. I must be a bit more tired than I realized," she said, trying to brush it off, but she yawned again right after and Rick's look turned to concerned.

"Are you feeling okay?"

"Yes, I just…"

"Couldn't sleep?" he finished for her.

"Yes," she admitted. "The dreams have started again and last night I couldn't get back to sleep."

Rick pulled her a bit closer and kissed her head.

"I could try to sneak in if you want me to."

She cuddled a bit closer, feeling like she might fall asleep on him.

"It's too risky someone would see you. Even if they knew about us," she paused as she yawned again. "Even then, it would be too risky."

"Do you want to head back?" he asked. "Then you can lie down before dinner?"

She shook her head, leaning against him now.

"I think I'd rather stay here a bit longer," she said, relaxing against his warm body.

"Okay," he said, putting his arms around her and relishing the opportunity to hold her close for a bit.

They both dozed off for a short time, waking up only when the horses began to get agitated as it was getting close to a meal time for them and they clearly wanted to go home.

On her way downstairs later that evening, Evie met her father near the staircase. She smiled at him, but it faltered when she saw that he was giving her a strange look.

"Hello Papa," she said, cautiously.

"Hello darling," he said. "I need to ask you something."

"Oh?" Evie said, cocking her head at her father as she stopped when she reached him.

"Mason told me that you took two horses out today?"

Evie tried to keep her face neutral as she responded honestly.

"I did. Mr. O'Connell and I went for a ride around the estate," she said, deciding to get ahead of the situation so he wouldn't think she was deliberately hiding it.

"Alone?" her father asked, a surprised look in his eyes.

"Yes," Evie answered as though it should have been obvious, hoping he would buy it. "The poor man's been mostly staying here in the house since we arrived, unless we've been going into town, so I thought he'd enjoy going for a ride and getting some fresh air."

"Why didn't your brother go with you?" her father asked, still looking confused and possibly worried, but she wasn't sure.

"He was out today, I believe," Evie said, shrugging, starting to move down the stairs.

"Well I'll speak to him about that," Mr. Carnahan said as he walked with his daughter down to the main hall. "He shouldn't be leaving your guest to just you."

"Oh, it's not a problem, Papa," Evie said, trying to think fast. "He and I get on very well, I've rather enjoyed showing him around."

"I gathered that much, and he does seem like a good man. I feel bad I haven't had a chance to get to know him much better though," he admitted.

Evie saw that now he had more of a politely curious look on his face, as though he wanted to ask something more. It was an opening, Evie realized. And she was about to take advantage of it, and just come out with it, even though she would have to catch Rick before he saw her father.

But as she opened her mouth to make her confession, a familiar voice rang out through the main hall. Jonathan had apparently decided he would come home for dinner after all.

"Where did you go off to today?" Howard asked his son as Jonathan walked into view.

Clearly confused as to why his father was questioning him as if he was a teenager who had been caught sneaking in after curfew, Jonathan paused and tilted his head. Evie mouthed, 'sorry,' over Howard's head at her brother.

"I took lunch at the club," he answered, and that was the truth.

"Perhaps your guest would have also enjoyed lunch at the club?"

"My gue…oh O'Connell? I've gotten the impression from him that those types of clubs aren't really his cup of tea to be honest."

"Still, I don't know that you should be counting on your sister to solely entertain him," Mr. Carnahan said, sounding concerned, and slightly annoyed.

"No Papa," Evie said. "Really, there's no reason to be hard on Jonathan. I promise you, Rick takes no offense…" She heard her mistake a second too late.

"Rick?" her father asked, stopping and turning towards her.

"Yes," she said, firmly. "Rick. You know, we did work closely together while we were in Egypt. We spent enough time together, and so we've agreed to be on Christian name terms."

She was discouraged when her father frowned slightly at the idea.

"Is there any reason we shouldn't be?" she challenged her father.

"No. I suppose not. I just hadn't heard you say it before."

"Don't worry Papa, it's not like he calls her 'Evie.'" Jonathan quipped, rolling his eyes. "But I'll make sure he isn't feeling neglected. Perhaps we should invite him along on the hunt this weekend? He's a good shot, so I'm sure he'd be right in his element there."

Neither Evie nor their father answered for a moment, as Evie was surprised that her brother suggested it at all. She'd actually forgotten some of her father's and brother's friends were due to visit for a hunting excursion that weekend.

"Actually, that sounds like a splendid idea. If he likes shooting, he should have the opportunity. I'll ask him when he comes down," Howard said, starting to finally move towards the dining room as the servants were bustling faster to get their dinner out.

"I'm sure he'll enjoy it," Evie said, looking up the stairs, looking to see if he was on his way down. He wasn't yet, so she turned to her brother, who was looking a bit annoyed with her.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, looking around to make sure no one could hear her. "He heard that we went riding today and asked me why you didn't go with us, so I tried to brush it off."

"Well, if this is going to start reflecting on me, your boyfriend's going to have to start splitting his time better," Jonathan whispered back.

"Honestly, I almost came clean before you came in. Maybe I should just do it tonight," she fretted.

"Look, this is why I suggested Papa invite him to go on the hunt. O'Connell will be more comfortable with his guns on him, and it will give Papa a chance to get to know him. Then maybe he'll be more open to the idea. And in the meantime, O'Connell can separate himself from you and come out with me. I'll chat with him after dinner."

"I don't know if he's come down yet," Evie said, looking upstairs. "I'll go get him."

"No, I'll go, Papa's already suspicious. I can't wait until you two come clean now."

"Might I remind you that you were the one who suggested we keep it a secret?" Evie hissed as her brother moved towards the stairs.

Jonathan didn't have a chance to respond to that as a small female voice spoke up.

"Um, sorry to bother you," Jill, one of the housemaids said from a doorway near the stairs. "Mr. Carnahan was wondering where you got to. Mr. O'Connell is with him in the dining room."

"We'll be there straight away Jill, thank you," Evie told the girl, who nodded and turned away. "He must have been downstairs already," she said to Jonathan as they moved towards the dining room.

"Rather," Jonathan said, walking behind her.

Indeed, Rick was already sitting at the dining room table, talking to Howard. Both men looked fairly relaxed, so Evie let out a breath as she took a seat opposite Rick while Jonathan sat next to him.

"Looks like we'll have another man shooting with us on Saturday," Howard said, smiling.

"Glad to hear it. We can use a man with your aim, O'Connell," Jonathan said. "Those pheasants can be tricky little blighters. Worse than the foxes sometimes."

Evie was relieved to see that Rick didn't look about the idea and the conversation about the coming hunt was cheerful. She relaxed as she listened, but bit her lip as she knew she'd have to soon stop being a coward and tell her father the truth.

Two days later saw Evie and Rick back in a car on their way to the city. Bank drafts bearing the first payment for the artifacts had arrived for all three of them. Evie's had included a note, asking her to come in for a meeting as soon as possible. She had telephoned and Dr. Whitmore excitedly told her that one of the Bembridge scholars wanted to meet with her at her earliest convenience. As this was the meeting she'd been hoping for, her earliest convenience was immediately. Rick decided, given that they didn't know when they'd be leaving London, he may as well open a bank account so he could use the money he'd just made. Giving the excuse that it was easier to transport two people at once, they went into town together.

Rick still couldn't believe the amount that was written on the bank draft. There were almost too many possibilities to consider. He could buy a house, sure, but where? He supposed he could actually go back to America if he wanted to, but that didn't actually seem that appealing.

He looked up and saw that Evie was looking out the window, looking as excited as a small child on Christmas, and oblivious to her companion's internal dilemma. He found her smiles contagious though and couldn't help but give one in her direction. She must have seen him move out of the corner of her eye because she turned just as he did.

"What?" she asked.

"Nothing," he said. "You just seem so excited."

"I am. The Bembridge Scholars wouldn't ask to meet with me if it wasn't good news," she said, grinning widely. "They'd have no obligation to."

"Well, here's hoping for the best," he smiled back at her. He was tempted to give her a kiss, but there was no way to hide that type of affectionate display in the backseat of the car. Maybe his own car was his first order of business once his money was dealt with.

Gilbert pulled the car up to the museum entrance a short time later. Rick got out with her, as the bank Mr. Carnahan had recommended wasn't that far of a walk. Evie asked Gilbert to come back in the afternoon to take them home, as she wasn't sure how long her meeting would be. Rick stood with her while Gilbert drove away.

"Do you remember how Papa said to get there?" Evie asked before heading inside.

"Yeah, should be easy enough to find. I'll come back and wait for you when I'm finished."

"Alright, I'll see you soon," she said, making her way upstairs. She waded through the visitors in the main entryway and passed the exhibits to go up to Dr. Whitmore's office.

Mary Clarke showed her into Dr. Whitmore's office, and he immediately ushered her to sit down in front of his desk.

"I'm glad you could come on such short notice. When I spoke to the boys at Bembridge about your discoveries, Mr. Ramstead was eager to speak to you. He should be here at any moment."

"Thank you for arranging it," Evelyn said, sincerely. "Ramstead, I don't think I know that name?"

"I believe he's one of the younger ones. Not very young mind you, he's certainly at least a bit older than you, but he's probably moving up through the ranks there. But he has enough influence to arrange meeting with you."

Evie took a breath in.

"They've rejected me twice now, so I just hope this will be different."

"Did they say why the rejected you before?" Dr. Whitmore asked.

"They said I didn't have enough experience in the field."

"That's obviously changed. Many of them haven't had the experiences that you just had," Dr. Whitmore said, encouragingly.

There was a knock at the door and Mary Clarke poked her head into the office.

"Dr. Whitmore, Mr. Ramstead is here," she said.

"Please show him in," Dr. Whitmore said, as he and Evie both stood up to greet the scholar.

Mr. Ramstead was a tall, thin man with wire rimmed glasses and sandy colored hair. He smiled as he approached.

"Dr. Whitmore, lovely to see you again," he said, shaking his hand over the table.

"Absolutely my good man," Dr. Whitmore. "Allow me to introduce Miss Evelyn Carnahan. Miss Carnahan, Mr. Harold Ramstead."

"How do you do?" she asked, trying not to seem to eager, holding her hand out.

"Miss Carnahan, what a pleasure," he said, shaking her hand as they sat down. "I've been hearing about the discoveries you and your team made down in Egypt, and realized I recognized your name from your applications. I knew I had to speak to you about it, what a find! You actually found the City of the Dead?"

"Yes, we did," Evie said, relaxing. She was about to start re-telling the story of how when he asked her another question.

"And I heard that you might have come across the Book of the Living, and the Book of the Dead?" he asked.

"We did find them," she answered. "Unfortunately, due to some strange circumstances, we were unable to bring those back with us."

"Still, that's an amazing find. My colleagues will want to know, were they correct on the locations of the two books?"

Evie tried not to smile too widely at this, but she did want to gloat just a little.

"Well, yes and no. Your scholars have long believed from the old scrolls that the Book of Amun-Ra was buried beneath the statue of Anubis," she began explaining. Dr. Whitmore leaned in, as she had not spoken of this to him yet either.

"Yes, that's true."

"Well, it wasn't there. The Book of the Dead was actually beneath Anubis, and we had trouble locating the Book of Amun-Ra. But when I rechecked some of the stone tablets at the Museum of Antiquities, I realized that it was possible that the locations of the books had simply been mixed up. Scholars believed the Book of the Dead would most likely be buried in the statue of Horus. When we found that statue at Hamunaptra, we did locate the Book of Amun-Ra. Unfortunately, we had to leave before we could do a proper excavation, so we brought back what we could carry out," she explained.

"We'll be able to arrange for further excavations based on what you've brought back," he said, sounding excited at the prospect. "Are the artifacts available for viewing yet?" he turned to ask Dr. Whitmore.

"Not quite yet, but very soon. Perhaps I can arrange a preview before we open the exhibition though," Dr. Whitmore said.

"If possible, the old boys over there are dying to see them. Of course, when I tell them about their little mistake, they'll be a bit humbled I'm sure so they shouldn't be a bother. And I daresay, humbled enough to give your applications further consideration, Miss Carnahan. When I realized I recognized your name, I brought it to some of my superiors over there. They claimed lack of experience, but that clearly is not the case anymore. They're more impressed by this than they were of the work of Mr. Stuart Blackmer, who was the last to publish on Hamunaptra. Are you familiar with his work?"

Evie worked hard to keep her face neutral and Dr. Whitmore suddenly raised his eyebrows in concern at the mention of Stuart Blackmer.

"Uh, yes, I am very familiar with his work," Evie said, hoping this could be left at that.

"Well, if the old boys were willing to give him a grant to go off to New York and work with the Metropolitan Museum, I think they can give someone who actually helped find Hamunaptra a second look," he said, cheerfully, not noting any change in her demeanor. "I think he's back in London now actually," Mr. Ramstead continued as he stood up.

"Is he?" Dr. Whitmore asked. "I hadn't heard."

"I think so. Now, I'm sorry to dash out, but I have to be back in the office this afternoon. Miss Carnahan, I'll be in touch with you soon," he said, shaking her hand again.

"Thank you," she said, sincerely.

The two gentlemen said their goodbyes and Mr. Ramstead left the office.

"Well he seems lovely," Evie said, standing up.

"He is a very nice man," Dr. Whitmore said, moving to see her out. "And Evelyn, I want you to know that I had not heard that Mr. Blackmer was coming back to London, or I would have told your father to mention it to you."

She shook her head.

"Don't worry about it. It's really no bother, I haven't seen or heard from him in years. And thank you, so much for arranging this. It's what I've been hoping for."

"Well, I may be a bit biased considering how long I've known you and your family, but I don't think any scholar is more deserving," he said, sincerely as he opened the door for her and sent her on her way.

Rick had thought opening his own bank account would be a bit more complicated, but it didn't actually take that long. His money was safe in the bank fairly quickly, aside from the small amount of cash he took out with him, and he knew he still had some time before Evie would be ready to leave the museum. He walked down the streets of London, back in the direction of the British Museum, pondering how he should pass the time when a glint from a shop window caught his eye. He looked back at the window and saw he was next to a jewelry shop. The glint he had seen was a ring displayed in the window.

There were actually several rings displayed in the window, and the one that caught his eye was not one that most would have noticed. It was a small, white gold band, with 5 very small diamonds in a row around the top of the band instead of one large centered diamond. There were other rings around it that had the larger stones and more intricate designs that were the popular ones of the day, but Rick barely noticed them. That one managed to stand out, and almost without knowing he was doing it, he walked inside the store to take a closer look.

"Good afternoon," the proprietor said kindly, looking up from his desk as the door opened.

"Afternoon," Rick said as he let the door close behind him.

"Are you looking for anything in particular today?" the older man asked as he came out from behind his desk.

"I just saw this ring and wanted to take a closer look."

"Certainly. This one?" he said, pointing to a larger and gaudier ring next to the one Rick had seen.

"No, that one," Rick pointed his finger a little closer.

"Oh yes," the jeweler said, picking it up gently and showing it to Rick. "This is a beautiful piece. A simple design but on the right woman, could be very stunning. For a special lady, I imagine?" he asked, smiling.

"She is very special," Rick admitted, holding the ring up and trying to imagine it on Evie's finger. He liked the imagine it invoked. "How much is it?"

The price was up there, but it wasn't as outrageous as Rick might have thought it would be. But if he hadn't had the money he now had to his name, he would never have considered it. He would not have even walked into the shop.

Over the years, Rick had learned to trust his instincts, and recent events had proven he was right to. And right now, they were screaming at him.

"I'll take it," he said.

The jeweler looked surprised.

"Are you sure? Would you like to see anything else first?"

"This is the one," Rick said, confident in his instincts. This ring was perfect.

The jeweler was not a man to risk a sale with further questions when a customer was decisive, so he got the ring ready for purchase.

"Best of luck," he told Rick as he left the shop with the black box tucked deep into his jacket pocket.

"Thank you," Rick said. He walked down the road towards the British Museum, feeling the box in his pocket every so often. He smiled when he felt it. Now, when to ask her? How? Where? Would she even say yes? The idea had crossed his mind briefly before but it was more real now. He knew he wanted to be with her and only her.

Evie walked out of Dr. Whitmore's office demurely although she felt giddy enough to skip down the corridor. She couldn't remember the last time she had felt so on top of the world. To think her brother's pick pocketing habit had led her on a journey that seemed to have completely altered her life! Her career as a scholar was about to sky rocket it seemed, and she could finally kiss her days of being just the librarian behind. She couldn't even be bothered with worrying about the man Mr. Ramstead had mentioned, she was far too thrilled about what might be coming ahead.

Evie walked slower as she couldn't help but start glancing at some new research materials she'd brought in her bag. It would be a little while before she had told Rick to meet her anyway.

After nearly walking into one live person and one statue, she decided to stop in a stairwell that was empty. She leaned against the wall and began reading through the documents, not paying attention to any passersby until one addressed her directly.

"Evelyn? Is that you?" a man's voice that was too familiar rang out from behind her.

Startled, Evie gasped and dropped all the papers that were in her hands. They scattered and some fell down the stairs. She crouched down and scrambled to pick them up.

"I'm sorry, let me help you," the man said, getting down to grab some of the papers. "I didn't mean to startle you, I just wasn't expecting to see you."

"Likewise," Evie said, surprising herself at her use of Rick's phrase. "Last I'd heard, you had moved to New York," she said quickly, still trying to get her papers. Why was he here? Not just in London, but here, at the British Museum, when she was? Of all people she could have run into today…

As she picked up the last of the papers within easy reach, she also ran out of excuses to not look up.

Stuart Blackmer looked much the same as he had when she had last seen him. Mid range height with short dark hair and brown eyes, but with a few extra lines on his face perhaps. She hated to admit it, but he looked well.

He quickly went down the stairs to fetch the few of her papers that had escaped. As he walked back up with them, she forced herself to look into his face as he handed them to her. Decorum said she should thank him, but the words felt caught on her tongue. And she wasn't sure he'd deserve them anyway.

"When...when did you get back from Cairo?" he asked, curiously.

"Last week," she answered shortly, and began walking down the stairs.

"Of course, right. I only just got back myself, I was hoping they might have a place for me here," he said nervously, walking with her. She didn't look over at him as she spoke, hoping he would realize she didn't want to speak much to him. "I did hear about your excavation when I arrived. My friend knows someone at Bembridge who was talking about it. That's a huge achievement, you should be very proud."

"I am," she said simply, trying not to smirk. "Looks like all my research was correct."

She saw him stiffen at the word "my," but he didn't respond to it. Instead, he just changed the subject.

"You're looking well," he said. "Egypt definitely agreed with you."

"It did," she said, refusing to respond to the compliment. She looked around as they approached the Museum's main cafe to see if Rick was anywhere to be seen. It was still earlier than she told him she'd be ready to leave, but maybe he'd arrived early. She was jerked away from her search for Rick at Stuart Blackmer's next question.

"Can I get you a cup of tea or something? I'd really love to hear about how you found the lost city."

Evie stopped in her tracks, and turned to him, unable to hide the surprise on her face.

"Stuart," she said, forcing herself to look him in the eye for the first time. She needed to make sure she was clear. "I meant what I said when we last spoke."

"Evie," he said, looking more than a bit awkward. "It's been three years, and I know..."

"Well my feelings haven't changed. I doubt they ever will. And you don't have the right to use that name anymore. It's Evelyn if you have to use my given name," she said, keeping her voice firm.

He lowered his eyes and nodded.

"I'm sorry," he said.

She began to move away when he spoke again.

"For everything," he said with an almost pleading tone in his voice. "I mean it."

"I believe you," she said earnestly. She did believe he was sorry. "But it's too late."

At that moment she saw a familiar silhouette come around the corner from behind the man she did not want to talk to. Her face relaxed into a smile as Rick approached her.

"Hey, are you ready to go?" he asked as he approached her, barely noticing the man who was standing near her.

"Yes, let's go," she said. "Have a nice day, Mr. Blackmer," she continued, immediately moving quickly towards Rick. Evie had no intention of making introductions between these two men, so she quickly led Rick in the opposite direction that Stuart had been heading in.

"Who was he?" Rick asked as she led him towards the exit.

"Oh, him," she thought fast. "Oh, he's no one important. He's worked with the museum in the past and had a question about Hamunaptra. Just like everyone else, really."

She knew she was talking fast and prepared herself for more questions. But while he raised his eyebrows as though he could tell something was up, he didn't press her.

"So, did you get everything done that you needed to?" she asked, hoping to change the subject before he got too suspicious.

To her relief, Rick took the bait and told her about getting his money squared away. She was too lost in her own thoughts though to notice that he fiddled with his jacket pocket a bit more than normal.

She tried not to feel guilty, as she felt like she was lying to him. But it wasn't really a lie. Stuart Blackmer was those things. He did work with the museum in the past, and he wasn't anyone important to her now. And anything else was in the past and not relevant anymore.

Right?

Evie shook her head, telling herself she'd probably have to tell him more at some point. But she needed to decide how to broach the subject first. It wasn't something she wanted to tell Rick as they walked down the road to find a place to have lunch together.