: : Summary : : I wanted to do a more in depth story about Rick and Evelyn after Hamunaptra, and their not being so sure about one another as far as getting married so this one might be a little long, just bare in mind that I like happy endings so have faith
Being at the museum was Evelyn�s escape. Life had gotten so complicated within the last few weeks, and she was having a difficult time figuring out what she wanted to do with it. In the beginning, after the fall of Hamunaptra, she had thought being with Rick was what she wanted. He was strong, handsome, and something about him drew her to him like a magnet. For a few days after their return things had gotten pretty intense, enough for her to push him away, which was one of the resaons why she spent so much time at the museum. Now she was sitting at her desk sorting through some artifacts, though her mind was on the last night she had been with O�Connell. They had dinner at a small Restaurant she liked. AFter dinner, they had walked out along the edge of the city hand in hand talking about mundane things, when he had stopped them, pulling her in front of him so they could see eye to eye. She had been surprised, and even more so when he took a velvet case out of his pocket asking her to marry him. It was feeling a tear slip down her cheek that brought her out of thought and she wiped it away.
�Stop this,� she said to herself angered that she had let those thoughts in, knowing that she wasn�t going to get anymore work done this day. She decided to head back to the house on the edge of town. Her father had left two houses, the one she and Jonathan lived in now, in Cairo, and the one in England that had not been lived in for almost six years, though it was still tended to by hired help, something her father had left previsions for. When she arrived at the two story home, the lights were off, and she knew it would be another night alone. After letting herself in and locking the door, she traveled through the ornate Parlor, which was decorated with several shelves of books, and different pieces of treasure from all the different digs her father had been on from various parts of the world. When she walked in the kitchen she turned on the light and went to the stove. There she picked up the copper kettle taking it to the small porcelain kitchen sink where she filled it with water for tea. Once she had that going, she sat at the table, and despite her best efforts, her thoughts returned to the night Rick had proposed to her.
They had been walking after dinner, his hand holding her�s gently, and she felt so safe with him. They had become such good friends in the past weeks since Hamunaptra, talking, and joking, and she felt like she was getting to know him fairly well despite Jonathan�s worry that O�Connell was talking to her for one reason. She had let her thoughts drift when suddenly they stopped and he walked in front of her. She looked at him and saw something in his eyes, a sparkle, then all at once he had dropped on one knee and held out a velvet box.
�Evelyn I know this must seem crazy, but I have never felt this close to a woman before, and I can�t think of anyone I would rather spend my life with, will you Marry me.� At his words her heart began to thud painfully in her chest, and her breath caught in her throat. Her palms went sweaty, and she began to tremble.
�Evelyn?� he had asked.
�I can�t Rick. I like you I just I can�t.� She had run from him that night back to the house, and had half hoped he would go after her but he had not. The sudden whistle of the Kettle brought her back to the present, and she quickly went to the stove taking a pot holder and lifting the kettle away from the hot burner. She set it on another burner, then got out a mug from the cabinet just beside the stove and poured in the water. Once she had done that she got out a little silver bulb, and twisted it open, then put some loose tea in it. Once she had put it back together she let the bulb soak in the hot water, bobbing it up and down, and yawning. Once her tea was ready, she took the mug, and went into the parlor plopping down on the couch. About that time Jonathan came from his room ready to go out for the night. He frowned when he saw her.
�You know what you need?� he asked as he settled beside her. She looked at him, and tried to smile but it didn�t quite work out that way. He took the mug from her hands and placed it on the oak coffee table, then stood pulling her to her feet. Without any words, he led her up to her room and went to her closet. It took him a few minutes but he finally found an outfit that was fitting for night on the town. When Evelyn saw what he was up too she shook her head.
�Jonathan you know I don�t like going out with you, that�s just not my idea of a good time,� she said. Despite her words, Jonathan felt an obligation to get her out of the house, and though it took almost an hour and a half of persuasion, he finally talked her into going with him. Now he waited in the parlor about to yell up at her when she came in looking stunning. She had on a dark dress, not all that different from the one she had worn when they had been at Hamunaptra. Her long hair cascaded down her back in soft waves, and she wore some gold jewelry that her mother had left her.
�Well now I say we should be on our way,� he said and she gave a small nod taking his arm as they made their way out into the cool Egyptian night.
Life for Rick had gone down hill since the night he had proposed to Evelyn. When they had returned from Hamunaptra, he had made a real effort to clean up his act, to try and be the man Evelyn deserved to have. Now he didn�t care about any of that. He had not had a good shave in days, and his hair was unruly as ever. Now he sat in the small tavern having his usual, Brandy chasers, scoping out for a woman to keep him company. Very quickly he found a young woman with straight blond hair, and soft blue eyes. He got up and staggered toward her. Siena was a Belly dancer, and she saw the rugged handsome man making her way toward her, giving him a smile as he sat beside her.
�Can I get you a drink?� Rick asked the woman. She nodded her head, and let Rick order her a light drink of tonic and water, then moved to his table with him.
�What can I do for you tonight?� she asked all business. She was a belly dancer, but also a woman of the night, and pleasuring lonely men such as the one she was now in the company of was her means of making money for room and food. Rick downed a chaser then set the glass aside.
�I have a room at the fort,� he said wanting to just feel something even if it was with a woman he didn�t care for. She went with him, and as they exited the building they nearly ran into a man and another woman. Rick�s eyes locked on Evelyn�s
�I was...I,� he said feeling suddenly ashamed. Evelyn�s look of shock was replaced by anger.
�Am I that easy to forget then?� she asked standing tall, and strong. Jonathan noticed the blond girl start back into the Kazba, and decided to follow her leaving Rick and Evelyn to fight it out alone. Her words brought anger to him.
�Hey I�m not the one who ran off when being proposed to. You didn�t even give me a no,� he said just as angry.
�Well I�m glad I didn�t say anything now that I know how important I am to you.� she snapped.
�Wait just a goddamn minute,� he said as she started to turn and walk away. At his words she spun to face him waiting.
�What would you have me do? Do you want me to chase after you and beg you to reconsider what I proposed that night, because if thats what you want then you can just forget that. Part of being in love is trust, and yeah what I was about to do wasn�t very trust worthy but what choice did I have? You flat out left me in the dark that night without so much as a word, and you haven�t been around, so am I supposed to just sit on my duff while you decide to make up your mind? I�m sorry but I have a life to live,� he said. Evelyn took all of that in.
�Well then Mr. O�Connell, you go right ahead and live your life, do what you want to do, because I�m leaving.� she said and left him standing speechless.
When she got back to the house her heart felt like it was being ripped from her chest. Evelyn wanted to cry, but she had shed enough tears for Mr. O�Connell. Once she cleared her mind, she made a few phone calls one to England to the Manor where Marie answered, and had her start to prepare things for her arrival, and the other to the Steamer ship company and the Airlines to book her trip home. She loved Egypt, and someday she would return but right now she needed to be as far from it and O�Connell as she could get. AS she made the last phone call, Jonathan walked into her room.
�Evelyn Rick is here down in the parlor,� he said. She stayed where she was.
�I have nothing more to say to him. He said all he needed to say, and I need to get some sleep. I�ll be leaving tomorrow on the noon steamer ship to Alexandria, from there I will take a flight to London, and try to get a job at the British museum,� she informed him then went in to her bathroom locking the door, and decided to have a bath. Jonathan shook his head and went back down to the parlor. Rick sat on the couch looking miserable, and Jonathan didn�t like being the one to relay the news to him.
�She is leaving in the morning. My father kept this house and another large home in England. She said she is going there,� he said.
�Stay if you want but I�m not sure it�s a good idea.� After that he took his leave, and went back to the kazba, leaving Rick by himself. After pacing for a bit Rick found a desk and sat down. He found a fountain pen and some nice paper and began his letter.
Evelyn,
I guess this is really goodbye. I am sorry about what I said at the kazba, I should have thought things through but instead I felt sorry for myself. I�m not sure what else to put on this letter other than I wish we could have worked things out. I hope you find what you want in England.
Rick.
After he finished the letter he put it in an Envelope and sealed it then went to the kitchen and left it on the table. He walked to the stairs, tempted to go up and try to get her to talk to him, but decided that it was better to leave it as it was.
It was not till the next moring as she hurried to get ready for her long trip that she saw the envelope with her name on it.
�Rick,� she whispered as she took the envelope in her hands. Her hand trembled as she opened it and then she read it. As she finished Jonathan walked in having packed the last of her things in his car.
�Are you ready?� he asked noticing the lone tear slipping down her cheek. She looked up and got out her kerchief dabbing her eyes.
�As ready as I will ever be,� she said then they left. As the car drove away toward the docks, Rick stepped out from the side of the house and let his head fall to his chest. He had blown it, and now all that was left for him was to try and find something in his life that brought meaning. That thought brought him more sorrow because the one person who had brought meaning to his life had just taken off for England.