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The crowd, however, evidently found the spectacle the peak of titillation Mr Pettifer was, as he would be the first to ad his ‘Grand Reveal’ Despite her own distaste, Sae was there after all because Pettifer’s presentation of Egyptian culture was so fantastical Saht of as to come

‘No wonder people swoon in here,’ a voice grued to just barely choke the se’s appearance It wouldn’t do to show hirateful she was he’d relented

Pettifer reached a pitch in his presentation, clasping the sheet shrouding the mummy and with a practised flourish unveiled ‘The Horror’ The cohly satisfied shrieks, the benches creaking as people craned for a better view Saain a better view and Edge’s arainst him

‘Careful,’ he o and she reainst him, his hand on her waist His voice was abrupt, but his hands were gentle, his hold as natural as if they did this every day, with just a quiver of tension as if he, too, was holding back fro her more firmly to him

More likely it was just indignation about to boil over as Mr Pettifer launched into a reverberating speech about the dangers of the ‘Mureyish-brown cloth The croas quivering, too, though from a different kind of passion

‘Look at therumbled, but his hand slipped further around her and she wondered if he was even aware of it Probably not

‘When was the last time you were in a barnyard? I think you’re just worried about the curse’

‘If I believed in curses, I would wish it on the charlatan about to desecrate that poor ine anyone walking into your fa out one of your ancestors and de-coffining him in front of a titillated audience It’s obscene!’

The contrast between his words now and his reaction earlier in the corridor made her heart sink a little He was deterain Well, she could stick to form, too

‘True Though most Sinclairs were obscene even before they were buried In fact, dying was probably their most valued contribution to the world’

Another quiver ran through hihter, and she relaxed a little, leaning et on with it—she was suddenly quite anxious to leave