𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐩𝐞 𝐍𝐨𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐦

Act I, Scene VI

Lucy looked around at the packed cargo hold in awe. "We will get in unspeakable trouble for being here."

"Pish. This is hardly more devious than the time we snuck aboard the India Star to see those elephant tusks," Arthur reminded her. His robin egg blue eyes shone with mischief in the soft lamp light. "As I recall, you had no qualms regarding the late hour on that occasion. Or what about the evening of your birthday, when we snuck aboard the Jewel of the Orient? You loved the collection of ceremonial kimono!"

"I did," Lucy agreed with a fond smile.

"You seemed to love the fresh goat cheese and red wine I brought along as well," he teased, bumping his shoulder against hers. "A bit too much, if memory serves."

"You're the one who nearly spilled that red wine all over a priceless, antique bridal kimono!" she accused him.

"Only because you insisted on trying it on!" Arthur countered.

"It was only because I was wearing it that I was able to rescue the material from a disastrous staining!" Lucy informed him, her hands on her hips. "You cannot argue that my reflexes remain impressively nimble even after consuming half a bottle of wine."

"More than half," Arthur corrected her. "I hardly managed to reserve one glass!"

"It was my birthday!"

"That it was," Arthur concurred. "And you did look lovely as a Japanese bride."

"You are too kind," Lucy said, giving him an exaggerated curtsy.

He grinned at her again, taking her hand and guiding her through the fleet of dusty crates and trunks. A myriad of stone statues stood against the walls in between the intermittent portholes, held secure with thick, coarse ropes.

The Wilhern fleet was renowned for shipping exotic and mysterious goods to England from all corners of the known world, and this assemblage promised to be the crown jewel.

"Here we are, madam," Arthur announced when they arrived in the thick of it. "The yet-unseen artifacts of London Museum's latest Ancient Egyptian Exhibit! Now, I hope you know just how lucky you are to witness these wonders before they are displayed for the general public. It really is quite the honor."

Lucy squeezed his hand.

"An honor most dream not of," she agreed. "But I'm marrying into the family, you see. They must offer me such lavish privileges to keep me interested in their wayward son."

"Lucy! You wound me!"

"Lies!"

Lucy laughed, pulling away from him. She peered at a few of the crates, inspecting the handwritten labels.

"This is incredible," she murmured. "You know every item that was shipped?"

"I do."

"How?"

From the breast pocket of his coat, Arthur produced a mass of white paper, folded in thirds.

"Behold, madam: the manifest."

"No!" Lucy gasped, snatching the papers from his hand. "You devious little thief! What have we here..?"

She scanned the list of artifacts, her eyes shining with excitement. "Multiple statues, busts, clay sculptures, artwork, gemstones, scrolls...a mummy?!? Arthur, this archive lists a mummy!"

"It does," Arthur said, grinning as though he had known that would be the artifact that most caught her eye. "The mummy of a monarch, no less. Would you like to see it?"