Thank you Puzzlezaddict for taking the time to replay. I had already replayed the quest from the point at which I travel to France with the ruby in my inventory, and from going to Egypt to obtain the gem. I have even replayed the quest from the the point at which I accept the quest from the notice board. The result is the same, and the game play is the same. I think that it is skipping some parts.
When I go to the nectary and report in I am asked to find a bottle of nectar in the cellars of the nectary.
When I have found a bottle of nectar that fulfills the requirements I am told to report in with the nectar.
When I report in I am given a key and told to explore the secret/hidden chamber. Upon accepting the quest and before I have a chance to use the key I am to report my findings. I am then given the next part of the quest, to find some beetles and go to Egypt. Note, on one gameplay I found the beetles and returned home then on to Egypt, without exploring the secret chamber. On another gameplay I explored the secret chamber before collecting the beetles and going to Egypt. {Here I think the game skips and takes it that I have found the three holes before I have in fact}.
I fulfilled the two parts of the quest while in Egypt and was able to return with home and on to France with the ruby.
When I reported in I was given the next part of the quest. To examine the holes and see if the ruby fit and the ruby is no longer in my inventory. Upon accepting the quest and before I had chance to do anything I got the next part of the quest that was to reexamine the area around the three holes and see if anything had changed.
On each gameplay nothing had changed and when I tried to talk to the nectary owner, there was nothing in the pie chart of options for discussion in connection with the quest. I am left with a quest that can not be completed. I was some time ago able to complete the Nectary tombs without problem, that was when I played from DVD installation of the game, but this time, digital install, I'm stuck.