The Christmas Bride

by Susan Mallery

  “She’s a woman.”

  “She leads with her heart. She deserves someone who can appreciate that.”

  Lina studied him for several seconds, then nodded. “All right. That’s the one answer I can respect. It’s too bad. I think she would have been good for you. Then we’ll just have to find her someone else.”

  “She is the children’s nanny.”

  “She deserves more than just a job. You were right, there’s no young American man, but I’ll find her someone.” She rose and smiled. “Don’t worry, As’ad. While I’m finding Kayleen a husband, I’ll find you another nanny. You won’t be inconvenienced.”

  Those should have been the words he wanted to hear, but something about them bothered him. Something he couldn’t define but that created a knot in the middle of his chest.

  * * *

  “What is it?” As’ad asked, staring at the thick, flat cutout.

  Dana grinned. “It’s a turkey.”

  He eyed the layers of paper. “It is a turkey that has met with some unfortunate circumstances.”

  She giggled, then pulled the top over, creating a three-dimensional paper turkey. “It’s a decoration,” she told him. “They delivered a whole box of ’em. We can put them on the table and hang them from the ceiling.” She glanced up at the curved, fifteen-foot ceiling. “Okay, maybe not the ceiling. But we’ll put them all around.”

  “This is tradition?” he asked.

  “Uh-huh. Along with the leaves.”

  The box with the flat paper turkeys had also included festive garlands in fall colors, along with silk leaves in red, brown and gold.

  Pepper leaned over and grabbed a handful of leaves. “I’ll put these on the table. We can make a line down the center of the tablecloth. It’ll be pretty.”

  Nadine trailed after her younger sister, picking up the leaves that drifted to the floor. As’ad took a length of garland and followed them to the table.

  “This will go on top of the leaves?” he asked.

  Pepper grinned. “Uh-huh. And we need to have candles. Really tall ones. They’re the prettiest.” She set down her leaves, put her hands on her hips and looked at him. “How come you don’t know this?”

  “We don’t celebrate Thanksgiving here.”

  Her blue eyes widened. “But you have to.”

  “They weren’t discovered by pilgrims,” Nadine told her. “America was the new world. It had to be found.”

  “It was lost?” Pepper asked.

  “In a manner of speaking,” As’ad said. “It’s a celebration unique to your country. Although I believe the Canadians also celebrate Thanksgiving, but on a different day.”

  He waited while the two girls straightened out the leaves, then he set the garland on top. It was attractive, he thought. Very festive. Kayleen would like it. The surprise would make her happy.

  He imagined her throwing herself at him, and him pulling her close. Then the vision shifted and changed so they were both naked and he was pushing his way inside of her as they—

  “As’ad, what traditions do you have here?” Dana asked.

  He forced his attention back to the present. This was not the time to explore sexual fantasies with the girls’ nanny.

  “We have many celebrations. There is the day the El Deharian armies defeated the Ottoman Empire. We also celebrate Christmas, although it is not as big a holiday here as it would have been for you back in the States.”

  Pepped sighed. “I worry about Santa being able to find us here.”

  “He’ll find you and he’ll enjoy the large fireplace in your room,” As’ad told her. “It won’t be so hard for him to get inside.”

  Her eyes widened. “Santa comes to the palace?”

  “Of course.”

  “So I can write him a letter? I’ve been very, very good this year.”

  “Yes. You can write a letter. We’ll arrange to have it sent through the royal post office, so it gets priority treatment.”

  The little girl beamed at him.

  “Will there be snow at Christmas?” Dana asked as she set yet another paper turkey on the bookcase.

  “We do not get snow here.”

  “I didn’t think so.” She shrugged. “I miss snow. We grew up in Michigan and we always had a white Christmas. We used to made snowmen and snow angels. Mom always had hot chocolate and cookies waiting.”

  “I don’t remember her much,” Pepper said in a whisper.

  “Sure you do,” Nadine told her. “She was tall and pretty, with blond hair.”

  There was a wistful, sad quality to her voice. It tugged at something in As’ad. Like Pepper, he had minimal memories of his mother. Perhaps his older brothers had more. He had never asked. Instead he’d been raised by a series of nannies when he’d been young and tutors when he was older. Then he’d been sent away to school. It was the expected life of a prince.

  “I don’t remember her,” Pepper insisted, her eyes filling with tears.

  He crouched in front of her. “You remember snow, don’t you?”

  She nodded slowly. “It’s cold and white and it makes my nose red. I want snow for Christmas.”

  “It seems unlikely,” he told her. “We live in the desert, on the edge of the ocean. This is not a cold climate. But it can still be very beautiful.”

  “We’ll be fine,” Dana told him bravely. “You’ll see. It’s just the change. Change is hard. For all of us.”

  “Agreed, but you are here now. This is where you will stay. Didn’t Kayleen tell you?”

  The girls exchanged glances, then looked at him.

  “We don’t know what we’re going to do,” Pepper told him. “We’re supposed to stay here, with you, but what happens when Kayleen leaves?”

  He straightened. “What are you talking about? She’s not going anywhere.”

  “Yes, she is. She told us a long time ago.” Dana drew in a breath. “She’ll be twenty-five soon. When she’s twenty-five she gets to go back to teach at the convent school where she grew up. It’s what she always wanted. What we don’t know is if we go with her or stay here with you.”

  * * *

  Lina hovered by the front of the palace, not an easy thing to do when there were tour groups lining up, official visitors arriving and she was well recognized. She supposed it would make more sense to wait in her rooms until she was notified that King Hassan was in residence. But she couldn’t stand the thought of being confined right now. It was far easier to walk the length of the entryway—a distance of about two hundred feet—than walk back. If nothing else, she was getting her exercise for the day.

  Part of the problem was she hadn’t slept for a week. She’d barely dozed the previous night and had been wide awake at four in the morning. It had taken nearly a half hour with chilled gel packs on her eyes to reduce the puffiness. Then there had been the issue of what to wear.

  She’d gone through her considerable wardrobe more than once over the past few days. A dress seemed too formal, slacks too casual. In the end she’d settled on a black skirt and a silk blouse. She’d fussed over her makeup, her hair, her jewelry. It was like being sixteen again, but with all the baggage that comes with middle age. It was exhausting.

  As she paced, smiled at visitors and did her best not to be recognized by the tour group moving into the palace, she told herself it was ridiculous to be so nervous. Officially she’d known King Hassan for years. But this was the first time he was coming to El Deharia to see her.

  “It’s not a date,” she murmured to herself, grateful the vast entryway was finally almost empty. “It’s a…a…” She sucked in a breath, not sure what his visit was.

  A large SUV drove into the courtyard, followed by a dark Mercedes. Another SUV parked behind it.

  Guards stepped out, looking stern in their business suits and sunglasses. One of them moved to the rear of the Mercedes and opened the passenger-side door.

  Lina walked toward the car, telling herself to be calm, to smile and speak with at least
the pretense of intelligence. King Hassan stepped out into the afternoon.

  He was a man of medium height and strong build. His hair was gray, as was his neatly trimmed beard. He had handsome features and an air of confidence and power about him. There were no outward symbols of his rank, yet just looking at him, it was easy to guess he wasn’t like everyone else.

  Lina hesitated. Normally she curtsied when she greeted a monarch, yet that now seemed strange. Still, protocol and her upbringing won out.

  But before she could offer the gesture of respect, Hassan stepped toward her, took both her hands in his and smiled at her.

  “My dear Lina. You are more beautiful than I remember.”

  He gazed into her eyes. She stared back, seeing pleasure and humor, along with something very much like interest. Her stomach continued to flop around, but the reason changed from nerves to anticipation. A warmth stole through her and she smiled.

  “Welcome, sir. All of El Deharia is pleased at your visit. Me, most of all.”

  He pulled her close and tucked her hand into the crook of his arm. “Hassan,” he said. “You must call me Hassan. Do you forget how you mocked me in your emails? You can’t be formal now.”

  They walked into the palace. “I never mocked you,” she told him, liking the feel of being next to him, close to him.

  “You called me a crazy old man who was too concerned about his cats.”

  She laughed. “I did not. You’re making that up.”

  “Perhaps.”

  He smiled at her, making her heart beat wildly and her throat get dry. It had been so long since any man had affected her, she thought happily. So long since she’d let herself notice a smile, a voice, a touch.

  They walked along the main corridor, toward the elevators that would take them up to the guest floors.

  “How is your first project coming?” he asked. “Has As’ad noticed the lovely Kayleen?”

  “Absolutely.” Lina grinned. “She got lost in the desert and ended up with some local tribesmen. As’ad went after her and claimed her for his own. He says it was to keep her safe, but I think there was more to it than that. When they got back, Kayleen specifically told me nothing had happened. She was so intent on telling me that, I knew something had.”

  “So you are a success.”

  “Not yet, but I hope to be soon.”

  They rode up three floors and exited onto a wide, open hallway.

  “Your suite is just down here,” Lina told him. “It is the one you stayed in before.”

  When they reached the double doors, she opened one and led the way in. The rooms were large, elegantly furnished and only used for kings and heads of state.

  Fresh flowers filled several vases and a large fruit basket sat on the dining room table.

  “I thought we could go out to dinner tonight,” she said. “There are a couple of really nice restaurants in the city with private rooms. I can give the names to your head of security so he can check them out in advance. There are a few plays we could take in and a visiting European symphony, depending on what interests you most. My brother would be delighted if you would care to ride any of his horses and I—”

  Hassan crossed to her and pressed his finger to her mouth. “You can stop talking now.”

  She drew in a breath, then pressed her lips together. “All right.”

  “I am not here to be entertained or to go riding. I am here to spend time with you. You have charmed me, Lina. I had not thought that would happen again in my lifetime and I am delighted to be wrong. I sense many possibilities.”

  Oh, my. The man had simply put it out there. Of course, he was a king and that could have something to do with his confidence level. If only she could say the same about herself.

  “I, ah…” She swallowed. “Me, too.”

  He laughed, then pulled her close. “So let us see where this all leads.”

  And then he kissed her.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  As’ad watched as several members of the kitchen staff set up the dinner. There was a large turkey, along with dishes of stuffing, yams, vegetables, mashed potatoes, gravy and several pies.

  “I’m starving,” Pepper whispered to Dana. “Can I have just a bite?”

  “No,” her sister told her. “We’re waiting for Kayleen, remember? It’ll just be a few more minutes.”

  Kayleen had phoned to say she’d received the message telling her to come to As’ad’s room for dinner and would be right up.

  As’ad did his best to focus on the girls, on how Pepper kept sniffing the air and how Nadine gracefully danced from foot to foot in impatience.

  His plan had worked perfectly—the room was decorated, the meal prepared and Kayleen would be able to celebrate her country’s holiday. Yet despite the success, he couldn’t shake the deep sense of outrage that stirred within him.

  She was leaving in a few months? Just like that? She hadn’t said anything to him, hadn’t hinted. He had hired her to be nanny to the three girls she had insisted he adopt and now she was going to disappear?

  Equally insulting was the fact that Dana said she didn’t know if the sisters were staying or going. As if it was their decision to make. He was Prince As’ad of El Deharia. He decided who would stay and who would leave. How dare Kayleen think she could simply walk away without speaking to him.

  He took out his anger on the bottle of Chardonnay he’d chosen for their dinner, jerking out the cork with more force than necessary.

  Did Kayleen think it was acceptable to leave the girls so soon after bringing them to the palace? Did she think they could bear another upheaval in their lives? What about him? Was he to raise them on his own?

  He didn’t know what annoyed him more—the fact that she’d been making plans without consulting him or the reality that she’d been considering leaving in the first place. Not that he personally cared if she went. His outrage was all for the girls, and perhaps for the violation of her position. She was the nanny. She reported to him.

  Apparently she was not impressed enough with his position and power. Obviously he needed to show her what it meant to deal with someone in the royal family.

  He poured himself a glass of wine and drank it down. Even more annoying was her desire to cut herself off from the world. She did not belong in drab clothes, teaching at a convent school. What would happen to her there? Her bright spirit and fresh beauty would wither and die. She would grow old before her time.

  It was up to him to change that. As her employer, he had a duty to protect Kayleen, even from herself. He knew best. At least here, in the palace, she would live her life. So how to convince her that she must stay, must serve him and be nanny to the girls?

  He could order her, he thought as he poured a second glass of wine, then dismissed the idea as quickly as it formed. It pained him to admit the truth, but Kayleen was not one to take orders well, even from a prince. So he must convince her another way. He must make her see that there was more to her future than the high walls of a convent school. That there was much she would miss.

  It would be one thing if she wanted to leave to live, he told himself. Perhaps to marry, although the idea of her with another man was irritating. Who would be good enough for her? Who would be patient with the unexpected virgin? Who would teach her the—

  The thought formed. A solution. Perhaps unorthodox, but workable. He considered the possibilities and knew that it would be successful. A sacrifice, he thought, but not a hardship.

  In time, she would thank him.

  * * *

  Kayleen walked into As’ad’s rooms with her mind still on her work. She’d been making a lot of progress on the report he’d requested and had found out a lot of interesting information about the various reasons why some villages sent a lot of young women to college and some didn’t. She wanted to discuss it all over dinner after they—

  She paused, noting the room was especially dark, which didn’t make sense. There had been lights in the corridor. Had she accidentall
y gone into the wrong room?

  She reached for a switch on the wall, only to have all the lights come on, the three girls jump out from behind furniture and yell, “Surprise!”

  Kayleen took a step back. “What are you up to? What’s the surprise?”

  And then she saw the paper turkeys covering every surface in the room. The festive fall garland, the leaves decorating the perfectly set table.

  “It’s Thanksgiving,” Pepper said, rushing up and grabbing her hand. “We’re having a real Thanksgiving dinner.”

  As’ad appeared. “The kitchen staff have done their best. They have never had a Thanksgiving dinner, so they apologize in advance if they didn’t get everything exactly as you would have it.”

  Thanksgiving? Here? She’d willed herself not to think about the holiday, but it had been difficult and much of the day she’d felt sad. To walk into this was more than she could have imagined.

  Dana and Nadine moved next to her. Kayleen crouched down to hug all three girls. Still holding them close, she looked up at As’ad.

  “Thank you,” she said, delighted by the surprise and feeling oddly emotional. “You’re very thoughtful.”

  “I cannot take all the credit. Lina reminded me of the holiday and the girls helped with the preparations. Are you pleased?”

  She rose and smiled at him. “Very. Thank you.”

  She’d never expected the gesture. As’ad wasn’t who or what she’d expected. There was a kindness in him, a caring and sensitivity she hadn’t thought possible. He was the classic handsome prince, yet he wasn’t indifferent or selfish. He could have chosen to spend his life going to parties and hanging out with models and stars. Instead he worked hard and took in orphans.

  It occurred to her that he was a good man, the sort of man she admired. The kind of man the Mother Superior had told her to look for when she left for college. Kayleen hadn’t found anyone remotely fitting that description during her four years away. How odd she should find him now…here in El Deharia.

  As’ad poured her a glass of wine as the girls dragged her to the table. “What are you thinking?” he asked, passing her the glass.

  “That you’re very unexpected.”