by Jones, Sarah
Troubled, Louise glanced at her father, who only shrugged, unconcerned about the situation.
When his father had discovered that Louise was pregnant, he had been emphatic in saying that he himself would decide the future of his daughter. The lady had not understood very well until the following week he announced her engagement to Christopher. Not even with the daughter's long arguments and desperate pleas, her father reconsidered.
As agreed, the two would only marry when the baby was already born, Christopher's request, who claimed not to want to accompany the lady's pregnancy.
"Soon this little hint of marriage will be over, and finally you can be together, boy."
Louise was startled by the attitude of her father, who showed no concern for her baby.
"I'm looking forward to it," Christopher said, drinking more of the brandy. "But I'm not here just for a visit." I have received information that the Society of Archeology of England intends to honor me, for my courage and involvement with the cause" he announced proudly.
Louise felt a blow to her chest at the sound of it. As soon as she had arrived in London, she had been taken by her father and Christopher to one of the meetings of the Society of Archeology, where, before all, she had been obliged to tell all that had happened, all the details and possible discoveries. The pinnacle of her despair had come when s he said that she had left in search of the lost city. She had been given laughter in response.
"A great fool, of course.” She had heard one of the men comment as she withdrew.
Humiliated, she had locked herself in her bedroom, crying for hours, determined not to think about it. But now, when she heard Christopher say he would be honored for his deeds, she found himself again at the mercy of tears.
She could not bear to look at the man, feeling her stomach turn when he touched her or just to hear his voice. She had no idea how she would survive a marriage with him. She would be forced to marry, and there would be nothing she could do.
"That's good news, boy. Lord Neville made a toast to the man, who mimicked him, smiling.
"If you'll excuse me, I need to go to my room." I'm a little nauseous, "Louise said, standing up and heading for the exit, no matter what the answer.
When they were alone, Christopher put the glass back on the table and snorted angrily.
"I do not see her very disposed to this marriage, Neville.”
The old man looked at the door, still thinking about his daughter.
- I'll talk to her.
Christopher stood and pointed toward the other man.
"I hope she honors our commitment or knows exactly what will happen," he said quietly.
Lord Neville swallowed, tugging at the collar of his shirt.
"Do not worry, boy. As soon as the child is born, things will be easier" he said nervously.
"I'll have to think of something, I can not stand looking at this child" Christopher said, looking at Neville.
The old man just looked away.
***
Said handed the charioteer the gold coins he carried in a small bag attached to his body and mounted the black horse. According to the information he had obtained in the village, the house was not far from there, and if he hurried he would arrive before nightfall. He had been terribly tired from the weeks of travel since leaving Harif Harbor. He had faced many difficulties, among them the thieves' attack, as he headed for London, and the horrible sight of that city, the city of his mother.
There he had searched for Louise, finding the great house in the noblest part of the city, but when he got there he had been informed that she had gone to the country with his father a few months before. He had been late.
Said could understand the love that his mother felt for the land. The fields were beautiful, and the air fresher, which made riding easier since he had surprised the English horses, so different from the dromedaries. He was saddened that he did not remember exactly the name of the place where her mother had lived, since he wanted to know more about her passion for England. I could swear it was through those green fields and through the dark woods.
He squirmed the horse, willing to feel the cool wind on his skin as his thoughts returned to her. All that time, when the Sheik had crossed lands and seas, there was not a single day when the English lady ceased to be remembered by him. The certainty of meeting her again made him keep going, facing whatever it took to have her in his arms once more. Said reflected often, trying to imagine how she was, is she had changed a lot in all those months and if she still remembered him. This was his fear. Louise might have forgotten or regretted him, realizing that it was not "love" what she felt for him, but only passion, as she had thought it to be.
He avoided thinking that she would reject him, because only the thought of her feelings denial caused him physical pain directly in his chest. Sheik believed that the journey had helped him to better understand his own emotions. Often, as he leaned over the ship's wall, he thought of the whole situation, from the moment he first saw Louise, under the sight of scimitars, to the last sight when she had said goodbye to him.
He refreshed himself with the water he carried in his bag and then looked up, calculating how much of the daylight he would have until he got home. He did not want to spend another night under moonlight, as he had when he had not found a lodge on the way. In one of these establishments one of the most unusual situations had occurred. A woman had approached him, who dined in a corner of the hall. She wore a dress with a pronounced neckline, and her blond hair fell loose over her shoulders. She offered herself to him without shame, telling him exactly what she would do if the two of them went upstairs to the bedroom. Finding all this funny, Said had taken two gold coins from her pocket and given it to her, who, frightened, had wept, almost knelt at her feet, telling of her daughter to feed and her deceased husband. Said had rejected the woman, as he had been doing since Louise had left him.
In the palace, he had been isolated from all except Najila and Karida, who helped him. During the trip, it was no different, the women in the men's service offered to satisfy him, but he had simply ignored them, which, before meeting Louise, would not.
Something had changed and now he knew exactly what it was.
Said rebuked himself, knowing that if he allowed himself to be consumed by his thoughts, he would not arrive in time, and what he most wanted was to see her still that day.
***
Louise forced another spoon against her lips, trying to eat the turnips soup that had been prepared for her. Again. Since arriving at the country by her father's order, Nelly and the other servants were instructed to prepare her only soup for dinner, which made her sicker every day, especially on that night when Christopher was sharing the meal with them. Seated in front of him, the man devoured the roasted pheasant meat and the potatoes, which looked very succulent. She stared at the thin water on her plate and swallowed the bitter taste in her mouth.
"Are you all right, my dear?" Christopher asked, his mouth full.
Louise wiped the corner of her mouth with her napkin and did not answer. She ignored her father, who was staring at her. What she wanted most was to go up to her room and stay there until Christopher was gone. But she knew it would not be so, because he would probably lead her to the library, where he would tell her things about love that would make her angry.
And that's what happened when, at the end of the meal, the man took her by the hand and led her to the library, making her sit beside him as he read a book with little verses. Louise closed her eyes and did as she always did. Fled mentally, thinking of Said, of the palace, of the desert.
"I do not think you're very happy with my reading, Louise" Christopher said as he stopped reading.
"I'm just tired" she said, not looking at him.
The sound of the book being slammed shut was heard by Louise, who opened her eyes to find Christopher staring at her.
"You know you must submit to me, my dear. Remember what you promised me. He caught her chin, forcing her to
look into his eyes.
Why, she would never forget that day. Never in all her days. Because of him, she had been forced to leave Said. Last night in the kingdom, when she had left the bedroom, with Said asleep in her bed, Louise had found Christopher, who had threatened to harm her father if she did not agree with his plans.
Pulling away from his hand, Louise walked over to the books, looking for something to make her forget his presence in the room. His father appeared soon after, carrying one of his diaries, going to Christopher, possibly beginning one more of his explanations about some excavation. They would spend hours like this, she knew.
She picked up a book and went back to her chair, trying to distract herself from their conversation.
More than an hour later, she desperately wanted to rest. Her back throbbed and her feet were swollen too. All she wanted was to lie down. But before she could get up, one of the servants appeared at the door.
"There's someone who wants to see you, miss" the young woman said.
Louise frowned, curious to receive a visit at that hour.
"Whoever we are, tell him to come back tomorrow" Lord Neville said.
The lady stood, adjusting the skirts of her dress.
"Did he say who he is, Susan?" - She asked.
"No, miss. He just said he needed to see you" the servant said, bewildered.
"Send him in, Susan," Louise ordered.
The girl withdrew with a wave and the lady noticed the expressions of Christopher and her father, who did not seem happy with her. Ignoring them, she waited for the man.
Nothing, in all eternity, would have prepared her to see the person that enter the library. It could be vision or perhaps a dream, but she wanted to believe that yes, that man there, in front of her, was Said.
She opened hermouth to say anything, but her voice did not go away. Her eyes burned, tears streaming down her face as her hands dropped to her belly.
Oh, God, he was there!
Said had come for her.
***
The Sheik caught his breath at her sight. At first his eyes fell to her face, just as before, only a little fuller and paler. Next, it was inevitable not to notice her swollen belly. It took him a few seconds to finally figure out what was going on there. His legs would not let him move and his heart seemed to want to burst against his chest.
It was she who spoke first, taking him out of the trance.
"Said, is that you?" The voice just as he remembered.
"It's me, my love" he replied, determined to have her in his arms, but at the first step Christopher appeared in front of him.
- Leave her alone. Do not touch her"the man said, pointing his finger at Said's chest.
The Sheik confronted him, pushing him aside. And she did what he had wanted for months and Louise touched him
She moaned as he wrapped her in his arms, hugging her carefully.
"I can not believe you're here" she murmured against his chest.
Said kissed her on top of her head.
"I needed to see you again, there's something I did not say. He held her face, smiling excitedly.
Beside the two, Christopher tried to interrupt, but Lord Neville caught him by the arm, preventing him from moving.
"Oh, I beg your pardon for leaving, but I needed" she said, crying.
With one hand on her back and the other on hrface, Said kissed her lips tenderly. She sighed, closing her eyes.
"I need you to listen to me, gazelle. Open your eyes to me" he said, caressing her with his thumb. "I needed to be alone and miss you to understand my emotions." I had to travel by sea and land in rain and sun to find you, because I needed to tell you something very important." And looking into her eyes, the Sheikh said what she had discovered:" I love you, Louise Manning. I love you with my soul, with my body and everything I can offer you.
- Oh, Said ...
"I'm not done yet, my love" he interrupted. "I'm here to beg you to forgive me for everything." For making you my prisoner, for many times not being right. I know I do not deserve your forgiveness, but I'm selfish enough to ask for it desperately.
Louise replied by hiding her face in his chest, crying again. Frightened, he hugged her, feeling her rounded belly against his body.
She said something to him, but her voice sounded muffled.
- Calm down, gazelle. He pushed her away.
"I said I forgive you, Said" Louise said, wiping the tears with the back of her hand.
"And I love you too."
He smiled, giving her a kiss on the forehead.
"Will not you tell him, Louise?" Christopher said, letting go of Lord Neville. He stepped in front of them and indicated the lady's belly. "Do I have to tell you about our son myself?"
Louise's eyes widened, placing her hands on her belly. She looked at Said, expecting to see the explosion of anger in him.
"Exactly what you're hearing, Said. The son she is carrying is mine. We're engaged. Can you deny it, my dear? She smiled at Louise.
She felt Said's arms leave her waist, and he moved away.
"Said ..." she said, shaking in his entirety.
He turned his back on her and took a deep breath.
Oh, please, no ... Not now. Believe me, my prince.
"How can you think I would believe you, Christopher?" Said asked, turning to him slowly. "Before I kill you, I'll make you ask forgiveness for it."
Laughing, Christopher walked over to the booze table beside Louise, where he poured some brandy and drank it in a single swallow. Accompanying the sheik's gaze, he broke his glass against the table and ran to Louise, pushing the glass shard up against her throat.
"Move away," he threatened, twirling the sharp object in his hands before them all.
Said held her breath, knowing he would need calm to save Louise.
"Christopher, do not do that. It was Lord Neville, trying to get closer.
"Stay where you are or I'll kill you" he said, smiling broadly. "Did you really believe that you would come here and take her again as your slave?" I'm sorry to tell you, but it will not be that easy, Sheik.
- Let her go. She and the baby have nothing to do with it. Said spread his arms. "Fight me, kill me if you wish, but let her go."
Knowing he could not get out of there with Louise, Christopher pushed her aside, nearly knocking her down. He held the broken goblet and roared at Said, trying to hurt him. The Sheik turned in time, striking him in the back. He tried to immobilize him, but the Englishman was faster, pinning the glass on his arm, causing him to fall. The man took advantage of kicking him in the face with his boots and, when Said was almost unconscious, bent down to kill him with a blow directly in the heart.
Louise screamed, clinging to the window, and at her scream there was a crash. Then Christopher's body fell beside Said, motionless.
Said and Louise looked at Lord Neville, who was holding a gun, his hand shaking, his eyes like two plates.
"Father ..." The daughter struggled to reach him, but the lord stopped her.
"I killed him," he said.
The Sheik got to his feet, still dizzy. He traced the bullet hole, which had stuck in Christopher's back and across his chest, a large pool of blood forming alongside his body. He walked over to Lord Neville and quietly withdrew the gun from his hands.
"It's over" Said said as he took the ammunition out of the gun.
Lord Neville sat down, Louise beside him, helping him.
"He blackmailed me" he said, looking at the inert body on the rug. "He forced me to marry him.”
- Me too, Dad. Christopher made me leave Said, saying that if I did not he would kill you, "Louise confessed, holding him by the hand.
The father bowed his head indignantly.
"I thought you came back because you wanted to, daughter.
- I did not want. My place is next to Said, Dad. I told him I loved him, "she recalled, looking at the lover.
Sighing, Lord Neville stared at Said, who was still silent, watching the scene.
<
br /> "Did you come here for my daughter?" You love her? He asked seriously.
"Because your daughter is my life and her place is by my side, in my kingdom"
"You know your people will not accept Louise as your wife, do you?" The lord asked.
Said agreed.
- I think maybe it's time for change. Some laws must be changed and I will do so as soon as I return. I'll give you whatever it takes to have your daughter with me again, sir. Only Allah knows what I've been through in the last few months" he said, his voice sounding tense.
"Well, as you can see, there was a consequence of the time my daughter spent with you" Neville said, and they all looked at Louise's belly.
The Sheik smiled.
Your son.
"I'm surprised to know that I'll be a father" he said, keeping his gaze from Louise.
Lord Neville leaned back against the chair.
"Do not think that you will take my daughter in this way, without any kind of commitment, as if she were a ..."
"Father, please." Louise interrupted him, her face burning.
"I'm worried about you, daughter. The other time, he kidnapped her and held her prisoner. How can I be sure he will not do it again? I can not allow such a thing.
Louise gave Said an apologetic look. He very seriously took her by the hand, kissing her on fingers.
"Because I'll marry her as soon as I can." Your daughter will return to the desert as my wife, sir. He smirked. "If she wishes."
Excited, Louise hugged him, still unaccustomed to the belly between them.
- I accept! She exclaimed, laughing.
Said hugged her, but when he kissed her, he heard the old lord clear his throat. Louise and Sheikh looked at Neville.
"I'm feeling a little uncomfortable with this body in my library. I think we'd better get out of here as I plan how to explain this incident to the judge.