GOVERNESS TO THE SHEIKH

by MARTIN, LAURA

  Malik’s thoughts froze as something occurred to him. Maybe that was the problem, maybe he’d been thinking about things too much and not allowing himself to feel. For so long he’d protected himself from a distant wife by becoming analytical, by distancing himself from any interaction, but maybe that was the problem. Maybe he needed to stop thinking and start feeling.

  Looking up to where Rachel’s familiar figure was dragging her trunk from her room, Malik asked himself what he felt for this woman and for the first time ever let his heart answer.

  Chapter Twenty

  Rachel allowed the servant to pick up her trunk as she darted back inside the room that had felt like home for the last two and a half months. She looked around, taking in the sumptuous furnishings and beautiful fabrics, and she knew she would miss her lifestyle here in Huria. She doubted she would ever live in such a luxurious home ever again, but rather than let the sadness overcome her Rachel lifted her chin and took a deep breath.

  Now she’d decided to leave Huria Rachel was eager to depart the palace and start the long journey back to England. She knew every minute she stayed close to Malik and the children her resolve would waver and she would find herself turning into someone she didn’t much like or respect. She would refocus on things in her life that couldn’t hurt her, like finding a nice family to work for or seeing a bit of the world, and she would most certainly avoid any sort of relationship.

  Rachel stepped out of the room and closed the door behind her. It felt as though she had swallowed a boulder and it was sitting heavily in her stomach, but she knew she had to face Malik and the children and say her farewells. She didn’t want to see the tears in Hakim’s eyes as he realised she wouldn’t be coming back, or the disappointment on Aahil’s and Ameera’s faces as they worked out another governess was leaving them. She wished things could be different, but they couldn’t.

  She made herself look around as she walked, soaking in the exotic flowers that climbed up the struts of the balconies and the verdant plants that filled pots along the walkways. She inhaled the spicy aromas coming from the palace kitchens and felt the heat of the Hurian sun on her face. This would be the last time she set foot in the palace, and although she knew arranging a passage home might take a while, it wouldn’t be long before she had exchanged the blue skies of Huria for the greyness of England.

  She could see Malik and the children in the courtyard below and allowed herself a moment to compose her face into an expression of serenity before she descended.

  ‘Miss Talbot.’ Wahid’s low voice stopped her in her tracks.

  Rachel spun to see Malik’s most trusted confidant standing behind her.

  ‘Wahid, I was hoping I might trouble you for an escort to somewhere to stay whilst I arrange my passage home.’

  Wahid shook his head sadly. ‘Please reconsider, Miss Talbot, do not do something you will both live to regret.’

  Rachel felt her face colour and wondered if Malik had confided in the older man, but she realised Wahid had eyes and ears everywhere, he wouldn’t need Malik to tell him what was going on.

  ‘His Highness needs you.’

  Rachel shook her head. She wished Malik needed her, but he didn’t. He was a capable man who had overcome so much to be who he was today and even his relationship with his children had blossomed in the last few weeks.

  ‘He is pig-headed and stubborn,’ Wahid said, seeming not to mind speaking of his Sheikh in such a blunt way. ‘He is a great ruler, but he cannot admit when he is wrong.’

  ‘They will be better off without me. No distractions.’

  Wahid sighed and started to speak slowly as if Rachel were the one whose first language was not English. ‘They need you, all of them. You make him a better father, a better man. And he deserves some happiness after all he’s been through in his life.’

  Rachel thought of the years of misery Malik must have endured during his marriage to a woman who had barely deigned to speak to him. She felt herself begin to hesitate, but then pulled herself together. It didn’t matter, Rachel was not going to be in a one-sided relationship. She would have abandoned her vow never to let love take over her life if Malik had actually loved her back, but she would not spend her life growing miserable knowing the man she loved did not feel the same way.

  ‘What about the children?’ Wahid appealed.

  ‘The children will be just fine with their father. He’s brilliant with them.’

  Rachel did feel guilty about leaving the children so abruptly, but she knew in the long term it was the best solution. If she stayed for a few weeks it would be harder for all of them for her to leave, by going now it would hurt less overall.

  ‘I’ve known His Majesty for many years,’ Wahid said quietly. ‘He has never cared for anyone the way he cares for you. Give him time, be patient with him, he will get there in the end.’

  Rachel wondered if it was true, maybe she did just need to give him time. It wasn’t like Malik had ever had any examples of a successful relationship in his life; his mother had died when he was young and his wife had resented him. She felt a surge of hope and struggled to suppress it. She would not waver. She would not spend her life adoring a man who did not love her back. Instead she would take some time to regroup and then devote her life to teaching and seeing the world.

  A small voice inside her head scoffed and Rachel knew it was right. She would never properly regroup, her feelings for Malik weren’t likely to fade just because she put a couple of continents between them. But maybe not seeing his face every day, not hearing his voice and imagining his lips on her skin, would help the pain to ease in the long run.

  Rachel stepped forward and took Wahid’s hand. ‘Look after him,’ she said softly.

  Taking a deep breath, she descended the stairs and entered the courtyard. Her heart was hammering in her chest and already Rachel was beginning to doubt herself. Something inside her screamed at her to stay, to fight for what she wanted, and with every step it was getting louder.

  Her eyes fixed to the floor, Rachel couldn’t bear to look up and see Malik and the children gathered together. She didn’t want to say goodbye. She didn’t know if she would even be able to get the words out of her mouth. Surely if this was the right thing to do it wouldn’t be so hard, so painful.

  With a supreme effort Rachel looked up and immediately her eyes met Malik’s. They looked at each other for ten long seconds, all that had happened between them pulsing backwards and forward in one glance. Rachel remembered the man she had first encountered on arrival at the palace, the cool, distant Sheikh who barely spoke to his children. She remembered their first arguments over her teaching methods and the first time Malik had admitted he was wrong. She remembered the first few disastrous trips out Malik had arranged, and how, slowly, he had begun to feel at ease around the children. In two and a half months Malik had gone from a stern, detached father to a man who could easily understand what his children wanted and what they needed.

  ‘Aahil, Ameera, come here,’ Malik said, beckoning his eldest two children over to where he sat with Hakim on his lap.

  Rachel knew two and a half months ago Malik would have left it to someone else to tell his children their governess was leaving, but here he was ready to talk them through the change himself, to answer their questions no matter how difficult.

  As Malik opened his mouth to speak Rachel wanted to shout out and stop him. She didn’t want to leave. She wanted to be a part of the children’s lives, part of his life. She wanted to spend her days helping the children to develop and her nights curled up by Malik’s side. Rachel realised she’d never wanted anything so much in her life and she was about to lose it all.

  She wondered if she could compromise, if she could live a half-existence. Maybe remaining in Huria and having Malik’s companionship and friendship was better than running away.

  M
alik looked up at her again and, as their eyes met, Rachel felt her heart almost bursting inside her chest.

  * * *

  Malik felt like he’d been struck by a lightning bolt. Rachel’s soft brown eyes met his and Malik wondered how he could have been so obtuse. He’d been so preoccupied with trying to work out how you knew you were in love, he hadn’t listened to his heart. Suddenly all the moments of joy and pleasure made sense, as did the pain and suffering he’d experienced since driving Rachel away. Of course he loved her. He rather suspected he’d loved her from the moment they’d shared a kiss out under the stars in the desert, after she’d listened to him so carefully whilst he’d spoken of Aliyyah. Now he couldn’t quite believe he’d been able to deceive himself into thinking he didn’t love her. He’d been scared, worried history might repeat itself and he would end up living a re-run of the years of misery he had with his first wife, but looking up at Rachel, Malik knew she could never hurt him, at least not intentionally.

  He wondered if he was too late, if he had driven her away for good by his blindness and stupidity. Malik wouldn’t be able to bear it if she left, not now that he’d realised what love actually felt like. Love was looking at someone and knowing you cared more for them than life itself. It didn’t have to be anything fancy, just straightforward, old-fashioned adoration.

  ‘Children, I’ve got something very important to tell you,’ Malik said, gathering his children closer.

  He wondered how to phrase his next few sentences, knowing he needed to explain things carefully to his children.

  Rachel had stopped a few feet away and was looking as if she might cry.

  ‘I know you are all very fond of Miss Talbot. In the months that she has been here with us she has made a big impact on all our lives.’

  Ameera turned to Rachel, her eyes narrowing. ‘You’re leaving, aren’t you?’

  Rachel opened her mouth, but no words came out.

  ‘Miss Talbot will no longer be staying here as your governess,’ Malik confirmed.

  Malik watched as Hakim threw himself off his lap and ran over to cling on to Rachel’s legs.

  ‘Miss Talbot, Rachel, has come to mean so much more to all of us,’ Malik said and he watched as the puzzlement and hope dawned on Rachel’s face. ‘And I very much hope she’ll agree to stay here in the palace with us, as my wife.’

  Four pairs of surprised eyes regarded him for a few seconds.

  Malik realised he was holding his breath. She could still refuse him, she could still leave. He had rejected her in the cruellest way possible, Rachel might be too hurt to agree to stay.

  ‘You’ll be our new mummy?’ Hakim asked.

  He watched as Rachel crouched down in front of Hakim and felt his heart swell as she took the little boy’s hand in her own.

  ‘I love you all very much,’ she said. Malik felt a momentary stab of panic as he wondered if she was going to say she still couldn’t stay.

  ‘And I love you,’ Malik blurted out. It hadn’t been how he’d envisioned telling Rachel he loved her, but he would have time for the romance and the flowery words later. Right now he just needed her to agree to stay.

  She looked at him and Malik felt as though her eyes were boring down to his very soul.

  ‘You love me?’ Rachel asked, her voice so quiet Malik hardly heard the words.

  ‘I love you,’ he said.

  ‘I cannot think of a single thing that would make me happier than marrying your father and being there every minute of every day to watch the three of you grow up.’

  Malik crossed the short distance between them in four long strides and swept Rachel up into his arms. He kissed her deeply on the lips, ignoring the ‘Eww!’ from Ameera and the gasp of surprise from Aahil. Malik wanted to communicate in that one kiss how much he loved Rachel, how much he would cherish her for the rest of their lives and how grateful he was that she was giving him a second chance.

  ‘I do love you,’ Malik said when he finally released her. Rachel’s cheeks were delightfully pink and her eyes a little glazed.

  ‘I thought...’ Rachel started.

  Malik shook his head vehemently. ‘I was stupid and afraid and plain wrong. Forgive me?’

  Rachel answered him with a kiss of her own, much to Malik’s delight.

  ‘You’re truly going to marry Father?’ Aahil asked, as if he couldn’t quite believe the turn of events.

  ‘Yes.’

  Malik felt his heart soar again at her confirmation. He knew he’d nearly sabotaged his own chance of happiness by failing to realise he was in love, but he’d been given a second chance. He was not going to waste it.

  ‘Right now we are going to celebrate,’ Malik whispered to Rachel. ‘Everyone will want to wish us well, add their congratulations, but I want you to myself for at least a little of today. Meet me on the rooftop after the children are in bed.’

  It seemed fitting to take Rachel to the place they’d sat down together on her first evening at the palace all those weeks ago.

  As she turned to him and smiled Malik felt like the luckiest man alive.

  * * *

  Once Malik had kissed his children goodnight he made his way to the rooftop to check everything was in order. It was set out just as it had been on their first night together, with a low table and scattered cushions. Malik had requested a meal they could serve themselves so they would have complete privacy once Rachel arrived.

  She stepped on to the rooftop terrace a few minutes later, her eyes shining with excitement and just a hint of nervous energy radiating off her. Malik took her hand and led her to the parapet and for a moment they just stood side by side, looking out over the kingdom.

  As Rachel turned to him Malik raised her hand to his lips and placed a kiss on her knuckles.

  ‘Rachel, I was a blind, stupid fool, but I want to spend the rest of our lives showing you how much I love you...’ He paused. Although technically he had already proposed, it hadn’t been the romantic gesture Rachel might have dreamed of. This time he would do it right.

  ‘I tried to tell myself that I couldn’t love anyone, that I didn’t know how, but it seems my heart had a different view. I think I’ve loved you for a long time, but I was just too blind to realise it.’ Malik pulled Rachel closer to him. ‘Will you do me the greatest honour and agree to be my wife, my companion, my Shaykhah?’

  Rachel smiled, that warm, loving smile that made Malik’s heart soar.

  ‘Nothing would make me happier. Of course I will.’

  Malik wrapped his arms round her waist and pulled her towards him, kissing her gently, languorously, as if they had all the time in the world. He knew he had a lifetime to enjoy kissing Rachel, to explore every inch of her mind and body until he knew it better than he knew his own. Running his hands down her back, he pulled away slightly and looked at the woman who was going to be his wife.

  ‘I’m a very lucky man,’ he said.

  ‘I think I’m the lucky one,’ Rachel said, raising a hand to stroke his cheek.

  He led her to the scattered cushions, sat down and pulled her in close to him. He wanted to feel the warmth of her body against his, to hold her tight and never let her go. Malik selected a small delicacy and popped it into Rachel’s mouth, watching as she closed her eyes to savour the flavour.

  ‘You do realise what you’ve just agreed to?’ Malik said as he licked the remnants off his fingers.

  ‘I’ve agreed to be your wife,’ Rachel said, laughing.

  ‘Not just my wife.’

  ‘Well, of course there’s the children as well.’

  ‘Of course, but there’s more, too.’

  Rachel looked puzzled and Malik took the opportunity to feed her another delicacy.

  ‘When we are married you will be Shaykhah of Huria. Every woman in the kingdom will
look up to you, will want to emulate you.’

  Malik thought he saw some of the colour drain from Rachel’s cheeks.

  ‘I think you’ll be fabulous,’ he whispered in her ear.

  Epilogue

  Rachel stood in the middle of the room and allowed the women to fuss around her. Despite all the excited chattering and the noise her mind was elsewhere, it was with the man she was going to marry in fifteen minutes time.

  She thought of Malik, dressed in his finery, and wondered how she had been so lucky. To find the man you could spend your life loving, and to have him love you back, was a blessing indeed. Now all she had to do was marry him.

  There had been months of preparation for the wedding. Rachel had never imagined herself getting married, but if she had she wouldn’t have spared a thought for all the preparation that went into a royal wedding. For the last five months, ever since Malik had proposed, Rachel had done something wedding related every single day. And now, after all that preparation, the time was finally here.

  ‘Do you like my dress?’ Ameera burst into the room, twirling as she went, making the skirt of her dress flare and ripple with movement. The young Princess was dressed in a deep purple gown made of silk, with purple flowers in her hair.

  ‘You look stunning, Ameera.’

  Ameera looked up at Rachel and bit her lip.

  ‘I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone look as pretty as you, Rachel.’

  Today Rachel felt pretty—in fact, she felt beautiful. Her skin was glowing from the time spent in the hammam and the milk-and-honey paste the attendant women had applied, and her hair was sleek and shiny from the lemon juice it had been washed in. One of the women had applied a small amount of kohl to Rachel’s eyes, just enough to accentuate their shape and colour without being overwhelming.