by Mary Lyons
‘l know--the whole idea is crazy, isn’t it? We’ve both changed so much during the last five years. Badyr is now a much harder, tougher character than the man I married, while I . . .’ She shrugged. ‘Well, the past five years haven’t exactly been a piece of cake, but I have managed to hold down a good job and support myself and Jade. Let’s face it,’ her voice hardened with exasperation, ‘there’s no way I bear any resemblance to the young, starry-eyed girl he married years ago. And how he expects me to fall on his neck with a grateful sigh at being taken back to that hateful country is quite beyond me! Are all men so conceited, I wonder’?’
‘Every single one of them that I’ve ever met!’ Sally grinned. ‘Still, being showered by diamonds and a fabulous fur coat can’t be all bad?’
‘That was just the beginning!’ Leonie groaned. 'The damned man must have spent I don’t know how much money--practically buying up London, for heaven’s sake! It seems as though the doorbell has never stopped ringing with the delivery of one huge parcel after another; honestly, Sally, it’s completely unbelievable--both Mother and I are becoming demented! The house is overflowing with boxes and boxes: hundreds of pairs of shoes from Rayne, Gucci and Charles Jourdan . . . ditto handbags; sapphire and diamond jewellery like you’ve never seen before in your life; crates of heavily monogrammed linen sheets, pillowcases and towels; huge flagons of my favourite scent. . .’ She sighed heavily. 'The list is endless . . .!’
Sally gaped in astonishment. ‘It all sounds amazing!’
‘Believe me—I can think of other words to describe the state we’re in!’ Leonie said with a grim laugh. ‘My mother is reduced to taking tranquillisers by the handful--just to get herself through the day! And we both spend most of the night lying wide awake, expecting to be burgled any moment! Don’t you dare laugh . . .’ she added as her friend collapsed with giggles.
‘I can’t help it!’ Sally gasped. ‘How on earth are you going to pack and transport all those things to Dhoman?’
‘Oh, my dear husband has solved that little problem,' Leonie ground out through clenched teeth. ‘This morning’s collection of goodies contained, among other items, monogrammed leather cases and trunks from Lowe of Bond Street--Jade even has her own set of luggage, but she’s not particularly interested, of course. She’s far keener on two brand-new saddles and bridles, which were despatched all the way from a shop in Newmarket. I imagine that they are for a pony, but since she hasn’t got one and can’t ride yet--your guess is as good as mine!’
‘How does Jade feel about her father?’ her friend asked, wiping the tears of laughter from her eyes.
‘Well, obviously she thinks he’s the best thing since sliced bread!’ Leonie shrugged. ‘Actually, to be fair, she’d adore him even if he hadn’t a bean and just swept streets for a living. They . . . well, they’re both very alike, very much in tune with each other.'
‘And . . . er . . . apart from all his quite extraordinary largesse, how do you feel about Badyr, himself ?’ Sally asked quietly. ‘Are you well, do you still find him attractive?’
‘Are you kidding'? Leonie retorted quickly. ‘Absolutely, one hundred per cent not! I really hate the man--anything I once felt for him has long since disappeared. I mean . .. how would you feel about a man who virtually abandoned you for five years?’
‘l don’t know,’ Sally replied slowly, staring at the hectic flush on her friend’s cheeks. She didn’t believe that Leonie was being entirely honest with herself, but there seemed little point in pressing the point and she turned the conversation into safer channels.
However, as she stood chatting to Leonie at Mrs ElIiot’s wedding reception some five days later, Sally could hardly tear her eyes away from the tall dark figure of Badyr. She had noticed him in the church earlier that morning, and now he was standing across the room talking to Leonie’s cousin, Janet, who was gazing up at him with dazed eyes.
‘Is that really your husband'? I didn’t know he was going to be here,’ she whispered.
‘Neither did I!’ Leonie hissed out of the corner of her mouth, glaring at the back of his broad shoulders. ‘The damned man simply turned up without any warning. He's supposed to be taking Jade and me away after this reception, so I imagine that he’s just making sure we don’t have a chance to disappear--the swine!’
‘But, Leonie, he’s. . . he’s stunning! And with that black patch and scar, well . . .’
‘Got a "thing" for pirates have you’?’ Leonie sniffed dismissively.
‘Oh, come on! You, my girl, are protesting far too much,’ Sally murmured. ‘He’s devastatingly attractive, and well you know it! So, I may add, does every other woman at this reception. Look at them--they’re all staring at him with glazed eyes. Honestly, Leonie, I’ve never seen so many bosoms heaving and panting with sheer lust . . .!’
‘You always were a nasty, vulgar girl at school, and I can see you haven’t changed one little bit!’ Leonie sternly told her friend, who merely grinned as Jade came running up to join them.
‘Daddy says that we’ve got to go soon,’ she announced excitedly. ‘And we don’t have to go home and get changed. Daddy says that I look so pretty in my dress that I can wear it on the aeroplane! Don’t I look nice, Aunt Sally?’
‘You look lovely,’ Sally assured her, admiring the flounces of cream satin and lace. ‘It’s a simply wonderful dress, Leonie. Wherever did you buy it?’
‘Me? You must be joking? Little madam, here, took her father shopping in Harrods--where else?--and came home with that small item, among many others!' She smiled wryly down at her daughter. ‘Of course, Jade is just a little disappointed that she hasn’t got a diamond tiara of her own to go with it--but she tells me she’s working on it!’
The sound of Sally’s laughter was so infectious that despite her general misery, Leonie found herself reluctantly joining in. Until the smile was wiped off her face as she felt a strong hand firmly grasp her arm.
‘I think, my dear Leonie, that it is time you said your farewells,’ Badyr murmured quietly, his dark gaze sweeping with appreciation over her slim figure in a finely pleated dress of pearl grey silk shantung and the small, veiled hat decorated with grey and pink roses.
‘But I can’t possibly go before Mother and Clifford leave for their honeymoon. And . . . and I’ve got to change, and . . .’
‘I have arranged matters with your mother and her new husband. There is also no need to change your clothes, since we shall, of course, be driven straight to my aeroplane,’ he said firmly.
‘But . . .’
‘I will allow you five minutes. However, if you are not back by my side in that time,’ he added blandly, ‘you may be very sure that I will have you forcibly removed from this room.’
She glared angrily up at the man surveying her flushed cheeks and furious eyes with cynical detachment. Tense and trembling with nervous tension, she tried to muster the courage to defy him. But she couldn’t. She knew--only too well--that she had no choice but to obey his commands.
Tightly compressing her lips to stop herself from giving vent to her rage and frustration, Leonie turned and walked across the room. Moving like an automaton, she calmly kissed her mother and new stepfather, and said goodbye to all her friends and relatives. It was as if she had become totally numb, aware of nothing but the sickening knowledge which lay heavy as lead in her stomach.
With Jade as his hostage for her good behaviour, Badyr would be able to enforce any and all of his demands for the foreseeable future . . . and there wasn’t going to be a damn thing she could do about it!
CHAPTER FIVE
LEONIE lay soaking in the deep, sunken marble bath, gazing at her opulent surroundings with bemusement. After the last two weeks of wretched misery, forcing herself to face up to and accept the inevitability of her return to the dreaded Harem, it seemed impossible to believe that she would be living in this luxurious new palace, whose large airy rooms seemed another world away from the dark, dank old fortress that she remembered so we
ll. This place was . . . well, it was magnifcent! She had been amazed by the size of Jade’s suite, let alone the beautifully decorated, elegant rooms allocated to her own use.
A tired frown creased her brow as she stared up at the pink marble ceiling. Exhausted by the long flight and anxious to settle Jade down to sleep, she hadn’t really had the time, or the opportunity, to question Badyr on the exact sleeping arrangements here in the new palace. Was this wing of the building a modern version of the old Harem, where Sultan Raschid had possessed his own private suite, and visited his two wives in strict nightly rotation as laid down in the Koran--the Moslem bible? She fervently hoped that Badyr had separate quarters, otherwise it was going to be extremely difficult, if not impossible, for her to avoid him.
The imperative need to keep well away from her husband’s orbit had been only too clearly demonstrated during the long, seven-hour flight from London. Silent and numb with misery as she boarded Badyr’s privately-owned Boeing 727, she was briefly introduced to the crew and a sandy-haired, freckle-faced girl called Elizabeth Jackson, who was apparently to be Jade’s new govemess. Leonie’s resentment at her husband’s high-handed behaviour in not consulting her about the appointment was further exacerbated by the fact that Badyr gave her no opportunity to object to his decision. Shortly after take-off, and blandly ignoring her rebellious expression, he ordered a young Arab stewardess to escort his wife to one of the small private bedrooms on the aircraft.
‘I wish you to rest, and therefore Miss Jackson will be looking after Jade during the flight,’ Badyr said, calmly disregarding her protest at being removed from her child.
‘But I’m not at all tired, and . . .’
‘I am not prepared to discuss the matter. Kindly do as you are told,’ he added coldly, before turning away to have a word with Sheikh Samir.
Embarrassingly, aware of the hovering stewardess, Leonie almost screamed with frustration. lt was clear that short of having a full-scale row, the only result of which would be to seriously disturb Jade, she had no alternative but to obey Badyr’s command. Smouldering with fury, she allowed herself to be conducted to her cabin, and it was of little comfort to realise that the damned man had been right--that she had indeed been tired and nervously exhausted--when she found herself being shaken awake some hours later. Leonie felt confused for a moment and then recognised the continuous hum of the engines and the face of the stewardess, who was placing a cup of tea on the small table bolted to the floor beside her bed.
‘The Sultan has asked me to say that we shall be landing at Dhoman in just over two hours, Majesty. Is there anything you require--anything I can do for you?’
Leonie struggled to sit up, brushing a weary hand through her long, curly hair as the young stewardess plumped up the pillows behind her back.
'I . . . I’m fine, thank you. But, my daughter. . .?’
‘The Princess is still fast asleep, although I can wake her if you wish.’
‘No, I’d prefer her to rest as long as possible. Thank you for the tea,’ Leonie smiled at the girl. ‘It’s very welcome.’
‘A pleasure, Majesty,’ the stewardess murmured as she left the room.
Leonie reached over for the cup and saucer, sighing heavily as she stared down at the pale brown liquid. All this ‘Majesty’ and ‘Princess’ business--she’d have to have a word with Badyr about it as soon as possible. Otherwise Jade, who was a very ordinary little girl, was likely to become a nasty spoilt brat--especially if Badyr continued to give his daughter everything her heart desired. While as for herself? Never in a million years could she become used to being addressed as a queen--although the thought of being called ‘Sultana’ was even worse!
Getting out of bed and walking through into the small adjacent bathroom, she gazed glumly at her reflection in the mirror. Well, ‘a dried-up grape’ wasn’t a bad description of how she looked at the moment, she told herself, viewing the thick cloud of uncombed hair and the shadows beneath her blue eyes. In fact, she looked simply dreadful! Although—God knows—the strain and nervous tension of the last two weeks would have aged anyone.
However, her spirits began to lift as she discovered that the small bathroom contained a shower. Standing under the fine needle-spray of warm water, Leonie couldn’t help worrying about her imminent arrival at Dhoman. Where on earth did Badyr think she was going to wear all those clothes and jewels he had bought in London? Locked away in the Harem, she wasn’t going to see anyone--or be seen, for that matter. At the thought of the long years of isolation ahead of her, she had to grit her teeth to prevent the weak tears from sliding down her cheeks. All this luxury was a hollow comfort and meant nothing without personal liberty. And as for the man who was going to lock her up and then throw away the key . . . How could Badyr possibly expect her to feel anything for him, other than fear and animosity?
However, by the time she had made up her face and slipped into a blue silk dress, she felt slightly calmer. There was absolutely no point in giving way to self-pity, she told herself firmly. Why give Badyr the satisfaction of knowing just how miserable she was? After all, this time she knew what she would be facing, and had prepared for it. She managed to grin shakily at herself in the mirror, remembering the grunts and groans of the men at Heathrow as they had loaded up one of her trunks into the aircraft. Only she knew that it was full to the brim with books of every description: from a complete set of the Encyclopaedia Brittanica, and volumes of self-tuition in over twelve languages—together with all the necessary dictionaries--down to as many paperback novels as she had been able to lay her hands on.
She had calculated that she would have to stay in Dhoman for at least the next eleven years, by which time Jade would be sixteen, grown up and well able to live her own life. Then, there would be nothing Badyr could do to prevent his wife from escaping back to the West, no blackmail that he could exert to keep her in a country that she so detested. And when that longed-for day arrived: she might well be an old hag of thirty-six--but at least, Leonie grimly promised herself, she was going to be a well-educated old hag!
A knock at the door interrupted her thoughts, the stewardess quietly announcing that there was a cold meal awaiting her in the forward saloon, and that Jade was still fast asleep.
Glancing quickly at her watch, Leonie saw that there was well over an hour to go before they landed. Deciding to let Jade rest as long as possible, she took a deep breath and left the bedroom.
Going into the main part of the aircraft, she saw that it was divided into two, with Badyr, Sheikh Samir and two other men talking quietly together in an office, which was separated from the lounge area by sliding glass walls. Nervously trying to ignore the quick turn of Badyr’s head and his searching glance, she followed the stewardess over to the high-backed, comfortable plush chairs surrounding a round dining-table. It was only as she sat down that she realised she wasn’t alone.
‘It’s a long journey, isn’t it?’ ,
‘Yes . . . yes it is,’ Leonie answered, looking at the strange girl’s friendly, freckled face and realising that she must be Elizabeth Jackson, Jade’s new governess.
‘I . . . er . . . I believe that you are coming to Dhoman to teach my daughter,' she said as cold meat and salads were placed on the table. ‘Has my husband told you anything about the country?’
‘Not a great deal,’ the girl smiled. ‘However, Jade seems to be a very intelligent little girl, and I’m looking forward both to teaching her, and my first visit to the Middle East.'
‘I don’t want to put you off before you’ve even started your job, Miss Jackson,’ Leonie said wryly as she passed the salad bowl. ‘But it seems only fair to warn you that if I had to think of a word to describe your future surroundings, possibly "primitive" would best fit the bill.’
The girl laughed. ‘Well, Mrs . . . er . . . Your Majesty . . .’
‘Oh, please,’ she quickly interjected. ‘My name is Leonie, and I’ll call you Elizabeth, if I may, okay?’
‘Fair enough--
just as long as the Sultan doesn’t object to such lèse-majesté?'
Leonie found herself grinning with wry amusement at the girl’s apt pun, and began to feel considerably more cheerful at the thought of not being entirely on her own in Dhoman. ‘Have you always been a governess?’ she asked, staring down at her plate with distaste. She didn’t feel able to face any food, however beautifully prepared.
‘Well, I spent some years teaching in various primary schools,’ Elizabeth said. ‘And then, two years ago, I took a job as private tutor to the young children of the Kuwaiti Ambassador--which is how I came to be recommended to your husband. I really am a good teacher, even if it’s immodest for me to say so!’ She smiled reassuringly at the beautiful woman sitting opposite, who seemed strangely tense and nervous.
‘However, I’ve now reached the age of thirty, and looking back I couldn’t see that I’d done anything very exciting with my life. So, I decided that I’d like a challenge, a bit of adventure before I finally became a crabby old maid. Which is why,’ she concluded, ‘I jumped at the chance of deepest Arabia! I honestly don’t care how rough or primitive it turns out to be--and I promise you that I’ll make sure your daughter has the best education I can give her. Okay?’