Escape from the Harem

by Mary Lyons

  ‘Of course you haven’t--you poor fool!’ Nadia spat the words venomously. ‘Your precious husband is no better than any other man. He wants to have his cake and eat it too, doesn’t he? Oh, yes,’ she gave a wild laugh, ‘Badyr’s certainly a good Moslem. You should think yourself fortunate, Leonie, that he’s only got one other wife--he’s allowed up to four at any one time, you know!’

  Leonie couldn’t move. She sat stunned by Nadia’s words, not able to comprehend what the other girl was saying. Badyr--married to another woman? Another wife? It couldn’t possibly be true. Nadia was just trying to make even more trouble than usual--of course she was! The very idea was too extraordinarily foolish and far-fetched to be worth taking seriously. She’d have to tell Badyr to send Nadia back to her mother as soon as possible. She really wasn’t going to put up with any more of the girl’s stupid, malicious remarks.

  Leonie turned to Sara, shocked to see the girl sitting slumped in her chair with tears streaming down her cheeks. ‘For goodness sake, there’s no need to cry! Nadia’s just being silly, that’s all. . .’ Her voice died away as Sara turned to look at her, the expression of sorrow and pity in her eyes sending shivers of fear down her spine.

  ‘Yes, it is true,’ Sara whispered, agitatedly hunting for a handkerchief to wipe her eyes. ‘Oh, Leonie, I am so . . . so sorry. I know that such customs are difficult for western women to understand. But I also know that my brother does love you very much, and . . .’

  ‘But how, why?’ Leonie felt cold, icy fingers tightening around her heart. ‘And who is Aisha?’

  Sara glared over at Nadia, who was sitting back in her chair with a smirk on her face. ‘You had better start saying your prayers, you wicked, wicked girl. Because when Badyr finds out what you have done, he will surely tear you limb from limb!’ she ground out through clenched teeth.

  ‘For God’s sake, Sara, tell me the truth!’ Leonie cried, as Nadia merely responded to her sister’s words with a defiant toss of her dark head. She suddenly felt desperately sick, and tight bands seemed to be closing about her ribs making it difficult for her to breathe.

  Sara gave an unhappy sigh and fiercely blew her nose. ‘Badyr swore us all to secrecy . . . but yes, it is true. You see,’ she shrugged her shoulders, ‘it is traditional in our family for the eldest son to marry his uncle’s daughter. Feisal is not married, and so--as expected--Badyr married his young cousin Aisha, the daughter of his uncle, Hassan. I hope you can understand--it is maybe a little complicated.’ Sara looked at the English girl with compassion.

  'But YOU are married to Hassan.’ Leonie shook her head in stunned confusion.

  ‘Aisha’s mother died of tuberculosis soon after she was born; a disease that has killed many of her family in the past,’ Sara explained. ‘It was only after many years, long after his daughter Aisha was married to Badyr, that I married Hassan.'

  ‘But how? I mean . . . where? And when?’ Leonie whispered.

  ‘I do not know all the details, since I was much younger at the time.’ The other girl sighed heavily. ‘However, I think it was over live years ago that they were married, and she now lives up in the mountains behind Muria. But, Leonie, it is important that you understand.'

  What it was important that she understand, Leonie never heard, the full horror of her situation scorching through her trembling body like a blinding flash of lightning. As her brain struggled to comprehend the terrible fact that not only was she bigamously married to Badyr, but that her precious little daughter was illegitimate, something seemed to snap in her brain. The terrace, the palace and the sea beyond began to spin, revolving faster and faster and drawing her down into a swirling void. The last sound she heard was her own strangled moan as she lost all hold of reality, limply falling out of the chair on to the hard stone terrace.

  Leonie surfaced from the swirling mists, gazing blindly about her in dazed confusion as she dimly realised she was lying on her bed. The room itself seeming to be filled with a crowded mass of servants, all shrieking at the tops of their voices. A moment later, Sara’s worried face swam before her eyes, bending over Leonie’s prone body to place a cold cloth on her brow. The noise and confusion suddenly seemed too much for her to cope with, a low moan breaking from her lips as she slipped thankfully back into the darkness once more.

  When she finally returned to full consciousness, all the noise and confusion had disappeared. Looking around she saw that the room was empty, save for Badyr’s tall figure pacing distractedly up and down by the tall windows. She couldn’t prevent a strangled gasp of horror as she began to recall the scene on the terrace, the sound bringing Badyr instantly to her side.

  ‘What has happened to you, my dearest?’ he murmured, sitting down beside her on the bed. ‘I can I get no sense , from anyone in this palace! When I returned from the yachting trip, it was to find Sara in floods of tears and refusing to explain matters, the servants hiding in their quarters and wailing as if there had been a death in the family--and all I have been able to gather is that you fainted out on the terrace. So, please tell me what is wrong, darling,’ he added, softly brushing the hair away from her brow.

  The warm, gentle touch of his hand was almost more than she could bear, the tears welling up to trickle down her cheeks in a steady stream.

  ‘Ah, my sweet, my dear one. I have called for a doctor, and we will soon have you well again.’

  ‘I’ll never--ever--be well again!’ She turned her head away, burying her face in the pillows, her slim figure racked with sobs.

  ‘Come, this is foolish, Leonie. You have no need to weep.’

  ‘Haven’t I?’ she moaned. She felt as cold as death although her body was shaking as if in the grip of a raging fever. ‘What do you expect me to do when I find out that my husband is a lying, cheating adulterer, and that my child is . . . is a bastard!’

  The hands that had been gently stroking her hair became suddenly still, and the faint hope that Nadia and Sara were mistaken--that it was, after all, only a bad dream, a nightmare--drained away in the long silence that followed her tortured cry of anguish.

  ‘It’s true, isn’t it? You really do have another wife?’ she whispered, her hoarse voice echoing around the room as she struggled to sit up.

  Leonie’s dazed blue eyes stared fixedly at Badyr, noting the blood draining from his face to leave it pale and strained beneath his tan, the deepening lines about his hard, firm lips. It was as if he had been turned to stone, only a vein beating furiously in his temple giving any indication of his inner tension.

  ‘Well?’ Her trembling, shaking hand dashed away the tears which were beginning to fall again. 'Have you--or have you not--another wife?' she demanded harshly.

  Badyr gave a deep, heavy sigh, putting his hand to his forehead for a moment as if in pain. ‘Yes, Leonie. I cannot deny, however much I might wish to do so, that I have another wife. But . . .’

  ‘But--nothing! Or maybe Nadia’s right?’ she gave a wild, hysterical laugh. ‘Maybe you’ve got at least four of us "wives" stashed away around the country?’

  ‘Nadia!' he suddenly roared, rising swiftly to his feet and striding about the room. ‘I might have known that little bitch . . .’

  ‘She may be a bitch—but she was absolutely right!’ Leonie cried, anger coming to the aid of her stunned mind as a torrent of rage flowed through her body. ‘For God’s sake! Just how long did you think you could keep me in blissful ignorance? Someone was bound to tell me that I’m . . . I’m. . . God knows what I am! Some s-sort of c-c-concubine . . .?’ she wailed, throwing herself down on the pillows again in a paroxysm of hysterical tears. ‘

  Badyr strode swiftly over to the bed and gathered her weeping figure into his arms. ‘Oh, my dearest, my beloved one. You are indeed my true wife, that I assure you. And our child is not a bastard! I promise you that she is legally my daughter, as our son will be also.'

  ‘You promise me? Your promises don’t mean a damn thing!’ she cried, wrenching herself away from his embrace. ‘And
what’s "legal" mean in this bloody country, anyway? It’s legal for a man to have four wives at one and the same time, and all his children are legal--whoever their mother might be. But . . . but you just try living your so-called legal way of life in Europe or the United States . . . and you’d soon find yourself locked up for bigamy! They’d shove you into jail so fast, that even your handsome head would be spinning like a top!’

  Badyr rose to stride agitatedly about the room. ‘I assure you, Leonie, that you are my first, my legal wife. I give you my solemn promise that our marriage will stand examination in any European or American court. It therefore follows that Jade is my true daughter, and that the child you carry is definitely not a bastard.’

  ‘Big deal! Thanks a million!’ she lashed back furiously. ‘And what about all your other wives and their children'? What do you tell them? A version of the same bedtime story you’ve just given me. God...! I can't believe this is happening to me!' Her cry of pain and anguish echoed around the room, reverberating in her ears like the knell of doom.

  ‘Leonie! I beg you to be calm.’

  ‘Calm’? Did you say calm!’ she screamed, rising from the bed. ‘I’ll give you "calm", my fine sultan!’ she hissed, swiftly raising her hand to give him a resounding slap on his tanned cheek.

  ‘Enough!’ he commanded curtly, catching hold of her wrist as she aimed another retaliatory blow at his face. ‘I can understand your wish to hit me, but it will achieve nothing.'

  ‘Don’t you believe it!’ she panted, trying to break away from his iron grip. ‘If l had a knife in my hands, I’d plunge it into your black heart without a moment’s hesitation!’

  His lips twisted wryly. ‘Ah, yes, my vixen—I can readily believe that you would.’

  ‘It’s no laughing matter!’

  ‘I agree.' he said in a flat, heavy voice, bending swiftly to seize hold of her struggling body. ‘Now, we must talk sensibly and calmly, yes?’ he murmured as he carried her over to the bed, before sitting down beside her and gripping her hands tightly together between his own.

  ‘l had married no other woman before you, and our marriage is perfectly legal-both here in Arabia and in the Western world. That is the first point I wish to make. Yes, I do have another wife, whom I married according to Moslem law--after our marriage--and that is also a legal marriage as far as she and I are concerned. Do you understand me, Leonie?’ He grasped hold of her chin, holding it steady as he forced her to meet his dark, troubled gaze.

  ‘Oh, I understand all right!’ Her voice wobbled dangerously as she fought to control her pain and anguish. ‘I clearly understand that you seem to think that because I was the first of your . . . your paramours, that makes everything just fine and dandy! God--what a swine you are! How many other wives and children have you got--or isn’t it polite of me to ask?’

  ‘I have only one other wife, and no children other than Jade,’ he replied evenly. ‘I know you may not believe me. However, if you consider the matter, you will see that while I have indeed been guilty of the sin of omission, I have never deliberately lied to you.’

  ‘Your definition of the word "lie" and mine are hardly likely to agree, are they'?’ she grated bitterly. ‘As far as I’m concerned the last five years has been one big lie on your part, not to mention that little item: for-nic-ation!’

  ‘My darling, if you would just listen to me.’

  ‘And give you a chance to sweet-talk me into accepting this revolting, bizarre set-up? Forget it! And while I’m on the subject of "sweet-talk", have you bothered to tell your other wife about me? Or have you kept her ignorant of my existence too?’

  ‘No, of course not. Aisha knows all about you, and . . .’

  Leonie gasped, nearly choking on the hard lump of dark jealousy which seemed to fill her throat. ‘What a jolly little ménage a trois!' She gave a cracked laugh. ‘I’m sure you’ve both had a lot of fun discussing me--I been seeing a lot of her lately, have you?’

  Badyr stared at her for a moment, his face white and strained. ‘Yes, Leonie,’ he said quietly. ‘I’ve had to. But I’ve never. . .’

  ‘Wow! You’re quite the sexual athlete, aren’t you?’ She began to laugh and found she couldn’t stop. The crazy, shrill tones echoed around the room until Badyr raised his hand and gave her a quick slap on the face.

  ‘I’m sorry, my darling! I had to do it,’ he whispered as she hiccuped into silence, staring bleakly at him with eyes that were deep blue pools of misery. ‘Please stop torturing yourself--and me--so unnecessarily.’

  ‘Oh, Badyr. . .’ Leonie shook her head helplessly. ‘Why on earth did you drag me away from my life in London? How . . . how could you be so cruel to make me go through this agony? Why, why?’ She stared at him, the blood draining from her face. ‘Oh, no! What a fool I’ve been!’ she groaned, stiffening with shock and almost paralysed as she was struck by the horrifying truth.

  ‘It’s because you need a son, isn’t it? Oh, God--l can see it all now! Your precious Aisha hasn’t given you any children--and so what do you do? You look around and suddenly remember the girl who was so foolish as to marry you, and whom you’ve completely forgotten about for the last five years. After all, you got me pregnant fast enough, didn’t you? Since Aisha hasn’t come up trumps--why not put stupid old Leonie in the family way? She might be a bit of a nuisance--but at least she’s fertile! Right, Badyr?’

  ‘For God’s sake, no!’

  Leonie gave him a savage, mocking grimace of a smile, her voice harsh with loathing and disgust as she ignored his sharp protest.

  ‘Wait a bit--the story’s just beginning to get interesting! Using his considerable talents . . . mostly trickery, blackmail and a lot of oily, sexy charm . . . our handsome hero manages to haul the silly woman back to Dhoman. And guess what? Yes, fast as knife, she conceives a baby! And--now this really is the clever bit--it's all as legal as can be! Ho, ho! Our hero is laughing like a drain, isn’t he? He’s got his second wife, whom he’s been happily living with for the last five years, and someone else to have his children. Clever . . . c-clever B-B-Badyr. . .!’ she sobbed, shudders of anguish and torment shaking her frame as she gave way to tears of overwhelming grief and desolation.

  ‘Leonie! You don’t understand! You are so terribly wrong--it is not like that at all.’ A deep groan broke from his throat as he seized her tightly in his arms, kissing her with rough, mounting passion.

  Appalled, Leonie realised that her treacherous body was responding to his firm embrace and inflaming lips. With an almighty effort she managed to push him away, far enough to allow her to slip from beneath his arms and roll across the bed, taking to her heels and dashing for the bathroom. Slamming the door and locking it quickly behind her, she staggered over to sit down on a stool, panting breathlessly as she ignored his angry demands that she come out and listen to what he had to say.

  ‘Do not be foolish,’ he added in a softer tone. ‘You cannot stay in there forever, and I will be waiting out here—even if it takes a week. So, be sensible, hmm?’

  ‘Go to hell!’ she shouted, trying to control her limbs which seemed to be jerking as if she had St Vitus’s dance. It was some time before she could even attempt to pull herself together. Sitting huddled on the stool with arms clasped tightly about her shivering body, she was only able to rock herself backwards and forwards in mindless agony. The shock of being so swiftly and abruptly transported from heaven to hell--all in a few short days--was more than she could cope with. Eventually, her shuddering figure became still, and she tried to think what she was going to do next.

  Could she make Badyr divorce her? Would he let her leave the country? She could hardly bring herself to face the fact, but it seemed certain that he would refuse to do either of those things. So, what could she do? She was alone in the country, with no real friends and no help at hand. Badyr was absolute ruler of Dhoman, and what he said was, ipso facto, the law. There was no one who would raise a hand to assist her, not when they knew they would inevitably incur
his wrath. And yet, to submit to him, to have him make love to her--straight from another woman’s bed, as Nadia had so succinctly put it--was so intolerable that . . . Never! she promised herself, gasping with pain. She must never let him possess her again! But how was she to stop him? She knew very well that fight him as she might, his superior strength would always prevail in the end. And even if her body didn’t betray her, as she very much feared that it would, his need for sons to follow him on the throne was such that he wouldn’t hesitate to rape her if necessary. The baby! Could she possibly use the baby in any way . . .?

  Totally exhausted by her storm of tears, she moved over to the shower on legs which felt as if they would collapse any moment. Standing beneath the cool spray letting the water flow over her hair and body, she gradually found that she was able to begin thinking more constructively. By the time she had dried herself, and wrapped her wet hair in a small white towel, she had managed to formulate a course of action. Although, whether it would be successful or not, she had no idea.

  ‘Ah, I see that you have decided to be sensible,’ Badyr murmured, leaning against the open window that led to the balcony. ‘I have locked the door of this room, and we will stay here until you give me an opportunity to tell you exactly why I married Aisha, yes?’