my life and as you’ve already stolen my heart, what more could you take?” He leant across and kissed her before driving through the gates towards a massive mansion at the end of a long driveway flanked with perfectly formed palm trees.
“You live here all by yourself?” she asked.
“More or less. There are a few other people who help out around the place.”
As soon as he stopped the car in front of the main door, two of these helpers rushed forward to open their car doors. They said something in Arabic and Rashid replied, but Angelina couldn’t understand what they were talking about.
He led her inside the cavernous interior.
“It’s just like your father’s palace,” Angelina said, looking at all the marble, gilt mirrors, and dazzling chandeliers.
“You don’t like it, do you?” he asked.
“No, it’s lovely. It’s just a bit...”
“Over-the-top,” he finished for her. “That’s what you said about my father’s palace the first evening we met. You said it was all over-the-top. After you said that, I was a bit reluctant to tell you who I was as I was already ‘over-the-top’ in love with you.” He took her in his arms and kissed her. “Don’t worry, we can have the whole place completely redecorated, or we could live somewhere else. How about London? We could move there.”
“London! Don’t you have to stay here and do royal duties, or whatever you do?”
“I’ve already told you, I don’t have many royal duties. I work for the local newspaper. I could be their foreign correspondent overseas.”
“But what would your parents say?”
“My mother lives overseas most of the time herself. She’s in California at the moment, and several of my brothers and cousins spend a lot of the year abroad, especially in the summer when it’s so hot. I’m sure one of them must have a spare place in London we could live in until we find a place of our own.”
“But why London?” she asked.
“Isn’t that where you plan to do your law degree? Aren’t you going to University College, London?”
Angelina knew that he’d guessed she was going to law school, but she didn’t remember telling him where. However, the last few days had been such a blur that it was possible she had and couldn’t remember. “So if we got married, I could continue my studies, my career?”
“Of course! Why would I stop you? It’s part of who you are and why I love you.” He kissed her again. “Bezira might be a conservative country, but we don’t keep our women locked away in harems, although I have a cousin, Hamad, who thinks we should!” He laughed. “There are lots of women here who have careers as doctors, bankers, lawyers, you name it. We even have a few female government ministers. Once you finish your degree, you practise law in the UK or we could come back here. Our country needs clever, honest lawyers like you.”
Angelina saw a whole new world of possibilities opening up in front of her. She could do her legal training and learn Arabic at the same time. Then she could come back and help people in abusive situations, people like Chrystal’s maid. Angelina was sure there were more immigrant workers in the same situation as that poor woman.
“Come on. Let me show you the rest of my ‘over-the-top’ home. It’s not all bad.”
Rashid led her through numerous rooms filled with priceless antiques and paintings. He showed his collection of more than forty luxury cars, including one with gold-plated wheels. “A present from my cousin, Hamad, the one I mentioned earlier,” he explained. He then showed her his Olympic-sized indoor pool and a huge free-form outdoor pool. Finally, he took her into a room that contained the biggest four-poster bed that she had ever seen in her life.
“Let me guess. This is your bedroom,” she said.
“One of them,” he replied.
“How many do you have?”
“A few. I’ll show you the one that I normally use.” He took her to another bedroom, which was
“You live here all by yourself?” she asked.
“More or less. There are a few other people who help out around the place.”
As soon as he stopped the car in front of the main door, two of these helpers rushed forward to open their car doors. They said something in Arabic and Rashid replied, but Angelina couldn’t understand what they were talking about.
He led her inside the cavernous interior.
“It’s just like your father’s palace,” Angelina said, looking at all the marble, gilt mirrors, and dazzling chandeliers.
“You don’t like it, do you?” he asked.
“No, it’s lovely. It’s just a bit...”
“Over-the-top,” he finished for her. “That’s what you said about my father’s palace the first evening we met. You said it was all over-the-top. After you said that, I was a bit reluctant to tell you who I was as I was already ‘over-the-top’ in love with you.” He took her in his arms and kissed her. “Don’t worry, we can have the whole place completely redecorated, or we could live somewhere else. How about London? We could move there.”
“London! Don’t you have to stay here and do royal duties, or whatever you do?”
“I’ve already told you, I don’t have many royal duties. I work for the local newspaper. I could be their foreign correspondent overseas.”
“But what would your parents say?”
“My mother lives overseas most of the time herself. She’s in California at the moment, and several of my brothers and cousins spend a lot of the year abroad, especially in the summer when it’s so hot. I’m sure one of them must have a spare place in London we could live in until we find a place of our own.”
“But why London?” she asked.
“Isn’t that where you plan to do your law degree? Aren’t you going to University College, London?”
Angelina knew that he’d guessed she was going to law school, but she didn’t remember telling him where. However, the last few days had been such a blur that it was possible she had and couldn’t remember. “So if we got married, I could continue my studies, my career?”
“Of course! Why would I stop you? It’s part of who you are and why I love you.” He kissed her again. “Bezira might be a conservative country, but we don’t keep our women locked away in harems, although I have a cousin, Hamad, who thinks we should!” He laughed. “There are lots of women here who have careers as doctors, bankers, lawyers, you name it. We even have a few female government ministers. Once you finish your degree, you practise law in the UK or we could come back here. Our country needs clever, honest lawyers like you.”
Angelina saw a whole new world of possibilities opening up in front of her. She could do her legal training and learn Arabic at the same time. Then she could come back and help people in abusive situations, people like Chrystal’s maid. Angelina was sure there were more immigrant workers in the same situation as that poor woman.
“Come on. Let me show you the rest of my ‘over-the-top’ home. It’s not all bad.”
Rashid led her through numerous rooms filled with priceless antiques and paintings. He showed his collection of more than forty luxury cars, including one with gold-plated wheels. “A present from my cousin, Hamad, the one I mentioned earlier,” he explained. He then showed her his Olympic-sized indoor pool and a huge free-form outdoor pool. Finally, he took her into a room that contained the biggest four-poster bed that she had ever seen in her life.
“Let me guess. This is your bedroom,” she said.
“One of them,” he replied.
“How many do you have?”
“A few. I’ll show you the one that I normally use.” He took her to another bedroom, which was
Similar Books
