hope waned. It was foolish to expect he’d still be here. ‘But it doesn’t matter. He’s probably not—’
‘You met Tahir after his accident?’ The woman’s voice held a curious inflection.
‘I…Yes. In the desert. I did what I could to nurse him, but—’ Annalisa stiffened, alarm jolting through her at the woman’s arrested expression. She moved up to the car, would have gripped the door if a burly guard hadn’t stepped in front of her.
But she had to know.
She peered round him. ‘He did get better, didn’t he? He’sall right?’ Tahir hadn’t fully recovered. ‘His head wounds—they weren’t…?’
Fatal. She couldn’t say the word, could only stare mutely and hope for reassurance.
For all Tahir had revealed an unpleasant side to his character, she knew there was more to him. He’d been kind, funny, likeable through those days at the oasis. And he’d been an exquisitely tender lover. The idea of him—
‘No, no. Of course he’s not dead.’ A reassuring smile played on the other woman’s lips. ‘He’s recovered now. According to the doctors, he owes his life to you.’
Annalisa’s heart gave a great thump of relief and she lifted a hand to it, surprised at how shaky she felt.
The woman said something Annalisa didn’t hear over the pounding in her blood. The guard moved, taking her elbow and ushering her to the far side of the vehicle. A chauffeur stood to attention, holding open the rear door.
The interior smelt of leather and expensive perfume. Annalisa’s eyes widened as she took in the full impact of the elegant woman inside. She wore indigo silk exquisitely embroidered with silver. High-heeled silver sandals. Pearls at her wrist as well as her throat.
Annalisa froze, suddenly fully aware that this was someone very important indeed. The limo, the guard, her clothes, her air of understated refinement…
‘Don’t be shy,’ she said, gesturing for Annalisa to enter the vehicle. ‘You want to see Tahir, don’t you?’
Mutely Annalisa nodded. She told herself she needed to see him. She had more sense than to want to see him. That madness had passed.
‘Thank you,’ she murmured. ‘But if he’s here I’ll come back later, when I’m tidier.’ She gestured to her clothes. Shoes dusty from hours of wandering. Loose trousers and her favourite green shirt: comfortable, but hardly appropriate for calling at the palace.
‘Nonsense. Tahir will want to see you and thank you personally. I know he’s here at the moment.’ She beckoned, and this time Annalisa complied, gingerly settling herself on the wide seat.
The door clicked shut and she jumped, unable to stifle thenotion she’d committed herself to more than she’d intended. The car slid forward and Annalisa turned to her companion, wondering if it was too late to back out. She could talk to Tahir by phone.
‘Your name, my dear?’ The woman forestalled her.
‘I’m Annalisa Hansen.’
‘How do you do, Annalisa? I’m Rihana Al’Ramiz, Tahir’s mother.’
Annalisa opened her mouth to reply, then snapped her jaw shut as she absorbed the name.
Al’Ramiz. It couldn’t be…
Yet, taking in the other woman’s attire, Annalisa realised with a sinking sensation it could very well be. Al’Ramiz was the name of Qusay’s ruling family.
‘How do you do?’ Her voice emerged as a hoarse whisper. She paused, unsure how to proceed. ‘Tahir said he was coming for a coronation.’
Rihana Al’Ramiz nodded, her mouth curving wryly. ‘His brother, Kareef, has just inherited the throne.’
‘But…’ Annalisa shook her head, unable to take it in. Tahir was a member of the royal family! He’d said he was related to the King, but she’d thought he meant a distant connection. She was sharing a seat with the dowager Queen of Qusay! ‘I had no idea…’ she blurted out.
Her skin prickled and tightened and her vision blurred around the edges. Annalisa gripped the seat with shaking fingers as the world pitched and
‘You met Tahir after his accident?’ The woman’s voice held a curious inflection.
‘I…Yes. In the desert. I did what I could to nurse him, but—’ Annalisa stiffened, alarm jolting through her at the woman’s arrested expression. She moved up to the car, would have gripped the door if a burly guard hadn’t stepped in front of her.
But she had to know.
She peered round him. ‘He did get better, didn’t he? He’sall right?’ Tahir hadn’t fully recovered. ‘His head wounds—they weren’t…?’
Fatal. She couldn’t say the word, could only stare mutely and hope for reassurance.
For all Tahir had revealed an unpleasant side to his character, she knew there was more to him. He’d been kind, funny, likeable through those days at the oasis. And he’d been an exquisitely tender lover. The idea of him—
‘No, no. Of course he’s not dead.’ A reassuring smile played on the other woman’s lips. ‘He’s recovered now. According to the doctors, he owes his life to you.’
Annalisa’s heart gave a great thump of relief and she lifted a hand to it, surprised at how shaky she felt.
The woman said something Annalisa didn’t hear over the pounding in her blood. The guard moved, taking her elbow and ushering her to the far side of the vehicle. A chauffeur stood to attention, holding open the rear door.
The interior smelt of leather and expensive perfume. Annalisa’s eyes widened as she took in the full impact of the elegant woman inside. She wore indigo silk exquisitely embroidered with silver. High-heeled silver sandals. Pearls at her wrist as well as her throat.
Annalisa froze, suddenly fully aware that this was someone very important indeed. The limo, the guard, her clothes, her air of understated refinement…
‘Don’t be shy,’ she said, gesturing for Annalisa to enter the vehicle. ‘You want to see Tahir, don’t you?’
Mutely Annalisa nodded. She told herself she needed to see him. She had more sense than to want to see him. That madness had passed.
‘Thank you,’ she murmured. ‘But if he’s here I’ll come back later, when I’m tidier.’ She gestured to her clothes. Shoes dusty from hours of wandering. Loose trousers and her favourite green shirt: comfortable, but hardly appropriate for calling at the palace.
‘Nonsense. Tahir will want to see you and thank you personally. I know he’s here at the moment.’ She beckoned, and this time Annalisa complied, gingerly settling herself on the wide seat.
The door clicked shut and she jumped, unable to stifle thenotion she’d committed herself to more than she’d intended. The car slid forward and Annalisa turned to her companion, wondering if it was too late to back out. She could talk to Tahir by phone.
‘Your name, my dear?’ The woman forestalled her.
‘I’m Annalisa Hansen.’
‘How do you do, Annalisa? I’m Rihana Al’Ramiz, Tahir’s mother.’
Annalisa opened her mouth to reply, then snapped her jaw shut as she absorbed the name.
Al’Ramiz. It couldn’t be…
Yet, taking in the other woman’s attire, Annalisa realised with a sinking sensation it could very well be. Al’Ramiz was the name of Qusay’s ruling family.
‘How do you do?’ Her voice emerged as a hoarse whisper. She paused, unsure how to proceed. ‘Tahir said he was coming for a coronation.’
Rihana Al’Ramiz nodded, her mouth curving wryly. ‘His brother, Kareef, has just inherited the throne.’
‘But…’ Annalisa shook her head, unable to take it in. Tahir was a member of the royal family! He’d said he was related to the King, but she’d thought he meant a distant connection. She was sharing a seat with the dowager Queen of Qusay! ‘I had no idea…’ she blurted out.
Her skin prickled and tightened and her vision blurred around the edges. Annalisa gripped the seat with shaking fingers as the world pitched and
Similar Books
