happen. I obviously did not do my duty properly. I am loath to take another maiden in my charge.”
“It has been five years since that unfortunate incident, my young friend. The girl was unstable. This girl is not. She is proud and fierce. She will bend, but never break beneath your tutelage. Regan is a strong lass, Karim. She needs ye if she is to succeed in truly attracting Abd-al Rahman. Even sending him a Love Slave is not enough. She must enthrall him, and bear him children.”
Karim sighed. “I do not know,” he said slowly.
“Let me show ye the girl,” Donal Righ suggested slyly. “Do not refuse me until ye have seen her and tested her mettle. Abu!” He called to the pygmy. “Fetch the lady Regan and her servant quickly.”
His two companions laughed at Donal Righ’s eagerness.
“Ye must be very certain Karim will acquiesce, Donal Righ,” Alaeddin ben Omar said. “Is the girl
that
beautiful?”
“She is as the sun and the moon,” the older man replied.
“Now ye speak with the tongue of a Moor,” Karim told him, amused. “I promise ye nothing, friend of my father.”
“Wait and see,” Donal Righ advised him. “Ye are not the man I have always believed ye to be if ye are not ravished by her.”
Alaeddin ben Omar chuckled deep in his barrel-like chest. The old devil had thrown down a gauntlet Karim al Malinacould not fail to pick up. He had pricked the young captain’s pride with a sharp thorn.
The door to the chamber opened. Abu returned, bringing two women with him. The first mate’s eyes lit up at the sight of Morag. He had thought her a toothsome little creature when he first saw her this afternoon. The other girl kept her face in shadow, obviously instructed to do so. Neither man could at first quite make out her features, but then she raised her head and looked directly at them. Alaeddin ben Omar whistled softly through his teeth in admiration. Donal Righ had not lied. The girl was probably the most beautiful female he had ever beheld. He looked to Karim, but as usual his captain’s face was unreadable.
Though Regan appeared to be looking at both of the two strangers on the dais, she was in reality staring only at Karim al Malina. She had never seen so handsome a man. His face was an oval, the forehead and the sculpted cheekbones high, but the chin was squared. His nose was long and narrow, but the nostrils flared sensuously. His mouth was also long, but more narrow than full. Unlike his companion, he was clean-shaven. His dark eyebrows were winged, and the eyes beneath them an azure blue. His hair was a deep brown, almost black. It was pulled back from his forehead. She could not tell how long it was.
“Remove her robe, Morag.” Donal Righ’s voice broke her reverie.
“
No
.” Karim al Malina spoke. “Let me do it.” He arose and stepped from the dais to stand in front of Regan. His eyes held hers in thrall as he reached up with a big hand to unfasten the pin holding her garment together. His nails, she noticed, were round, but there was absolutely no expression upon his handsome face to give any indication of his thoughts. He nodded to Morag, who drew the robe from Regan’s body slowly, as she’d been instructed. Just the faintest smile touched the corners of Karim’s mouth. It had been artfully done. He turned to Donal Righ. “Who is this girl?” he asked.
“Morag is the lady Regan’s servant,” the older man replied.
“She is skilled,” the captain noted, and then turned his fullattention back to Regan. His voice was low when he spoke again. “I see rebellion in those aquamarine eyes, Zaynab,” he said softly. “You will obey me, for if you do not, you will embarrass Donal Righ. Now put your arms behind your head. I wish to view your breasts better.”
“No,” she replied as softly. “I will force Donal Righ to sell me as a household slave to some Celtic chieftain.”
“He will sell you to the most infamous brothel keeper in Dublin, who will pay a
“It has been five years since that unfortunate incident, my young friend. The girl was unstable. This girl is not. She is proud and fierce. She will bend, but never break beneath your tutelage. Regan is a strong lass, Karim. She needs ye if she is to succeed in truly attracting Abd-al Rahman. Even sending him a Love Slave is not enough. She must enthrall him, and bear him children.”
Karim sighed. “I do not know,” he said slowly.
“Let me show ye the girl,” Donal Righ suggested slyly. “Do not refuse me until ye have seen her and tested her mettle. Abu!” He called to the pygmy. “Fetch the lady Regan and her servant quickly.”
His two companions laughed at Donal Righ’s eagerness.
“Ye must be very certain Karim will acquiesce, Donal Righ,” Alaeddin ben Omar said. “Is the girl
that
beautiful?”
“She is as the sun and the moon,” the older man replied.
“Now ye speak with the tongue of a Moor,” Karim told him, amused. “I promise ye nothing, friend of my father.”
“Wait and see,” Donal Righ advised him. “Ye are not the man I have always believed ye to be if ye are not ravished by her.”
Alaeddin ben Omar chuckled deep in his barrel-like chest. The old devil had thrown down a gauntlet Karim al Malinacould not fail to pick up. He had pricked the young captain’s pride with a sharp thorn.
The door to the chamber opened. Abu returned, bringing two women with him. The first mate’s eyes lit up at the sight of Morag. He had thought her a toothsome little creature when he first saw her this afternoon. The other girl kept her face in shadow, obviously instructed to do so. Neither man could at first quite make out her features, but then she raised her head and looked directly at them. Alaeddin ben Omar whistled softly through his teeth in admiration. Donal Righ had not lied. The girl was probably the most beautiful female he had ever beheld. He looked to Karim, but as usual his captain’s face was unreadable.
Though Regan appeared to be looking at both of the two strangers on the dais, she was in reality staring only at Karim al Malina. She had never seen so handsome a man. His face was an oval, the forehead and the sculpted cheekbones high, but the chin was squared. His nose was long and narrow, but the nostrils flared sensuously. His mouth was also long, but more narrow than full. Unlike his companion, he was clean-shaven. His dark eyebrows were winged, and the eyes beneath them an azure blue. His hair was a deep brown, almost black. It was pulled back from his forehead. She could not tell how long it was.
“Remove her robe, Morag.” Donal Righ’s voice broke her reverie.
“
No
.” Karim al Malina spoke. “Let me do it.” He arose and stepped from the dais to stand in front of Regan. His eyes held hers in thrall as he reached up with a big hand to unfasten the pin holding her garment together. His nails, she noticed, were round, but there was absolutely no expression upon his handsome face to give any indication of his thoughts. He nodded to Morag, who drew the robe from Regan’s body slowly, as she’d been instructed. Just the faintest smile touched the corners of Karim’s mouth. It had been artfully done. He turned to Donal Righ. “Who is this girl?” he asked.
“Morag is the lady Regan’s servant,” the older man replied.
“She is skilled,” the captain noted, and then turned his fullattention back to Regan. His voice was low when he spoke again. “I see rebellion in those aquamarine eyes, Zaynab,” he said softly. “You will obey me, for if you do not, you will embarrass Donal Righ. Now put your arms behind your head. I wish to view your breasts better.”
“No,” she replied as softly. “I will force Donal Righ to sell me as a household slave to some Celtic chieftain.”
“He will sell you to the most infamous brothel keeper in Dublin, who will pay a
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