Innocent in the Sheikh's Harem Read Online Free PDF Page B

have magic powers? You think I can summon an escort for you by sheer force of will?’
    ‘I’m afraid I was not briefed, and my husband chose not to share the details of this mission with me. I can be of little use to you in that regard.’
    ‘It is of no matter. It would not be appropriate to hold such discussions with a woman in any event,’ Ramiz said dismissively.
    She already knew that. George had said as much, and it wasn’t really so very different from the way things were back home in England. ‘If that is the case, surely it would make more sense for me to go back to Egypt. It is but a day’s travel to the port and…’
    ‘I have spoken. You would do well to remember that in this country my word is law.’
    Celia was taken aback by the abrupt change of tone. Ramiz had removed his headdress. His hair was black, surprisingly close cut, emphasising the shape of his head, the strength in his neck and shoulders. Now he ran his fingers through it, making a small lick stand up endearingly on his forehead, and Celia realised he was younger than she had thought, perhaps only two or three and thirty. But his looks belied his maturity. He spoke with the voice of authority, the voice of a man used to being obeyed without question. A man, she reminded herself, who held the power of life and death over her.
    Celia, however, was not a woman to whom unquestioning obedience came naturally. ‘Is it because of the attack this morning?’ she asked carefully. ‘Are you worried they may return?’ She had not thought of this until now—how vulnerable they were, only the two of them. Nervously, she peered out into the inky black of the desert, but she could see nothing beyond the vague contours of the hills.
    She was immensely relieved when Ramiz shook his head decidedly. ‘They would not dare return now they know of my presence here.’ His mouth thinned. ‘It is a stain on my honour, and on that of A’Qadiz, that they came at all.’
    ‘You saved my life.’ Without thinking, Celia laid her hand over his. ‘You could not have known that your own men would turn traitor.’
    Her hand was cool. Her fingers were long, that same lovely creamy colour as her face. Women with such colouring so often turned an ugly red in the sun, or freckled, yet she looked to be flawless. Ramiz wondered how flawless. Then he reminded himself that he should not be wondering. He removed her hand deliberately. ‘You will come to Balyrma with me, and that is an end to it.’
    ‘For how long?’
    Ramiz shrugged. ‘Until I decide what is to be done with you.’
    Celia frowned. It seemed she had no option. Would it not be best to accept her fate rather than estrange her host by arguing? Though she did not know the details of George’s mission, she knew much depended upon it. In any case, even if she was granted her wish to return to Cairo immediately, as George’s widow she would not be permitted to stay. She would be sent home. Was that what she really wanted? The answer to that question was obvious.
    ‘Where will I stay in Balyrma?’
    ‘In the palace, as my guest.’
    ‘I don’t think that would be good idea,’ Celia said uncertainly. ‘As an unaccompanied woman it would not be appropriate for me to stay in your palace, especially as you are clearly going to be occupied by urgent matters of state.’
    Ramiz laughed harshly. ‘You may talk like a man, but you are a woman, are you not, Lady Celia? You need not worry about your virtue. You will be housed in the women’s quarters, to which no man but me is permitted entry.’ He turned towards her. In the firelight, his eyes seemed to glow like amber.
    ‘Do you mean I am to stay in a harem?’ Celia’s eyes widened in shock. Images from One Thousand and One Nights , of scantily clad concubines oiling themselves and lolling about on velvet cushions sprang to her mind. ‘You expect me to form part of your harem? You’re not serious. You can’t be serious.’ Her voice had a panicky edge