Chapter II
Alex reclined on the pillows, propped up by an elbow. He reached for another date from the platters laid before them. A relaxed atmosphere permeated the sheikha€?s tent. The festival had put everyone in a generous mood. Well, almost everyone. Alex amended. One dark-eyed man with a scar on his left cheek sat brooding next to the sheikh. Bassam, Alex thought his name was. The enormous tent was filled to capacity with guests, it had been hard to keep all the names straight. Hea€?d remembered the important ones.
There was a movement at the back of the tent and the sheikh clapped his hands for attention.
a€?Therea€?s to be dancing,a€? Alex translated with a grin for Crispin.
a€?Did you save me a waltz on your dance card?a€? Crispin replied drily.
Alex laughed. a€?Ita€?s to be the sheikha€?s favorite. I do think I prefer this kind of dancing. I just get to sit here and watch. No dance cards, no introductions, no expectations.a€?
a€?No matchmaking mamas, either.a€? Crispin put in.
a€?Therea€?s a reason I eschew England.a€? Alex had been about to say more but the drums began, drowning out his voice. He doubted he could have spoken anyway. The dancer had carefully navigated her way through the crowd to the open spot in front of the sheikh and even now spun before him in a whirl of turquoise silk, her pale-gold hair as much a seductive curtain as the transparent veiling she teased with.
Gold hair.
The sheikha€?s favorite was not a dark-eyed woman of the desert. She looked English, but looks could be misleading. She might be any number of European nationalities. Alex shot a quick glance in Crispina€?s direction. Only a slight movement of his eyes gave any indication hea€?d also noticed. It wouldna€?t do for them to show any outward sign of curiosity.
The dancera€?s movements slowed, her hands moving to draw attention to the undulation of her hips, the exposed, sculpted flatness of her stomach; her hands drifted upwards, drawing Alexa€?s eyes to the fullness of her breasts encased in a jeweled top. The woman was exquisite, there was little wonder she was the favorite. But with her pale hair and skin, she was decidedly not one of the Bedouin, nor was she Arab.
Whatever and whoever she was, she was positively intoxicating; her subtle scents of sandalwood and roses teasing his nostrils. His body hardened in visceral response to the promise of her sensuality. Her lips parted, a secret smile playing across them, eyes as blue as the Mediterranean met his over the transparent rim of her veils, promising all nature of erotic fulfillment as if she danced solely for him.
Yet there was a provocative innocence in those eyes, creating the impression that this was no jaded concubine expertly tantalizing men but a passionate woman in waiting, perhaps begging to be awakened to lovea€?s pleasures. Alexa€?s arousal grew in damning proportions at the prospect, at the fantasy, of taking such a woman to his bed, to teach her, to share with her the exotic mysteries of sex.
Then she was gone, her attentions returning to the sheikh, but the fantasy remained, a potent loiterer in his mind. Later in the evening when the torches burned low and only a few men remained in the tent to discuss news, Alex asked with a feigned nonchalance, a€?Where did the woman come from?a€?
a€?Still in her thrall?a€? The sheikh gave a commiserating laugh. a€?She enchants every man, does she not?a€?
a€?She is lovely, indeed.a€? Alex agreed, schooling his own features in the dimness of the tent to hide any sign of his own desire. But the sheikh had not answered his question and Alex wanted his answer. a€?How did you come by her?a€?
The grim man with the scar leaned forward to speak. a€?My brother-in-law does not share his concubines. She is not available to you if thata€?s what youa€?re asking.a€?
Alex felt Crispina€?s languid repose transform into alertness. Alex took the mana€?s measure easily. Bassam was jealous. Bassam wanted the lovely concubine for himself.
a€?She is a spoil of war, nothing more.a€? The sheikh offered benevolently. a€?Please, have some more wine.a€?
?
Englishmen! Englishmen were here, and not just any Englishman, but Alex Grayfield, the Blond Bedouin. Shea€?d only seen him once when shea€?d traveled to Cairo with her father, but those green eyes could belong to no other. Susannaha€?s heart beat rapidly with excitement, in part over the prospect of rescue and in large part over the presence of a man whose very presence exuded power and sexuality. In the dark privacy of her tent, Susannah gave herself over to the memory.
Hea€?d looked upon her boldly tonight, living up to his reputation. His eyes had answered hers as shea€?d danced with a message of passion every bit as sensual as the one she was meant to convey.
Her body tingled in remembrance. The sheer male physicality of him had been overpowering even in a tent full other men. Beneath his flowing robes, therea€?d been no mistaking the breadth of his shoulders or the strength of his body even in repose. Power resided in that body as surely as intelligence lit his mind. Therea€?d been no doubt that his gaze had studied her, his sharp green eyes seducing her. Shea€?d never been more aware of herself as a woman than shea€?d been in those few moments when she danced before him, their eyes meeting over her veil.
I want you, those eyes had said. But for all the ways in which hea€?d riveted her, she had entranced him as well. A woman did not need to be a whore to know when a man desired her, and now she sought to turn his desire to her advantage.
Alex Grayfielda€?s arrival changed everything. She could avoid the dangers of traveling the desert alone if she could persuade him to take her with him. Providing, of course, she could persuade the sheikh to let her go.
No. The sheikh would never simply let her go. Susannah sank down on the low cot that served as her bed. She had to think. Asking to be set free was far too direct. If asking were a viable alternative, she would have asked months ago. She had to be subtle. Shea€?d learned the value of subtlety during her time among the Bedouin. In the beginning, shea€?d taken what shea€?d hoped to be the quickest route to freedoma€”being so troublesome to the sheikh that hea€?d let her go out of sheer frustration. But those rash acts had only served to prick his pride and make her situation worse. The sheikh had to be maneuvered carefully.
Susannah absently peeled off her veils, her mind perusing her options. What was it her father had always said about diplomacy? The successful diplomat knew how to play to a mana€?s strengths, how to praise a mana€?s assets. Shea€?d learned too that assets werena€?t always material items but sometimes characteristics.
The sheikh viewed himself as a man generous with his hospitality. And he was, when it came to political generosity. Shea€?d danced at enough of his entertainments to know there was truth in that. He lavished his best food and drink on merchants and their caravans when their paths crossed. In return, she was certain he received the most accurate news and insights the merchants brought with them.
Politics were heating up the desert. This moussem was a festival, but it would also be a chance for the remaining tribes to decide if theya€?d throw in their lots with the Emir of Mascara. There was danger here too for the English whether they knew it or not. The sheikh did not support the emir and, by extension, he did not support the English. He would want to determine what the English meant by this visit. To do that, he would court them. But he could not court the English with his traditional largesse of figs and wineskins or the occasional camel. The English had no use for the standard luxuries of the desert.
The sheikh would need a gift substantially more English than that to impress his visitors. He needed her. She was the most English gift the sheikh possessed. The sheikh needed to be made to see that returning her out of bondage, and restoring her to her people would be a sign of his a€?western thinking,a€? a chance to convince the English the Bedouin were not nomadic barbarians, but people of a certain civility who should be left to their own devices.
Susannah reached for a thin cotton shift and pulled it over her head. It was the only truly English garment left to her. Her other clothes had been taken from her that first humiliating day. She wore only what the sheikh provided and at his behest. Putting on her shift had become something of a nightly ritual, a homecoming of sorts, a chance to be an Englishwoman for a few hours instead of this mana€?s fantasy slave.
Making herself a gift was a good idea. It would play to the sheikha€?s view of himself as a generous lord of the sands. She was astute enough to know the suggestion could not come from her. It would have to come from Grayfield. He had not bothered to hide his interest in her. Such boldness would make his request believable, but it could also be used as leverage against him. Hea€?d best tread carefully lest Bassam and the sheikh see an opportunity to exploit that desire before she could. If she could bind him to her, he would be more likely to take her away regardless of the risk or the permission.
She needed to move quickly. Susannah covered her shift with a dark robe and belted it. She reached for a veil to hide the sheen of her hair. The camp would be busy. With luck she would pass unnoticed, but if questioned, she could say she was on her way to the sheikha€?s tent. Her decision was made and she did not want to delay. It would be harder to arrange an opportunity to encounter the Englishmen tomorrow.
Susannah took a deep breath and slipped out into the night. She was off to make her a€?suggestiona€? to Grayfield, and as with any suggestion, the idea would need to be planted in order for it to take root.