The Sheik and the Slave (33 page)

Charles came to his mother and placed a hand on her slim
shoulder.

“
Calm
yourself, Mother. From what I have heard from Father, Katharine
’
s lover is apparently in
love with her and plans to marry her.
”

Anne physically paled.

“
Oh
no! Charles! My God, this is monstrous!
”

Charles turned to his mother.

“
Would
you have her remain unmarried and no father for her child?
”

“
Of
course not! But I will not allow my daughter to marry a dirty foreigner. She
needs to remember her station and marry accordingly.
”

“
Yes,
Mother,
”
Charles
agreed. He kissed her cheek.

“
Someone
proper and respectable,
”
she spoke as she moved away from the table set with afternoon tea. She looked
at the gardens and saw her daughter walking with that bastard baby and the nun.
“
Someone like your
Thomas!
”
she
exclaimed, turning happily to her son.

Charles laughed at his mother and joined her near the
window.

“
No,
Mother, not Thomas,
”
he said, shaking his head.
“
Thomas
is a younger son and more inclined to enjoy life. He will not tie himself down
for many years to come. He told me himself.
”

Anne dismissed this with a wave of her hand.

“
Things
change. Feelings change.
”

“
And
according to Father, Katharine is in love with her barbarian and he with her.
So for all your machinations Mother, it seems we will have the negro child and
the dirty foreigner in our family.
”
Charles almost curled his lip at the thought of his sister spreading her legs
for the Arab.

“
We
shall see, Charles,
”
she replied.

Chapter
23

Thomas readied himself for dinner, wearing his mustard and
blue frock coat with matching waistcoat and breeches. His silk shirt and
stockings were white and his shoes black. His brown hair was clubbed back and
unpowdered.

He had spent many evenings in the Fairfax manor house and
enjoyed his time spent with Lord Edward. Lady Anne, he felt, was aloof but
polite, and the daughters, when younger, were sweet and lovely.

He had not seen Katharine for several years while away at
Eton, and Charles informed him of her recent ordeals. He felt his heart go out
to a young innocent lady who had been so viciously attacked.

Katharine dressed simply that night in a lavender silk dress
with a deep oval neckline and elbow-length sleeves. She wore simple drop
earrings and no necklace.

She stopped in to see Abigail, who did not take dinner with
the family but chose to stay in the small nursery with Kat
’
s son. Abigail was
reading her Bible and the child was asleep.

Katharine smiled as she closed the door.

She knew her mother and father would be at dinner as well as
Charles and his good friend Thomas, whom she had not seen in several years. She
touched a hand to her hair in a self-conscious pat and stepped into the dining
room.

Her father greeted her and kissed her lovingly on the cheek,
and together they moved to the table laden with cold meats, sweets, fruit and
wine. There was also a hot dish of mutton.

Charles and her mother were seated and she bid them a good
evening. When Thomas entered the room, he smiled at everyone, greeted them, and
then seemed stunned by Katharine
’
s
appearance.

“
Dear
Lady Katharine,
”
he
smiled at approached her.

“
Thomas.
It has been a long time,
”
she smiled as he kissed her hand elegantly.

“
I
believe too long, Lady,
”
he spoke and their eyes met.

An attractive man, Thomas was well used to feminine
attention. But he was not prepared for the beauty and delicate face of
Katharine. It stopped his heart.

She smiled and laid her hand on his sleeve as he led them
both to the table.

Meanwhile, Anne cast a sly glance at her son and nodded.

The rest of the dinner was spent with Thomas eagerly
entertaining Katharine with stories of his youth, while Charles and Anne spent
their time discussing his children, Sarah, and London.

Edward watched the scene in silence and was a little amused
at Thomas
’
attention
to his daughter; he seemed smitten. After the meal, dessert was served with
wine. The gentleman excused themselves and Thomas joined Charles in a game of
billiards, while Edward retired to his study.

Anne remained alone with her daughter.

“
My
dear, you made quite the conquest with young Thomas Merritt,
”
she said.

“
I
don
’
t think so. I
was merely being polite, as was he.
”

Anne nodded.

“
Of
course. Polite? As you were with your Arab lover,
”
she continued.

Katharine blushed.

“
Mother,
you do not know of which you speak.
”

“
Perhaps.
But I think I know enough of men and women to know when a man is taken with a
woman. I saw it in his eyes. Thomas is smitten with you.
”

“
Well,
that
’
s as maybe. But
my heart lies elsewhere,
”
Katharine said.

“
Yes.
With the Arab you love and who wishes to marry you.
”

“
Yes,
Mother. Father has told me he came to see him and asked for me.
”

“
Yes,
my dear. But now that you have spread your legs and given him your virtue,
where is he now?
”

Katharine swallowed, the vulgar words painful to her.

“
He-he
will come for me.
”

“
Yes,
dear. I
’
m sure he
will,
”
Anne said.
She smiled condescendingly and left Kat alone with her thoughts.

***

Charles and Thomas were alone in the billiards room.

“
Charles,
I hardly remember your sister as being half so beautiful. Now she seems a
goddess among men,
”
Thomas said.

Charles laughed as he made a shot.

“
Come,
we
’
re playing. Your
turn.
”

Thomas took his turn and remarked again,
“
She has returned home, I
understand, from an ordeal. I hope she was not injured in any way.
”

“
No
indeed, she has been returned to us safe,
”
Charles said as he took his shot.

“
That
is good, I am happy for the Lady and your family,
”
Thomas replied.

In his mind, he saw the Katharine
’
s blonde hair framing a delicate face and
fine bone structure. What a beautiful woman!

Charles had excused himself to speak to his father and
Thomas left the billiards room and moved to the conservatory. The room was full
of light and air during the day, and Lord Edward had used it to cultivate
lemons, oranges, and other exotic flowers that needed the warmth of the room.

A large cream sofa sat next to the orange trees and their
blossoms perfumed the air. Katharine sat on the sofa alone and crying.

Her mother had been horrid to her, and the words she
’
d used were degrading.
Kat had given herself to Mohammed, this was true. But she had loved him and
knew he loved her. Her mother made their love seem dirty. She knew from Abigail
that Anne never visited her grandson. She felt the pain acutely. Her tears fell
down her cheeks.

Thomas had stepped inside the conservatory, remembering
years ago that they grabbed and pulled the precious lemons and oranges from the
trees and got a strict reprimand from Lord Edward when this was discovered. He
had still been kind, but told them never to take the fruit again unless they
asked permission.

He saw the outline of a figure on the sofa and was about to
move away when he heard the sob.

“
Lady
Katharine,
”
he said
softly and came toward her.

She looked startled as Thomas came upon her and she tried to
dry her eyes.

“
Thomas,
”
she spoke.

“
Lady,
why do you weep? Are you in pain?
”

He joined her on the sofa amid the trees and flowers.

“
No,
I
’
ve quarreled with
my mother. We see things quite differently,
”
she said. She brushed at her skirts, trying to not look at him. She was
embarrassed that he had found her crying.
“
I
’
m too sensitive.
”

“
You
should not weep. It will spoil your beauty.
”

She laughed and he touched her face in his palm, almost
caressing it.

“
Thomas,
”
she started to say.

He immediately dropped his hand.

“
I
’
m sorry. I didn
’
t mean to overstep my
boundaries.
”

Her blues eyes met his hazel ones.

“
Thomas.
There was a man that I met in Arabia. I am in love with him and he with me. I
hope to be married soon. I-I have a child with him.
”

“
He
is indeed a lucky man.
”

Thomas wasn
’
t
shocked that she was in love with an Arab man or that there was a child. She
was a beautiful woman and he was certain that many men had coveted her. That
she had born a child out of wedlock only meant that the man had been quick to
claim her. He could not have blamed him for that. Had he been the lucky man,
she would not have remained untouched very long.

“
Thank
you, Thomas. You have been kind.
”

Thomas smiled and extended his arm to her.

“
Come.
We can play a game of billiards.
”

“
Yes.
Let
’
s,
”
she said. Her lavender
skirts swished around her as she moved ahead of him.
“
I
’
ll
set up the table,
”
she added.

Thomas watched her move down the hallway in lavender silk
and feminine sway and he felt a throb begin. He must never let her know how he
felt. She was to marry another, and he could only be her friend.

***

Thomas and Katharine walked slowly through the gardens that
surrounded the immediate manor house. She had taken to walking with Abigail and
her son, and Thomas had asked to join them.

Abigail settled under a tree with the child while Thomas and
Katharine continued on.

“
Your
lady Abigail is quite protective of you and the child,
”
he said.

Katharine turned to look at the older woman, who had been
more of a mother to her than her own.

“
Yes,
she is all grace and kindness. I owe her much. She saved my life,
”
Kat said.

“
Then
she is a woman to be commended for her bravery and loyalty,
”
Thomas replied.

“
She
is.
”

They continued toward the birch trees and Thomas admired her
feminine curves that the simple mint-colored dress accentuated. It made her
blonde beauty seem fragile, and she was all the more lovely.

“
I
will be gone on the morrow. I must return to London,
”
he explained.

“
Oh,
I am sorry to hear that. I have enjoyed your company,
”
she said. Her smile dazzled him, and he
felt a tug inside himself. She was a woman not to be left alone. The more time
they spent together, the more she drew him nearer to her.

“
And
I yours,
”
she said
as she touched his arm.

His hazel eyes were lightened in the sun and she thought
once again that he was an attractive man. He was slimmer and slightly shorter
than Mohammed, but he was kind and considerate, whereas Mohammed was masculine
and took what he wanted.

They walked back to Abigail and her child on a blanket in a
grass and joined them.

When Katharine was alone in her room, she was elated. She
knew that the time was growing close and soon Mohammed would join them. She
would be reunited with him and he would know their son. Her father had given
her peace of mind and she was so grateful.

She would be married shortly and perhaps another child would
soon follow. She wanted a girl to shower with love and affection and hoped it
would be so. Soon she would be in his arms as his wife, and they would be a
family.

Chapter
24

Abdullah spread his fingers on his knees with his head
level. He silently said the prayer three times.

He murmured
“
Allahu
Akbar
”
and went onto
his knees, his hands, and forehead, touching the mat, with his elbows extended
out.

He murmured in Arabic,
“
Glory
to my Lord the most high,
”
three times, remaining on his knees.