The Sheik and the Slave (34 page)

In this position, he was nearest to the Lord.

He was overwhelmed and needed guidance. He discovered too
late that everything he had worked so hard for was falling apart. The foolish
and silly Safiya, who was supposed to have been their savior and brought Mohammed
back to Allah, had disappeared. No one knew her whereabouts, and even her uncle
and father had been shocked to find her gone. Worse yet, the harem women had
been gossiping about her. His spy informed him that everyone all but suspected
that the babe in her belly was not the sheik
’
s
but her uncle
’
s
child, who visited her nightly. It was too much to bear.

That in itself was an irritant, and Abdullah was burdened
with that knowledge. But even worse was the discovery that Mohammed had
secretly left Arabia to return to England to find the witch. Everything he had
fought to save was over.

He prayed deeply and tried to find his path. He loved
Mohammed and knew the white woman would bring about the demise of the sheik. He
also knew that she had given birth to a son, a son that must be raised in the
Islamic faith.

He prayed long into the night, and as the sun came over the
horizon, he knew exactly what he must do. He had left fate to too many inferior
people who could not or were unable to complete the task at hand.

He was not such a man. He was not afraid to get his hands
dirty and would do what was required. He stood resolved and with a new sense of
purpose. He would kill the white witch with his bare hands. He would choke the
very life from her throat and watch the life drain from her eyes. It was the
only way to save Mohammed, his son, and their people
’
s future. He would make his way to England
to complete the task. Inshallah.

***

Katharine
’
s
simple dove-grey muslin dress flowed around her as she sat with her son and
Abigail on a blanket under a large oak tree. Abigail was reading
Travels
into Several Remote Nations of the World In Four Parts
by Lemuel Gulliver
from her father
’
s
library. The women were taking turns reading chapters as her son happily played
with a toy that Edward had made for him.

“
It
’
s a delightful book,
”
Abigail said as she took
her turn to read.

When Abigail began to read, Katharine closed her eyes and
found her mind wandering. She watched the breeze in the trees and had a sudden
ache for the heat of the desert.

When Abigail finished her chapter, she closed the book and
looked at the small child yawning.

“
Dear,
I
’
m going to take
him to lie down and I think I might nap myself,
”
Abigail said. She smiled and placed the precious babe in the carriage, wheeling
him down the green.

Katharine lay upon the blanket, staring up into the trees
and feeling the breeze upon her face. It was a lovely day, with cottony white
clouds in the pale blue sky.

Abigail came back a short while later looking strained and
holding a letter in her hand. She sat down next to the young woman who was
still staring at the sky.

“
Dearest,
I have received a letter from the Abbey,
”
she began.
“
There is
a letter that was addressed to me but that I think you should read it. I
’
m going to leave it here.
And if you need me, I will be nearby.
”

Katharine looked at the small piece of paper folded in half
and saw the cursive writing inside it.

Was it from Mohammed? Was he nearby? Her heart leapt at the
thought. She would be with him soon. Her love!

She greedily opened the paper with joy. As she read the
words, the color drained from her face and she felt her heart ache.
“
No!
”
She whispered. No!

The letter was brief and read:

Dear Madame
–

We received your letter regarding the Lady Katharine and
are pleased to hear that she is well. However Princess Safiya has recently
announced her pregnancy and the Sheik is making arrangements for the birth of
his legitimate first born son to his wife. A son
–
Inshallah.

The wedding is being planned and is a great event as it
joins two great families. The bloodlines will be ensured once the child is born
to the Sheik.

Peace and blessings be upon you.

Your servant,

Katharine closed her eyes and steeled herself against the
pain. She felt almost a physical blow to her stomach that made her sick as she
scanned the short note and took in the words. Mohammed had made love to another
woman. He had held another woman in his arms and caressed her as he had done
with her. Had he looked deep into this Safiya
’
s
eyes as he possessed her? A wedding was to take place? She felt a sickness deep
inside her.

She moved away from the blanket, stumbling as she went. Her
head swam and she clutched at her stomach. Thoughts were swirling in her head.
He was marrying an Arab woman befitting his station. Her mother was right! She
had given him everything, and now he was marrying another woman.

Yasmeen
’
s
voice taunted her: He
’
ll
sell your body to the highest bidder once he
’
s
tired of your cunt and taste. But no, it was much worse than that. She had
simply been discarded like trash. Did he give no thought at all to his son? Her
son. Oh God, why? It was like a physical pain. The tears fell on her cheeks and
she moved away from the manor house. Why? Why? It hurt so much she couldn
’
t bear it. Why? She was
blinded by the tears and collided with a figure who stood in her way.

 
“
Katharine?
What is it?
”
Thomas
asked, worried.

He saw her in great distress as she approached and she
seemed to have not seen him. He had been walking to clear his head on his last
day at the manor house and saw her.

She had tears on her cheeks and she clutched a letter in one
hand.

“
Oh,
Thomas,
”
she sobbed.
She allowed him to take her in his arms as she cried.
“
I can
’
t
bear it. It hurts so much.
”
She closed her eyes against the pain.

He shushed her gently and touched her blonde hair, which was
loose down her back.

His hand moved to soothe her back and she calmed herself.
She suddenly felt her knees go weak and his arms were around her. She felt dizzy
and confused.

“
Katherine,
”
he said, knowing she was
in great pain. He sank into the grass, holding her.

“
Thomas
I can
’
t bear it. It
hurts so much,
”
she
said. The betrayal and the feeling of being used as trash and Mohammed moving
inside another woman made her sick.

He held her tightly and tried to comfort her. She sat beside
him as he touched her hair and soothed her. Suddenly, Katharine realized her
posture and her close proximity and was ashamed.

“
I
’
m sorry, Thomas. How
awkward for you,
”
she said. She looked into his eyes, her blue ones filled with unshed tears and
pain.

“
Dearest
Kat, can I help you?
”
He fell into using her old nickname.

“
I
have gone from complete to bliss to utter darkness in one moment,
”
she said, her wet blue
eyes searching his.
“
I
see nothing ahead.
”
She unfolded the letter and gave it to him, which he read.

“
Katharine,
I
’
m very sorry. This
letter is deeply upsetting,
”
he replied. They sat on the grass together before she moved to stand and he
followed.

Katharine walked with him toward the house before she
murmured,
“
You have
been so kind, but I, I need to be alone,
”
she told him. She gazed down at the letter and he nodded.

“
Of
course.
”

She looked lost and confused as she made her way back to the
house. Thomas watched her go and felt his heart tug.

Katharine returned to her room and reread the letter several
times, which only caused her fresh pain. The tiny wounds reopened in her heart.
She felt so many things that it was hard to focus on one pain; it was all
formed into one oozing wound. She knew there was nothing now. There would be no
marriage, no home, and her dearest child would have no father. He had married
another. Yasmeen
’
s
and her mother
’
s
words had come true. She was cast aside after he had taken what he wanted.

She felt tired and wanted to sleep. Katharine spent the next
day in bed and, though Abigail tried to coax her out into the warm sunlight,
she politely refused and stayed in her room. Her father also tried his best to
bring her out of the darkness, but with no luck.

Thomas had asked his host if he could stay on and he tried
to bring her out as well. He brought her flowers and left her little
nonsensical poems he made up to make her smile.

She spent several days in bed, sleeping and eating very
little, and every new breath was painful. But she had a son whom she adored,
and for him, she tried to mix with company.

She spent day after day in Abigail
’
s company and came to love the woman most
dearly. She was a calm, steady influence and Katharine knew she was protective
of her son and herself. She read the Bible to her under the great oak tree and
they read books aloud to each other. She was the mother Kat had never had.

Her own mother all but ignored her, and once Mohammed
’
s letter became knowledge
through gossip, Anne smirked but said little. To have a daughter who was used
goods with a living reminder of it was not a light subject; she was mortified
that now even the marriage that was supposed to have occurred would not. She
watched Edward grow more silent and knew that he ached for his daughter
’
s unhappiness. Never mind
that had everyone listed to her and married Katharine off, this would not have
happened.

As the days passed, Thomas also stayed on at Willow Manor
and was welcomed. He was cheery and everyone enjoyed his company, especially
Francie, who also came to see her friend.

“
He
’
s certainly a handsome
man,
”
Francie said
one day as she and Katharine embroidered in the downstairs sitting room.

“
Who,
Francie?
”
Katharine
quizzed.

“
Don
’
t be difficult, Kat. You
must know I mean Thomas.
”

“
I
’
m not being difficult,
and he is a fine man. I just haven
’
t
looked at him that way,
”
she said as she pulled the thread through the cloth.

Francie sighed as she stared at her beautiful friend.

“
I
have been so worried about you. Your father was kind enough to invite me here
to stay. I think he wanted me to help you through this,
”
she said to Kat.

“
Yes,
dear Father. He has been very good to me. I sometimes think I don
’
t deserve it,
”
Kat added.

“
Why
ever not?
”
Francie
asked. She looked at the blonde, with her cutting cheekbones and rosebud lips,
and thought that, if anyone, she should have everything she desired.

“
Because.
Because I am a fallen woman who gave my virtue stupidly away to a man I loved.
And then I was discarded like trash. I am embarrassment to my family,
”
she said. Kat didn
’
t meet Francie
’
s eyes.

“
Katharine!
That
’
s monstrous!
Never say that again!
”
Francie exclaimed. She moved quickly to sit by her friend.
“
Your father loves you!
And no matter that your mother may be harsh and uncompromising, you deserve
happiness. You thought he loved you.
”

“
Yes,
I thought he loved me. I thought we would marry, and our lives would be
together and happy,
”
she said, as she looked down at her hands.
“
I
’
m a foolish woman,
”
she added.

“
No,
Kat. Not foolish, just blinded by love. But you shall rally. And you and I will
find our happiness,
”
Francie said encouragingly. She took her friend
’
s
hands in hers.
“
We
will.
”

***

Katharine continued to spend long stretches of time alone
during the day, at twilight, and in the early morning. She especially loved
twilight before evening as the sun set in the west and the sky turned different
shades of pink and red. She was often alone, but several times Thomas joined
her. They walked together and Thomas would talk while she listened. She had
little to say these days.

Thomas had not wanted to leave the manor house when he saw
Katharine in such raw pain and he felt he might be of some use. He also read
her books of poetry and enjoyed being in her company. It was one such twilight
evening that they strolled along the gardens and Katharine listened as he
relayed a letter from his father.