Twice Upon a Time (26 page)

As the final course was cleared away, the sheikh spoke to one of his wives in Arabic. She nodded, then stood up and left the room. A moment later she returned with a box in her hand, which she placed in front of her husband.

‘Miss Bloom, I hope you will accept this gift from me and my wives,’ the sheikh said, ‘to thank you for being so pleasant and courteous this evening.’

Gus turned to Cinda, who was blushing furiously.

‘That’s okay,’ she stammered. ‘I mean, I just like to meet new people.’

The sheikh stood up and opened the slim leather box. He placed it in front of Cinda. Inside, lying on black velvet, was an exquisite long gold necklace, with tiny oak leaves and delicate diamond-encrusted acorns hanging around the chain.

It was so beautiful that Cinda blinked a few times, before shaking her head. ‘I . . . can’t,’ she whispered, looking up at Gus. His eyes widened with panic and he shook his head almost imperceptibly. To refuse the gift would be considered a grave insult. He willed her to understand. To his relief, she quickly recovered her composure and continued.

‘I can’t thank you enough,’ she said warmly, looking up at the sheikh. Gus’s body flooded with relief. ‘It’s truly an exquisite piece. It will go beautifully with what I’m wearing tonight, in fact,’ she said. Taking it carefully from the box, she put it around her neck, roping it around twice. The sheikh helped her with the clasp and beamed at her happily. Cinda smiled back.

‘Thank you,’ she said again, looking over at the three women. She turned to Gus.

‘It’s beautiful,’ he said, looking at the way the gold shone on her skin. Cinda smiled shyly.

Gus signalled for the gifts his mother had arranged for the sheikh’s wives to be brought to the table as well. Upon opening them, the women seemed pleased.

And then the sheikh spoke to the wives in Arabic and the women stood up.

‘Now we will leave you,’ he said to Gus, extending his hand.

Gus stood up, surprised. ‘Oh,’ he said, wondering what had just happened. Usually a dinner like this would continue for at least another hour, with coffee and petits fours in the private lounge attached to the dining room. Had he offended the sheikh in some way?

‘We don’t want to encroach any further on your evening, with Miss Bloom looking so beautiful and you two so much in love,’ he said, winking.

Gus was stunned, and he and Cinda both spoke at once, gabbling feeble protests.

But the sheikh had clearly made up his mind and, an incredibly short amount of time later, he and his wives swept from the room in a flurry of formal goodbyes.

Gus turned to Cinda and laughed. ‘What a crazy evening,’ he said, shaking his head, nervously trying to cover the awkward silence the sheikh’s comments had left in their wake.

Cinda nodded in agreement and raised her hand to the necklace. Gus suddenly wished he were one of the tiny acorns dangling next to her collarbone.

They sat next to each other in the silent lounge and when Cinda lifted her water glass, he saw her hand tremble. She always had steady painter’s hands, so he knew how nervous she must be.

He reached out and took her hand in his. ‘Cinda,’ he said, and she turned to him, her eyes unreadable. ‘You have to know how I feel,’ he began to say, but before he could say any more, her mouth was on his.

He gasped at the sensation of their lips meeting and pulled her onto his lap, his hands on her back, her waist, her arms, kissing her neck. ‘I have never wanted anyone like I want you,’ he said.

Cinda half-sobbed into his neck, and Gus’s heart squeezed, knowing she was thinking of Ludo. He guiltily thought of Perrette, then pushed her quickly from his mind.

‘Stay with me tonight, Cinda,’ he begged, kissing her throat.

She paused, her eyes meeting his, her mouth flushed raspberry from kissing. Then she nodded.

They left the room in silence, the tension heavy. The bodyguards stood behind them in the elevator, while they stood a foot apart until the doors opened.

The guards swept the suite again and nodded to Cinda and Gus that all was safe.

Gus gestured for Cinda to enter the suite and he followed, closing the door behind him.

He stood awkwardly, unsure for the first time in his life about what to do next. Cinda crossed to the doorway of her room and then turned and looked at him.

‘Just one night,’ she said, and he saw vulnerability in her eyes.

‘Cinda,’ he murmured, and he went to her and kissed her as though his life depended on it.

She took him by the hand and led him into the room, and they stood facing each other next to the bed. Someone had been in to clear away the dresses, and the sheets looked cold and smooth, tempting them to mess them up.

‘I think I love you,’ Gus blurted, not believing the words coming out of his mouth, only knowing they felt right.

Cinda winced. ‘I think I love you too,’ she said quietly. ‘But we both know we can’t be together. Let’s just enjoy tonight and not make it any harder than it needs to be.’

He felt like his heart would burst, but he nodded silently.

She pulled off his jacket and undid his tie. He watched her face as she concentrated on undoing the stubborn buttons on his shirt.

As each button was undone, she kissed the flesh that was exposed until he thought he couldn’t take any more. As the last button came apart, she slid the shirt from his shoulders and ran her hands over his chest.

‘What are you doing to me?’ he asked dazedly, needing some sort of proof that this wasn’t a dream.

‘Seducing you,’ she said with a wry smile, her head cocked to one side.

‘I don’t think I’ve ever been seduced before,’ he said, taking a sharp breath as she ran her fingers over the skin just above the waistband of his pants.

‘Poor Prince Gus,’ she said with a mock-pout. Then she kissed him again, but he felt the tremble of her mouth.

He pulled her to him and reached behind her to unzip her dress. It fell down around her feet in one smooth movement and he took in the image of her in her underwear.

She was perfect. He led her to the bed, where she stepped out of her shoes.

As they fell onto the bed, any shyness she’d had before was gone. He was unsure how to be with someone so raw and real – he knew he was sometimes a little clumsy with Perrette.

She stopped kissing him and held his face in her hands. ‘Stop thinking so much,’ she said gently. ’I can hear your mind working overtime. Be with me now. One night – this is it. Don’t let it pass you by.’

He paused and then he pulled her on top of him. She was right. It was only one night – they both knew that.

And for the first time since he was twelve, he let himself do what he wanted rather than what his duty dictated.

31

As they arrived back at Avignon the next day, Cinda knew everything had changed. They had barely spoken a word to one another since they left London, but the night before hung heavy in the air.

Gus’s phone rang as they walked towards the house and Cinda saw Perrette’s name on the screen.

‘I’ll leave it,’ said Gus awkwardly.

‘No, answer, it’s fine,’ said Cinda, looking away.

Gus picked up the phone, and although Cinda tried not to, she could hear Perrette on the other end of the line.

‘Darling, it’s Perrette,’ she trilled. ‘I’m at my parents’. Your secretary said you were at your chateau, so I thought I’d visit since I haven’t seen you in a while.’

‘I’m not at the house now,’ he lied, as Cinda tried to concentrate on something – anything – else.

‘Well then, I’ll be there this afternoon at two,’ she said and, before he could say any more, Perrette had hung up.

Cinda looked at him and raised her eyebrows. ‘Lucky you,’ she said, trying to keep the bitchiness from her voice.

Gus looked at Cinda. ‘What will we do?’ he asked her, taking her hands.

Relief and fear coursed through her simultaneously. ‘I’m supposed to be waiting for Ludo,’ she said quietly. ‘I don’t know what you must think of me.’

Gus stared at her and then kissed her. ‘I think you’re wonderful,’ he whispered and she pulled his face to hers as she kissed him back.

‘It’s a bloody big mess though, isn’t it?’ she said, trying not to cry.

‘Yep,’ he said. ‘A royal mess.’

They both started laughing uncontrollably, and for a while neither could catch their breath.

‘Let’s just take one thing at a time,’ he said eventually. ‘We’ll wait till Ludo’s back and we can tell him and Perrette how we feel about each other at the same time.’

Cinda shook her head. ‘But according to your mother, I’m not good enough for Ludo. How could I possibly be good enough for you?’

Gus was silent, and Cinda knew she had won the argument. She didn’t feel like she had won anything, though.

Cinda went up to her room and lay on her bed, ashamed, tired, and desperate for Gus to come to her again. She tried in vain to think up a plan where they could have it all and no-one would be hurt. She fell into a dreamless sleep.

When she awoke, she showered and, feeling better, she pulled on some leggings and a T-shirt and wandered down the stairs. She stopped halfway down, spotting Gus greeting an impossibly chic-looking Perrette at the bottom of the stairs.

Cinda’s heart sank and she wished she’d put on a nicer outfit. Still, she plastered a smile onto her face.

‘Perrette,’ she said through slightly gritted teeth.

‘Minda,’ said Perrette with pointed indifference.

‘It’s Cinda,’ Cinda said in a tight voice.

‘Oh, right. Silly me. What exactly is Cinda short for again?’ said Perrette, saccharine sweet.

‘Lucinda,’ said Gus before Cinda could answer. Perrette narrowed her eyes at him, then looked back at Cinda.

‘And why are you here, Lucinda?’ asked Perrette.

‘Because Gus very generously asked me,’ Cinda said with forced politeness.

Gus turned his head from girl to girl like a spectator at the French Open.

‘That was indeed very charitable of you, Gus,’ said Perrette, shooting Cinda a condescending smile.

Cinda narrowed her eyes at Perrette and Gus swallowed nervously.

‘Gus, can I have a private word?’ asked Perrette, taking his arm possessively.

Cinda looked at Gus, barely managing to stop herself from rolling her eyes. ‘Don’t mind me, I was leaving anyway. See you in ten minutes for a sitting?’ she said sweetly.

Gus nodded dumbly.

‘Bye, Parrot,’ said Cinda, unable to resist. ‘Nice seeing you again.’

Perrette pulled Gus into a nearby sitting room and shut the door. Hesitating for just a moment, Cinda scampered lightly down the stairs and put her ear to the door.

‘Did she just call me Parrot?’ Perrette snapped. Then, without waiting for an answer, she demanded, ‘Why is she here?’

‘I thought it best that I get her away from the city, away from the media,’ Gus replied. Cinda hated the way he sounded when he spoke to Perrette – nervous, on edge, unsure of himself.

‘Why do
you
need to be here?’ she demanded.

‘To make sure she doesn’t do anything inappropriate,’ he said. Although she knew it wasn’t true, Cinda felt her heart sink.

‘What does she mean,
a sitting
?’ asked Perrette.

‘She’s painting a portrait of Ludo,’ Gus soothed. ‘I’m just sitting in until he gets back.’

There was silence and Cinda wondered if they were kissing.

‘I’m sorry I didn’t trust you, darling,’ Perrette said finally. ‘Of course you’re doing the right thing for your family. You always do,’ she said. Her voice sounded forced to Cinda.

‘I know,’ he said, and Cinda ran up the stairs as she heard the door open. Gus saw Perrette out to her car.

Cinda was standing in the middle of the staircase, aware that her face was stony, as Gus came back inside.

He raised his eyebrows, knowing she’d heard the whole conversation. ‘Are you going to be a detective when you grow up?’ he asked with a little smile.

‘No, but maybe a royal courtesan,’ she snapped back.

‘What do you mean?’ he asked, his expression hurt.

‘Why didn’t you tell her?’ she asked, hating how needy she sounded, aware she was being unreasonable.

‘Because it wasn’t the right time, and this needs to be managed,’ he said.

‘I’m not a project, Gus, I’m a person. You can’t
manage
me,’ she said, and stormed up to her room.

Within minutes, there was a knock at the door.

‘Go away,’ she called.

‘I know you’re not a project, Cinda,’ Gus called softly from behind the closed door. ‘I don’t want to manage you. I want to be with you. You just have to let me figure out how.’

She opened the door a crack and looked at him. ‘Don’t hurt me,’ she said.

He nodded as she pulled him into her room and back into her heart.

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