The Sheik and the Slave (36 page)

“
Katharine,
I have enjoyed the time spent with you, and I think that you enjoy my company,
”
he began.

“
Yes,
Thomas.
”

The Serpentine looked like cool glass as they stopped next
to it. Hyde Park was quiet and serene, and the smell of wet grass reminded her
of home.

“
I
know your heart is healing and I don
’
t
want to push you. But I think there is a future for us,
”
he said. His hazel eyes met her blue ones.

“
Thomas,
these past weeks have been so hard for me. But you have been a kind and
generous friend.
”

“
I
want to be more than your friend, Katharine,
”
he said to her, his voice husky.

Purple intertwined with cream as he pulled her into his
arms.

“
I
can make you happy, Katharine. Only let me,
”
he asked in a whisper before his mouth touched hers in a kiss that was sweet
and loving. He broke the kiss and she stepped away from him.

“
I
need time, Thomas,
”
she said.

He caressed her cheek.

“
You
will have all the time you need. Come, let
’
s
get you home.
”

A movement caught her eye, and she thought she saw a dark
shape behind a large tree.
Was that a man?
Surely not, she told herself.
It was simply the shadows of the night.

Thomas caught her arm just as she tried to focus on the
shape. Was she in danger? Should she be concerned? She quickened her pace and
did not glance behind her.

***

The morning had been uneventful, and she spent much of it
with her son. She saw that he was growing up; with a pain in her chest, she
noticed that he looked like very much like his father.

He was a constant reminder of Mohammed, and she ached at his
small face, eyes and limbs that were so beloved. How could he have abandoned
them?

Later that afternoon, she spent time with her father and
they played chess. She was convinced he let her beat him even though they were
both superb players.

She finished dinner with her father and wanted to feel
refreshed before tea. She changed into a simple yellow dress with the square
neckline edged in yellow lace and along the elbow-length sleeves. The skirt
fell in soft waves about her body as she walked and her square heels were
yellow silk.

She ventured toward Hyde Park as the short walk from the
Mayfair townhouse refreshed her. She thought about Thomas and his admission the
night before and she wondered about it. She would live comfortably with him as
the second son of an earl. He would look after her and she was concerned about
her son, though she had no reason to think he would be anything but a surrogate
father.

As the sun lowered in the sky, she wondered if she could
love Thomas and make a life with him. She had given her heart and soul to
Mohammed and it had ended so badly. She worried about opening her heart to
another.

The trees were lush and the grass thick underfoot. She
nodded to several couples who strolled along and a nurse who pushed a child
along in a baby carriage.

It was serene, as it had been the evening before, yet the
twilight had cast a rosy glow among the trees.

She saw a man walking ahead of her dressed in forest green
breeches and frock coat. He wore a wide-brimmed hat and she saw his dark hair
was clubbed. He seemed strangely familiar, but she didn
’
t see his face. Suddenly, he turned around
to change directions and almost crashed in her. Katharine
’
s breath caught in her
throat. She gasped.

She froze and could only gaze at him in horror. Then, she
turned and fled.

“
Katharine!
”
Mohammed yelled to her.

She ignored him as she tried to flee, but her corset was so
tight she couldn
’
t
breathe deeply enough to move quicker.

He swore under his breath and then chased after her. It wasn
’
t hard to catch up with
her as she wasn
’
t
moving that fast. She had seemed horrified at seeing him and he wondered why.
After all, if anyone
’
s
behavior was to be condemned, it was hers.

He caught up with her and grabbed her arm, swinging her to
face him.

“
Katharine,
”
he called her name
sternly.

She closed her eyes and willed him to be gone. The pain and
betrayal came back raw and fresh and she didn
’
t
want to remember any of it. He looked so sinfully handsome dressed in green,
showing off his dark skin and hair. It was so unfair. Why was he back?

“
Don
’
t touch me,
”
she said. She tried to
jerk away, but he pulled her closer to him. She could smell his masculine,
clean scent.

The scent of jasmine clung to her. It triggered the memories
of them lying together with nothing between them but jasmine and the hot night
when he had taken her for the first time.

Her blue eyes were luminous as he held her beneath a large
oak tree.

“
Katharine,
what is going on here? I have been worried for your safety and I return to
London to find you cavorting with your new lover. I should never leave you
alone, for your bed gets cold quickly.
”

Katharine saw red as he dared to bring up Thomas while he
was married with a new child.

“
My
bed gets cold?
”
she
threw back at him.
“
That
’
s rich coming from you!
My God, when I think of everything I have sacrificed and what I have been
through and you
…”

“
And
I what?
”
he asked,
pulling her into his arms.
“
And
I what, Katharine? I made you a promise. I stood before you and told you I
would speak to your father. I had the marriage license. We were to be married.
”

He was so angry that she had thrown away all of their love
and future for a titled Englishman. Was she that cold and calculating? Had
everything been pretend?

“
None
of that matters now, how could it?
”
she spoke coldly. How dare he stand before her and speak of the past when he
had married an Arab woman and gotten her with child.
“
Why are you even here? What do you want?
”

“
To
finish what we started, Katharine.
”

“
There
’
s nothing to finish. This
is over. Go back to Arabia.
”

He released his grip on her and boldly raked in her feminine
form.

“
We
’
ll see, princess.
”

Chapter
26

Katharine watched him walk away and wanted to scream. How
dare he touch her and taunt her when she had been neglected and discarded?
What
an arrogant man! He wanted to finish what?
she wondered.
Why had he been
so cool and collected? Did he want a second wife?

Had he decided that he would exist the way he had been when
they first met and that she would eagerly submit to being a second wife? It was
unthinkable. She was even more furious with herself for being drawn to him,
even now.

His dark eyes weakening her, even now. She wanted him even
though he had been with another woman and he had a child. It was disgusting.
She was almost shaking with anger and contempt for herself as she made her way
home. How did he even know of Thomas? He had casually mentioned
“
a lover,
”
though she had said
nothing. Then it came to her. Of course.

He could have been the man outside the townhouse in the
early morning and the shadow she saw last evening with Thomas. Had Mohammed
been following her? For what purpose? It seemed so strange. He had a wife and
child in Arabia; what was he doing here? She suddenly thought of her child and
realized she must tread carefully.

She did not want to antagonize Mohammed until she discovered
his true purpose for coming to London. She would protect her son at all costs.

She decided to tell no one of the encounter.

***

Mohammed ventured back to The George, where he was staying,
his mind in turmoil. He had not been expecting Katharine that evening. After
his encounter with her and Thomas the day prior, he had vowed to stop following
her. Watching another man kiss and touch her had been excruciating.

At first, he had wanted to confront the unknown man and
possibly drive a fist into his face. He had also wanted to question Katharine
who, before his return, had been lost to them all and missing. He had come to
London expecting to be reunited with his dearest and shortly marry her, but
instead he had found her in another man
’
s
arms.

He was angry and confused at her cold greeting and barely
recognized the warm woman who had given herself to him that hot Arabian night.
As he returned to The George and stepped inside it, with its wood floors and
oak beams, he thought suddenly of the one question he needed answered above all
else. Where was their child?

***

Sarah smoothed her orange silk skirt down as she waited
patiently in the sitting room for Katharine to join her. The ladies had been
invited by a close friend of Sarah
’
s
to a card party and supper and Katharine had agreed to attend. Edward declined
to attend, and Charles was at his club, White
’
s,
so the ladies were to attend alone.

“
Yes,
yes Sarah. I
’
m
running late, forgive me,
”
Katharine said. She wore a beautiful blood-red dress with intricate gold vines
along the stomacher and sleeves. The gold wound along the skirt and she wore
red square heels to match. She wore delicate ruby earrings and no necklace. Her
blonde hair was piled at the nape of her neck.

“
Come,
let
’
s away,
Katharine,
”
Sarah
said.

Together, they hired a hackney cab and arrived as the party
was underway. Katharine had not wanted to leave the townhouse, especially since
she feared running into Mohammed. But she chided herself that he would never
mix in society and he had seemed just as bewildered as she when they had come
upon each other in Hyde Park.

Katharine was pleased to be out and noticed the mix of
ladies and gentleman in the room. The ladies were delightfully dressed in an
array of colors and the gentleman liked vibrant peacocks. Katharine noticed
several people glance their way. Unbeknownst to her, Katharine looked
particularly striking, as the red dress contrasted sharply with her blonde
hair.

She noticed several women murmuring while they played faro,
and there seemed to be a buzz in the air. There were sofas and chairs placed
comfortably around one room. In the next room, Katharine saw a variety of foods
on the table. It looked delicious. She placed a strawberry in her mouth.

When she returned to the main room, she saw that Sarah had
joined a table to play cards and an older lady beckoned to her at a sofa.

“
Dearest
Katharine,
”
the
older lady spoke to her.

“
Lady
Dunvale,
”
she
replied. Katharine smiled at the woman who was an acquaintance of her mother
’
s.

They settled on the sofa as the voices floated around them.

“
My
dear, you are most exquisite. You should be married,
”
she said. The older woman patted her brown
hair, which was slowly graying, and sighed.
“
Lord
Dunvale has been dead now several years, and I miss him dreadfully.
”

“
He
was a good man,
”
Katharine agreed.

“
And
you are young! In the prime of your life!
”
Dahlia Dunvale reprimanded her.

“
You
are very kind.
”

“
My
dear, I must introduce you to a newcomer amongst us. All the women are fawning
over him, and I daresay there is reason. He is oh so handsome! I
’
m sure he would like to
meet you,
”
she said.
Lady Dunvale moved through the room in her silver and blue dress, making her
way to a corner where several sofas sat facing each other. A handful of women
were surrounding one man and seemed to be doing exactly as Dahlia said: fawning
over him.

As they made their way closer, Katharine felt her heart beat
in her ears.

“
My
dear, allow me to introduce you. Sir, this is Lady Katharine Fairfax.
Katharine, this is
…”

“
Yes,
Lady Dunvale, I have already met the charming Lady Fairfax in Hyde Park. Did I
not?
”

Katharine looked at Mohammed sitting amongst the high-bred
ladies of London society and nodded.

“
Yes,
we did,
”
she agreed.

“
Oh
dearest. I must attend to my friend Clarissa. I will return,
”
Lady Dunvale said. She
bustled off, leaving Katharine to take an empty seat on the end of the sofa
with another lady.

Mohammed sat next to a red-haired lady on one sofa while
three women sat facing him on another sofa.

Katharine racked her brain with an excuse to leave this
group when the redhead with breasts almost spilling out of her dress leaned
into Mohammed.