He did not notice her flushed cheeks pale suddenly.
‘There’s nothing that can change it?’
‘Nothing,’ Ibrahim confirmed, and she felt her heart still. ‘You cannot undo what is done—that is the rule of Zaraq.’
CHAPTER TEN
HAPPY its work had been done, the desert was silent and finally Ibrahim slept. Unlike on the plane, now, for the first time, he looked relaxed, and as she watched him, it was Georgie who was tense. She was starting to make sense of the strange rules, could see now what Felicity had been saying—that to the people of Zaraq she was still married.
Ibrahim would not mind, she tried to console herself. He would understand, she tried to convince herself, but wrapped in his arms she was unable to face him, felt like a liar, and she rolled over in shame.
At what point should she have said it?
Yesterday, or at the wedding? Was she supposed to walk up to someone and give them so much of herself on contact? But there had been opportunities, her conscience reminded her.
She had tried to tell him last night, but he had halted her, Georgie told herself, then guiltily admitted she had been relieved when he had stopped her, more than pleased to avoid seeing his face when she revealed the truth.
Georgie closed her eyes, and his arm wrapped around her, his warm, sleek body spooned in from behind. There was a possessiveness there that felt tender. There was a beauty in his embrace and a promise in his words that told her this had meant something to Ibrahim, that again they had glimpsed a future, but with what she knew now it was a future that again she might have to deny him. It was an uneasy sleep she fell into, filled with dreams of sacred oils and laughing winds, man-made structures and the sound of an engine.
‘Get dressed.’ His voice was urgent and jolted her awake. ‘Someone is coming. I heard a helicopter.’ The noise hadn’t been a dream. She could hear the whir of the blades slowing. Surely there was time to race back to her room. All she had was a torn nightgown. He threw her a sash of cloth as he pulled on his clothes and she went to dash to her own quarters, but even as she stepped outside, she knew she had left it too late. She stood, shivering and embarrassed in the lounge area, and she couldn’t look at Karim so she turned pleading eyes to Felicity, whose face was as white as chalk.
‘Enjoying your tour?’ Felicity sneered. ‘So where’s your expert guide?’ Georgie was incredibly grateful when Ibrahim, dressed, thoroughly together and not remotely embarrassed, appeared from his chamber and took control.
‘Your sister and I intended to return last night. There was a storm…’
‘Enough!’ Karim’s shout was to silence his younger brother, but Ibrahim refused.
‘Georgie, go and get dressed,’ Ibrahim said, his voice supremely calm, ‘and I will take you back to the palace.’
‘Ibrahim,’ Karim warned, but it fell on deaf ears.
‘Go,’ he said to Georgie. ‘I will speak with my brother.’ He eyed him darkly. ‘We have done nothing wrong.’
‘I warned you!’ Karim shouted. ‘I warned you to stay away from her.’
‘And I chose not to listen. How dare you both walk in here with rage in your eyes and shame her? Have you forgotten how you met your wife?’
Georgie watched colour flood Felicity’s cheeks—for their one night of passion had resulted in Azizah. But her sister seemed to have forgotten that fact as she followed Georgie to her room because Felicity was incensed. ‘How could you, Georgie? This is my husband’s family. You’ve been here a few days and you tumble into bed with him.’
‘It wasn’t like that.’
‘Oh, please.’
‘As Ibrahim said, you hardly waited before you jumped into bed with Karim,’ Georgie retaliated.
‘We weren’t in Zaraq!’ Felicity said. ‘Here you play by the rules.’
‘You know what?’ Georgie had had enough. ‘You really are starting to sound like them. What happened to my sister?’
‘She grew up,’ Felicity shouted. ‘She behaved responsibly—but you were never very good at that were you, Georgie? Bunking off school, running away from home…’ And Georgie could see the years of hurt she had caused in her sister’s eyes, the hurt she had apologised for over and over again.
‘I’ve done everything I can to help you and now you do this.’ Felicity had tears streaming down her cheeks. ‘I paid for your rehab when I couldn’t afford it. Karim has helped too.’
‘And I’m very grateful,’ Georgie said, but she recalled Ibrahim’s words and would not feel beholden.
‘So this is how you show it!’ Felicity shrilled.
Georgie did not break and she did not crumple, because all it was was a row, a confrontation that needed to be had, and no longer was she scared of it. ‘I don’t have to show anything.’ Georgie said, her voice calm. ‘I’m a different woman now; I’m a different person from who I was all those years ago. Ibrahim and I weren’t just having a bit of fun.’ She was sure of that, quite sure.
‘It is fun to Ibrahim! Don’t you get it? All this is to him is a diversion, a bit of fun to pass the time while he’s here.’
‘I don’t have to prove him to you,’ Georgie said.
I haven’t got time for this.’ Felicity shook her head. ‘I have to wash and get changed and get back out there. They’re loading the helicopter.’
‘Can we just talk?’ Georgie begged, because things needed to be said, the air needed to be cleared so they could both move on fully. ‘Felicity please, I really need—’
‘You always need something from me, Georgie, yet you give nothing back.’ Felicity shouted. ‘Right now, I don’t have time for it. There are people who are sick, you selfish cow, and Karim and I need to get back out to them. For once it isn’t all about you!’
And she swept out and left Georgie reeling but angry. How dared her sister dash in and pass judgment? She was sick of them, sick of Zaraq and its so-called mysterious ways that only applied when was convenient.
And Ibrahim was sick of it too.
‘They are the rules!’ Karim roared. ‘Only a king can change them. If you love her, then you stay in London. You have the rest of the world to be the prince of your choice, but here, in this land, you abide—’
Ibrahim could not stand to hear it said again and he interrupted with a shout of his own. ‘Then I leave the land behind.’
‘Ibrahim.’ Karim wished it was that easy. He ached for his brother, physically. ‘You are a royal prince of this land—our people are sick. Hassan is with his new baby, he has a fever…’ He saw his brother’s appalled expression. ‘He will be okay, but he was a little premature. Hassan should be there for him. The king is in England, I am needed in the desert. Can you really walk away now we need you to be the ruler you were born to be?’
‘I am not walking away.’ Ibrahim’s voice was hoarse, realisation hitting him. He was being asked to step in and he met that challenge. ‘Of course I will stay while I am needed, and our father will return when he hears the news.’
‘That may not be possible. I have spoken with advisors—they suggest closing the airports.’
‘Fine,’ Ibrahim said. ‘I will step in as leader.’ But as leader Ibrahim had rules of his own and spelt them out. ‘Georgie will be by my side.’
‘No,’ Karim said, for it was impossible.
‘She is mine now,’ Ibrahim said, because for once the rules worked for him. After all, he had slept with her in the desert.
‘She can never be yours.’ Karim took no pleasure in delivering the news, no relish in revealing the secret his wife had shared with him the other night. ‘She is married.’ He watched darkness descend on his brother.
‘No.’
‘She is divorced, but….’ Ibrahim closed his eyes as his brother continued. ‘You know that does not count here. She cannot live with you here—she cannot be your bride.’ Every word was like a hammer on his flesh but still Ibrahim stood. He sought a solution.
‘She can wait for me in London.’
‘As our mother waits for our father?’ Karim asked. ‘Would you really do that to Georgie?’
Ibrahim shook his head. ‘Then do the right thing by her.’ Karim suppressed a roar. ‘End it with her properly—end it now so there can be no doubt in her mind.’
CHAPTER ELEVEN
‘WILL you take care of Azizah for me?’ Felicity asked when Karim said it was time for them to leave.
‘Are you sure I’m responsible enough?’ Georgie responded tartly, but she could not sustain her anger, for she knew how much being apart from Azizah would hurt Felicity. ‘She’ll be fine.’ Georgie said and she took her sister in her arms and gave her a cuddle. For the first time she felt like the older one. ‘She’ll be completely fine.’
‘I’m sorry.’ Felicity was, but Georgie didn’t need her to be.
‘I hurt you,’ Georgie said. ‘All those years I was sick, I know how much it hurt you, and I was too weak then and too fragile for you to say how you felt. I’m not now.’ She gave her sister a smile. ‘Better out than in, so they say.’