Desert King, Pregnant Mistress(19)

       

To  his credit her old friend barely missed a beat. 'It can hit some  women  like that in the first few months. If you need any advice, I'll  put you  in touch with my wife-she's had seven.'

'That's really kind of  you, but my mother-' Beth swallowed hard and  carried on with the  deception '-can't wait to share her experiences  with me.'

'There's nothing like having your family behind you.'

'No,  there isn't, is there?' Beth smiled brightly, knowing it was  better for  the sake of discretion if everyone thought she had  everything firmly  under control.



Hana Katie Torrance was born smiling after  a relatively easy birth, and  went on to become the first baby to enter  the new crèche at the  luxurious Khalifa store in Liverpool. Hana meant  'happiness' in Arabic,  which was how Beth had felt about her baby from  the first moment she  had discovered she was pregnant. And that feeling  had developed wings  since the day she'd felt her baby stir inside her.  Hana's birth had  been the brightest day of her life. And life was good  for Beth's small  family in her cosy, loving home, a family that now  included Faith, a  friend from school, who had come to Khalifa in hope of  a position as a  nursery nurse at the new crèche. It had made sense to  both girls for  Faith to move in with Beth and Hana and work part-time at  the store.

Yes, life was good, Beth reflected with a sigh, as  she prepared for  work that morning. And she couldn't think of one way to  improve it,  other than to rid herself of the longing in her heart, the  longing that  had never lessened, even though it had been over a year  since she'd  last seen Khal.

Longing for things she couldn't have  was a bad habit she'd have to  lose, Beth told herself firmly as she  packed Hana's bag for the day.  'Baby wipes, nappies, food and toys-all  present and correct,' she told  Faith, glancing distractedly at the  television news. There had been  more troubles in Q'Adar, where the  corrupt old sheikhs were unwilling  to let go of their power. The news  reporter said everything was quiet  now, and that the ruling sheikh was  firmly back in control. Beth bit  her lip as she worried about Khal. She  would always worry about him,  even though she hadn't heard from him in  all this time. Did he know he  had a baby daughter? And, if he did, would  he care? Surely someone must  have told him? Glancing at the clock, Beth  realised it was time to  leave.


There were no happy endings  outside of fairy tales, Beth reminded  herself on the way to the store.  The ruler of Q'Adar would hardly be  interested in a Liverpool shop-girl  when he had the ruling of a  turbulent country on his mind.

'Shall  I take our little princess?' Faith asked, jolting Beth back into  the  real world, their world, as they walked along the road. She hadn't  told  Faith the whole story, and thankfully Faith had never pushed for   information, sensing something of Beth's inner grief.

'Hana is  our princess, isn't she?' Beth said, smiling. She thought back  to the  hours immediately after childbirth when she'd been alone. She'd  picked  up a hand mirror and seen this fat, frumpy, plain woman, and  had thought  to herself that Khal had had a narrow escape. But plain or  not she was  going to throw everything she had into making Hana happy.  And look what  he was missing, Beth thought as she stopped to tenderly  transfer Hana  into Faith's arms at the door of the store. All the money  and power in  the world couldn't compare to this precious gift.

Beth thought a  lot about Khal that day, and the dangers he was facing.  She knew he  would quell them, because she knew Khal. She knew he would  never give up  or back down, and that the wellbeing of his people meant  everything to  him. But when everything was back to normal in Q'Adar she  wouldn't want  to be part of that glittering, empty world, and it  wasn't what she  wanted for Hana either. And then a thought struck Beth  that chilled her  to the bone. What if, when the country was settled,  Khal decided he  wanted Hana in Q'Adar? What if he married one of those  haughty  princesses and then wanted Hana with them? His glamorous new  wife was  bound to look down on the daughter of a shop girl …                        
       
           



       

Beth couldn't  bear to think about it. She couldn't bear to think of  Hana being treated  like a second-class citizen, or joining a family  where she wasn't  wanted. It must never come to that, she determined,  and while she had  breath in her body it never would.



He couldn't pretend he  was back in Liverpool more than a year down the  road just to tour the  store. He didn't give a reason. He didn't need  to. This was more than a  business visit, it was an imperative. When  he'd taken over in Q'Adar  he'd had no idea how far the bribery and  corruption had spread. In the  absence of a strong leader, intrigue had  spread like a malignant  disease. No one had expected him to stamp down  on it so fast when he  came to power. The corrupt sheikhs had  underestimated him, and they had  underestimated his response. He had a  kingdom and a people to defend,  and he would do that in spite of  threats against him and his family. He  refused to be intimidated, but  this was the first chance he'd had to get  away and bring the rest of  his family under his protection. Beth was  part of his family now,  whether she chose to be or not.

He left  the limousine a few blocks away from his destination, telling  his  bodyguards to keep their distance. He needed space and time to  think,  luxuries usually denied him. He knew everything there was to  know about  Beth Tracey Torrance and their baby daughter, Hana. He'd had  daily  reports delivered to him whenever he'd been in Q'Adar. He'd  known almost  to the hour when Beth had discovered she was pregnant, and  had set up a  protection squad to keep her safe. The enormity of his  responsibilities  in Q'Adar had kept him there, but he had followed his  baby daughter's  progress with the keenest interest. He was pleased that  Beth had called  their daughter Hana. Even a little thing like a name  would make his  daughter's transition into her life as an Arabian  princess that much  easier.

Noting the undercover agents as he walked past them, he  quickened his  step. He was eager to see his child … eager to see Beth. And  more than  anything he was eager to get them both back to Q'Adar where  he could  ensure their safety. The uprising was over, but he couldn't  protect  them from renegades who might seek them out in England. And  there was  another reason. His people had placed their trust in him, and  he wanted  to repay that trust by marrying a suitable woman and providing  his  people with continuity-which meant providing them with an heir. It  was  essential that Hana was settled in Q'Adar before he married. Her   presence in the palace would establish her as a member of the royal   family, making her position in his affections clear before his new bride   came to live there.

A year was a long time. He felt a rush of  excitement as he entered the  store. Surveillance photographs had told  him something about Beth, and  he was sure her resilience and humour were  still in place-but what  changes in her would he find, if any?

For  instance, would motherhood soften her attitude towards becoming his   mistress now that concern for baby Hana must override her pride?

He  had dreamed of this moment for months, Khal realised, choosing to  run  up the escalator rather than wait for the lift. But would his  feisty  little Beth take to life in Q'Adar, even once he was married? He  knew  the answer to that before he even asked her the question.

He  winced as he caught sight of his reflection in a mirror as he strode   through her department, longing for a glimpse of her. How would she  feel  about seeing him battled-scarred and hardened? How would Beth feel   about him?



Settling Hana in her cot at the crèche, Beth  felt the change in the air  before she saw anything, and the shiver down  her back confirmed she  was right to be frightened. Her first instinct  was to reach for Hana,  pick her up, and hold her tight.

'Beth … '

As  she froze he thought the image of Beth holding their baby would  never  leave him, and he felt a great swell of emotion seeing them  together for  the first time. Her instinct was to shield her baby, and  as she turned  he saw the fear in her eyes. But, even so, she surprised  him with her  quick thinking and composure.