Desert King, Pregnant Mistress(29)

'With Hana.'

'Of course with Hana,' he reassured her, 'Like a proper family.'

Beth's face lit with hope.

'That is what you want, isn't it?'

'More  than anything in the world.' She couldn't believe it. She  couldn't  believe Khal was telling her they could be together. But now  his face  had darkened, and Beth watched in concern as he stared without  seeing  into some place that gave him pain.

'The dust storm in the desert when I almost lost you … '

'Oh,  Khal … ' Remembering his confession about his sister, Beth realised  Khal  was not in a position to enjoy the type of joy she was feeling.  Touching  his arm, she stared into his face. 'You saved my life, and I  can never  repay you.'

He seemed surprised. 'You don't owe me anything. If I'd lost you-'

'But you didn't lose me, I'm here. I'll always be here for you.'

'I know you mean that.'

'I  do,' Beth declared passionately. Khal, who had never revealed his   feelings to anyone, was sharing them with her. She couldn't remember   when she had felt so moved, or so full of love, apart from the moment   when she'd first held Hana in her arms. And now her dreams had come   true, and they were all going to be together like a proper family.

'Until  the sandstorm I didn't realise how much you meant to me. I  didn't  realise what life would be like without you. And with Hana  living here  in the palace with us … My daughter, Hana.' Khal's strong  face softened  momentarily. 'Say you'll stay with me here in Q'Adar.'

'You'd do  this for us?' She searched his gaze. When she thought about  all the  difficulties Khal would have to face, and the criticism for  taking a  wife from such a very different background, she admired him  even more.  'You're serious about this, aren't you?'

'Never more so,' he  assured her firmly. 'Hana and you are all I want. I  didn't realise how  far I would be prepared to go to ensure our future  together. The events  of last night have crystallised everything in my  mind and helped me to  see clearly where you're concerned.'

'Oh, Khal … ' Reaching up,  Beth touched his face with her soft, warm  hands. 'You pretend to be so  hard, but you're just like me, aren't you?  We both have that empty space  inside us that only one person can fill.  It's recognising that person  when they come along.'

With Khal's love shining down on her, and  Hana safe and well, Beth knew  everything would be all right. She wasn't  going to waste another  minute worrying about the likelihood of a  Liverpool shop-girl marrying  the ruler of Q'Adar. She would just get on  with it as she always did.  She would take instruction from Khal and his  advisors. She would learn  the language and study the culture and history  of Q'Adar. She would  seek out charities she could champion and learn  how best to help them.  And, most important of all, she'd help Hana to  understand the richness  of her heritage from both sides of the world.

'So  will you stay with me, Beth Tracey Torrance?' Khal asked her  gently,  bringing her in front of him. 'Will you live with me and love  with me?'                       
       
           



       

Trustingly holding his gaze, Beth whispered, 'You know I will … '



He  wanted to reward Beth for the courage she had shown during the   sandstorm, and most of all for facing up to her new life in Q'Adar with   such strong-minded determination. He wanted to give her a taste of what   she could expect as his mistress in Q'Adar.

'What's this, Khal?'  she said, her face lighting with surprise as he  brought her into his  private sitting-room. He had been impatient as  she'd settled Hana in her  cot, having made these preparations earlier.  He couldn't wait to see  Beth's face when she saw all the gifts he had  for her.

'Are you  excited?' he said as she stared at the gift-wrapped packages.  He  realised she must be overwhelmed, and wanted to reassure her as she   started opening them. 'If the jewels aren't to your taste, I can easily   send for more-'

'More?' Beth breathed as she stared at him, and then at the tumble of jewels falling through her fingers. 'Are these real?'

'Real?  Of course they're real.' He was pleased with her reaction, and  this was  only the start. Clapping his hands summoned a servant, who  brought a  bronze casket and placed it on the table where Beth was  sitting. The man  retired at his signal and closed the door. Reaching  inside the pocket  of his robe, he gave Beth a key. Instead of pouncing  on the casket as he  had expected her to, she frowned and turned the  heavy old key over in  her hands. 'Why don't you open the box instead of  fiddling with the  key?' he suggested. He was impatient to move on to  the next part of his  surprise, and had to stop himself taking the key  from her and opening  the box himself.

He managed to restrain himself as she fumbled  with the ancient lock. He  noticed then that her hands were shaking, and  tried to tell himself  that excitement was the cause-but her face said  something else. She  looked apprehensive, which made him feel mildly  irritated. He couldn't  understand, when he was trying to give her all  the things she'd never  had, why she should be hesitating.

What  did all this mean? Beth wondered. Hadn't she told Khal over and  over  again that he didn't need to buy her, and that she didn't want  anything  from him? An ugly suspicion had begun to take root in her  mind, and that  suspicion said Khal hadn't changed, and was using his  wealth to tempt  her to stay on in Q'Adar. When she had already agreed  to do so, Beth  thought, frowning.

She prayed she was wrong as she opened the lid  of the old box. She  stared inside, and didn't know whether to be  relieved or not. There was  nothing in it except for a bunch of keys and  some photographs. 'What  are these?' she said, lifting them out. The  photographs showed a very  grand house that appeared to be in England.  Set in parkland, there was a  lake to one side of it, and a garden  formally laid out at the front.  She told herself it probably meant  nothing, and that the wife of a  sheikh would have to have a grand  residence-even though all she wanted  was Khal and Hana and a proper  family, just as he'd promised her.  'House keys?'

Khal's lips curved. 'Do you like it?'

'Is this our new residence in England?'

'I bought it for you, Beth.'

'For me … ' She should be thrilled, but her guts were twisting. 'You mean we'll live here together?'

'You  know I live in Q'Adar. It's for you whenever you want to return to   England. I may visit you there from time to time. I don't ever want  you  to feel trapped here, Beth. That's why I bought it for you.'

He made it sound as if they would live part of their lives completely independent of each other. Did married couples do that?

'Once you're under my protection, you'll have to have an appropriate residence in England.'

Under  his protection? Beth's apprehension grew. Were all her dreams  about to  come crashing down? She gazed at the discarded jewels on the  table, and  then at the photographs and keys.

'You made it clear you didn't  like the penthouse,' Khal went on when  she looked to him for answers.  'And so I bought you another property.  You will need a garden, I can see  that.'                       
       
           



       

'A garden?' Beth's voice was shaking uncontrollably. 'I need more than a garden, Khal.'


'And you shall have more,' he soothed. 'You will have a home here in Q'Adar, as well as a mansion in Liverpool.'

'But I don't want a mansion in Liverpool.'

'I  understand this has all come as a shock to you,' Khal said  indulgently.  'But as my mistress you must get used to accepting gifts.'

Shaking her head, Beth stumbled to her feet.

'And I want to give you the old fort too.'

'Khal, please … ' She held out her hands; they were shaking. 'Please, stop this!'

'I thought you liked the old fort,' Khal said, frowning. 'I thought you were fascinated by its history-'

'I am!' Beth wailed, knowing if the stones had fallen down and buried her she couldn't have felt as bad as she did right now.

'Well, then?' Khal said, clearly thrown by her lack of enthusiasm.

This  was not the tender lover she had known in the desert, the man who  had  sheltered her and saved her life. This was the ruler of Q'Adar, a  man  who expected his every wish to be a command, and who knew less than   nothing about love.

'I'm determined to have the old fort  renovated,' he went on, as if  oblivious to her torment. 'And it will be  good for you to take an  interest in the project.'