Master of the Desert(17)

'There is one other point I'd like to bring up.'

The surprise around the table showed itself in a collective gasp. No one  interrupted the ruling Sheikh of Sinnebar, Antonia suspected, but in  this instance she had no option as there was one item on which the ruler  of Sinnebar's agreement was essential. 'The land … ' She got no further.  No one, especially not Antonia, could have predicted Ra'id's reaction.  Wily gazes dropped before the power of their sheikh. Ra'id al Maktabi  hadn't even moved, but all the men around the table had detected some  subtle change in him, and it was a change that threatened all of  them-especially her, Antonia suspected.

But when he spoke Ra'id's voice was perfectly calm. 'We have a number of  matters to discuss, Signorina Ruggiero,' he agreed pleasantly.

Was she the only person in the room to hear the edge of menace in that  voice? Antonia wondered. But wasn't this the opportunity she'd been  hoping for? She could tell Ra'id about their child. It might come as a  bombshell to him, but she had to believe he would be as happy as she was  when he got used to the idea.

Ra'id's smallest emphasis on the word we had been enough to dismiss the  council, who rose as one and, having bowed low to their sheikh,  acknowledged her briefly before leaving the room.

CHAPTER TEN

SHE was alone with Ra'id. Even the servants had vanished. Now there was  just echoing silence and the most powerful man in the Gulf-a man whose  unwavering gaze was now fixed on her. This was no susceptible lover who  would be thrilled to hear about a baby, but a hard man of the desert-a  warrior who would stop at nothing to protect his people, a man without  the luxury of a heart. She would have to be honest with him. She would  explain first about the charity, and when the business part of the  meeting was over she would tell him her most important news. She had to  draw on her courage and remember the meeting earlier that day. The men  who reported to the sheikh had all been broadly in agreement with her  plan-subject, of course, to their sheikh's approval.

But had she made herself clear enough to Ra'id? Antonia wondered when he  continued to stare at her as if she had unwittingly committed some  terrible sin. Opening her hands in appeal, she pressed on. 'It goes  without saying that the charity will stand all the expense incurred in  building this facility, and we'll be happy to pay the going rate for the  land.'

'The going rate?'

His reaction terrified her. Springing to his feet, Ra'id cast a long  shadow over the table as he leaned his balled up fists upon it. It was  almost a relief when he straightened up and turned his back on her to  walk some paces away.

But what had she done? She could not remember feeling quite so  threatened, and any thought she might have had of talking about their  child had vanished. In fact, glancing at the door, she realised her  primary concern now was to protect her child from this man she didn't  feel as if she knew at all.

'Where do you think you're going?'

She shrank back as Ra'id spun on his heels to confront her when she  started collecting up her things. 'I can see it's not convenient for you  to see me right now.'

'When will there be a better time?' he said, cutting her off at the door.                       
       
           



       

'Ra'id, please … ' Tears were threatening, and she hated herself for the  weakness, knowing this was a man who would not care to see her cry.

'Ra'id, please,' he mimicked cruelly. 'What is it this time, Tuesday?  Are you here for a pay-off-or would you like a little more action  first?'

'Ra'id, don't,' she begged, turning her face from his stinging scorn. 'I  can't talk to you when you're like this. Please, let me go.'

'Not until we've discussed this land that seems to mean so much to you.'  His voice was harsh and cruel, and his touch was unrelenting as he  steered her back to the table. 'Sit down,' he said, indicating the seat  next to his. 'You've seen this, of course?'

As she shakily sank onto the chair, he pushed a sheaf of documents in front of her. 'No. What are they?'

'I have copies,' he said, when she didn't even know what he was talking about.

She glanced at the title on the topmost sheet. 'I don't understand-this is a deed of land granted by your father to my mother.'

'Well done,' he said derisively. 'One of your best performances to date. You almost have me fooled.'

Antonia shook her head in bewilderment. 'I'm trying to make sense of this. I'm sorry if I'm not as quick as you … '

'Take your time.' His voice was full of disdain.

'You knew my mother?' Antonia glanced up in confusion, and then her gaze  returned to her mother's name as if just reading it could somehow  protect her.

'It would be hard for me not to know my father's concubine.'

'What?' The room began to spin. She had heard Ra'id, and yet her mind  refused to accept what he'd said to her. Pushing her chair back, she  stumbled awkwardly away from the table. 'I don't understand what you're  saying,' she admitted in a voice turned dry and faint.

'You don't?' Ra'id's hard face mirrored his disbelief. 'Let me stop your  performance before you get started. And understand this, Antonia-I have  no interest in learning how dear your mother was to you, or how much  you meant to each other-let alone how passionately she wanted you to  have this land in Sinnebar.'

'Land?' Antonia demanded with amazement. 'What land?'

'Oh, please,' Ra'id said, shaking his head. 'Can't you do better than  that? You will never rise from the ranks of the chorus to become a  full-blown leading lady if you can't put on a better act.'

'This is no act,' she protested, feeling as if a vice were closing  around her chest. 'I had no idea my mother even knew your father, let  alone that she was his mistress.'

'That's a polite name for it.'

'Stop, Ra'id-please, stop it!' Holding out her hand as if to fend him  off, she willed him to stop heaping insults on top of the confusion  inside her. Then it occurred to her that as her heart had just been  ripped in two he couldn't do any more harm.

She returned quietly to the table where she sat down and scrutinised the  documents. She had inherited land in Sinnebar and a property from her  mother. She couldn't have been more surprised. The news that Helena had  been the late sheikh's mistress on top of this …

But Ra'id gave her no chance to recover. 'Do you still pretend you know nothing of this?'

'Nothing-I swear.' It was hard to take in the facts. Not only had her  young mother been the late sheikh's mistress, but Helena had been paid  off when the sheikh had tired of her with this gift of land. It was  clear the late sheikh had thought nothing of this valuable gift of  territory within Sinnebar, while Ra'id viewed it quite differently.  Ra'id was the highly principled conservator of a kingdom and guardian of  his people, and no greater sin could have been committed as far as he  was concerned. She could understand his resentment. She had inherited a  parcel of his people's land. It was a gift that had been passed from  Helena to Antonia, who was not the daughter of the late sheikh but  Antonio Ruggiero, the man who had rescued her mother from this life of …                        
       
           



       

She had no idea what her mother's life had been like, Antonia realised  with a sharp pang of regret. Raising her gaze to meet Ra'id's hard,  uncompromising stare, she knew she'd get no pity from him. But he still  dazzled her, unreachable as he was. He was like a dark force framed in  light, and one she must soften if her proposal for the charity was to  succeed.

'I will use the land for the good of your people,' she said, feeling her  strength and her courage return as a plan began to take shape in her  mind.

'You can only do that with my permission.'

'But you will-' She had sprung up too quickly, and now she was paying  the price. 'You must,' she said weakly, clutching the table for support.

'Are you ill?' Ra'id demanded, observing her keenly.

'No, I'm not ill,' she managed, instantly protective of her baby.  Ra'id's child was a royal baby and could be stolen away from her by the  stroke of his pen. She had to be cautious now.

'A drink of water, perhaps?' he suggested.

Antonia nodded, glad of the reprieve, and also relieved that even in his  darkest rage Ra'id still had some flicker of humanity left in him. She  sucked in a deep, steadying breath as he poured some water for her.  Pregnancy might have weakened her, but what it couldn't do was lessen  her resolve, and she would not fail for want of defending herself  against Ra'id's unfair accusations.

'This doesn't change anything,' he said, handing her the glass of water. 'You have your mother's blood in you.'

'As you have your father's,' she flashed back. Ra'id might frighten her,  but she was no doormat to be insulted by anyone. She wouldn't give up,  her gaze plainly told him; she didn't know how to. This was her last  chance to find out about her mother, to build a branch of the charity  here and make it thrive. 'It would be a tragic mistake if you allowed  your feelings for me to impact negatively on what we can achieve  together with the charity.'