The Sheikh's Baby Scandal(54)

This man did.

Her robe was that certain shade of green which brought out the best in her eyes, and Kedah had chosen white for today. He looked sultry and sexy, and the only thing marriage had done to tone him down was to direct all that passion to one woman.

‘Felicia!’

Rina was chatting to Mohammed and Kumu as Felicia approached, but she was overtaken by a tiny little boy who had just found his feet.

‘Abi...’

He called for his father and Felicia watched as Mohammed’s austere face broke into a smile as his youngest son toddled over and Mohammed scooped him up.

For Mohammed was his father’s son also.

When he had accepted that there was nothing he could do to change the lineage, instead of plotting bitterly he had chosen to focus on what he could do best. He had always loved his wife and children, and now he let it show.

And he had worked with Kedah to build a new Zazinia, and Kedah respected his brother’s sage advice.

‘I like it that the portraits are here by the main balcony...’ Rina said. ‘My husband hated standing for his. And look at Kedah!’ Rina suddenly laughed. ‘He looks nothing like the rest of them...’

Oblivious.

Rina had been coddled, shielded from the fact that everyone knew her secret—the terrible mistake she had made many years ago. To this day she thought only her husband knew about that week many years ago, when Omar had been away, and lost and lonely she had turned to the wrong man for comfort. But he had brought none.

‘Really,’ Rina said, with all the assuredness of someone who had not been having an affair around conception time, ‘Kedah doesn’t even look related. He takes after my side of the family, of course...’

And Felicia caught Kumu’s eyes and both women shared a smile.

They loved Queen Rina. Yes, she was dramatic and flaky, but she was also the kindest woman—even if at times she ran a little wild.

Like her eldest son.

‘We should go out now,’ Omar said.

The King loathed these formal moments. His whole life had been spent being told to behave or to keep his family in check.

Today they all walked out to loud cheers.

Kaina was startled, and Felicia hushed her, but of course she started to cry.

‘Give her to me,’ Rina said. ‘So you can wave. It is you they all want to see.’

No, it wasn’t.

The crowd cheered as their lovely Queen took the little baby, and they cheered more loudly on seeing Omar looking so happy and relaxed.

And then they called out for Kedah.

He waved and he smiled. He was so proud of his lovely wife, and the people just adored him.

They loved the way he came down to the quarries and spoke with the workers, how when the hospital had opened he had stayed for hours to meet with the staff.

Kaina was really crying now, and refused to be held in Rina’s arms. Kedah took his daughter and held her so she was sitting on his hip. And Kaina, safe in her daddy’s arms, buried her face in his chest.

But then she peeked out.

To see all the people.

There were so many that she put her little hand over her eyes, so she didn’t have to see them, and then she put her hand down and saw they were still there.

And they were laughing.

So she put her hand over her eyes again.

Oh, indeed she was her father’s daughter.

She was playing peekaboo with the crowd, and from this day on she would hold them in the palm of her hand.

‘You,’ Kedah said to little Kaina as they headed inside, ‘were amazing.’

The nanny came and took her. Kaina would go and play rather than sit through a long formal lunch.

There was an hour, though, before they had to be seated, and Felicia wandered off to stand by the portraits.

The old artist was working on a portrait of little Kaina now.

All the portraits fascinated her, but one especially so.

She didn’t turn as Kedah joined her. ‘You are smiling.’

‘No.’

They had argued about it often, but there amongst the stern faces of Crown Princes of old, she knew one stood out—and not just because of his attire. There was a certain Mona Lisa smile on Kedah’s face, though he repeatedly denied it.

‘Yes, you are,’ Felicia insisted.

‘I like your robe.’ He did his best to change the subject. ‘I love that shade of green.’

‘I know you do.’

‘We have forty minutes before we have to go through. Perhaps we should check on Kaina.’

‘Kaina’s fine.’

‘We could make sure,’ he said, and then he looked up at the portrait and conceded defeat. ‘I was thinking of you,’ he said in her ear, and Felicia resisted turning. ‘And what had happened on the plane.’

She turned then, and looked into the eyes of the only man she had ever loved.