The Sheikh's Stolen Bride-To-Be(2)

"Oh, probably for some time. Several months at least," Steph said, trying to avoid giving a real answer.



She hadn't told anyone about the circumstances of her trip. It just  seemed so … unacceptable. Americans had a difficult time with the concept  of arranged marriages. Steph herself had struggled with it, and for some  reason she felt ashamed to admit that that was the purpose of her  journey. She didn't want to hear the comments-the judgement. So she had  told people she and her parents were going on a long trip and left it at  that.



"Well we'll certainly miss you around here. You enjoy that ice cream, and make sure to take lots of pictures for us, okay?"



"I will," Steph said, paying for her ice cream and stepping out of the  shop just as a swarm of school kids swept past her to get their own  summertime treats.



With the amount of snowfall they got in Vermont, the number of snow days  usually meant that school didn't end until close to July. Steph  listened to a couple of kids talking about summer break plans with  longing in their eyes as they made their way to get their own ice  creams.



The town was settled on a large freshwater lake. Steph's next  destination was a bench that sat facing the mountains, and when she got  there she plopped her bag on the ground and crossed her legs as she  enjoyed every ounce of the best ice cream in the world. The mountains  were reflected perfectly on the water. The caps were still coated with  snow, as early into the season as it was.



Steph would miss the snow, of course, though she loved warm weather. She  had often stared at the backdrop on her work computer and gone into a  daydream about spending a day with a handsome stranger on silky white  sands, sipping punch from a coconut. Maybe El Farah had a beach like  that. Maybe that was where her future husband would take her on their  honeymoon.



Steph's stomach clenched with nerves. All day she had been alternating  between excitement and complete and total terror. There was no way she  could just marry some random guy, was there? But he wasn't random, she  reminded herself. Her parents had gone through an extensive vetting  process, her father deferring to her mother, who had been raised with  such traditions and knew what needed to be done.



Steph had always been a bit of a romantic. It kind of came with the  territory when one had an artistic soul. She had often daydreamed of  finding a man herself and falling deeply in love, running off together  to live the life of their dreams. Living in Vermont had effectively  squashed that dream, really. There were few men around to begin with,  and Steph had never had a connection with anyone that remotely resembled  love. There was simply no future for her here, and she had to trust her  parents enough to obey their wishes.



After all, this was the twenty-first century. Divorce would always be an option if things didn't work out.



Finishing her ice cream, Steph pulled out her notepad and scribbled some  designs for a ball gown she'd been thinking about, listening peacefully  to the sounds of nature and getting lost in her art. After some time,  the sun began sending blinding rays directly at her, so Steph packed up  her bag and started walking home.



While her house had once been settled on a hilltop overlooking the whole  town, she now lived in a small, wooden-cabin-style home with her  parents. Despite having lost his wealth, her father had maintained his  connections, and he made a living as an accountant.



When she arrived at the cabin, Steph opened the door and called out.



"I'm home!"



Her mother, Elora, came out of the small kitchen holding her hands up in  the air. Smelling the scent of nail polish, Steph leaned over to see  what color her mother had chosen.



"Royal blue. That's fitting, right?" Steph said with a grin.



Her mother nodded. "It is. Royal blue is the wedding color of El Farah.  That is why it is so incorporated into your gown. Did you give your  notice to your employer?"         

     



 



"Um, not yet," Steph said, and her mother gave her a stern look. "I've got an email going out to him tomorrow. It will be fine."



"Stephanie, a written letter as you sneak out the door is not a  professional way to end a working relationship. You should go back right  now and give proper notice."



"Why? I won't be coming back. It's not like I'm going to see him again."



Elora struggled as she went to cross her arms but then remembered her  nails would be ruined by the gesture. Instead, she pointed a finger at  her daughter. "That doesn't matter. You may travel here again, and how  would you feel facing Bill if you just leave him without the help he  needs?"



"I don't want to have to say goodbye," Steph whispered, casting her eyes  down. "Besides, he told me just today that there's nowhere for me to go  in the company without a college degree, so he's probably planning for  this anyway."



At that statement, the fire left her mother's eyes and her shoulders  relaxed as she placed a comforting hand on Steph's shoulder.



"I know it seems scary now, but you'll see. Look at your father and me,  eh? He's a good man. There are many of them out there, including the one  we've found for you. I know you'll be happy together."



Steph did her best to look excited. She imagined she wasn't entirely convincing.



"Now go wash up for dinner. Your father will be home any minute."





TWO



Steph





Steph was setting the table for dinner when her father walked in the  door. Jerry O'Hanlon had once been a very handsome man. When age and  strife had hit him, his hairline had begun to recede and his face was  now more winkled than it ought to have been. Steph watched as he  approached her mother and planted a cherishing kiss on her cheek before  entering the dining room.



"Steph! You excited for the big day?"



Steph swallowed as she placed a fork and knife by her plate. "Thrilled," she said, not looking him in the eye.



"Oh, come now," he said, his eyebrows knitting. "Look what happened with  your mother and me! Besides, this ceremony is a big part of your El  Farahn heritage. You've never gotten to experience much of that side,  and that's probably my fault."



"I'll certainly be getting a crash course this week," Steph said.



She had done some research on her mother's homeland, of course. There  had been numerous elementary school projects that focused on  nationality, and she had always had a fascination with the place. The  family had been planning their first excursion there-whenever Jerry  could first get time off from work-when the market crashed, that dream  going with it.



Elora brought in a series of plates filled with delicious-smelling food.  Raised in a middle-class family, Steph's mother had been taught to cook  and run a house like many other girls in her position, and she had a  talent for using spices to bring out the flavor in anything she touched.  Steph would miss her cooking most of all. She was decent at it, but she  imagined she wouldn't have to do much in her new situation anyway.



The three of them sat down at the table, Elora saying a quick prayer of  thanks for the food and their health before forks were lifted and the  meal was enjoyed. After a moment of silence, Jerry spoke.



"We were thinking about stopping in at one of your mother's favorite  places when we get there. You know, before the ceremony preparations get  underway."



"That sounds nice," Steph said, poking at her food with her fork.



She glanced up in time to catch a meaningful stare between her parents. Her father cleared his throat.



"Maybe it would help if I told you about the experience I had with your mother," he said.



That caught her attention. Her parents had rarely talked about the  circumstances of their marriage. She knew it had been arranged, but that  was all they had been willing to reveal about it. She watched her  father carefully. Seeing that he had her attention, he took a breath and  told his tale.



"I had just finished making my first couple million. I wasn't  particularly young anymore, but I wasn't old either. I had women  throwing themselves at me, left and right."         

     



 



Jerry paused as Elora cleared her throat. Casting her a sideways glance,  he cleared his own throat and continued. "Yes, well. The point is, none  of them were interested in who I was as a person. All they wanted was  my money, whereas I needed a woman who would stick by me, no matter  what. An El Farahn business associate of mine recommended checking out  an arranged marriage. English is spoken in El Farah, and the women there  are exceptional, he told me. So, I figured I'd take a risk."



He gazed warmly at Elora, then, reaching over and taking her hand in his.



"It was strange at first. I won't lie to you about that. We didn't meet  until the day of our wedding, and it had to be alone. No family were  allowed to be present. It all felt so secret and exciting. When I saw  your mother for the first time, I knew I'd made the right choice."