His Reluctant Bride (8 page)

“Help!”

The cry was fainter this time and Katie stumbled towards the voice, her vision blurring as she fought to keep going.

“Where are you?” she called raggedly.

All of a sudden the alcohol and heat was catching up on her.

She turned to look behind her trying to locate the tents but could see nothing but swarming sand behind her. There was no sign of the tents and yet it didn’t feel like she had gone that far.

“Help!”

The cry grew even fainter and Katie stumbled further in to the desert completely panicked by now.

“I don’t… I don’t see… you…”

All of a sudden it all caught up to her and Katie stumbled to the ground with a sharp scream of shock. Sand swarmed around her and darkness closed in as unconsciousness claimed her and her final thought was that she was going to die before she found the child and nobody would find them in time to rescue either of them.

"Is she okay?"

"It was an accident,"

"Please don't tell,"

Katie's eyelids fluttered as she fought to regain consciousness. Hushed whispers reached her ears although none of them made much sense to her.

"Is this what death feels like?" she slurred before she fell blissfully back in to darkness.

She awoke again to hushed voices and the image of an older man looming over her.

"Who are you?" she asked not recognising him though he seemed to know her and he smiled down at her with a twinkle in his eyes.

"I'm giving you something to sleep," he informed her and before she could protest there was a sharp pain and then she sank black in to oblivion.

When she finally awoke again Katie gasped expecting to find herself choking on sand and burning from the heat but instead she found herself lying on silken sheets with a cool cloth placed over her forehead. She could hear voices in the distance and she sat up slowly as her head spun making her feel nauseous.

"Hello?" she croaked, surprised by how gristly her voice sounded.

"You're awake,"

A doctor strode in to room followed by her husband who looked concerned though she knew that must be a trick of the light for why would Tariq be concerned about the wife he had so casually abandoned.

"What happened?" Katie asked as the events slowly began to return though they still didn't make much sense to her.

"It appears you wandered in to the desert and passed out from the heat," the doctor informed her as he checked her pulse and she frowned.

"No, there were voices. Children I think," Katie said in her croaky voice and the doctor smiled sympathetically down at her as he made a note on a chart he was holding.

"You were imagining things," Tariq informed her and she glared at him.

"How would you know? You weren't even there and I'm telling you that I heard children," Katie insisted certain that she had not been imagining things.

"And why would children have been running around in the desert miles from anywhere?" he questioned and it irritated her that his question made so much sense.

"Well, I don't know. But I know what I heard and there were definitely children running around," Katie continued to insist while Tariq blew out an exasperated sigh and the doctor tactfully stayed out of it as he examined his paperwork.

"Obviously the heat had got to you," he offered as an alternate excuse and it was her turn to give a frustrated sigh.

"There was someone there. I know that you saw them," she informed him and he frowned.

"What do you mean I saw them?" he asked acting the innocent and Katie tugged her covers to her chin defensively.

"I heard you talking to them," she offered and his frown deepened.

"Catherine, there was nobody there," he said in a soothing voice with a concerned glance back at the doctor and Katie faltered as she wondered if she really was imagining things.

"But I heard them," she said certain that she couldn't have just imagined hearing everything.

"Delusions bought on by the heat," the doctor provided helpfully and Katie's frown deepened.

"No, it wasn't the heat," she tried to explain but could tell that neither of the men believed a word she was saying.

"Then maybe it was the drink," Tariq provided dryly as the doctor made another note on the chart before having a quiet word with him and leaving the room.

"I hardly drank anything," she said in to the sudden silence and Tariq gave a harsh laugh.

"You were drunk," he accused furiously and Katie glared at him even though it made her head hurt.

"I was not drunk. And there were voices," she responded wondering why he cared anyway. After all he was the one who had left her here alone.

"Who knew I had a drunk for a wife?" he said dryly making her grit her teeth together.

"I was not drunk!" she shouted although it didn't come out as loud as she intended due to her croak.

"I only left you for a few hours. How do you manage to get in to so much trouble in that time?" he asked and she turned deliberately away from him before she said something they would both regret.

"Excuse me, your highness,"

Katie turned at the sound of a feminine voice and frowned at the sight of a nurse moving past Tariq to check the drip that was attached to Katie's arm before jotting down some notes and leaving the room.

For the first time Katie glanced round the room and really focused on her surroundings realising that although the room was brightly coloured there were actual walls and no billowing curtains. She had been too disorientated before to really notice but now she did and she realised that she was no longer in the tents.

"Where are we?" she demanded of her husband who was still staring at her though he had lapsed in to silence.

"At the Darlayan palace," he replied and it was her turn to stare at him in confusion.

"I thought you said you wouldn't bring me to the palace," she reminded him and his dark eyes blazed fire.

"Would you rather I had left you to die in the desert?" he demanded and she glowered at him.

"It might have been preferable," she agreed as she glanced at the door wondering how many more doctors were hidden from her view.

"Sorry to disappoint you," Tariq said and she gave a careless shrug.

"What's one more disappointment to add to the pile?" she said lightly making his face darken.

"I hope you weren't thinking of trying to escape again because I can assure you that you won't get far," he said changing the subject and Katie almost laughed for the thought had not even occurred to her though it didn't hurt to let him think that.

"I like a challenge," Katie offered and Tariq froze with his expression thunderous.

"Try it and I will make sure you regret it," he growled furiously making Katie roll her eyes at his tone.

"I doubt you could make me regret any more than I already do," she commented as she stared up at the ceiling that was surprisingly plain compared with the rest of the lavish surroundings.

"You doubt my abilities?" he asked calmly and she shrugged not even glancing his way. After all he had left her for god knew what reason but whatever it was it wouldn't be a good enough explanation for her. Most likely his mistress had needed him and he'd had no hesitation in dumping his wife for her.

I suppose it depends on which abilities we're discussing," she responded and he didn't have chance to respond as the doctor returned.

He was a wizened old man with long white hair and a matching beard, kindly blue eyes and a gentle but wrinkled face. He was also looking quite serious.

"How are you feeling, Catherine?" he asked kindly and Katie hesitated as she assessed how exactly she did feel.

"I feel a little sore but otherwise I'm fine," she told him honestly and the doctor frowned as he examined his chart.

"You were suffering from heatstroke but we took the liberty of giving you a general check-up," he said in a calm soothing voice and Katie frowned at him wondering where he was going with this.

"Did you discover anything?" Tariq asked and the doctor frowned as he read through his chart.

"Your blood pressure was a little high but that's to be expected. Your blood tests all came back normal," the doctor announced as he continued down his list adding things as he went.

"So everything is fine?" she asked and the doctor smiled at her.

"It all appears to be normal. We even took a pregnancy test while we were at it," he informed her and Katie froze as she found her gaze automatically connecting with Tariq's.

She hadn't even thought about the possibility of pregnancy. Obviously she should have because she was a smart woman who knew about sex and its consequences even if she had never experienced it before she had slept with Tariq.

That was no excuse though and she knew she should have insisted that he use protection or she should have used protection. Why hadn't she thought about this before? She could have gotten her doctor to put her on the pill or could have used other preventive measures to ensure that it didn't happen.

Surely she couldn't be pregnant!

"The test was negative but I didn't expect that it would be positive, given that you only married a week ago. There doesn't seem to be any reasons why you would find it hard to conceive though," the doctor informed Katie who had taken a relieved breath until his last words when she tensed up.

The realisation that the doctor along with everyone else was expecting her to be trying for a baby so soon was too much for her. It was bad enough that everyone expected her to be in love with her husband even though she barely knew him but to want children to be bought in to the mix was ridiculous and not something she felt inclined to consider.

"And if we decide to wait?" she asked cautiously ignoring the sharp look that Tariq sent her way.

"Then there are options you can consider but I really think that's something that you might want to discuss together," the doctor offered with a sideways glance at Tariq whose jaw was tightly clenched as his stormy gaze rested on Katie.

"So, other than the heatstroke I'm fine?" she asked and the doctor smiled down at her as he jotted something else on his notes.

"As long as you don't take any more walks in to the desert alone and make sure to keep hydrated," he replied as he made one last note before leaving the room and shutting the door firmly behind him. 

The atmosphere immediately became thick with tension and Katie turned deliberately away from Tariq's furious gaze and closed her eyes feigning exhaustion.

"What the hell was that?" his deep voice demanded penetrating her thoughts and Katie took a deep breath before she turned her head and opened her eyes giving a startled gasp as she found Tariq much closer than she had thought.

"What was what?" she responded watching him warily as he sank on to the bed beside her.

"Asking about birth control," he reminded her his eyes glinting furiously down at her.

"Is it a crime to want to wait a few years for children?" she demanded and his jaw tightened.

"When the entire purpose of our marriage is to provide heirs then yes," he replied making her take a deep steadying breath.

"Do my feelings on the matter mean nothing to you?" she asked hating that she had no say over her own body.

"I am not a monster, Catherine. I will listen to your thoughts and feelings on things but not on this," he informed her coolly and Katie closed her eyes to hide the sudden tears that sprung to her eyes.

"I'm tired," she said quietly and Tariq stayed silent a moment observing her pale features.

"I'll leave you to rest," he told her before he got to his feet and left the room without another word.

Katie lay there for a few minutes staring silently at the closed door as all her fears came crashing upon her making her wonder how she would possibly cope with living at the palace with Tariq when she had barely even managed to survive so far.

She was still chewing on her lower lip and staring blankly in to space when the door opened startling her out of her reverie. She tensed thinking it was her husband but relaxed again when she recognised the doctor and his twinkling smile.

"You startled me," she said with a laugh and he smiled back as he crossed to the bed.

"Sorry, I just came to see if your blood pressure had improved," the doctor informed her as he made a note on her chart before doing the test and making another note.

"I wanted to ask you something," Katie said as the doctor turned to go and he paused to look back at her with a questioning frown on his face.

"You should be fine in a day or two," he told her and she gave a weak smile.

"Thanks, but that wasn't what I wanted to ask. I wanted to check whether our conversation is confidential," she said and he gave a grim smile.

"Everything we say is completely confidential," he replied and Katie hesitated before voicing her next question.

"Even from my husband?"

"If you don't want him to know what we are discussing then I am not legally allowed to share it with him even though he is the sheikh," the doctor informed her quietly and Katie gave a slow nod as she nibbled on her lower lip wondering how to phrase her next question.

"Can you prescribe me a birth control pill?" she asked quietly and the doctor froze as he surveyed her cautiously.

"Are you sure this is what you want to do?" he asked and she nodded.

"Please," she begged and the doctor sighed.

"It is my job to follow your request although I feel it is my duty to point out that you would be better making this decision with your husband," the doctor told her and Katie gave a relieved sigh.

"I can't tell him," she whispered and the doctor gave one last nod before he left the room leaving Katie in peace once more. 

At least this time she had one less thing to worry about although she kept expecting Tariq to appear like an avenging angel but as the minutes ticked past and there was no sign of him she finally began to relax.

Katie thought that she was too tense to rest but was surprised to wake up hours later feeling refreshed and more peaceful than she'd felt in a long time. It took a few minutes for the events of the last few days to come back to her and she tried to ignore the feeling of entrapment that descended upon her. She was tired of feeling trapped and forced to lay back and accept that her life was no longer her own.

Deciding that she couldn't stand one more minute of being stuck inside her own head Katie slid carefully from the sheets and hunted round the room until she found some clothes. After crossing to the adjoining bathroom that she hadn't noticed before Katie had a quick shower and was pleased to realise that she felt almost completely normal with no aches and pains. 

Leaving her long hair damp she tugged on clean underwear and a pair of black linen trousers that she matched with a black top then she slid her feet in to a pair of flats and cautiously approached the door to her room. Opening the door slightly she peeked out expecting to find someone guarding her door the but the corridor was empty and with a sigh of relief she stepped out and closed the door silently behind her.

She had never been alone in the Darlayan palace before and it felt like she was trespassing somehow as she made her way down the elegant corridor gazing up at the expensive artwork that depicted pictures of Sheikh's past and present. It was disconcerting to find herself staring up at a younger portrait of her husband in all his royal finery. He looked so different back then. There was none of the strain evident around his lips and eyes. He was actually smiling like he didn't have a care in the world and his eyes were sparkling with humour. 

She didn't know what exactly had happened to make him in to the hard uncaring man he was today but she suspected it had to do with the mysterious circumstances surrounding his parents.

She didn't know much about the royal family having taken great efforts to avoid anything related to her betrothal. She had only met the Sheikh once and he had reminded her a lot of her father in the way he had barely spoken to her or acknowledged her at all. She had never met Tariq's mother but she had heard that she had been a gentle caring woman who had been treated badly by her husband though she didn't know any of the details. All she knew for certain was that Tariq's father had died and he had taken over as Sheikh of Darlaya. None of the circumstances behind his death had been revealed and nor was the whereabouts of his mother who hadn't been seen since.

Taking a deep breath Katie finally dragged her eyes away from the portrait and moved on down the corridor. She stopped off at each door to peer in and was amazed by how expertly each room was decorated right down to the matching furniture. It was all so elegant and refined and as far away from her old life as could be. It made Katie long for home. 

"When are you going to tell her about me?"

Katie hesitated at the top of the giant staircase when she heard low voices coming from a room further down and she slowly moved closer drawn to the conversation even though she knew that eavesdropping was a bad idea.

"Catherine does not need to know," her husband's voice replied and Katie froze outside the partly open door as she glimpsed his strong frame seated on a bed beside none other than Amber.

"She's your wife," Amber said softly and Katie imagined for a second that she could hear pity in her voice.

"And she doesn't need to know anything," he informed her coldly.

"What exactly are you going to tell her about me living here? Don't you think she'll be suspicious?" Amber asked and Katie froze at the revelation.

"Enough, Amber! Catherine is my wife and my responsibility. She doesn't need to know why you are staying here," he announced in a stern tone that left no argument and Amber descended in to silence while Katie slowly moved away from the door as all her fears crashed back upon her.

Amber was living here? 

How dared he keep his mistress under the same roof as his wife? And did he think she was so completely oblivious that she wouldn't realise he was sleeping around behind her back or did he just think that she wouldn't care?