Mistress Below Deck (12 page)

Ahmed smiled, his eyes gleaming wickedly. ‘It will be a revelation, I've no doubt, for your companion as well.'

Rowena looked at him with interest. She had indeed always enjoyed surprises and could not imagine the nature of this one.

Ahmed picked a fig from the platter and, holding it up, scrutinised it as though he'd never seen one before.

‘Well, Ahmed?' Tobias asked impatiently.

He chuckled and turned to face Rowena. ‘It concerns your young friend.'

Despite Ahmed's good humour, Rowena felt the first tentative fingers of fear trail along her spine. She gulped at her wine and waited, her heart hammering against her rib cage.

‘Rowan, my friend, is no youth.'

‘What?' Fatima exclaimed, staring wide-eyed at first at her husband, then at Rowena.

For the shortest time, too, Rowena sat wide-eyed, astonishment overpowering her vocal capacity. Then, her mind working quickly, she resolved to attempt to brazen herself out of this awkward, embarrassing, and potentially dangerous, position, for if others found out her secret, the foundations of her safe and secure position on board ship would crumble and cause all kinds of complications.

‘I must object,' she burst out in her most outraged tone and jumped to her feet. ‘You are sorely mistaken…'

Instead of seriously considering this denouncement, as Rowena had expected, Tobias simply began laughing, Ahmed joining him, his two younger wives smiling sublimely in their ignorance as they looked in bewilderment from one face to the other.

‘Ahmed, what are you saying?' Fatima demanded, wondering why her husband should make this seemingly inappropriate comment and impatient that he should explain himself.

At last Ahmed recovered his control. ‘I am saying that our young guest is not what he seems. Rowan is a girl. It is a good disguise that she has adopted, and no doubt it has fooled most—you, too, my dearest heart.'

Fatima turned to Rowena, who was looking beseechingly to Tobias for deliverance. ‘It is true, what my husband alleges?'

Rowena reluctantly met her eyes and sighed deeply. ‘It is true,' she finally admitted. ‘I am female.'

Fatima looked at Tobias. ‘You know?'

He nodded, still laughing, though softer now. ‘Aye, Fatima. I have known all along.'

‘Of course he knows,' Ahmed was quick to say. ‘Either that or his eyes have grown dim. But I was not fooled.'

‘But—that is delightful,' Fatima cried, clapping her hands together. She laughed with real amusement, a rich, merry sound, at the astonished look on the young girl's face, for Rowena was staring at her as though she had taken leave of her senses, totally confused, for she certainly hadn't expected this reaction from Ahmed's senior wife.

‘I do believe I have upset the young lady,' Ahmed said, chuckling softly. ‘Is this so?' he asked kindly, gazing at Rowena's distraught face. She nodded mutely. ‘It was not done to tease you, child.'

‘You must excuse Ahmed, Rowena,' Tobias remarked, coming to her rescue at last. ‘There is no fooling him.'

‘Rest assured that we shall say nothing of your true nature—Rowena,' Ahmed said, ‘but won't you explain what has prompted you to adopt such a mode of attire?'

‘When Rowena's sister was captured by Kasem,' Tobias explained, ‘she was determined to find out where he had taken her and to try to get her back. She could not do that as a woman, so she disguised herself as a youth and smuggled herself aboard my ship, which, for reasons I have already explained, was about to leave for North Africa. I did not find out myself until we had put to sea and it was too late to take her back.'

Fatima listened with interest. She could sense the suppressed agitation in the girl, noted her clenched hands, the nervous movement of the brilliant green eyes that were fastened on Tobias, and she perceived that it would be good for Rowena to spend some time with someone of the same sex.

‘Your disguise has been successful?' she asked.

‘Very,' Tobias provided, gazing with a warm intensity at his cabin boy-girl. ‘Although she passes as a somewhat pretty boy, let me assure you that she makes more than a passable girl.'

‘I can see that is so now,' Fatima agreed, leaning
back on the mound of silken cushions to study the girl, making a quick appraisal of her heart-shaped face and wing-swept eyebrows above beautiful blue-green eyes. ‘It is a terrible shame that you had to cut your hair to compound your disguise, but it does not detract from your looks. I can see you are very beautiful. Oh, child, if you were to dress as a woman, all the men would be in love with you at a glance.'

‘But I am not interested in such things. All I want is to find my sister, and to do that I must maintain my disguise—even though I am beginning to tire of it.'

Fatima thought for a moment, her face undergoing various transformations. At last it settled into a most cunning and pleased expression. Her gaze went from her husband to Tobias and her dark eyes gleamed. ‘I have an idea.'

‘You usually do, my love,' Ahmed said, wary of the machinations of his senior wife's mind. He had no doubt that he would soon discover the source of her sly look.

‘Rowena says she has to maintain her disguise—this I understand, since she has to live with all those men on the ship—but nothing prevents her from staying here while you are in Algiers, Tobias. I am sure you could come up with something that would explain her absence—and,' she said, her eyes dancing wickedly, ‘I am sure you could find someone else to perform her duties as your cabin boy.'

Rowena saw Tobias and realised in one giddy instant of silent laughter that Fatima might well believe she was Tobias's woman.

Fatima smiled encouragingly at Rowena. ‘Do say you will stay with us. It would give us great pleasure to have you as our guest—and to spoil you for a little while.'

Looking at the tall exotic woman and seeing gentleness and kindness in the depths of her dark eyes, Rowena found her friendliness contagious and could not help smiling. She felt the breath of madness touch her face. In an instant her heart had decided. ‘I would love to stay,' she exclaimed, a happy look on her face. She looked at Tobias, certain he would have no reason to object, but when she saw the look on his face she was not so sure. She saw indecision flicker across his hard features; thinking he was about to refuse, she tried to soften him by going to him and placing her hand on his arm.

Tobias glanced down at the slender fingers. Heat was seeping through his flesh, desire already stirring inside him—and that with only her hand upon his arm. He didn't understand why she had such a volatile effect on him, but he understood that he wanted her—willing and warm in his arms. He'd got used to having her close to him, day after day, knowing she was sleeping in her cabin next to his own night after night, and he would miss her like hell when she wasn't there.

‘Please, Tobias,' she said, mistaking his silence for refusal, ‘I would like to stay here—if just for tonight. What harm can it do?'

Seeing his friend's dilemma, Ahmed came to her rescue. ‘Come, Tobias, she will enjoy staying in my house with my wives to pamper her.' He saw how the girl's eyes lit up, hopeful and expectant. ‘Think, my
friend. Does she not yearn for the company of women after being incarcerated for Allah knows how long on a ship full of men?'

‘Ahmed,' Rowena said softly, ‘you are very kind.'

‘Kindness has nothing to do with it,' said Ahmed. ‘Tobias knows that I am an aesthete in love with beauty and harmony. When I think of a woman like you having to travel wearing the clothes of a youth on board a vessel with a motley crew, my skin shivers. So, if you do not want to condemn me to a lifetime's remorse, you will honour my house by remaining for a few days.' He laughed loudly, slapping Tobias good naturedly on the back. ‘I might even take her unto me to be my fourth wife—to even things up a little among my other wives, you understand.' His white teeth flashed in the black mass of his beard. ‘I think she would serve me well.'

‘Forget it,' Tobias told him sternly, but with a slow grin. ‘Do not strain the bonds of friendship beyond what you already have, Ahmed.'

‘Ah, I see that would not please you, my friend. It is heartily sorry I am if my suggestion causes you dismay.'

A trace of humour played across Tobias's lips as he looked directly at Rowena, who was watching him expectantly, although his words when he spoke brought a dangerous blaze to her eyes. ‘More like absolute terror at the thought.'

‘You think I would do her harm?'

‘Not for a minute, Ahmed. It is you I'm thinking of. I am only trying to save you from a dire fate. Rowena happens to be the most mercurial, wilful firebrand you
could ever wish to meet, and she has a tongue that could flay the skin off a man's back. I would not wish her on my worst enemy, let alone a trusted friend.'

‘Then she is a rare jewel.' Ahmed laughed, a great booming sound. ‘A woman after my own heart.'

Tobias gave him a mocking grin. ‘So are most women, Ahmed. I knew Rowena would be no exception, and wondered how long it would take you to see through her disguise—although I have to say I was surprised it took you so long.'

Ahmed winked knowingly and leaned towards Tobias, his words meant for his ears alone. ‘You want her for yourself, that I can see, and it's not right that her beauty inflame other eyes than yours, eh?' He laughed into his friend's glower. ‘Don't be a fool. See what you have, my friend. Her beauty is a treasure beyond all price.' He winked again into the blue eyes as they rose to meet his. ‘Should your business tomorrow take longer than you expect, I—and my beautiful wives—will do our utmost to entertain her.'

‘Then I will simply have to make sure it doesn't.'

Ahmed gave him a hearty slap on the back. ‘Go back to your ship, Tobias, and sleep easy. Rest assured that your young charge will be safe in my house. Besides,' he retorted, seeing where his two young wives' gazes were directed. ‘I like not the way my three strumpets devour you with their eyes, for it bodes ill for me.'

When Tobias had left to return to the ship, Rowena went with Ahmed's wives along a passage to a gold-and-
blue mosaic chamber that she soon discovered was a bath-house. The ceiling was domed, and in the centre of the floor, surrounded by slender pillars, was a tiled, large sunken bath in which water was steaming.

Rowena gasped, her eyes alight with excitement, never having imagined there could be so much luxury in one house. Towels were to hand, while all around were vials of oils and soaps.

‘Why, this is very fine,' she exclaimed, delighted. ‘We have nothing like this at home in England—not even in the best houses. It looks so tempting and pleasurable.'

‘With enough luxury for a person to wallow in for as long as they wish.' Fatima led her to the edge of the tub.

Shilla and Zidana were chattering excitedly in Arabic, and before Rowena could protest they were undressing her as if it were the most natural thing to do. There was a great deal of giggling as her bindings were unwound, and when they tried to remove them, alarmed, Rowena put up her hands to stop them, trying to hold on to her modesty, but the more she protested the louder they laughed. Standing back they began to undress themselves to show it was quite natural in the world they inhabited to bathe together in the nude.

They slipped into the scented water, beckoning for her to join them, their slender gleaming bodies as supple as snakes as they writhed in the pool. Deciding to throw caution and all her inhibitions to the wind and to give herself up the slow tempo of this life, Rowena began to relax and finished undressing swiftly. Squeals and gasps
of admiration were drawn from the three wives when her pale slender body was revealed.

‘You are the loveliest thing,' Fatima enthused. ‘Such a face—and such a milky skin. You are quite perfect, Rowena.'

Laughing delightedly, Rowena slipped gracefully into the pool where she readily abandoned herself quite passively to the ministering of the two younger wives' gentle hands.

A smile on her lips, Fatima sat on a low stool at the side of the pool, content to watch as Zidana washed her hair while Shilla soaped her all over.

Wallowing pleasurably, feeling the water about her like a caress, Rowena was astonished at the strange sense of well-being that spread through every part of her body. When she stepped out, Fatima was waiting with a thick cotton towel to dry her, before taking her to a divan where she began to massage her body with hands that were amazingly gentle, rubbing in a strangely pungent oil that relaxed her muscles and gave her skin a soft patina.

She relaxed and, spreading her arms, opened her eyes and gazed at the ceiling, at the colourful designs with a picture in the centre, of stars and a moon representing the heavens, and a golden sun in the middle. Pressing her eyes shut, she held her breath to hold on to the pleasurable sensation. Her body seemed to have broken all its earthly moorings. She was like a puppet now, moving to the strings that pulled her, only her brain functioning slowly as her body was ministered to as never before.

Beneath the massaging boldness of Fatima's hands—Fatima had the air of a priestess carrying out some ancient ritual—she was honest enough to admit her treacherous woman's body was coming breathlessly alive, not even against her will, and what she felt was not unlike what she had felt when she had been with Tobias on the beach. What she was experiencing now was very similar—magical, sensual, erotic—and all that was missing was Tobias.

She sighed with contentment. ‘You use such wonderful scents, Fatima. Not only do you educate my palate with delicious food, but my nose also,' she murmured, as Fatima proceeded to apply more oil to her skin. The air in the bathing chamber was warm and thick and redolent of perfume, not flower-like, but compounded of ambergris and musk—intoxicating and languid, artful weapons to entrap a man. That she should think such things just then did not surprise her, for Tobias still occupied her mind.