Free Heart of the Desert by Carol Marinelli

drink but for the point he was making. But she refused to partake in a battle that was not hers, to play a game when she was not privy to the rules. She could hear the pain behind his statements, feel the injustice on his mother’s behalf, but she was here with her sister, here to support her, not make trouble for her. Still, there was regret in her heart when again she declined.
    ‘No, thank you.’ She licked suddenly dry lips and dropped her gaze, but not before she saw a flash of disappointment in his eyes.
    The king was not about to bend to his son.
    ‘Tomorrow.’ He rose from the table and immediately Karim stood and so too did Felicity. At her sister’s nudge, Georgie followed. Only Ibrahim sat, not for long but there was reluctance, insolence even as rather too slowly he also stood. It did not go unnoticed. ‘You will be in my study at eight a.m. Tomorrow, Ibrahim, you will listen to what I have to say.’
    The door closed behind him but the tension did not leave the room.
    ‘Why tonight, Ibrahim?’ Karim challenged. ‘Why did you have to spoil it?’
    ‘Spoil it?’ Ibrahim did not understand his brother,his brother who would have been the king’s choice as heir, a brother who had not even cried when his mother had left them. ‘You mean voice it.’
    ‘I mean, you make trouble whenever you return. There was no reason for this display.’
    ‘No reason?’ Ibrahim looked at his brother and then at Felicity. ‘Imagine, years from now, Felicity, if it was Azizah who had delivered a child while you were on the other side of the world and Karim did not think even to call you.’ He picked up the bottle and left them alone and Georgie fought the urge to follow him.
    ‘He has a point.’ Felicity turned to her husband. ‘A very good one, in fact. You should have called her.’ When Karim didn’t answer, Felicity pushed on. ‘We need to arrange a trip home.’
    ‘We’ve been,’ Karim said. ‘We took Azizah home to meet your family and my mother when she was born.’
    ‘Well, arrange another one,’ Felicity said. ‘I want Azizah to know all her family.’
    ‘I’ll sort it.’ Karim stood. ‘I’ll go and speak to my father now. See how he is.’
    But any magnanimous feelings Felicity had towards her brother-in-law were fleeting. ‘Bloody Ibrahim,’ Felicity shrilled when they were safe in her suite. ‘He does this every time he’s home.’
    ‘As you said, he had a good point.’
    ‘Well, of course you’d jump in on his side.’ Felicity was pacing. ‘Will you just stay away from him?’
    ‘Why should I?’ Georgie challenged. ‘When he’s theonly person whose been there for me all day. Am I not supposed to speak to him?’
    ‘Of course you can speak to people—it’s the little private conversations, the laughing at each other’s jokes …’ Felicity was having difficulty keeping her voice even and then she said it, just came right out and said what had been obvious to everyone. ‘You two were flirting all night.’
    ‘No!’ Adamantly Georgie shook her head. ‘We were talking. We were just talking …’ Except that wasn’t true. It had been his black eyes she had sought, his smile, his voice that had summoned her senses, and she couldn’t blame her sister for noticing. ‘I wasn’t deliberately flirting.’
    ‘You were the same at the wedding,’ Felicity said. ‘I know he’s attractive and I know women don’t stand a chance when he turns on the charm, but not here, Georgie, not in Zaraq, not with my husband’s family. You can do what you like in London.’
    ‘What’s that supposed to mean?’ Felicity always did this—made out she was some wild child, some perpetual problem to be dealt with.
    ‘Just …’ Felicity ran a hand thorough her hair. ‘Let’s just leave it, please, Georgie.’
    ‘Leave what?’ Georgie said.
    ‘Nothing.’ Felicity shook her head. ‘I don’t want to argue.’ She gave a weak smile. ‘I’m overreacting. It’s been a long day and