The Sheik's Son (24 page)

Etienne looked around him and apologized before he followed his friend to the library, while the orchestra began again amidst the many whispers and glances turned their way.

As Etienne entered the library, he held a handkerchief to his lip. When Leila saw his bleeding mouth she sprang up from the sofa.

“You animal!” she cried out to her brother.

“Be quiet, Leila,” Katharine admonished her daughter.

Etienne saw Leila and felt nothing but pure relief, as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He almost smiled. There would be no more deceit and no more pretend.

“I am Sheik Mohammed Aksam Al Sabid. This is my wife, Katharine,” Mohammed said, introducing himself to the young man.

“I am Etienne Pousson.
Madame, monsieur
.” He greeted Leila’s parents and admired them for their regal bearing.

“We have a problem, Monsieur Pousson. I sent my daughter to Paris for culture and she has received a little too much,
oui
?” Mohammed began in French.

Sebastian and Katharine kept out of the conversation while Leila watched everything intently.

“Monsieur. I am to blame completely. You must be aware of how beautiful Leila is. I quite lost my head,” he explained.

“No! That’s not true.” Leila interrupted. “It was me—”

In rapid Arabic, everyone began speaking at once.

Katharine and Mohammed both told Leila to be quiet while Sebastian helped himself to a large brandy. Leila in turn responded again that she loved him, but kept silent.

Etienne did not understand the language and waited until everyone settled.

“My daughter has been spoiled, I fear.” Mohammed spoke quietly.

“She is all things lovely,” Etienne whispered as he placed his handkerchief in his coat pocket.

Leila smiled as Katharine watched the two together. She knew her daughter was in love, but what of the Frenchman?

“So we come to your intentions,
monsieur
.” Mohammed began. “I know what my daughter has told me. I know what she wants. And you?”

Etienne looked over at Leila sitting upon the couch and smiled. This time he allowed his wide smile.

“I love her,” he told Mohammed as his eyes met hers. “I love you, Leila. I didn’t tell you because I was afraid. But I do.”

Leila jumped up and went into his arms. “I love you too, Etienne.”

Mohammed looked over their heads at his wife. He shook his head and pointed at her and mouthed the words “your fault” to her.

She rolled her eyes.

“I must speak with your father. Together we will decide on the next step,” Mohammed informed him. “But I am not against marriage if that is what everyone desires.”

“Thank you,
Baba
,” Leila told her father quietly.

She smiled at Etienne and Katharine was content. They were in love.

Etienne reached out his hand to Sebastian. “
Merci, mon ami
. I don’t think I ever would have been happy in this life without her. I have you to thank.”

Sebastian shook his hand and followed the couple out. If his parents were happy and Leila was to be married, what could he do but be happy as well?

“I entirely blame your side of the family for this mess,” Mohammed told his wife as he sat beside her.

“Our daughter Margaret is married and has a family in England,” Katharine replied. “There was no mess there.”

“Perhaps.”

“And if all goes well, our daughter Isabelle will take vows with the religious order here in France,” Katharine said.

“Hmmm.” Mohammed said. He was not at all certain that a religious life was the best path for his very serious and lovely middle daughter.

“If Leila is happy and in love and he loves her, that is all that matters,” Katharine told her husband.

“Yes, princess. But Leila was never the one I worried about,” he said, shaking his head.

“Indeed? As spoiled and beautiful as she is?”

“No. I always knew a man would come along to tame her. As I tamed you.”

Katharine laughed as she felt his fingers along her neck. “I tamed you,” she replied.

“No, I worry about that son of ours.” His fingers moved along her neck even as a sigh escaped her lips.

“Sebastian?” She closed her eyes as his fingers massaged her neck.

“Yes. He sees too much and says too little. He’s too wrapped up in his own head.” Mohammed said.

“He’ll be fine. Once Leila is married, it will be time to find him a wife.” She drew her husband’s head down as their lips met.

***

Madame Necker held a glass of champagne and watched as her husband circulated the room while she waited for the right moment to find Sophie alone.

When she did, she greeted her warmly and complimented her dress.

“
Merci,
Madame Necker,” said Sophie.

Madame Necker looked lovely in a satin gown of gold. The two women moved together on the edge of the ballroom as Suzanne took this moment to address her concerns.

“As you know, my dear, I educated Germaine well above the average woman. Your father saw fit to do the same with you,” she said.

Sophie was unsure of the flow of the conversation but nodded in agreement. “Yes. That is so.”

“I hold you in high regard, Sophie. So you will forgive my prying when I say I fear this course you are on.”

Sophie paled in the candlelight. “This course?”

“Your pamphlets, my dear,” Madame Necker said softly.

“I see,” Sophie said quietly. “Have you known for long?”

“For some time I suspected but at the chateau I knew for certain. You argued adeptly but with a little too much passion for one discussing childbirth.” Suzanne smiled lightly.

“And you think to warn me?” Sophie asked.

“Yes. I know I bear the guilt of some of your writings.”

“That’s not true,” Sophie said, shaking her head.

“Nevertheless. The more you become educated with the surrounding world of France, the more your pamphlets reflect that. And, my dear, I fear you are becoming a revolutionary.”

Sophie felt the tears in her eyes. “I never wanted that. I seem to always make the wrong choices. I educated myself and so wanted to educate others. In doing so I have placed myself at risk.”

“Yes, I know of the inspector. I thought to warn you.” Madame Necker placed a hand on the younger woman’s shoulder.

“I will admit I am worried. But I will be careful. I promise you that.”

Madame Necker smiled as another couple greeted Sophie and together they moved away.

***

Sebastian’s knuckles hurt from landing the punch on Etienne’s face and he wrapped them in a linen napkin. He felt more than annoyed and a little betrayed by his friend’s deception, but was it any different than what he had done with Sophie?

Certainly he had not gone as far as Etienne had and Sophie remained a virgin, but it was not from lack of trying. At least in his sister’s case it would all end well. She would be married and they would be happy.

But he was still worried about Sophie, and the inspector who seemed intent on bringing her down. He had spent much of the evening watching the inspector, and prior to the family drama, the inspector seemed to watch every move Sophie made. It was disconcerting.

Sebastian took a second glass of champagne just as Sophie approached him.

“Sebastian, what on earth was that spectacle you made of yourself? My grandmother told me all about it.”

Sebastian shook his head as he looked at her in the candlelight. Everything was falling apart and he felt powerless to stop it.

“I will apologize to your grandmother and father. It was a misunderstanding.” He was so afraid for her. How could he protect her?

He followed through with his declaration and explained everything to his hosts. But even as Sophie smiled and her father nodded in understanding of the “family matter” that had been settled, Sebastian felt more and more ill at ease over the sly inspector.

***

“Did you really intend Leila to marry an Arab?” Katharine asked as they remained on the sofa in quiet company with each other.

Mohammed was silent. Then spoke. “I had considered it. After all, Margaret married an Englishman and Isabelle will marry not at all, so I thought Leila would.”

“And I never thought she would. She’s too capricious. Arab men like to dominate.”

“Yes, we do.” He sought her lips again and she smiled.

So many years had passed and yet still Mohammed could never get enough of his princess.

***

“Let’s go out into the garden,” Sebastian suggested after he had spoken to her family.

“If you like.” Sophie followed him out into the darkened garden. They passed another couple enjoying the moonlight.

Lanterns had been placed outside, creating a romantic night.

Once they were alone, Sebastian was blunt. “I had Etienne look into the inspector’s background.”

Sophie was puzzled. “Yes? Why?”

“I’m concerned for you, Sophie.”

Sophie sighed.
This tired subject
. “You needn’t be, Sebastian. I’ll be fine. No matter what the inspector discovers, he won’t harm me. You act as if we are living in the wilds of America!”

And you seem to think we are living in a novel that will have a happy ending
, he wanted to tell her. He wanted to make her see reason, but he saw his sister beckoning to him from inside the ballroom.

“There’s my sister. I’ll be right back. Please excuse me,” he explained before hurrying off.

Sebastian joined his sister inside the ballroom. “Bash, don’t be angry. Please don’t be.”

“I’m annoyed, not angry,” he admitted.

“I’ve loved him since the first moment I saw him. Truly. I’m not proud of it, but I chased him. He told me many times that it was a mistake. That he felt obligated to tell you. He’s a good man,” Leila pleaded.

Sebastian nodded. He had expected as much. His sister would have pursued Etienne. “I know. He’s a good friend too.”

“Be happy for me,” Leila begged.

“I am. If you love each other, I could do no less.” He accepted her hug as she squeezed him and then joined Etienne with a glass of champagne.

***

Sophie had wandered a little further into the garden. It was cool but not cold and she could smell the plants and earth.

“Mademoiselle Gauvreau.”

Sophie turned to see the solemn inspector standing before her. She nodded. “Inspector.”

“A delightful party. Your father was generous to invite me.”

“I hope you are enjoying yourself. Excuse me.” Just as she was about to pass him, he blocked her path.

“I am the youngest inspector in my district and I expect to be the youngest commissioner ever in Paris.”

“A lofty goal,” Sophie countered.

“Do you know how I rose so quickly?” he asked her softly.

She gazed into his cold blue eyes and almost shuddered. “No,
monsieur
.”

“I have no scruples. I do what must be done, no matter the consequences,” he said softly.

“Indeed?” She met his blue eyes.

“I am under no misapprehension that Marie is the writer of these pamphlets.”

Sophie’s warm hazel eyes stared into his cold blue ones.

“I also do not think your dear grandmother could set aside her traditional views in order to suddenly try and overturn the monarchy,” he continued.

Sophie licked her lips.

“You, however are young and rash and I dare say a little foolish. You would be exactly the sort of woman to sit at her father’s table, eat his bread, spend his money on trifles and then write against the very thing that put that bread in that pretty little mouth of yours.”

Sophie did shudder this time. The cool air and the words lingered. He took a step toward her and his hands were suddenly on her arms.

“If I discover what I believe to be the truth, that you are Jean Inconnu, nothing will stop me. I will use the information I have. I swear it.”

Sophie pulled away from him, almost barreling into Sebastian as she did so. The inspector had disappeared into the garden’s darkness.

“Sophie?”

“Sebastian, you were right.” She trembled slightly and whispered even as Sebastian held her steady. “You were right,” she said, looking behind her into the dark garden.

Chapter 19

“What did he say to you?” Sebastian could see Sophie was rattled and flushed from the encounter.

“The inspector knows the writer isn’t Marie or my grandmother. He knows it’s me. I expect he just needs proof.”

“Bloody hell!” Sebastian cursed.

“He said he had no scruples. That he would do what must be done.”

Sebastian knew it. He had watched the inspector that evening, a man of low birth used to being at the beck and call of others. He would want to bring a well-bred lady down. He would enjoy it.

Sophie thought quickly. She replayed all that had happened with the inspector and knew he would fulfill his threat. She knew that Sebastian’s parents were in the library as he had asked her for its use. She asked that Sebastian join her in the library with his parents. He nodded and she went to find her father.

Sebastian rejoined his parents inside the library, where they had remained together on the sofa.

“We don’t blame you, Sebastian.” His mother tried to soothe him. “Leila can be flighty.”

Mohammed looked over at his son and nodded. “She is a handful. I wonder where she got that temperament.” He eyed his wife thoughtfully.

“Well, thank you. Because even though it’s unbelievable, I knew nothing of their relationship,” he said quietly.

“It will all be sorted. Her dowry will be substantial so there can be no cause for complaint,” Katharine said smoothly. “That they love each other was clear enough. It will all work out.”

“I will speak with Etienne’s father. If everything is agreed upon they can be married soon,” her husband remarked.

It was at this moment that Jean Pierre and Sophie entered the room. Sebastian took a large swallow of brandy and introduced Sophie to his parents.

“Sophie, Monsieur Gauvreau, this is my father, Sheik Mohammed Aksam Al Sabid. My mother, Katharine.”