Laura Martin - Governess To The Sheikh

In a land far, far away...

Her entire life, Rachel Talbot has dreamed of faraway lands. So when she’s offered a job as governess to the Sheikh of Huria’s children, it seems as if all her dreams are coming true...

But Sheikh Malik turns out to be infuriating! Yes, he’s the most handsome man Rachel has ever seen, but he’s also autocratic and aloof. Until, that is, a night under the starry desert sky leads to a passionate kiss... And suddenly a whole new world of possibilities opens up to this intrepid governess!

The Governess Tales

Sweeping romances with fairy-tale endings!

Meet Joanna Radcliff, Rachel Talbot, Isabel Morton and Grace Bertram.

These four friends grew up together in Madame Dubois’s school for young ladies, where they indulged in midnight feasts, broke the rules and shared their innermost secrets!

But now they are thrust into the real world, and each must adapt to her new life as a governess.

One will rise, one will travel, one will run and one will find her real hom…

And each will meet her soulmate, who’ll give her the happy-ever-after she’s always dreamt of!

Read Joanna’s story in

The Cinderella Governess

Read Rachel’s story in

Governess to the Sheikh

Both available now!

And look for:

Isabel’s story in

The Runaway Governess

And Grace’s story in

The Governess’s Secret Baby

Coming soon!

Author Note

I have always loved writing about exotic and far-flung countries—there is something supremely exciting about conjuring up the sights, sounds and smells of a distant land and immersing yourself in a country’s history until it becomes your characters’ natural environment. In writing Governess to the Sheikh I had the opportunity to do something I had never done before: use a fictional setting—in this case the Middle Eastern country of Huria. I drew inspiration for the desert kingdom from the country of Jordan. Anyone who has ever had the pleasure of visiting Jordan might recognise the vast orange and red landscapes, the verdant pockets of lush vegetation, and the hardy people who make the desert their home. Malik and Rachel even climb a rocky cliff-face to a high place of sacrifice—something my husband and I did on a recent trip to Petra.

Some books are easy to write, and some much more difficult. With its beautiful setting, and the instant chemistry between Rachel and Malik, as soon as I’d written the first couple of chapters I knew Governess to the Sheikh was going to be my favourite book to date. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Governess to the Sheikh

Laura Martin

www.millsandboon.co.uk

LAURA MARTIN writes historical romances with an adventurous undercurrent. When not writing, she spends her time working as a doctor in Cambridgeshire, where she lives with her husband. In her spare moments Laura loves to lose herself in a book and has been known to read cover to cover in a single day when the story is particularly gripping. She also loves to travel—especially visiting historical sites and far-flung shores.

Books by Laura Martin

Mills & Boon Historical Romance

The Governess Tales

Governess to the Sheikh

Stand-Alone Novels

The Pirate Hunter

Secrets Behind Locked Doors

Under a Desert Moon

An Earl in Want of a Wife

Visit the Author Profile page at millsandboon.co.uk.

For Sophie and Meic and your happily-ever-after. And for my boys; you are my everything.

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

Introduction

Author Note

Title Page

About the Author

Dedication

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Epilogue

Extract

Copyright

Chapter One

Rachel flicked open her fan and wafted it close to her face. She wasn’t sure if moving the warm air around helped to keep her cool, but at this point anything was worth a try. She was hot, hotter than she had ever been before, and she was loving it. For the last four days, ever since she had first entered the desert Kingdom of Huria, Rachel had been overwhelmed by all the sights and sounds, but most of all by the heat.

‘Not far to the palace now.’ Wahid’s voice came from outside the carrying chair.

Pushing back the thin cotton curtain that surrounded her, she gazed over the landscape. They were currently following a well-worn route, winding through the dunes, every minute taking them closer to Rachel’s new life.

‘Please be careful of the sun, sayeda,’ Wahid said in perfect English, using sayeda to address her formally.

Wahid and his small band of guards had been there to meet her four days ago when she had crossed the border into Huria. He had helped her off her weary horse and ushered her into the luxurious carrying chair. Ever since then Rachel had been treated like royalty and every care had been taken for her comfort. When she had accepted the job in a foreign country Rachel had mainly felt excitement, but there had been some anxiety, too. Naturally there had been worries that she might be moving to a country that was less civilised than England, but so far she had experienced a culture and environment that was worlds apart, but certainly not inferior to her homeland.

Rachel took a moment to turn her face up to the sun and enjoy the warmth on her skin. She hadn’t been blessed with a porcelain complexion, her skin was naturally just a shade darker than was considered perfection, but it did mean she could enjoy odd moments in the sunshine without having to worry about turning a horrible red colour or developing freckles.

‘You’ll be able to see the palace once we reach the top of this dune,’ Wahid said.

Rachel fixed her eyes on the horizon and waited. She had been travelling for weeks to reach Huria and during that time she had imagined a thousand different things—sumptuous palaces and whitewashed buildings, arid deserts and dusty plains—but none of her imaginings had prepared her for the sight that confronted her.

Rachel let out a gasp of pleasure. ‘It’s so beautiful.’

For four days Rachel had travelled through the desert and had seen no evidence of any water. When they stopped Wahid had passed her a water bladder filled with lovely, cool liquid, but never had she seen a single spring or stream or lake. There hadn’t been one drop of rain, or even a cloud in the sky. Rachel had begun to think the whole kingdom must exist without water. The sight before her proved her wrong.

There was a wide, flat valley stretching out for a few miles in front of them, and the entire area was a lush paradise. Trees and plants covered the valley floor and the greens of the vegetation contrasted beautifully with the orange sands. Right through the centre of the valley was a vivid slash of blue, a narrow river that supplied this little oasis.

‘The Great Oasis of Huria,’ Wahid said, gesturing to the area before them.

‘There’s so much life, so much vegetation.’

Wahid gave a little chuckle. ‘It’s as though all the plants in Huria are squeezed into this little area.’