Susan Mallery: The Sheik's Secret Bride

Heidi raised her eyebrows at her brother-in-law, but otherwise didn’t protest. “Actually, Liana, it might be easier to give in to this tonight. You’ve got to be exhausted from the long trip. In the morning you can gird your loins and fight the battle anew.” She touched Liana’s arm. “Seriously, you are perfectly safe here. This is a royal palace and all guests are treated with the utmost respect.”

Liana didn’t know what to do. She had the feeling that if she gave in on this point, nothing in her life would ever be the same. The smart move would be to insist that she be taken to her condo immediately. But she was tired, as was Bethany. Then there was the tiny detail of spending the night in a real-life palace. That sort of thing had never happened to her before, nor was it likely to happen again. Was she going to turn down this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity because of her pride?

“All right,” she murmured. “If you’re sure it won’t be any trouble.”

“None at all,” Malik said. He offered a low bow, then disappeared down a long hallway.

“Who was that masked man?” Liana murmured.

Heidi heard her and laughed. “The princes take some getting used to. Come on. Your room is through here. Don’t worry about the luggage, someone will bring it along.”

“You okay with this?” Liana asked her daughter. “Do you mind spending the night in the palace?”

Big blue eyes, so much like her own, stared up at her. Bethany smiled. “Mommy, if I stay in the palace, I get to pretend I’m a princess.”

“Oh, you’re right. Well, that makes this very special, huh?”

Bethany nodded, then looked at Heidi. “Are you really married to a prince?”

“I sure am,” Heidi said. “Which makes me a princess. We have a little boy who is also a prince.”

“Wow.” Bethany’s big eyes got bigger. “Do you have a crown and everything?”

“You bet.”

Heidi led the way down a long hall. As they followed, Liana wondered about the woman who was being so kind. She dressed like a regular person—no robes or veils—and her voice had an American accent. Liana would bet that there was an interesting story in her past. If she was going to be here longer, she might want to ask about it. But Liana and Bethany would be leaving the palace in the morning, so there wasn’t going to be time to make friends.

“You’re here to teach?” Heidi asked as they passed through a carved archway.

Liana glanced around them, barely able to answer for all the wonders she saw. Open doors allowed her to see into great rooms with high ceilings and western-style furniture. She caught glimpses of gardens and fountains. Every few feet they walked by a small alcove that displayed some fabulous piece of art, be it a tapestry or glass-ware or a statue. The floor beneath their feet was marble, and much of the wall space was tiled. No doubt parts of the palace were hundreds of years old.

“I, ah, teach math,” Liana said absently as she took in the beauty of the El Baharian palace. The air was cool and faintly scented with flowers. “High-school-level algebra and geometry. Sometimes, if I have a bright group, I start them on calculus.”

Heidi smiled at Bethany. “I guess with a mom who’s a math teacher, you don’t get to say you don’t understand it, do you?”

Bethany giggled shyly and clung to her mother’s hand. “No, I like math.”

“Good for you.” Heidi stopped in front of a single door carved with a relief of a gazelle. She pushed it open and stepped into a suite of rooms. “These will be yours,” she said, motioning to the airy space.

Liana and Bethany followed her, then came to a stop in the center of the main room. In front of them were floor-to-ceiling windows that looked out over the Arabian Sea, light-colored furniture collected in two separate conversation areas, and double French doors leading out to a balcony that was almost as large as the living room. Nearly as amazing as the view was a mural on both the left and the right wall of the room. Tiny tiles had been cut and pieced together to create a herd of Arabian horses racing across the desert. The horses were depicted nearly life-size, with manes and tails flying out as fast hooves thundered across the sand.

“Oh, Mommy, look!” Bethany cried as she raced over to stand in front of the right mural. She reverently touched the tiny tiles. “Horses! Beautiful horses.”

Just then two servants appeared with their luggage. Heidi pointed down a short hallway and the men disappeared. Seconds later they reappeared, without their burden of suitcases, then bowed and left as quietly as they’d come.

“You’ll find the horse motif continues throughout the suite,” Heidi explained. “It’s one of the features of the palace. All the guest quarters have a theme. I thought with your daughter being at that horse-loving age, you two would enjoy this suite.”

Liana felt stunned, as if she’d been drinking, or hadn’t eaten in a couple of days. “This is a regular guest room here at the palace?” she asked. “There are more suites like this, just standing empty, waiting for company?”

Heidi nodded. Her hazel eyes filled with compassion. “I know it’s a lot to take in, but you’ll get used to it. There are frequent guests at the palace. Some visiting dignitaries prefer to stay at the beachfront hotels, but others like the warmth and history of the palace.”

“I see why,” Liana murmured. This was the most magnificent room she’d ever seen. She could only imagine what the bedrooms and bathrooms would be like.

“The balcony is a common one,” Heidi went on to explain. “There aren’t any other guests staying here at the moment, so you shouldn’t see anyone, but don’t be alarmed if someone walks by. Actually, on this level you can make a complete circuit of the palace via the balcony. I recommend the walk in the evening. It’s very lovely.”

“Thank you, I will.”

Heidi started to leave, then paused. “I know it’s terribly rude to ask, but how well do you know the prince?”

“I don’t know him at all.” Liana recounted the events on the plane and at the airport. “Instead of taking us to the American School, the cab brought us here. I don’t understand what happened.”

“Obviously you caught Malik’s eye,” Heidi said.

Then he can have it back, Liana thought to herself, although she didn’t say it aloud. “I can’t believe that,” Liana said. “I’m just a teacher.” Didn’t sheik princes fall for movie stars and models?

“You’re very attractive,” Heidi said. “Tall, blonde, blue eyes.”

Yes, she was those things, Liana admitted, but she was also about twenty pounds overweight and not the least bit interested in being fashionable. She preferred comfort to style. She’d been described as passably pretty, which she believed to be true. No, she was many things, but not someone to garner the attention of a prince.

“There has to be something else going on,” she insisted.

“Why do you find it so hard to believe that Malik could want you? Aren’t you interested?”

“Not really,” Liana said honestly. “I’ve reached the point where I don’t want another man in my life, and even if I did, I wouldn’t want someone like Malik. I would never be very good in the position of wife number three or four.”

Heidi smiled. “Ah, but this is El Bahar. The tradition of four wives is not allowed. Men have only one wife, and Prince Malik isn’t married.”

Liana told herself she wasn’t the least bit tempted. Sexual attraction was one thing—marriage quite another. “If I ever marry again, I want my husband to be interested in an equal partnership. Not likely with a Crown Prince.”

Heidi nodded. “You’re right there.” She looked around the room. “I’ll leave you to unpack, then. If you need anything, simply pick up the phone and ask for it. Someone will be by later to take your order for dinner.” She walked to the door and paused there. “It was very nice to meet you both. I hope you enjoy your stay in El Bahar.”