Bought for the Harem, page 10
She saw the gate, her heart pounding as she lifted the latch. It was unlocked. Pushing it open, she stepped through. Although dusk fell swiftly here, she saw the tall figure wrapped in dark clothing and took a step towards him.
‘You are alone?’
‘My cousin could not come. She told me to come alone.’
There was a muffled curse, then the man moved towards her, giving her a dark wrap that would cover her from head to foot.
‘We must go swiftly. The gate must be locked again before the bell or we shall be undone. Come, your cousin has made her choice.’
‘But … she thought you would try again.’
‘It would be too dangerous. This can only happen once.’
‘But … I must go back.’
‘Be silent,’ the voice said and a hand of iron gripped her wrist. ‘You must come with me now, for if we were found together they would kill us both.’
Harriet’s heart was beating madly as the eunuchs stopped outside a door that was even more ornately decorated with silver knobs and semi-precious stones than the harem door. She swallowed her saliva with a little gulp as the door opened and she was thrust inside.
A little shock of surprise ran through her as she saw that there were several people in the room. She had expected to be delivered to the prince’s sleeping quarters, but found instead that she was in a kind of presence chamber. At one end on a little dais there were three people seated, a young man that she imagined must be the prince, an older man who looked very like him, and Katrina. To either side of the dais men were standing. Harriet’s heart pounded as she saw that one of them was Kasim. What was he doing here? He must not see her eyes!
She dipped her head as she was beckoned forwards. The young man rose from his stool, which was ornate and looked like a throne. She remembered that Prince Hassan was his father’s heir and reputed to be his favourite son. He came down the three steps towards her and took her hand. He lifted it to his lips and kissed it, then spoke softly to her.
‘You are very beautiful, lady. I am happy that this day has come.’ He spoke to her in English and she felt a spasm of panic. She would not be able to pretend that she did not understand him.
Harriet could not answer. Her masquerade must not be discovered yet. Had Marguerite had enough time to get away from the palace? As soon as they knew she was not her cousin there would be such an uproar. She kept her head down, her stomach beginning to knot with nerves. What was happening? She had not expected this … it was very different from the tales she had read where women of the harem were ravished. The prince was handsome and he smelled of delicate spices and oils. She thought he must have been prepared in much the same way as Marguerite had and somehow that unsettled her more. Something was wrong, but she could not think what it was.
A man in rich robes had come towards them. He began to speak in a high voice, chanting words that were new to Harriet. Prince Hassan took her hand and clasped it and the man in rich robes, who might have been an important officer of the court, dipped his finger in oil and then anointed her forehead and the prince’s.
‘We must follow him now, lady,’ the prince whispered in her ear. He spoke English well and his voice was pleasant, intelligent. ‘I know you have not been taught our ways yet, but I shall teach you. You will become accustomed to things slowly, as my mother did. I have asked for the ceremony to be simple, because I wish to be alone with you.’
Harriet did not dare to look at him. He must have seen Marguerite. If he looked into her eyes she might be exposed. The man she believed to be the Caliph was looking on benevolently and Katrina was smiling. She risked a look at Kasim and saw that he was staring into the corner of the room. He looked grim, remote, as if he had deliberately shut out what was happening. Could it be that he was regretting what he had done when he brought them here?
What was going on here?
‘You must incline your head to give your consent,’ the prince told her and she realised she was being asked a question by the man in the rich robes. She hurriedly obeyed, anxious not to betray herself. ‘Do not be frightened, my love. I shall be kind to you. You are the wife I have waited for and I am so happy that my father gave you to me. I shall never harm or hurt you.’
She was being married to the prince! This ceremony would make her Prince Hassan’s bride? Of course. Why hadn’t she realised it at once? This must stop. She could not allow it to go on. How long since Marguerite had escaped? Was she safe? It could not be helped. She must stop this now and take the consequences.
Harriet’s heart was racing wildly. She put her hand to her face and pulled the veil away, letting them all see her face.
‘This is not the woman I chose,’ Prince Hassan cried and a look of disappointment mixed with anger crossed his face.
‘No, I am not Marguerite,’ Harriet said in a clear proud voice. ‘I shall not marry Prince Hassan. I am a free Englishwoman and I have the right to choose. I choose not to marry.’
‘Father, what is this? You promised me the beautiful one …’
Kasim was standing close to them. Harriet looked into his eyes, seeing his shock and horror at what had happened. She saw him start, saw the recognition and the dismay followed swiftly by what she thought was anxiety.
‘What have you done, woman?’ the Caliph said and it was clear he was angry. ‘Where is the woman they call Marguerite?’
Harriet lifted her head and looked at him. ‘My cousin did not wish to be given to the prince. She declined to come, so I came in her place.’
‘Be silent, woman! You have insulted my son. You will be punished. Guards!’
Harriet felt chilled as she looked into his black eyes and saw a cold fury. Kahlid was not like his handsome son; he had a hooked nose, fierce eyes and at the moment his expression was murderous.
She glanced at Kasim and thought he shook his head, his eyes seeming to warn her. She sensed tension in him and realised that she was in serious trouble.
‘Am I to return to the harem?’
‘Be quiet, woman. You will go where you are taken. I shall consider what should happen to you once the other woman is found.’
‘I did not wish to harm you or the prince, but I had to protect my cousin … I would gladly repay the cost of our price if—’
‘You make your situation worse, woman. Hold your tongue!’
The guards were each side of her now. They took hold of her arms, their fingers pressing into her skin. Harriet’s heart was thumping and she felt sick as she was led away. Where was she being taken? She knew there was a prison somewhere in the palace compound. The other women had spoken of it with fear in their eyes, and she had understood without words that none of them would risk being sent to its stinking cells.
What form would her punishment take? Would she be beaten or would she lose her life?
Harriet closed her eyes against the hot tears. She would not give way to self-pity. If Marguerite were safe, she would face whatever came to her somehow. Had enough time passed for them to get away? Had it all gone as planned? Harriet could only pray and wait.
The eunuch stopped outside a door, took a key from a bunch that hung at his waist and unlocked it, then thrust her inside. She caught her breath, for it was pitch black. She must be in some kind of prison. The door was slammed behind her and she heard the key turn once more. She had been shut here until the Caliph decided what to do with her. His reaction had been so furious that she could not expect mercy.
For a few moments Harriet could not see anything and the darkness was terrifying; then, after her eyes became accustomed to the gloom, she could just make out some sort of a mattress on the floor but nothing more. As she looked upwards at the ceiling, she realised the tiniest glimmer of light came from above her head. There must be some sort of grille in the ceiling, which let in air and from which she could be observed. As in the harem, she could still be watched.
Feeling her way along the rough stone wall towards the mattress, she sat down on the edge. It was much harder than she had been accustomed to and was covered with some coarse cloth. Feeling a knot of misery and hopelessness settle deep inside her, she lay down and closed her eyes. She was not cold for she had the layers of clothes that were supposed to delight her husband as he removed them one by one, but she was trembling.
What would happen to her now? The Caliph was very angry and he might decide to put her to death. He thought she had insulted the prince, though she had not meant to, but she had not understood their ways or the seriousness of what she planned. Kasim had protected them when they were first brought to the palace, but it was unlikely he could save her now—even if he wished to.
‘I will not be afraid,’ she told herself in the darkness. ‘If I die, then I shall be as brave as I can. If only Marguerite is safe, I can bear anything.’
Tears trickled down her cheeks, because she felt so alone. There was no one who could help her, no one who cared whether she lived or died. Yet even as she felt the sting of despair, she remembered the look in Kasim’s eyes as he saw her face. Shock and disappointment … and grief. She almost thought she had imagined it and yet somehow she knew that he had felt some deep and painful emotion. He must have known what would happen to her.
‘You sent for me, my lord?’ Kasim genuflected to the Caliph. He had spent the night searching for Marguerite and trying to think how he could best help Harriet, though he knew Kahlid’s anger was just, for she had behaved in a way that implied an insult to the prince.
‘Have you news for me concerning the escaped slave?’
‘The woman is not in the palace, my lord.’
‘And the Janissaries are out looking for her?’
‘Yes, my lord. A search party left immediately, according to your orders.’
‘Then she will be found.’ Kahlid’s eyes dwelled on Kasim thoughtfully. ‘Had you any idea that the other woman planned this masquerade?’
‘You must know I would have warned her against such a foolish trick.’
‘You consider it no more than that?’
‘I do not believe she intended insult to the prince, my lord.’
‘Yet that is what she has done. Hers is a grave offence, Kasim. My son is a noble prince and by taking her cousin’s place and then refusing to wed him, she has offered a terrible insult. If a man had insulted my son, he would already be dead. I do not like to take life for no good reason but I believe in this case it may be the only way.’
‘I beg you to think again,’ Kasim cried. ‘For my sake—for your own sake—do not do this thing.’
‘Give me a reason not to exact justice for the insult to my son.’
‘My lord, please listen to me. She does not understand our customs. She did not know that she was insulting the prince. I ask you to be generous and spare her,’ Kasim pleaded. ‘I know what she has done, but she meant no insult. She thought only of her cousin, whom she loves. What she did was wrong, but brave, for she knew she would be punished.’
Kahlid glared at him for several moments in silence. ‘Is there no sign of the other one?’
‘It is as if she disappeared into thin air. However, she must have had help from inside the palace. The culprits will be found and punished.’
‘You would punish them, but not her?’ Kahlid’s eyes held a hint of understanding. He closed them for a moment, then looked at Kasim. ‘I shall make a bargain with you, my friend. In return for the woman’s life you will make me a promise.’
‘What promise? You know you have only to ask. I have always been honoured to serve you.’
‘I am dying,’ Kahlid said, startling Kasim with the straight look he gave him. ‘It is quite certain that I have no more than a few months to live.’
‘My lord.’ Kasim was stunned, his throat tight with emotion as he struggled to accept. ‘How long have you known?’
‘I suspected it when I sent you to look for an English wife for my son. I love Hassan dearly, but he is hot-headed. When I am gone he will plunge our people into a permanent state of war—unless you are here to guide him and share my power as Caliph.’
‘Hassan would never agree. He is your rightful heir.’
‘He will have no choice. It is my decree that you rule together … until such time as you consider he is fit to take my place.’
‘Hassan would hate me. It is his right to follow you, my lord.’
‘That is your burden to bear.’ Kahlid sighed. ‘You are the son I need to follow me, Kasim. My head tells me that you should rule alone, but my heart will not allow me to disown him. You must rule together, at least until Hassan can be trusted to do what is right. This is the promise I ask of you.’
Kasim hesitated. He felt as if he were being torn apart. Harriet’s life was being given to him, but the price was heavy. He would have no choice but to stay here until Hassan lost some of his wildness and that might be years, a lifetime—but the alternative was unthinkable.
‘The woman is mine. I shall have her taken to my harem and make sure she behaves. In the meantime, the search for Hassan’s bride continues.’
‘I do not think she will be found, and if she were my son would probably refuse to wed her. He is disappointed and angry and it is my fault. I thought an English girl would be good for him, force him to settle down, but I was wrong. I shall approach the Sultan and ask if he has a daughter of a suitable age. Perhaps one of his kadans has a daughter who will please Hassan.’
‘I am sure there are many girls in the Sultan’s family. It would be an honour for Hassan and may ease the sting of his disappointment.’
‘It was what we should have done at the start,’ Kahlid said. ‘I knew you did not approve of my plan—and it seems you were right.’
‘For Harriet’s sake I have no regrets. Had I not been there …’ Kasim shook his head. ‘Thank you for your generosity, my lord. I am grateful for the mercy you have shown her.’
‘It would give me no pleasure to see her punished. She reminds me of Anna.’ Kahlid looked tired. ‘I could not change things, Kasim. Anna begged me to free at least the harem many times. I clung to the old ways. It is the custom of my people and my faith—but it is not always just. Perhaps you can find a better way. I have tried to be just, but there are times when you must do things you find hard. When I am gone you will understand me.’
‘When will you tell Hassan that he must share the power with me?’
‘Soon. I have already signed the decree. I meant to ask you, but the moment had not come—until now.’
Kasim understood that his friend had feared to ask. He was afraid that once he was dead, Kasim would return to his homeland, as he might have had he not given his word. Although he loved the prince as his brother, he knew there would be trouble as soon as Kahlid was dead, if not before. Hassan would resent being reined back. There was already a keen rivalry between them. Kasim knew that the prince both admired and resented him. He had not yet beaten the man he thought of as an older brother at anything and he could not bear to be second-best. He had accepted that Kasim was older and stronger only because he was the heir and would ultimately hold the power.
When he learned of his father’s decision, he would lose his temper. Kasim could only hope that he would come to accept it once he had calmed down.
Leaving the Caliph’s presence, he walked thoughtfully towards Harriet’s cell. She had spent the night reflecting on her fate. He would see that she had food and clean clothes, but for the moment he would not release her.
There were certain arrangements he needed to make before Harriet was taken to his apartments. She could not live in the harem with the others, but he would not send them all away immediately, because she needed friends.
In time he would offer her a choice. She could either settle to life here or return home to her family. Kasim did not know how he would feel if she chose to return to England. She had got beneath his skin in a way no other woman ever had. Had he been free as before he might have taken her back to England and courted her in the time-honoured manner, but things were altered—he had given Kahlid his word.
In return for her life, he had made himself a prisoner. He wore no chain and he had both position and power, but the promise he had given was binding. Kahlid was his friend. Even had there been no promise, he would find it hard to leave him knowing he was slowly dying of the wasting sickness.
Yet the prospect of trying to rule the Caliph’s province with Hassan was a daunting one. He had no doubt that the prince would hate him for usurping his place.
The air in her cell had become stuffy during the night. Waking once, Harriet had not realised where she was and the blackness terrified her. Why could she not see anything? Was she blind?
The memory of what had happened the previous night came rushing back, and once again she could make out the smallest pinprick of light above her head. She felt numb and anxious. What was happening? Had Marguerite managed to get away? What would happen next? Would she be allowed to return to the Caliph’s harem once she had been punished—and what form would the punishment take? She expected at the very least to be beaten with the whips that left no marks, but perhaps her sin was too great and she would be put to death.
The tormented thoughts went round and round in her head as the light gradually strengthened. Now the light above her was daylight. Barely visible at first, as the time went on the small ray of light became warm and she knew it was the sun. Was she outside the palace? Was she in the prison, an underground cell? Now she thought of it, the passage had sloped towards the end.
After some hours had passed, Harriet began to think that they were just going to let her die here alone. It seemed a lifetime since she had eaten or drunk anything. She was beginning to feel thirsty. Was this to be her punishment? A long slow death that would become a torment indeed.
Suddenly the door opened and she blinked in the bright light. Two men were standing there, one of them carrying a basket of food and a jug of water. It took her a moment or two to focus before she realised that one of the men was Kasim.
