Page 24 of At the Sheikh's Command
Before Darrius could answer, Zaire screwed up his brow, as if trying to remember. “She was here years ago, wasn’t she, Darrius?” He turned his attention back to Leonora, who was talking to one of the museum staff with animation.
“Yes.” He didn’t feel inclined to go into detail.
Zaire grinned and poked Darrius in the side. Darrius shot his brother a black look.
“If you were anyone else, I’d have you thrown out of the palace and arrested for that.”
Zaire put his head back and laughed loudly. Everyone looked at him and Darrius scowled as Leonora, too, glanced over at his brother, then immediately back at him. Their gaze lingered on each other for a few moments before she blushed and looked away. Darrius’s scowl disappeared immediately, reassured by Leonora’s reaction.
“But,” Darrius continued, “as I need you, I won’t.”
Zaire signaled to the hovering waiter, who filled up his water glass.
“You need me, eh? That sounds interesting. Now what could my big brother, the king, possibly need my assistance with?”
“Two things, Zaire. Our meeting tomorrow morning is about one of these things.”
“Intriguing. Care to tell me more?”
“Not yet.”
“Give me a clue. Will Ammar and your other advisers be in attendance?”
“No. There will only be the two of us.”
“Hm… Personal or business?”
“Both.” Darrius waved a dismissive hand. “All will be revealed tomorrow. But, for now, I need your help with a particular interest of yours.”
“Women?”
Darrius made a scoffing sound.
“Or is it my skill with people getting them to do what I want with just a smile?” He offered said smile to Darrius. It only made his own face darken more. “Um, interesting. If not that, then maybe I know something you wish to know?”
Darrius sat back in his chair and studied his brother. There were only eighteen months between them, but a whole world divided them. Darrius had been raised to be king—separated from his two brothers and the relative freedom they’d enjoyed—and pushed into a world of formality and rules from an early age. He envied them their light-heartedness, and the relative freedom they had when it came to the choices they made in life. He had no such freedom. No, he amended his thoughts, as he returned his gaze to Leonora. He had one. He could choose his wife, and it was her, Leonora. And he’d do whatever he had to do to make that happen. But, first, he had to get Leonora used to the idea. And she would. He’d make sure of it.
Zaire leaned in to Darrius and followed his gaze. “Hm,” he said, turning to Darrius. “I thought maybe you needed me because of a woman, and so it appears. Did you have a thing going with her when she was last here? Is that it? She’s come back to revive it?”
The unaccustomed impertinence instantly annoyed Darrius.
“None of your business.”
“I thought it had become my business.”
“Only in so far as she’s an expert on religious symbolism in Middle Eastern culture and has returned here to locate the Bahr Al Noor diamond.”
Zaire’s eyes widened, and he huffed in surprise. “Has she now? Well, well. I’ll certainly enjoy escorting her around, showing her the most likely places it might be.”
“You must certainly won’t! All I want from you is to tell me where those places are. I recall your interest in the diamond.”
“More than interest.” Zaire’s expression became uncharacteristically serious. “At the time, I was incensed by what that man did to our country. Lord Gleave has a lot to answer for. Anyway, who is this woman?”
“She’s Dr. Leonora Cooper, of Gleave College, University of Oxford.”
Zaire paled as he sat back. “Why should we help her find what Gleave no doubt stole from us in the first place? Besides, I think Amare would be of more help. He told me some stuff I didn’t know about the diamond that Grandmother told him. But seriously, Darrius, why help someone associated with Gleave?”
“She might be employed by Gleave College, but her heart isn’t there.”
