raised a brow. “I don’t think you’d know her.”
“I might.” I might know her better than you think.
Turning back to inspect Jabbar’s coat, she said, “Susie Anderson.”
No. He had not made love with a Susie, he’d be willing to bet. His heart lifted. “Your friends all seemed real nice. The ones I got to meet at graduation anyway.”
She nodded. “Thanks.”
This was definitely a dead end. He couldn’t come right out and ask her about some girl and give her a description without her figuring out why he was asking.
“Aunt Rose mentioned that you’re probably going to be taking a little trip of your own soon,” Jessica said, glancing at him with a saucy smile. “A honeymoon maybe.”
He stared at her, his eyes wide with shock at hearing her speak what he didn’t want to think about. There was no way he could ask Jess about one of her girlfriends when he was as good as promised to another woman.
“Maybe,” was all he said as he fled the stable.
ROSE DIDN’T BELIEVE for one minute that her sons intended to fall in willingly with an arranged marriage. Prince Makin had been shocked and might have gone along with it, but yesterday Prince Kadar had possessed a mischievous glint in his eyes that spelled a rocky road ahead for the plan. She smiled to herself. Kadar would require a much defter hand when it came time to plan his engagement. If only he knew how much an Arabian prince he truly was! His wife would be hard-pressed to keep him out of the harem.
Of course, Ibrahim had been much like Kadar in his appreciation of women—until he’d met her. Perhaps it was simply finding the one woman of Kadar’s heart for him to be captured completely.
It had not escaped her notice that Makin was more reticent than ever when it came to dating, even stating once that he would never marry. That’s why she’d thought that he was best suited for an arranged match with Serena Al Farid—notwithstanding the fact that he was the son second in line in the ascension.
How much she would like her sons to regain their rightful place! Pulling this marriage off before Azzam discovered it would be fortunate beyond words. Her princes deserved their father’s heritage.
She hadn’t counted on Kadar’s very definite opposition to his twin’s engagement. Perhaps in time he would come to see that Makin, with his avowed dislike of dating, could best benefit by this arrangement. It would not require his heart to be involved, which might suit Makin just fine.
Perhaps she needed to explain her thoughts to Kadar. Having him understand that she hadn’t coldly arranged this match out of a desire for power could be the key. She went in search of him in his quarters.
Kadar’s room was empty. Rose turned, meeting Ella in the hallway.
“Have you seen Cade?” Rose asked the housekeeper.
Ella gave her a strange look. “He left for Saudi Arabia this afternoon, remember?”
How could she have forgotten! This marriage weighed so heavily on her mind. “I had forgotten. Thank you for reminding me.”
It didn’t matter. She could talk to him when he returned from his business trip. A few days wouldn’t make any difference, and would give her time to work on Makin.
“Ella,” Rose said suddenly, turning to call after her. “Do you happen to know if Mac is in the house?”
“He went to look at some foals up in the Panhandle. Didn’t he tell you? He said he was going to.” Now Ella’s expression was perplexed.
Rose shook her head before she could give away her own surprise. It wasn’t like Makin to disappear like that! Perhaps her suggestion of an arranged marriage had rattled him more than he wanted to admit.
Then again, a few days to himself to digest the startling suggestion she’d put forth might be the best thing.
For just a moment, Rose wondered if Kadar was up to something. It was strange that both men were gone at once.
Then she shrugged it off. Kadar and Makin were grown men. They wouldn’t do anything rash.
CADE WAS ASTONISHED when his plane was met by a respectful retinue of men dressed in long robes and head ornamentation. Though he was wearing jeans and boots, he went through the traditional Arabian greetings.
“Welcome, Prince Makin,” one serious-looking official said to him.
Cade started. “I—” He swallowed. This was the time to come clean, to say that he was not the prince they thought. “I am happy to be here,” he said. All he’d done was place a call to the king’s adviser to let him know he’d dash by for a quick meeting with the ruler before he went on his travels. He hadn’t expected the royal treatment!
“The king awaits your arrival,” a taller man said, pointing Cade toward a black Mercedes limo.
Cade got in. I’m doing this for my brother. I can handle lunch with the king. It’s not an afternoon of business golf or anything. It’s lunch, a little schmoozing, hopefully a sneak peek at the princess, and I’m outta here.
His stomach tightened as the five stern-looking officials fitted themselves into the limo around him. It was clear that this was a mission of utmost dignity for them. The bulletproof windows were meaningful evidence that everything about this mission was important. His brother would not have enjoyed this grave treatment at all.
Any princess that lives with this bunch of stiffs guarding her is probably going to be a pain in the rump, he told himself.
I’m doing the right thing for Mac.
PRINCESS SERENA Wilson-Al Farid allowed her maidservants to dress her in silence. To her surprise, Serena had learned that her intended groom was already on the way from the airport to meet her. Apparently he was more eager than she for the match. In one way, it was a compliment to her.
In another way, it had to mean that Prince Makin was very interested in solidifying his position within the royal family and possibly securing a future throne for himself. This was the most likely scenario, and Serena had to admit she didn’t much like the sensation that she was merely a marital chip to one man’s ambition.
And yet that was the reality of her situation.
“You are beautiful, Princess,” she was duly informed.
It wouldn’t matter if she were as ugly as intrigue, but she nodded in thanks for the compliment.
The ladies bowed their heads to her respectfully as they filed from the room. Serena glanced down at the shimmering cloth that had been skillfully draped to cover her and yet reveal her feminine charms and beauty. Amethyst with gold adornment highlighted her hair and the depth of her eyes.
It was all rather wasted on an American cowboy.
She could only pray that Prince Makin was kind, that he was at least handsome enough that she could stand to look at him in the light of day, and that he wasn’t overly impressed with himself. Americans tended to think highly of themselves. Men in general were that way.
