you and Fleur, Tanya,’ Mariella heard herself pointing out to her sister almost sharply.
The look Tanya gave her confirmed her own realisation of what she had done.
‘How can you support him, Ella?’ Tanya demanded. ‘He threatened to stop Khalid’s allowance; he would have left me and Fleur to starve,’ she added dramatically.
‘That’s not true, Tanya, and not fair either,’ Mariella felt bound to correct her, but she couldn’t quite bring herself to tell her sister that it was her own opinion that Khalid was both weak and self-indulgent and that he had selfishly put his own needs before those of his lover and their child. She could see already the beginnings of a sulky pout turning down the corners of Tanya’s mouth and her heart sank. She had no wish to quarrel with her sister, but at the same time she couldn’t help feeling that Tanya wasn’t treating her own behaviour with regard to her maternal responsibilities towards Fleur anywhere near as seriously as she should have been doing.
‘Well, we’re married now and there’s nothing that Xavier can do about it! And he knows it!’
Mariella knew that this was not true and that Xavier could have carried out his threat to stop paying Khalid his allowance, and also remove him from his sinecure of a job. However, she also knew from what Madame Flavel had innocently told her that Xavier had not done so because of Fleur.
‘Oh, and you’ll never guess what,’ Tanya told her excitedly. ‘I haven’t had the opportunity to tell you yet, but Khalid is insisting on taking me for an extended honeymoon trip. We’re going to take Fleur with us, of course, and then once we get back I suppose we will have to make our home here in Zuran, but Khalid has promised me that we’ll get away as often as we can. He says that we can have our own villa and that I can choose everything myself! Oh, and look at my engagement ring. Isn’t it beautiful?’
‘Very,’ Mariella agreed cordially as she studied the huge solitaire flashing on her sister’s hand.
‘I can’t tell you how happy I am, Ella,’ Tanya breathed ecstatically. ‘And you have looked after my darling baby so well for me. I have missed you so much, my sweet,’ Tanya cooed, blowing kisses to her daughter. ‘Your daddy and I can’t wait to have you all to ourselves.’
As she listened to her sister a small shadow crossed Mariella’s face, but she was determined not to spoil Tanya’s happiness by letting her see how much she was dreading losing Fleur.
‘It all sounds very exciting,’ she responded, forcing a smile as she looked up and saw the expectant look on her sister’s face.
‘When will you be leaving?’
‘Tomorrow! Everything’s already arranged. Khalid just wanted to come to Zuran to tell Xavier about our marriage, and to collect Fleur, of course…’
‘Of course,’ Mariella agreed hollowly.
‘Ella, I can’t thank you enough for looking after Fleur for me. We’re both really grateful to you, aren’t we, Khalid?’
‘Yes, we are,’ her new brother-in-law agreed.
Mariella was still holding Fleur, not wanting to physically part with her until she absolutely had to, whilst Tanya said her goodbyes to Madame Flavel and Xavier.
Tanya was still behaving very coolly towards Xavier, only speaking to him when she had to do so.
‘Darling, can you take Fleur out to the car?’ she instructed Khalid.
Mariella could feel herself stiffening as Khalid went to take the baby from her, and, whether because of that or because as yet Fleur was not used to her father, as he reached for her the little baby suddenly screwed up her face and started to cry.
Immediately Khalid pulled back from her looking flustered and irritable.
‘Here, let me take her!’
Xavier quietly removed Fleur from Mariella’s arms, before she could object. He smiled down at Fleur and soothed her, whilst she gazed back at him wide-eyed, her tears immediately ceasing.
Out of the corner of her eye Mariella saw that Tanya had started to glower at Xavier, obviously resenting the fact that Fleur was more comfortable with him than with her father, but before she could say anything Khalid was urging her to hurry.
They went out to the car together, Xavier still holding Fleur, Mariella wincing in the blast of hot air.
As soon as she got into the car, Tanya held out her arms to him for Fleur, but to Mariella’s surprise, instead of handing Fleur to Tanya, Xavier gave her to Mariella.
Mariella could feel her eyes burning with emotional tears, her throat closing up as her feelings threatened to overwhelm her. It was almost as though Xavier could sense how she felt and wanted to give her one last precious chance to hold Fleur before she had to part with her.
Bending her head, she kissed her niece and then quickly handed her over to her sister.
When the car taking them to the airport finally pulled away, Mariella could only see it through a blur.
‘Let’s get out of this wind,’ she heard Xavier telling her when the car had finally disappeared from sight.
If he was aware of her tears he was discreet enough not to show it, simply ushering her back to the villa without making any other comment.
However, once they were inside, Mariella took a deep breath and made her voice sound as businesslike as she could as she told him, ‘I’ll make arrangements to leave just as soon as I can arrange somewhere else to stay.’
‘What on earth are you talking about?’ Xavier demanded sharply. ‘Nothing has changed. You are still a single young woman who is a member of my family, and as such your place is still here beneath my roof and my protection! This should be your home whilst you’re in Zuran,’ Xavier told her.
Mariella opened her mouth to argue with him and then closed it again. It was just because she was feeling so upset about losing Fleur that his statement was giving her this odd sense of heady relief, she told herself defensively. It had nothing to do with… any other reason. Nothing at all!
Mariella was dreaming. She was dreaming that she was all alone in an unfamiliar room, lying on a large bed and crying for Fleur, and then suddenly the door opened and Xavier came in. Walking over to the bed, he sat down beside her and reached out for her hand.
‘You are crying for the child,’ he told her softly. ‘But you must not. I shall give you a child of your own to love. Our child!’ As she looked at him he started to touch her, smoothing the covers from her naked body with hands that seemed to know just how to please her. Bending his head, he started to kiss her, a slow, magically tender kiss, which quickly began to burn with the heat of a fierce passion. She could feel her whole body trembling with need and longing! And not just for the child he had promised her, but for Xavier himself!
His hands cupped her breasts, his grey eyes liquid with arousal as he gazed at them, shockingly sensual words of praise falling from his lips as he whispered to her how much he wanted her. He kissed each rosy crest, savouring their shape and sensitivity with his lips and tongue until she was clinging to him, digging her nails into his back as she submitted to her own desire.
Possessively she measured
