Tilly was cheerful, inquisitive and blissfully accepting of the deference accorded them. Once in the private jet, which was so luxurious that Georgie had to make an effort to keep her mouth shut lest it hit the ground, she had proceeded to explore every nook and cranny not out of bounds. She blithely babbled away non-stop to the crew, which included two minders and a charming young girl who seemed to have a never-ending array of tasty finger food, which kept appearing at various intervals.
By the time the plane began its descent, Georgie was exhausted and Tilly was asleep. She gasped as the heavy door slid open and the heat assailed her.
Looking around her for some familiar point of reference, her eyes fell on the sleek black limo slowly heading towards the jet.
Abe. It had to be. Relief washed over her as she made her way down the metal steps with Tilly draped over her, softly snoring.
From behind the blacked-out windows of his chauffeur driven limousine, Abe watched Georgie as she emerged from the jet, pink-faced and bemused, with Tilly in her arms.
A sudden wave of protectiveness threatened to overwhelm him. In the space of a week, he had rediscovered a woman he’d never forgotten and become a father to a child he was yet to meet while she was awake!
A beautiful daughter. A woman who would become his wife, if he could just convince her to see things his way. That this was right. That this made perfect sense. A marriage of convenience between two consenting adults, both of whom would put Tilly at the forefront of their lives. He wouldn’t make the same mistake as his father by falling in love with his wife, devastating him and their child when she died. No, he would go into this marriage with his eyes wide open, as would Georgie, and, with no expectations of love on the table, nobody would get hurt. It was the ideal solution and he would strive with everything that was in him to bring it about.
He vaulted out of the car before his driver could obey protocol and open the door for him, and walked towards Georgie.
She was in a pair of trousers and a blouse and she looked utterly at sea.
‘Abe!’
Abe paused as Tilly, still nestled into Georgie’s shoulder, opened her eyes and looked at him drowsily for the first time.
His daughter...his flesh and blood...
He had felt more than a twinge of guilt knowing that the proposal he had left Georgie to mull over could only really have one outcome. Because Tilly was his heir, a princess in her own right. She would need the protection only he could provide. He just had to find the right way to explain that to Georgie.
He had already explained the situation to his father, who assumed that they would be married.
Any guilt, however, was swept aside the minute he saw Tilly. He reached out, displaying a lot more confidence than he felt, to take her from Georgie, so he could hold her for the very first time.
She was warm and soft against him and he breathed her in, astonished at how primal his urge to protect her was. Where his defences were used to being up when it came to the entire human race, this small child had managed to obliterate them simply by being his daughter.
‘How was the flight over?’ he asked, ushering Georgie into the blissful cool of the limo, relinquishing Tilly to her as she slid in.
‘Very smooth, thank you.’
‘You must feel out of your depth, but please don’t.’ He sat back, angling himself so that he could look at her. She looked flustered and uncomfortable. ‘It might feel very alien for a while being over here and I’m very grateful that you agreed to come. It was a big step and an important one for Tilly to be introduced to Qaram.’
‘Not that she’ll have the faintest idea what it’s all about.’
‘She’s here and I’m here and we will have to explain who I am to her.’
‘She’s too young to ask questions or understand the answers properly,’ Georgie said truthfully. After the bewildering and hasty preparations to get here, she felt drained and there was still so much to discuss. His marriage proposal seemed like a dream, but it wasn’t. It was just that she couldn’t face talking about it now, when it could only lead to an argument she wanted to avoid on day one. Defences down, exhausted as Tilly sleepily nuzzled against her shoulder, she rested against the seat and closed her eyes. Abe was here, an anchor in this alien environment whether she liked it or not.
‘Growing up in the vicarage...’ she half yawned, not opening her eyes ‘...I had loads of contact with young children, especially in challenging circumstances. Parishioners would come, pour out their problems, brings their kids with them and I would play with them, look after them, talk to them. They’re very robust. Much more adaptable than adults think they are.’ She turned to look at him and blushed at the intensity of his dark gaze. Outside, an arid scenery flashed past but then the sprawl of the city began taking over and her interest was piqued.
She asked questions, sat straighter. There was a minimalist beauty about it. Tall white buildings, glass and steel, as modern as anything to be found anywhere.
‘There aren’t many people walking around,’ she remarked, turning to him.
‘You live in London,’ Abe said wryly. ‘You’re accustomed to pavements thronging with people. My entire country has a fraction of the number of people living in London alone and yet it is much bigger. You will never see crowds surging along roads. The intense heat also makes it uncomfortable to be outside for long periods of time.’
‘I like that,’ Georgie admitted. ‘I went to London after Ibiza because that was where I knew the jobs would be. One of the guys at the restaurant I worked at was related to Duncan. He recommended me for the job. There would have been nothing for me in the country but I missed the peace and the quiet.’
‘Was it...hectic caring for a young baby amidst the chaos of an overpopulated city?’ Abe asked.
‘Exhausting. You try taking an infant on public transport. Nightmare.’
Abe felt another stab of remorse that she’d gone through that experience all alone, without him. If he’d been there for her when Tilly was a baby, they’d have been married by now... He made suitably empathetic noises and spent the rest of the trip explaining just how calm Qaram was, how still the dunes were at night, how clear the skies were. The subject of his marriage proposal sat like a white elephant between them, but he knew this was neither the time nor the place to bring it up and he guessed she felt the same. In the temporary lull, he intended to push the advantages of his country as much as he could. All was fair in love and war, even if it was paternal love he was fighting for...
