“My father may decide to behead him if he refuses us,” Jebal said holly. “And after all Dali Capitan has done, such a fate would be just. Do you not agree?”
Murad pinched her from behind.
Alex could hardly breathe. “Of course,” she whispered.
Jebal stormed away.
Alex stared after him, frightened and disbelieving. Was this the kind, sensitive man she had known for an entire year?
“He is supicious,” Murad whispered angrily, breaking into her thoughts.
“I made a mistake.”
“That is an understatement. How am I going to keep you out of trouble, Alex?”
“In the future I will be more careful.”
“Perhaps there will be no future, not for me, not for you, and not for your friend.” Murad took her hand and hurried into the women’s room.
Alex was briefly elated, for it was vacant. She moved immediately to the peephole. A dozen of the bashaw’s closest retainers were already assembled in the hall, a feast was laid out, two dozen slaves were attendant, but she did not see Blackwell. Nor did she see the bashaw, although Jebal was just now striding into the spacious, marble-floored hall. His expression had softened, fortunately.
Although they were currently alone, Alex kept her voice lowered to a whisper. “What do you think will they do to him when he refuses them?” she asked anxiously.
Murad softened. “I don’t think they will behead him. It would be so foolish. They should try more forms of persuasion. In the end, in spite of what you think, he might decide his life is more valuable than his patriotism and his pride.”
Alex faced Murad. “But the bashaw has a terrible temper when he is denied.”
“Farouk will advise him.” He put his arm around her. “You are hurting yourself, Alex. He is forbidden, in every way. Leave him alone. Leave him to his own destiny. Worry about yourself, and your future—here, in Tripoli, with Jebal.”
Alex faced the peephole, but blindly. Murad’s words were frightening. No matter what, her future did not lie in Tripoli, with Jebal. She would have to escape. Sooner, or later. Even, God forbid, alone. Alex suddenly wondered if she could ever travel back to the future if she wanted to—or had to.
The door to the chamber suddenly opened. Alex tensed as Fatima, the bashaw’s first wife, whom Alex actually liked, entered the room with Zoe. Her sister-in-law was the very last person Alex wished to share the women’s room with.
“Hello, Lilli Zohara,” Fatima said with a pleasant smile. She was round and plump.
Before Alex could reply, Zoe smiled, not prettily. “I heard you had come to watch. My, I wonder why you are here, Zohara.”
Alex’s jaw tightened. “Undoubtedly for the same reason as you. I do not like being excluded from important events. In my country, women are included in events like this one.”
Zoe’s dark eyes widened. “In your country? But aren’t you a Moslem now? And Jebal’s wife? Isn’t this your country, Zohara … sister dear?”
What was wrong with her today! Alex regretted her lapse of intelligence and temper. “Of course, how could I have forgotten?” she murmured. Again.
Murad gripped her wrist in warning.
Zoe strutted over to another peephole. “Well, I am here to see if he is as handsome as they say he is.” She darted a sly look at Alex and peered through her peephole. “They say he stands a full head taller than everyone. One of the slaves who helped him bathe today said his body is as hard as a rock—every single inch.” Zoe laughed slyly. “She said he is huge, the biggest she has ever seen.”
Alex flamed. She stared at the laughing Zoe, unable to think of a single thing to say.
“But a man’s penis doesn’t interest you, now does it, Zohara?”
“Lilli Zoe,” Fatima said softly. “Do not fight with your sister.”
Zoe blinked with false innocence at her mother-in-law. “But, Lilli Fatima, I am only teasing my little sister who is so shy about sex! Surely you have seen a man’s penis before, sister dear?”
Alex wanted to say something, anything, but Murad pinched her waist, hard. She closed her mouth.
“Surely your poor dead first husband wasn’t shy. Surely he was manly. You know, the diplomat on Gibraltar who died when you were traveling to join him.” Zoe still smiled, staring at Alex.
