Within the harem sensuality was openly discussed, butshe had never heard such a statement from a man. She wondered curiously justhow many women this crusader had taken to his bed. Judging by his overwhelmingmasculinity and those stunning blue eyes, she guessed five score or better. Nodoubt his sexual prowess rivaled that of any sultan with a harem at his beckand call.
"Do not converse with him, Leila,"Sinjaradmonished her, frowning as he concocted a syrupymedication. "Tell him that this medicine will help to ease his pain andthen say nothing more unless I give you leave to do so."
"He was asking forsirwal,'tis all," she replied, affronted by the coldness in her father's voice.She knelt and rummaged in one of the leather bags so he might not see that shewas blushing from her carnal imaginings.
She found fresh linen and ointment and busied herselfwith changing the crusader's bandage. All the while he watched her, even whenher father administered a large dose of the syrup, but she refused to meet hiseyes, concentrating very hard on her task instead.
She noted that the swelling around the wound wasbeginning to recede, despite the rough handling he had received and his ownfutile struggles. She wondered if he would remember his stay in GovernorMawdud'sprison whenever he looked at the scar, and perhapseven remember her
Whatever was she thinking?shechided herself, throwing the unused bandages into the opened bag. What did shecare if this barbarian remembered her or not? She would certainly forget him!
"I'm finished," Leila said, glancing at herfather as she rose to her feet.
"As am I,"Sinjarresponded. "Tell him he must rest and eat as much of his meals as hepossibly can stomach. We will return tomorrow morning, and each morning after,to check on his recovery."
She spoke as her father bade her, the words practicallyrunning together in her haste to be gone from the cell and this man'sunsettling scrutiny. Remarkably, her English was coming much easier to her now.
"Then I shall look forward to the morrow . . .Leila."
Stunned to hear her name upon the crusader's lips, utteredwith a deep huskiness that she found wholly disconcerting, she could not leavethe cell fast enough. She leaned against the cool wall outside, and wasrelieved when her father shortly followed.
Leila attached her face veil with shaking fingers andremained silent until she and her father had left the prison. A single questionplagued her. She blinked in the bright midday sunshine when they first steppedoutside, then proceeded along the sloping street only a short distance beforeshe blurted, "Why a slave, Father? Why?"
Sinjarstopped and staredinto her eyes, his expression deadly serious. "A necessary ploy, mydaughter. If the crusader deems you are unimportant to me, he will not attemptto use you to gain his freedom. You saw how furious he was when we firstentered the cell. Men such as he chafe at captivity and consider desperate actswhen confinement becomes unbearable."
Leila felt a chill. "Desperate acts?"
"An improbability now—at least I hope it is so,"Sinjarreplied. "If the crusader believes youare only a slave, then he must also believe we would cut him down long beforewe came to your rescue, should he try to bargain his way to freedom bythreatening your life. Such a rash move would get him nowhere." He claspedher arms so suddenly that she gasped. "But I tell you this, Leila.GovernorMawdud'sransom is lost if the crusader somuch as touches you."
She was stunned by the raw vehemence in her father'svoice. It was at times such as this that she realized how much he loved her, nomatter that she was his adopted daughter and a Christian.
"If Jamal were home from Cairo, I would have himassist me in the days to come rather than expose you to possible harm,"Sinjarcontinued grimly.
"But that cannot be helped, Father. The caliphneeds Jamal until the smallpox has fled from his family."
"True." He pressed his lips together,thinking,thenregarded her sharply. "I havedecided. From now on you will attend to the crusader only when I cannot, whichI hope will be rare. And when you do, I will make it clear to the captain thatyou must be very well guarded." He released her, the tightness in hisexpression easing as if his decision gave him some peace of mind. "Come,my daughter. Patients await us at the hospital."
As they walked together down the street, her fatheracknowledging greetings from passersby, Leila hoped that indeed her visits tothe prison would be few. After hearing the crusader's wild threats and curses,she had no wish to bear the brunt of his desperate, barbarous acts.
***
"So they're holding you for a bloody ransom, deWarenne," Guy muttered tightly to himself, wincing atthe searing fire in his shoulder as he shifted upon the rigid cots. "Thewily bastards."
He rubbed his thick wrists, chafed raw from theshackles, his eyes moving from one wall to the next, then to the door, and backto the barred window. Again and again his gaze circled the small cramped celluntil desperation clutched at his throat, threatening to choke him.
By the breath of God, it wasn't good enough! Whatever theamount of the ransom, he had no doubt that Edward would pay it. Yet it might bedays, weeks, maybe a month or more before he was released. He would go mad longbefore that. He felt half mad already!
Even now he could feel the rough stone walls closing inaround him, suffocating him, like the walls in that tiny prison cell eightyears ago . . .
Panicking, Guy gasped for breath, feeling suddenly asif a crushing load were pressing upon his chest. He threw an arm over his eyesin an attempt to block out the dark, terrible memories, but they kept coming.
Memories of betrayal and death and utter hopelessness,of hunger so severe that he had eaten rats to stay alive, hit him with fullforce, so vivid, so real that he could have sworn he was once again in that sameblack hellhole. God help him, he had to think of something else fast before thememories completely overwhelmed him. He had to think—"Leila! "
Guy cried out her name before he even realized it,thenwhispered it again and again like a powerful chant toward off the horrible darkness. As he frantically conjured her face and litheform in his mind, his nightmare visions gradually loosened their icy grip uponhim and began to recede.
Leila.
He thought of her stunning violet eyes, her seductiverose-red lips,herbreasts straining against herclothing like lush ripe fruit. The crushing load grew lighter, and he sucked ingreatlungfulsof air until he was able to breatheagain.
