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“Did I not promise you state of the art?”
She placed her hand on the window. “Yes, but I’ve been made promises before.”
And had been disappointed, Tariq assumed, based on the manner in which she made that statement. How would she react when she learned it had been him who’d stalled her chances of funding in the States?
“There’s even a whiteboard to write on. For some reason, I had to fight to get one of those at the university.” Amazement and pleasure flowed in her words.
Tariq smiled. The simplest things pleased her. “My planners and I tried to think of everything.”
She turned. “All seems in order. I look forward to starting my work. I have a box of books and things that need to be brought here from the palace.”
“I’ll see that Nasser takes care of it tomorrow. Now I think it is time you get some rest. You have had a tiring day.”
He checked his watch. “We must go. I have a meeting at the palace.”
While they were retracing their steps to the front of the building Laurel asked, “When were you going to tell me about Roji and your brother having hemophilia?”
“I thought it would come out. Zara told you about Rasheed, did she not?”
“She did. But why not mention it earlier? Didn’t you think it would be of interest to me?”
He looked at her. “That is the problem. Too many people are interested.”
“The media?”
“Yes. Some things even royalty has the right to privacy about.”
“But you have built a lab to help find a cure. You brought me here. Don’t you think the media might help shine a light on the issue of living with hemophilia? And that I could keep the information about your family confidential? Your words and actions are contradictory.”
“I do not mean them to be. Some people react negatively to my family’s disease.” A couple of times Tariq had shared with close friends about his family. They had acted as if they were contagious. Even some of his past relationships with women had died because he had stated he never wanted children because of the medical issues in his family.
“And you thought I would?”
He did not like being forced to explain himself. “Truthfully, old habits die hard and I did not want it to look like I was hiring you to come to Zentar just to aid my family. There are too many others in my country who will benefit from your work. I want the focus to be on them. Start with them.”
Laurel walked through the door opening into the lobby. “Okay, I can sort of understand that line of thinking. By the way, I was sorry to hear about your brother. That must have been difficult.”
“Very.” Rasheed had been the middle son and Tariq’s closest friend. Their oldest brother had been busy with duties as the successor to the crown and later as the King. Free of that hereditary load, he and Rasheed had had a chance at a more casual life and had made the most of it. Tariq missed him daily.
“Do others in the family have hemophilia?”
“The King and his son.”
She stared at him. “And you have it as well.” Her words were a thoughtful statement, not a question.
He wanted this conversation to go away yet he was left no choice but to answer. “No. I’m the only male in the family who does not. Apparently my father’s genes were more involved in my creation than my mother’s.”
She pursed her lips and nodded thoughtfully. “Your family is an interesting case. I’ve never had an opportunity to study an entire family. I must study yours while I’m in Zentar.”
His jaw tightened. By the look on Laurel’s face he had no chance of talking her out of it.
“Is there a problem? All that would be involved is some blood work and a few minutes of conversation.”
“My family has many obligations.”
“Surely they aren’t so busy they wouldn’t want to help discover a cure. You make it sound as if finding a therapy for hemophilia is important to you yet you barely let me in on your family secret. It doesn’t make sense. What are you afraid of?”
“Nothing. I just cannot speak for other members of my family.”
She threw him an irritated look. “Really? After you brought me here to do research on the disorder?”
“It is not something that we discuss outside our family.”
Was he serious? “I guess, based on our show today, I’m family now. So I’d be the perfect person for them to discuss it with. I don’t understand you stonewalling me on this. It seems to me that looking at your family history would be a logical place to begin my study.”
He raised his chin. “The royal family must not show weakness.”
Her mouth dropped in disbelief. “Would the people of your country really see the royal family as doing that? There shouldn’t be a stigma around hemophilia in this day and age.”
“Some do. I am working to change that attitude.”
“As you should. No one has to know I am studying the family. I could start with you.”
“But, as I told you, I don’t have hemophilia.”
Laurel’s eyes narrowed as she considered him a moment. “Could the reason you’re putting up this resistance have something to do with you feeling guilty about not having the disease?”
A pain as if a vice squeezed his chest made him come to an abrupt halt. She saw that.
“I’m sorry.” She stepped up to him, laying a hand on his arm.
Tariq looked away and bit out, “There is nothing to be sorry for. It is a good thing I do not have the disease.”
“It is. It must be difficult to be the outsider.”
“Not as hard as it is to live with the disease.” His retort came out flatly.
“That’s true.” She rubbed his arm.
He took a step back, out of her reach. Her pity he was not interested in.
Laurel’s hand dropped. “We’ll find a cure.”
The tense moments between them ended when his phone buzzed. He answered, “Prince Tariq.”
He listened for a moment and then spoke swiftly in his native language before hanging up. “That was Zara. Roji is well. Running around
as if nothing had happened. The resilience of children is amazing.”
Her fingertips brushed his arm briefly. “I am glad to hear it.”
Tariq appreciated her touch of reassurance this time. Laurel had discovered his secret so easily. He had worked hard to keep his guilt at bay and she had seen right through him. As far as he knew, no one else recognized his burden. Tariq’s gut had clenched to see the fear in his nephew’s eyes when he had been told he would have to go to the hospital. The research that would come out of the new clinic would one day mean that fewer children like Roji would have to be rushed away every time they had a simple fall.
Roji looked so much like Rasheed. The boy was a daily reminder of what Tariq had lost. He had no intention of letting him suffer the same fate as his father, was determined to see advances made in the knowledge of hemophilia. Laurel was right. Their family should be more open about having the disease. He had been protecting them for so long, and in turn himself, it was difficult to let go of that mindset.
Laurel watched him with that same intent expression she had worn when they had been at the lab. The one that made him believe he had gone up in her estimation.
“You really care about your family, don’t you?” She still considered him closely.
“It is the way we were taught. You care for yours. It comes through when you speak of them. We have another thing we can agree on.”
She smiled. One that he would enjoy seeing again. “I would’ve thought it impossible but we do.” Her astonishment rang clear.
“And there is another. We have medicine.” Why did he care if they had anything in common? She was here to work, nothing more. Friendship was not even necessary. Yet he wanted her to like him or, if she did not, at least respect him. “Nasser waits. We should be on our way to the palace.”
Minutes later they were on their way back in the car. As they approached the palace Laurel peered out the window. “It’s so beautiful. And intimidating.”
“You will soon learn your way around.”
“I won’t be here that long,” she said, as much to herself as him.
