Page 75 of Kismet

Chapter 21

Malevolence twisted Nassar’s lips into a cruel smile, and Allegra fought the urge to flee. Heart pounding with fear, she tried to scream but when she opened her mouth nothing came out. The whip dangling at his side danced against his leg like a poisonous snake eager to inflict its venom. Shuddering, she flinched as she saw his expression change. He’d seen her fear.

Dark and malicious, his smile made her want to weep with terror. Oh God, she wanted Shaheen. She needed him to come for her. The whip bit into her skin, its fangs drawing blood with each bite. Unable to help herself, she shrieked beneath each crippling lash. Where was Shaheen, why didn’t he come for her? Frantic sobs poured out of her throat as she tried to crawl away, but there was nowhere to run. Nowhere to hide.

Gentle hands squeezed hers, as a soft voice spoke her name. With a shrill scream, she jerked awake. Tears streaming down her face, she pulled in deep gasps of air in an effort to breathe. The nightmare still vividly real, she shrank back from the figure leaning over her.

“It’s all right, Aunt Allegra. You’re safe now.” A soft rustle of silk accompanied Cordelia’s voice as her niece’s fingers stroked her forehead to brush a stray curl aside. “The man’s dead, dearest. He can’t hurt you now.”

Trembling with the remnants of her fear, she wiped away the tears from her cheeks. She was no longer in Morocco. She was at Fairfield Oaks. Far away from the desert, but not the horror. Despite Cordelia’s presence, the terror of her dream didn’t fade as she slowly took in the papered walls of the salon. She knew Nassar was dead and couldn’t hurt her any more, but it didn’t ease her fear. It hovered beneath the surface like an insidious creature slithering along every nerve ending until she wanted to claw at her skin to destroy the fear any way she could.

The terror of that night would never leave her. She knew it with a horrible certainty that chilled her. There would never be an escape from it. It was a terrible part of her that would remain with her until she took her last breath. All she could do was pray the nightmares might fade with time. Cordelia touched her cheek then sat down in the chair opposite Allegra’s to study her with an air of deep concern. Guilt pushed through her fear as she met her niece’s gaze.

“You should be in London.”

“Nonsense.” Cordelia snorted in an unladylike manner. “You need me. We’ve only delayed the wedding a few months. Edward understands.”

“Does he?” She shook her head in disbelief. “I wonder.”

“He doesn’t care a fig about the gossip.” Cordelia’s brisk words made her flinch, and her niece was immediately contrite. “Oh dearest, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean it like that.”

“I know. I’m simply sorry that there is gossip.” Allegra averted her gaze and picked at the upholstery of her chair.

Millie had been the one to summon Cordelia to Fairfield Oaks shortly after they’d returned from Morocco. Although she’d angrily questioned her friend’s judgment, she couldn’t deny being happy to see her niece. What she hadn’t expected was for Cordelia to inform her that her secret was not really a secret at all. Since that first awkward moment when her niece had confessed she knew everything about Allegra’s notoriety, she’d skillfully danced around the topic to avoid answering any questions. Cordelia released an exasperated sigh.

“We need to talk about it.”

“No, we don’t,” Allegra snapped.

“I’ve known for several years now.” The quiet statement made her jerk her gaze upward. That long? She swallowed the knot in her throat at the steady and forthright gaze meeting hers. Cordelia shrugged. “One of the girls at school thought to have a bit of sport with me by telling me all about you and her uncle, Lord Stretton.”

“Oh my dear, I’m so sorry.” She closed her eyes for a brief moment as she realized how devastating such an event must have been for her niece.

“I confess it was a bit of a shock when Patricia told me, but I managed to make her think I’d known all along.” Cordelia shrugged. “But I understand why you did it, and I adore you for it.”

“Why…I did it?” She stared at her niece in bewilderment.

“When I asked Millie about the matter, she explained about grandmother…my mother and you.” Cordelia bit her lip as her eyes welled with tears. “When someone loves you, they protect you. You did what you had to do to keep me safe. I’ve had the home and love you and my mother never had as children, and I shall love you for it always.”

The love and acceptance in her niece’s voice created a knot in her throat as she saw the tears in Cordelia’s brown eyes. She was the image of Elizabeth, and she knew her sister would have been so proud. As if embarrassed by her emotional state, Cordelia pulled a handkerchief out of the cuff of her sleeve and dried her eyes. With a sniff, her niece returned the linen to its resting place and shook her head.

“I need to go see why Jamal is taking so long with that pot of tea I asked him to bring us.”

“Perhaps he’s trying to sweet talk Millie out of one of those scones he loves so much.” Allegra smiled as she visualized the Bedouin teasing his new wife into giving him one of the delicious treats.

“Blast! I forgot the man loves those scones as much as I do.” Cordelia leapt to her feet. “I’d better make sure he left some for us.”

“It doesn’t matter. I’m not really in the mood for tea, and I have some correspondence to answer. As I recall, you have some mail to respond to as well.” She laughed at the flush of color that rose in Cordelia’s cheeks. Edward’s missives were always the highlight of her niece’s daily activities.

“I do need to write him back.” The color in Cordelia’s cheeks heightened before her frown returned. “Are you sureyou won’t let me send Jamal in with some tea for you?”

“Perhaps later. I really do need to answer some of my letters. If I don’t, some of my friends are apt to come drag me back to London before I’m ready,” she said as she rose from her chair. She sent Cordelia a reassuring smile, but her niece’s frown darkened.

“But—”

“It was only a dream, Cordelia.” She kept her voice firm and devoid of emotion.

“Yes, but I’m sure if you talked about it….”