AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Yet you don't like it when it is done to you, do you?
His eyes scanned the notes, which were gratifyingly brief—simply stating that his home had been in the Marais There was his school record, naturally, and a list of his mother's patchy employment history—it had suited her and her employers for her to be paid cash-in-hand, so that her name appeared as infrequently as possible on national records
He saw now why the newspapers had always come up with a blank whenever they had tried to investigate his past Apart from a few non-starter articles by a couple of ex-school friends—who had provided the unsurprising facts that as a youth he had been a bit of a loner and popular with the girls— there had been nothing 'Not very much,' he observed
'Surprisingly little,' agreed Laura
So his mother's wish had been granted, he thought, in a rare moment of reflection She had strived for and achieved a private life which had bordered on the secretive Had that contributed to his cool detachment—his almost icy indifference to relationships which women had always complained about?
He stared at Laura 'Does he have sons of his own?' he questioned suddenly ‘I mean legitimate sons?' 'No,' she answered slowly 'He has no legitimate sons '
'So maybe he's clutching at straws—desperate to find someone he can call his own What exactly is the purpose of this trip?' Xavier questioned
Laura saw the way his mouth hardened Isn't it obvious?'
Is it? A reunion inspired by sentiment or practicality, I wonder?' he queried, his voice brittle with sarcasm 'Does a powerful man ache to see his seed made flesh before he passes from this world into the next? Or is he planning to allocate his riches to a man who grew up in relative poverty?' His black eyes glittered 'Do you think I am about to inherit a vast fortune, cherie?
'That's a very mercenary attitude,' she said
'You think so?' He shook his dark head 'Non I am merely being practical Or would you think it more appropriate if I affected wide-eyed surprise if such an offer was made to me? 1
'That's what most people would do,' she said, thinking about the readings of wills she'd had to deal with during the course of her career, and the baser instincts it brought out in people
'Well, I don't need or want his damned money' continued Xavier, as if she hadn't spoken 'Even sheikhs must learn that loyalty and affection cannot just be bought at the end of a lifetime '
It seemed a curiously moral attitude for a notorious playboy to have, and was an insight into a character Laura suspected was far more complex than it first seemed
The stewardess chose that moment to arrive with the wine, and Laura was glad to have the distraction of dark burgundy being poured into crystal glasses She took a large mouthful
Is that better?' he questioned softly 'Much better It's delicious '
Xavier sipped his own wine as he watched her, aware that the balance of information was tipped heavily in her favour What did he know of her, after all? Wasn't it perhaps time he started to even things up?
'So tell me about your connection with the royal family of Kharastan '
It was more a command than a question 1 have been in the employ of the AkAtyn family for a month '
'Only a month?' Xavier's eyes narrowed 'So short a time to be entrusted with such a personal matter'
1 was employed by Sheikh Zahir specifically for this purpose,' she said softly
'To bring me to him?'
'That's right. I'm an expert on family law—and all Kharastani legal documents are drawn up in English, too'
'So how come a nice girl like you ends up running errands for a sheikh?'
'Thank you for your supposition that I'm nice '
'Don't you have a boyfriend who minds you going on missions to ensnare strange Frenchmen?'
Laura raised her eyebrows 'Why would he mind? Are you one of those men who thinks a woman needs permission to breathe?'
'So you do have a boyfriend?'
'Actually, I don't'. Now, why had she told him that 'And is my personal life really relevant?'
Xavier made a small sound of exasperation 'Why do lawyers never answer questions directly?'
