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“I begged to be your maid, Your Highness.”
She looked up. “Why would you do that?”
“The little boy you saved in the market.” Her face glowed. “He’s my brother.”
Beth stared at her, then a lump loosened in her throat. “Thank you, Rayah.”
“Such a beautiful dress,” the girl sighed when she saw the traditional Samarqari gown. She carefully hung it up on the door of the walk-in closet. “Now. What do you require first? Some food? A rose-water bath to prepare for the banquet?”
Food was the last thing on Beth’s mind. Suddenly, all she wanted was privacy, so she could call her sister. She thought of her handbag, tucked into the closet. “Um...a bath? A bath would be great.”
With a bow, the maid departed to the enormous en suite bathroom.
Rushing to walk-in closet, Beth found her phone. She gasped when she saw she’d had ten—ten!—missed calls from Edith. Her sister, who never called anyone, had apparently been trying to reach her for the last hour. Glancing towards the bathroom, where she heard the water running, Beth closed the closet door for privacy and dialed her sister’s number.
For the first time ever, Edith answered her phone on the first ring.
“What’s going on?” her sister cried. “Why haven’t you called me back?”
At another time, Beth might have found Edith’s question ironic, after her own hundreds of unanswered phone calls. But now, Beth’s eyes filled with tears. It was good to hear her sister’s voice.
“The king picked me as his bride. Can you believe it?” Her voice choked on a sob. “He announced our betrothal in front of everyone.”
“I know,” Edith said.
“You—you know?”
“It’s all over the news. The lab phone started ringing off the hook. I saw the video of him choosing you in front of his palace. Oh, Bethie, how could you do it? How could you make him love you?”
“Love me?” Beth gasped. Bitterly, she wiped her eyes. “He doesn’t love me!”
“Why else would he choose you?”
She thought of the way his handsome face had glowed when he’d spoken her name from the palace steps. The fire in his eyes as he’d kissed her.
“It doesn’t matter now,” she said soddenly. “He’s just found out I’m not you. And now he hates me.”
“Come home,” Edith said immediately.
“I can’t.”
“Of course you can. Grab a taxi and head for the airport.”
“You have to give back all his money. Please, Edith, you must—”
“Fine.”
“Fine?” Beth said in shock.
Her sister paused. “This has all been more trouble than I imagined. I’ve been sleeping at the lab, like you asked. I’ve sworn my assistants to secrecy but a colleague saw me this morning.”
“Omar’s vizier just found out you’re in Houston.”
“Then it’s just a matter of time before the press gets wind of the twin-switch story. Come home.”
“I can’t. The king’s put guards at my door.” Beth gave a forced laugh. “I might go to prison.”
“Prison?” Edith, always so cool and controlled, gave a curse that made Beth blush. “Forget that. I’m going to send the army and the Marines and even the Scouts to get you out.”
