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She had told Zain that she would be back late-afternoon but she planned to surprise him with an early arrival, telling the palace staff to keep quiet. Although, she realised now, it might not be much of a surprise if he was tied up in meetings all morning.
Quietly entering the sitting room, which was empty, she moved through to the bedroom they shared. It was empty, the bedclothes rumpled, which was surprising, considering how keen the housekeeping was under Layla’s watchful eye.
Ah, well, at least Abby would have time to repair the ravages wrought by the flight. Dropping her handbag, she walked across to the bed, automatically twitching the quilt to pull it into place. As she did so, something glittered as it fell. Abby bent to pick up the small, shining object and as she lifted it her heart stopped.
She had seen the very distinctive diamond earring before, she realised. Kayla had been wearing it that first day in the stables. A whimper escaped her white, clenched lips.
The hand she pressed to her mouth to contain further cries shook; she shook everywhere as she stared at the tiny object that had shattered any and all illusions she had built up about how Zain might really feel.
She couldn’t be angry that their marriage was a sham—it was meant to be a sham—but she could be angry and hurt and mad as hell that he was a cheat!
She backed away from the bed, unable to bear the things she saw when she stared at it—her bed, their bed...it felt like a violation that he had taken her to their bed...maybe not even for the first time.
‘Oh, excuse me... I am so sorry.’
Wiping her eyes with the back of her hand, Abby spun around to see a young woman in the uniform worn by the household staff standing there.
The girl dropped a curtsey. ‘So sorry to disturb you but I...’ She saw the diamond sparkling in Abby’s hand and exclaimed. ‘Oh, you have found it! I am so grateful.’
Smiling, she went to grab the earring out of Abby’s hand but Abby’s fingers closed over it. There was something strangely familiar about the girl.
‘It is a very pretty thing,’ Abby said, realising where she had seen her before—at Kayla’s side on those rare events when their paths crossed.
‘It’s not real but it was a gift. I am most grateful—it must have come out when I made the bed.’ The girl held up a hand with a look that was probably meant to feign innocence but was hampered by the hint of a smirk.
Maybe it was the smirk, the connection to Kayla, or maybe just the fact she was able to think past that first blast of hurt, jealous outrage, but suddenly Abby joined the dots and saw what this was about...
So... Kayla wanted Zain, the crown or maybe even both. It had been obvious from the rumours that Kayla didn’t like her, but Abby had told herself that it didn’t matter, she was not here long enough for it to matter, and she had no intention of running to Zain any time she had a problem. She had wanted to prove to him she could cope.
She had been wrong not to tell him. This was a problem that needed addressing immediately.
‘No, I don’t think that’s what happened at all.’ What was Kayla’s problem? she wondered, watching the look of revealing shocked apprehension wash over the girl’s face. ‘Where is Kayla, your mistress? I think I’d like to return this trinket.’ She dangled the earring. ‘In person,’ she added grimly.
The girl looked scared now and as Abby walked towards her she shadowed the steps, backing towards the door. ‘I... I don’t know, really—the stables maybe, Amira?’ She fled.
* * *
When Abby reached the stables a stable hand she recognised spotted her and approached shyly.
‘You want to see the King of Night?’ he asked in halting English.
To Abby, her King of the Night would always be Zain. ‘Yes, please, if it’s not too much bother?’
The idea of anything being a bother seemed to shock him.
Abby fingered the earring in her pocket. ‘Have you seen the Princess Kayla?’
‘She was here, Amira, but she left.’
Abby was not sorry to hear this; her appetite for a confrontation had waned considerably as she had walked the corridors. Wasn’t there a certain amount of hypocrisy in her reaction? The woman might be trying to break up Abby’s marriage but that marriage was a sham. ‘Your English is excellent.’
He flushed with pleasure at the compliment. ‘I worked in England long time ago at a very important race stable; it was my wish to be a jockey.’ He pressed a hand to his stomach and rolled his eyes. ‘But I got too fat... I like my food too much.’
‘Well, the stables here are beautiful, spotless, and the weather is a great deal better than in England.’
‘It is a very grey place,’ the man agreed. ‘But I enjoyed the fish and chips. Here he is.’ He gestured towards the next stable along the row, one with the top door open.
The stallion whinnied as she approached.
