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Arabelle smiled. “Yes. He’ll be here in three or four hours.”
Estelle nodded slowly. “That is great news.”
“It is,” Arabelle said in a croaky voice.
Estelle smiled. “We should celebrate. Allow me to take you to the cinema now.”
Arabelle plucked at her pale pink dress, which draped to mid-thigh. She hadn’t yet gotten used to the idea of dressing in Arab clothes. She’d been too young to remember wearing the traditional robes, though she imagined they’d been cool and comfortable. “I’m not sure I’m in the mood for a film now.”
A scented bubble bath and a nice wine might instead be in order.
Estelle’s face crumpled. She was clearly crestfallen. “Really?”
Arabelle blinked. “Youwantto watch a movie with me?”
“I would love to! I didn’t grow up here. I never really had the chance to experience many of the western pleasures that my new friends indulged in.”
Arabelle immediately sympathized with Estelle. She’d clearly been restricted in what she’d been allowed to do. “Then of course we’ll go.”
Estelle’s face lit up. “Really? Oh thank you, Your Highness.”
“Please, call me Arabelle. At least in private.”
Estelle nodded. “Of course…Arabelle.”
Stepping inside the cinema was like stepping back into the western world. Though a robed usher stood waiting for them from the corridor, once he led them inside the darkened room and asked if they’d enjoy a bucket of popcorn and lemonade, Arabelle forgot about everything but the movie.
The velvet curtains split apart to reveal the screen and the opening soundtrack theme of a major movie production company, the music blasting from hidden speakers around the room. The usher returned with their popcorn and drinks and Estelle said in an aggrieved mutter, “Don’t disturb us now until the movie is over.”
The usher glanced at Arabelle and she nodded. “Yes, we’ll be fine now, thank you.” The last thing she wanted was to be hovered over by the usher and interrupted in the best parts of the movie.
She was soon lost in the opening car chase as she stuffed some salty popcorn into her mouth and washed it down with lemonade. She’d always loved going to the cinema, enjoying anything from the last blockbuster to the classics. She turned to Estelle. “Amazing, right?”
Estelle’s wide eyes left the screen for a few seconds to look at Arabelle. “You might get me addicted,” she confessed.
Arabelle giggled. “Good. I can see a lot of movie watching in our future.”
She looked back at the screen. It would have been nice to have seen her first film here with her husband, but she imagined she’d be alone often enough in the future that she’d need a friend to watch some screenings, and Estelle now fit that bill perfectly.
Perhaps it was the thought of her husband being absent all too often, or perhaps it was that niggling sixth sense that many people have that took her out of the movie and made her more self-aware.Whatever.She wasn’t totally oblivious when someone clapped a hand over her mouth from behind.
She struggled and kicked, her drink and popcorn flying. She tried to scream, but the callused hands were immovable and were soon replaced by a gag stuffed into her mouth. Then a blindfold went around her eyes, too.
Holy shit.Where were the extra guards? What was going to happen to her? A sob welled in her chest with nowhere to go. Would she ever see Mahindar again?
Even over the cinematic sound she heard frantic whispers in Arabic, though she understood snatches of the conversation.
“Hurry.”
“No time—“
“If we get caught—“
“Bribed one of the guards—“
But then all sense of perception fled when she realized Estelle was one of the captors whispering furiously.
Arabelle resisted whimpering when her wrists were cable-tied together, but she couldn’t help but cry out—a muted and muffled noise—when she was jerked roughly to her feet and tugged unceremoniously after one of her captors.
