Heart of the Desert by Carol Marinelli Read Free Book Online Page B

whispered.
    ‘You’ll get used to it.’
    Oh, she’d love to get used to it. She was lowered into a sunken bath and her body washed with black soap and then, on emerging, she was led to another heated room where every inch of her skin was exfoliated, the bathing repeated and then every superfluous hair removed with sugar and honey. From heated room to heated roomthey were guided, every treatment skillfully applied, every scent thoughtfully chosen, and two hours later, wrapped in a robe, sipping at fragrant tea and enjoying the soft music, Georgie smiled back at her sister, who was watching her.
    ‘I can’t believe how far you’ve come.’
    ‘I know.’ Georgie admitted, closing her eyes and letting joy flood through her, because a couple of years ago today would have been impossible, the thought of a spa abhorrent, but now she could relax, could enjoy healing hands on her, and it was her dream to in some small way impart the same experience in her work. She wanted to help others as she had been helped.
    ‘Your Highness!’ Georgie had forgotten for a moment her sister was now a princess and she was jerked out of her introspection as a nervous receptionist approached. ‘We would, of course, never normally disturb you, it is a strict rule of the spa, but the palace has called …’
    ‘It’s fine,’ Felicity said, and took the phone and then spoke with a nail technician, who was standing by. ‘Would you excuse us, please?’ Only when they were alone did she take the call, a smile on her face as she listened, her voice reassuring when she spoke. ‘No, you’re not making a fuss … I’ll come now.’ She paused for a moment. ‘You were right to call me.’
    ‘What’s going on?’
    ‘Jamal,’ Felicity said. ‘She’s done this a couple of times. Hassan’s away and she’s anxious, she’s not sure whether or not she’s having contractions.’
    ‘Surely there are a million doctors on call for her?’
    ‘Exactly.’ Felicity rolled her eyes. ‘The whole country is holding their breath about this baby and the palace doctor isn’t taking a single chance—last week she ended up being taken to hospital and monitored. There were the press waiting before she even arrived at the hospital and it was only Braxton-Hicks’ contractions. She probably doesn’t want another repeat.’
    ‘Poor thing.’
    ‘You stay here and finish. If we both dash off, they’ll suspect something,’ Felicity said. ‘I don’t want to give anyone here a hint—I’ll make out that Azizah’s fretting for me or something.’
    Georgie stayed for a little while, had her feet hennaed with pretty flowers and her toenails painted, but it wasn’t as much fun without Felicity and after an hour or so Georgie chose to head for home, or rather the palace that she called home for now. Even as the car swept into the driveway, still she had trouble believing this was where her sister actually lived. It was just a world away from the small house in which they had grown up, in the North of England. A house Georgie had never considered home. A house she had run away from at every opportunity.
    For the first time the palace doors didn’t magically part as Georgie climbed the steps, but just as she was wondering if such a magnificent door even
had
a doorbell, it opened, and there, most unexpectedly, was Ibrahim.
    ‘Where’s Felicity?’ She peered over his shoulder as he let her in.
    ‘At the hospital,’ he replied. As she stood in the hallway two maids dashed up the stairs without stopping to greet her or bow their heads to Ibrahim. ‘Jamal is having the baby, so things have been thrown into chaos here—they are trying to get hold of Hassan.’
    ‘I thought it was a false alarm. It’s too soon!’ Georgie said, but Ibrahim seemed unperturbed.
    ‘Your sister says it is a little early, but it will be just fine. My father just left for the hospital. Felicity explained you were at the spa. She was going to have a message sent for you but