The Devil's Match by Victoria Vane Read Free Book Online Page B

Dark, almond-shaped
eyes lined with kohl regarded her with overt curiosity and more
than a hint of hauteur when Diana advanced into the room.
    “I am Salime,” she said, the bells on her kid
slippers softly jangling as she rose to her feet. She sized Diana
up with a languorous but unreadable gaze, as if she was appraising
her worth.
    “And who is this?” Diana inclined her head to
the giant who hovered at the window with arms crossed over his
massive chest.
    “Pay no heed to Mustafa. He is but a
eunuch.”
    “A eunuch?” Diana repeated dumbly.
    “A man with no—”
    “I know what a eunuch is. I just don’t understand why he is here. ”
    “He is my servant,” Salime answered
matter-of-factly. “Eunuchs are common where I come from.”
    “And where is that?” Diana asked, indicating her
guest should sit. Salime did so, reclining with casual indifference
while Diana stiffly settled her voluminous skirts. Despite herself,
Diana’s curiosity and fascination regarding this woman was growing
by the minute. “Do you care for tea?” Diana offered.
    Salime made a face. “An insipid drink. Have you
coffee?”
    “I’m sorry, I do not drink it,” Diana
replied.
    Salime waved a dismissive hand. “No matter. The
English method of preparation is tasteless. The English senses are
bland and dull. It is what I miss of my home. The food. The spices.
The scents.”
    “And where is home?”
    “A land far away, a place in the East you call
Constantinople.”
    “You are a Turk, then?”
    “I was born a Spaniard but raised as a Turk. I
was an odalisque in the Imperial Harem at Topkapi Palace.” She gave
a proud jut of her chin.
    “An odalisque?” Diana repeated. “It is a kind of
female servant, is it not?”
    “An odalisque is a slave to the concubines of
the Imperial Harem.”
    “You were a
slave? ”
    “Yes, taken from a Spanish convent school when
very young. I don’t remember much before that.”
    “You were actually raised in a harem? A
serail?”
    “Yes,” Salime answered. “But it is not as
westerners imagine it. A harem is not a private brothel but the
residence of the most venerated women in the empire, the wives and
concubines of the sultan. It is also a place of training for young
women.”
    “Fascinating,” Diana said.
    Salime shrugged. “I was given to the harem
at a young age and like a hundred other girls, educated by a Kalfa, a senior maid. I was taught
many things—to read and write, to sing and dance. And when I proved
to be the best of the dancers, I found favor with the Valide Sultana who selected me to be
presented to the sultan. I might have been chosen as his concubine
or may have been married off to a government official, but the
harem is a dangerous place, full of intense rivalry and petty
jealousies. One night while I slept”—she released the veil from the
left side of her face to reveal a long, jagged scar—”my face was
cut. And when my beauty was no more, I was cast out.”
    Diana felt her heart move with pity. “How did
you come to be in England?”
    “It is another long story and not relevant
at the moment. I have a purpose in coming here, Khanum. ”
    “I don’t understand. Polly said you are
an...er... acquaintance ...of
Lord DeVere. What brings you to me?”
    The woman’s mouth formed a subtle smile.
“I bring instruction, Khanum. To be chosen Iqbal, the
favorite of such a man as my lord, is a great honor. Thus, I am
come to prepare you.”
    “Prepare me?” Diana asked, puzzled.
    “Yes. And for this, you must come with me.”
    Diana balked. “Go with you where?”
    “To a private place. I cannot teach you
here.”
    Diana’s eyes widened. “Just what is it you
intend to teach me, Salime?”
    The woman’s smile broadened in a show of
pearly white teeth. “The most valuable and treasured secrets of the
erotic arts, Khanum. How to
bring my lord utter rapture melded from mind, body, and
soul.”
    “He sent you for this!” Diana shook with
uncontained rage.