One Desert Night - By Maggie Cox Page 0,53

But right then the idea that some harm might have come to him filled her with icy dread.

'Zahir left the palace early this morning to travel to Kajistan.'

'Kajistan?'

'Remember I told you about the Emir and his daughter?' Farida dropped down into the chair across the table from her a little breathlessly. 'He's gone there to consolidate his marriage plans.'

A silent hurt scream echoed despairingly round the chambers of Gina's heart. Keeping her hand on the opened yellowed leaf of the journal she'd been studying, she fought hard to conceal her distress, but know she failed miserably

'He has?' She knew she looked as devastated as she felt.

Farida plucked her hand from the book and held it warmly. 'We can't let him ruin his life like this, Gina—we just can't! When he returns you must tell him that you love him.'

'No.' She firmly tugged her hand free. 'He's made his decision about what he wants from a relationship, Farida, and it's not a woman who loves him. If making your dynasty stronger by aligning himself with the emirate of Kajistan is what's important to him, then so be it.'

'So be it? Have you lost your mind, Gina? Don't you believe in fighting for the man you love?'

'I won't fight for a man who doesn't love me, Farida... What would be the point? I might keep him for a while, as long as he desire me, but what happens when he finds somebody else he likes more? I'd be utterly devastated. If Zahir doesn't believe in love, then I can't make him believe in it.'

'So you'd rather just stand by and let him marry the dull, boring daughter of the Emir of Kajistan?'

'I didn't say I'd rather do that.'

Despondent, Gina sighed with private terror. Now she regretted abandoning their lovemaking in the library last night. How terrible if her hurt pride had stood in the way of allowing Zahir to be close to her once more. Especially if after his return from Kajistan it turned out to be the last opportunity she'd ever had!'

'Have you completely forgotten the prophecy of the Heart of Courage? The prophecy that states every descendant of the house of Kazeem Khan will marry for love?

The other woman's beautiful almond eyes were imploring. Taking a deep breath before she replied, Gina knew she had to be honest about something at last—something that had seriously been troubling her since she'd been asked to keep it secret. 'Farida...I didn't come here purely to do the inventory. The auction house I work for in London was approached by your brother to corroborate the research and provenance of the Heart of Courage. He plans to sell it, we were told...because he thinks of it as a curse on his family.'

'Are you serious?'

'I'm afraid so.'

'I have heard him talk about it as a curse before, but I had no idea that he planned to sell it...to be rid of it for good. In truth, I am utterly shocked to hear this.'

'I'm so sorry I've had to be the bearer of such disturbing news. It's because your parents died so close to each other and then you lost your beloved husband in the accident. Zahir thinks that in marrying for love you were cursed—not blessed by the prophecy associated with the jewel.'

'His mind must have slipped into temporary madness!' The other girl's skin turned abnormally pale for a few moments. 'How could he contemplate selling such an important piece of our family's history? He is just scared that's all...scared that if he should fall in love that love would be ripped away by some awful tragedy and he would never get over it. I have always considered by brother to be one of the bravest men I know, but now I see that when it comes to one of the most important things of all in life he is a coward.'

Gina wanted to respond—but how? Words seemed terribly inadequate right then. But now she felt as if she understood why Zahir would seek an arranged marriage rather than a love-match.

Her hand idly but carefully turned over a couple of the journal pages in front of her. Inside her a little flame of hope lit and wouldn't be doused. 'For what it's worth, Farida, I was captured by the jewel and its wonderful prophecy from the moment I heard about it. It's practically all I can think about. And I may have an idea,' she said, indicating the book on the table.

'What do you have here?'

'It's