A Royal Proposal. Barbara Hannay

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СКАЧАТЬ like Faysal,’ Rafe told her with a reassuring smile. ‘I’ve known him for years. We met when we were both at Oxford.’

      ‘I—I see. And he’s a proper sheikh, but you just call him Faysal?’

      ‘Yes, and you can call him Faysal, too. He’s very relaxed and used to westerners.’

      ‘But will I need to wear a headscarf, or curtsy or anything?’

      Rafe grinned. ‘Not today. Not in his home.’

      ‘What about shaking hands? Is that OK?’

      ‘Offering your hand would be perfectly acceptable. You’ll find Faysal is a charming gentleman.’

      ‘Right.’ Charlie looked down at her hands and realised she should probably have painted her nails. She looked at her simple T-shirt and trousers. ‘I should probably change into something a bit dressier.’

      ‘Not at all. You’ll be fine, Charlie. Relax.’ Rafe closed his laptop and slipped it into an overhead locker. ‘It’s time to strap ourselves back into the seat belts for landing.’

      The flight attendant collected their coffee trays, and, once they were belted, she disappeared as the plane began its descent.

      In her seat beside Rafe, Charlie couldn’t resist asking more questions. ‘So, this Faysal—how many wives does he have?’

      This brought another chuckle. ‘None at all so far. He’s still enjoying the life of a bachelor.’

      ‘Right. So he’s a playboy?’

      ‘Of course,’ Rafe said with a knowing smile.

      And I suppose you were a playboy, too, before your father died.

      This sudden realisation bothered Charlie more than it should have. Why should she care about Rafe’s sex life? It was none of her business—although it did make her wonder again about why Olivia had run away from him.

      ‘And for your information, Faysal’s father only has four wives,’ Rafe said.

      ‘Oh?’ she replied airily. ‘Only four?’

      Rafe shrugged. ‘It’s a sign of the times. His grandfather had forty.’

      Good grief.

      * * *

      After only a very short time in Dubai, Charlie realised how truly ignorant she was about this part of the world. Of course, she’d expected to see regal and haughty, dark-bearded men in flowing white robes, and she knew these men were extraordinarily wealthy and heavily into horse-racing and speed-cars and living the high life. But she hadn’t been prepared for the over-the-top opulence.

      On the short journey from the airport to Sheikh Faysal Daood Taariq’s home, she saw a car painted in gold—and yes, Rafe assured her, it was real gold—and another studded with diamonds. And good grief, there was even, in one bright red sports car, a leopard!

      A proper live, wild creature. Massive, with a glorious coat of spots and a silver lead around its neck. The leopard was sitting in a front passenger seat beside a handsome young man in white robes and dark sunglasses.

      Gobsmacked, Charlie turned to Rafe. ‘That wasn’t really a leopard, was it?’

      He grinned. ‘It was indeed.’

      ‘But it couldn’t be. How can they?’

      Rafe shrugged. ‘Welcome to Dubai. Extravagance abounds here and dreadfully expensive exotic pets are all the rage.’

      ‘But surely—’ Charlie wanted to protest about the dangers. About animal rights, but she stopped herself just in time.

      ‘Listen, Charlie.’ They were in the back seat of a huge limousine and Rafe leaned a little closer, speaking quietly. ‘Try not to be too surprised by anything you see here.’ He waved his hand to the view beyond the car’s window, as they passed a grand palace at the end of an avenue lined on both sides with fountains and palm trees.

      ‘I can’t help being amazed,’ she said somewhat meekly. But she knew she had to try harder. ‘I guess Olivia’s used to all this,’ she said. ‘Her jaw wouldn’t be dropping every five minutes.’

      Rafe nodded. ‘Exactly.’

      In that moment, Charlie realised something else. ‘You’ve brought me here to your friend’s house as a test, haven’t you? It’s a kind of trial run for me?’

      Rafe’s only answer was a smile, but Charlie knew she was right. Visiting his good friend, Faysal, was a kind of fast-track apprenticeship for her in her new role as Rafe’s fiancée. If she made any gross mistakes here, the errors would remain ‘in house’ so to speak.

      But she wasn’t going to make mistakes. She could do this. In Sheikh Faysal’s home, she would ensure that she had perfect posture and perfect manners. She would remember to stand straight, sit with her knees together, and never cross her legs, always be polite and eat neatly, and—

      And it would be exhausting to be a full-time princess.

      But Charlie was determined to pass any test Rafe St Romain presented. Of course, she could hold her tongue and play the role she’d been assigned. After all, he was paying her very handsomely.

      Now, with her thoughts sorted, she realised that their car was turning. Huge iron gates were rolling open to allow them entry to a gravelled drive and a tall, white, three-storeyed house decorated with arches.

      The car stopped at a heavily embossed front door, which opened immediately to reveal a dark-haired, olive-skinned man almost as handsome as Rafe.

      ‘Rafe and Olivia!’ he cried, throwing wide his arms. ‘How lovely to see you both again. Welcome!’

      * * *

      Breakfast at Faysal’s was wonderful, as always, and to Rafe’s relief Charlie behaved admirably.

      They dined on the terrace beside the swimming pool, where they were served Arabic coffee made from coffee beans ground with cardamom and saffron, as well as spicy chick peas and balabet, a dish of sweetened vermicelli mixed with eggs and spices. There were also delicious pancakes flavoured with cardamom and coloured with saffron and served with date syrup.

      Charlie was on her best behaviour, and Rafe knew she was trying hard not to be too overly impressed by everything she saw and tasted. But he could also tell that she was enjoying the meal immensely, possibly even more than she’d enjoyed last evening’s meal on the plane.

      Just the same, she managed not to gush over the food, and she only jumped once when Faysal called her Olivia.

      She couldn’t quite hide her fascination with her surroundings, though. Her bright blue eyes widened with obvious delight at the fountains and the terraced gardens and the arcade decorated with exquisite blue and gold tiled mosaics. And Rafe thought she was just a little too impressed by Faysal, who was, as always, handsome and ultra-charming.

      Nevertheless, the meeting went rather well, and Rafe was feeling relaxed when Charlie retired to the powder СКАЧАТЬ