[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
.“Zahirah, are you in there?”Sebastian.She swung her head toward the deep growl of his voice in a panic.Allah, what should she do? She dropped the smoldering remnants of Halim's note onto the floor and stomped them out with her sandal as quietly as she could.She considered feigning her absence from the chamber, but could not trust that the captain would not open the door to verify the fact for himself.“A moment, please,” she called from the other side of the room, willing her voice to a calm timbre as she lifted the edge of the thick Persian rug and swept the ashes of Halim's note under it.Even with the window open to the breeze, the room smelled of smoke and burnt paper.If she allowed Sebastian in, he would surely scent what she had been up to and wonder if she had something to hide.He might even insist on a search of her chambers--or her person.It was a risk she was unwilling to take.“Yes, my lord?” she asked from the other side of the panel that separated them.“I thought you were yet at the docks.”“I was,” he answered, “but my business there is concluded.” A pause followed, then: “Will you open the door, my lady, or must we speak through it?”There was a wry edge to his voice, but Zahirah still bit her lip in worry, fearful that his light request could easily become demand.“I cannot open the door, my lord.I.I am not dressed to receive company.”Another pause from him, this time longer.Did he doubt her excuse? Worse, would modesty matter to a barbarian Frank if he was determined to have his way?“I had hoped to bathe, my lord,” she hastened to add, “then spend the evening in prayer.”“Ah,” he answered, evidently appeased.“And here I thought I might convince you to let me win back some of the dignity you stole from me this morn at shatranj.”He was waiting for her to answer, perhaps waiting to discern whether or not she smiled on the other side of the door.She was smiling, but she snuffed it with a harsh thought of reprimand, and did not dare trust herself to reply.She remained silent where she stood, scarcely breathing, wishing him away.“Well,” he said after a long moment.“Another time, perhaps.”“Perhaps,” she echoed quietly.Zahirah waited, listening in utter silence, her pent-up breath leaking out of her as he slowly took his leave.She had managed to avoid a potential disaster, but there were sure to be more awaiting her in this dangerous game she played.Sebastian was not a man to be toyed with; the very worst thing she could do was allow herself to warm to him, to let herself feel something for him beyond an adversarial sort of wariness, the respect given to any formidable enemy.Where that was concerned, Halim's message could not have come at a better time.If her focus had started to slip, the reminder of her duty to her clan had put it firmly back to rights.She had a mission to carry out.She would not lose sight of it again.The fear of discovery passed, Zahirah turned, then went to retrieve the half-charred remains of Halim's note.With cool deliberation, she brought it back to the flame of the oil lamp and watched with placid calm as the evidence of her perfidy burned to cinder and vanished.* * *Sebastian walked away from Zahirah's door in a state of mild befuddlement.Not so much over the fact that she had refused him, but rather, over his own reaction to that fact.He was surprised, even a bit angry, scowling as he stalked to the head of the long corridor and into a chamber he had commandeered as an officers' meeting room.He had to admit, against all better judgment, he had been eager to see Zahirah again.The truth was, he had been unable to put her out of his mind since he had been called away from her some four hours before.He could not remember the last time he had so enjoyed the simple pleasure of a woman's company as he had that morning in the garden with her.That enjoyment had only made him greedy for more.More of Zahirah's time, more of her companionship.More, simply, of her.Her stammered confession that she was at least partially undressed on the other side of that door had done little to assuage his hunger to see her.It was all too easy to imagine what might greet his eyes if he pushed the panel open.Indeed, had he been a man of lesser breeding, he might have acted on the impulse that urged him to turn the latch and see for himself.Instead, he had stood there in the hallway, cursing his noble upbringing and searching for his voice, which had suddenly left him with the thought of Zahirah unclothed.He wanted her; there could be no denying that.He had wanted her from the moment he first saw her in the bazaar, and now that she was here, likely to be in his charge for an interminable amount of time, he was finding it difficult to think on little else.Based on the aloof reception he had gotten on the other side of her barred door, he, evidently, was alone in his regard.It should have relieved him.After all, he had been adamant from the start about not wanting the distraction of her constant presence.He reckoned it was good that he would soon be leaving Ascalon, even if he would be away only for a sennight at most.The harbormaster reported word of a food and arms supply heading in from the king's allies in Tyre.The goods were due to arrive in a couple of days, then transfer to caravan to be hauled inland to Richard's depleted forces [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]