Bought for the harem, p.6
Bought for the Harem, page 6
‘She has been very ill,’ Kasim said, wondering why he was embroidering the truth to a man he both liked and admired. ‘It might be as well to give her longer to settle so that she recovers her looks. Besides, she ought to be taught the faith if she is to be Hassan’s wife.’
‘Yes, what you say is true,’ Kahlid said and inclined his head. ‘I was thinking of sending Hassan to the Sultan’s court for a week or two. I believe I shall do so. The young woman will settle in after a while—but it is not necessary for her to learn everything at once. Hassan will teach her and if she is all that he requires, she may convert to the faith then.’
‘But she would not be his wife under the law unless she consented.’
‘You are a better servant of Allah than I,’ Kahlid said. ‘I shall consult with the mullah and hear what he has to say. I believe it may be enough for her to give lip service at first.’
Kasim saw that the beauty’s fate was sealed. She would be his son’s wife or his houri and it might be better if the ceremony went ahead, even if it were not a true marriage in accordance with the law. He knew that Kahlid sometimes took the law into his own hands, bending it to suit his wishes, and to argue would only anger him.
‘The older woman … I bought her because you spoke of needing a teacher for the children. The lady Katrina is sometimes unwell now that she is with child herself, and it might ease her if she did not have so many duties in the nursery.’
‘This woman is thinner than I like in a houri,’ Kahlid said, ‘though attractive in her way; her hair is an interesting shade. Is she intelligent? Would she be able to teach my children to speak English?’
‘Yes, my lord. I am certain she would be more than capable. I believe she speaks French as well as a few words of Arabic.’
‘She has studied extensively?’ Kahlid looked thoughtful as Kasim nodded. ‘Very well. For the moment I shall leave her in your hands, Kasim. She is not beautiful enough to interest me, but she may serve as a teacher. She will be of the harem and yet not of the harem. You may send for her tomorrow and take her to the children. You will observe her, and you may order her life as you see fit for the moment. I may watch from behind the screens. If she does well, she shall take Katrina’s place as the children’s teacher, at least until my wife gives me another son.’
‘It shall be as you wish, my lord.’
Kahlid’s eyes were on him. ‘It is in my mind that you deserve a gift. You have served me well. You could have taken the gold I gave you and sailed away. Many would have done so. Why did you return? Why do you stay with us, Kasim? You embraced the faith, I know, but you find some of our customs difficult to accept, do you not?’
‘Every culture has its own customs and laws, my lord. In the country of my birth there is much that I find unacceptable.’
‘You do not think of returning? I gave you a test, Kasim, for I wanted to see what you would do.’
‘Supposing I had deserted you?’
‘I should have been saddened, but it would have been the will of Allah. He brought you back to me and now I am even more certain that my purpose is right.’
‘I gave my word. If I ever leave without making a promise to return, then you will know that I do not intend it.’ Kasim frowned. ‘Yet I do not understand your meaning, my lord—what purpose may I serve?’
‘The time has not yet come. By bringing the right woman for Hassan, the first part of my plan is set—but there is more. I believe I see my way clearly but it must be done carefully. The future of my family depends upon whether I can trust my instincts.’
‘You speak in riddles, my lord.’
‘All will be revealed in time.’
Kahlid inclined his head, his eyes half-covered by heavy lids. ‘You ask nothing of me in return for services rendered?’
Kasim hesitated, then shook his head. If he asked, Harriet might be given to him as a wife or a houri, but the beauty would not be set free. To take one from the other might distress them both. In time they would become accustomed to their new life and then he would ask if the older woman could be given to him. He would send her back to England to her family as she had requested, and then perhaps her eyes would cease to haunt him, as they had since she was taken into the harem. He might do it now, but she was safe enough for the moment and she would hate him for separating her from her cousin.
‘For the moment I require nothing but the honour of serving you, my lord. One day I may make a request concerning the older English woman, but for now I ask nothing.’
‘Ah, yes, I believe I understand.’ Kahlid inclined his head, a smile on his lips. ‘Your compassion does you credit, my son. They should be together for a little time. You are wise, Kasim, and that is why I value your service. I should be sorry if you were to leave me, though you are free to go if you wish.’
‘I know that I have your blessing.’ Kasim inclined his head. ‘I must speak with the Janissaries. I am told that a report reached us this morning that there are still some rebels in the foothills.’
‘Yes, I know. It was for this reason that Hassan insisted on riding to meet you, which displeased me. He is young and hot-headed, and must be disciplined. I shall not tell him of my plans for his marriage just yet. I am worried by these bandits, for their attacks have grown ever more daring and some of the outer villages are suffering. For the moment they are biding their time, but I believe it might be as well to send out a party to chase them back where they came from before they start to attack the villages again.’
‘I shall send a party to investigate, if you wish it, my lord.’
‘You have my permission to send a scouting party.’ Kahlid inclined his head and went back behind the screen. Looking out, he was disappointed to see that the women had gone. He clapped his hands and a servant appeared. ‘I wish Fortunata brought to me this night. Tell the women to make her ready …’
Chapter Four
Harriet looked around the gardens, watching as the women strolled in the sunshine or sought the shade if they felt the need. All of them were dressed in jewel-like colours, their pants fine and far too revealing. She was glad of the over-tunic that Mellina had given her. It was a dark blue in colour and suited to an older woman, but Harriet felt more comfortable. To her surprise Marguerite had adapted to the new clothes easily, though she had blushed when one of the eunuchs had come to the harem to fetch Fortunata. However, amongst the women she seemed to have lost her embarrassment. She had found one or two who could speak a few words of English and was sitting with them now and laughing as they fed the pet monkey that someone had given them. Harriet was surprised at how quickly her cousin had settled. It was not the same for her. She had found it difficult to sleep on the silken couch in the small cubicle she shared with Marguerite, but her cousin had slept soundly for the first time since they were captured. How long would it be before Marguerite realised what was going to happen to her? Her present calmness would soon disappear once she was told that she was to be a gift for the Caliph’s son, but for the moment she seemed to be enjoying herself. The dancing and music had entertained her the previous evening and one of the women had offered to show her how to dance. Marguerite might settle to this life in time if there was no alternative, but Harriet was already restless. Without books and horses, and the long walks she had been used to taking, she knew she would be bored within days. Somehow she had to find a way of obtaining an audience with the Caliph. She needed to be free! Her mind and body rebelled from the enforced idleness. It would be better if she were given some work to do.
‘Mademoiselle …’ Harriet turned her head as Mellina approached her. ‘Come, the eunuch waits for you. The lord Kasim summons you.’
‘Kasim?’ For some unaccountable reason Harriet’s heart jerked and then began to beat very fast. Had her pleas reached him at the last? Was she to be taken to the Caliph? She stood up eagerly. ‘Yes, of course I shall come. May I just tell my cousin that I am leaving?’
‘Marguerite is happy. She is making friends. There is no time to waste.’
Harriet would have argued, but she had already learned that in the harem, the easiest way was to agree whenever possible. A glance at Marguerite confirmed that she was too busy playing with the harem pets to notice that Harriet had left. Perhaps it was best to say nothing for it might arouse false hopes in her cousin’s breast.
Following Mellina, Harriet’s heart was beating so fast that she felt breathless. Where was she being taken and why did Kasim want to speak with her? When he had left them outside the harem door he had intimated that he might not see them again.
Her anguish was soon ended—Kasim was waiting for her at the other side of the harem door. He was dressed as always in white with long red boots and today a red sash about his waist. His head was covered with a white turban, covering the hair that she knew usually curled in his nape. His eyes went over her and she fancied that he approved of what she was wearing. No doubt he thought it a suitable dress for a woman of her age. She was beyond the age of marriage and knew it well enough, which in a place like this was a measure of protection.
‘You wanted to see me, sir?’ Her eyes were proud, her manner haughty. ‘I do not know how to address you properly—I have heard you called the lord Kasim?’ She gave him a puzzled look. ‘I thought the women of the harem were forbidden to you?’
‘You may call me Kasim if you wish,’ he replied. ‘An exception has been made in your case, my lady. For the moment I am to have the care of you. I have come to take you to the schoolroom in the nursery wing. The Caliph’s chief wife normally teaches his children, but she is with child herself and sometimes unwell. She needs to rest and the Caliph needs someone to take her place. I told him that you had studied extensively and he requested that I take charge of you and bring you to the schoolroom.’ His blue eyes seemed to pierce her mind. ‘Do you think you are capable of such a task, lady?’
‘If I am to call you Kasim, then you must call me Harriet. I am not sure whether I shall please the Caliph, for I do not know what he expects for his children.’
‘You read French as well as speak it?’
‘Yes, of course. I can also read Arabic quite well, but I have only a small vocabulary.’
‘From what the slave master’s boy told me, your knowledge of Arabic is somewhat strange for a woman of your breeding, lady.’
‘I read what might be called an erotic book that I discovered in my father’s library. I know it was quite improper of me to read the book, but … the language came in useful …’ An impish smile lit her eyes, transforming her looks. Where before she had looked plain, she suddenly became utterly charming, almost beautiful. ‘Had I not known what I did, I do not think we should have been auctioned together.’
‘I am certain you would not.’ Kasim blinked, taken back by the change in her—he had seen little but anger and disgust from her before this. ‘I have wondered—what exactly did you say to the slave master?’
‘I told him he was the son of a donkey and a she-devil and that if he broke us apart I would put a spell on him that would … cause his private parts to dry up and fall off and that he would die in agony.’
‘Not quite as politely as that, I imagine. I know the words you must have used—and, I believe, the book of tales they came from. I read it many years ago myself.’
Harriet saw the amusement in his eyes. For a moment she glimpsed a different man and she felt a rush of emotion. He did have a softer side! If only she could reach him.
‘I am willing to teach your master’s children, and to help in any way I can—if I can earn freedom for myself and Marguerite.’
‘You must not try to bargain, lady. Sometimes, if Kahlid is pleased, he will grant a boon, but he will not listen to your request concerning your cousin, and it would anger him if you insisted on making it. You must wait until he grants you permission to speak.’
Harriet’s heart leaped. ‘Then I shall see him?’
‘Perhaps. I have been instructed to watch how you manage with the children and report to him, but he may take it into his head to watch you.’ Kasim frowned. ‘I must warn you that you will not know he is there unless he chooses to make himself known.’
‘You mean he will hide behind the screens and spy on us?’ Harriet frowned. ‘I have realised that we are never alone in the harem. People are always watching us, spying on us. It is despicable. Why may I not speak to him and put my case? Why must we be treated with suspicion and spied on?’
‘There have been attempts to escape in the past. I must warn you that it is useless. You could not leave the gardens because the walls are too high for you to scale and there are spikes the other side. If you jumped down you might impale yourself and die horribly. The only way out is through the main door and that is guarded day and night by the eunuchs.’
‘Those poor creatures …’ Harriet’s eyes flashed at him. ‘Are you ashamed? You know better! You come from a civilised country. Surely you cannot condone what goes on in this evil place?’
‘There are some that would dispute your claim that England is civilised, Lady Harriet. Have you not seen the heads impaled on spikes near the Tower? Have you not heard of the way prisoners are tortured inside its walls? The Caliph is no worse, and can often be compassionate. I do not consider the palace or its inmates evil. There are men who treat others worse, men who consider themselves English gentlemen.’ Kasim’s mouth set in a grim line, dark memories in his mind. A man he had once called friend had been far more of a savage than the master he served. ‘I think you have been used to a privileged life, lady. You do not know how others suffer. Yes, my master can be cruel, but he can also be generous—and I believe he is just. He lives by his own culture and creed and who is to say that it is wrong? I have seen slaves better treated here than many a poor man on the streets of London. It is not so long ago in England that men were burned for their faith—so where is the difference?’
Harriet saw the unyielding expression and knew that it was useless to continue. She had thought for a moment that there was some softness and decency in him, but it had vanished and the stern mask was in place once more. She was conscious of an overwhelming disappointment. Now and then she had believed she was reaching the man she suspected lay behind the impenetrable mask.
Who was the real Kasim and would she like him if she knew him? Her mind told her that he was a barbarian and cruel like the pirates who had captured her, but her heart was trying to tell her something very different. When he looked at her she felt drawn to him in a way she could not yet understand.
‘I do not say that our way is beyond criticism, for there is injustice everywhere, in England as much as any country—but a man should be free to make his own life—and so should a woman.’
‘So, were you free to make your own life at home?’
‘Yes … to a large extent.’ Harriet flushed as his eyes quizzed her. ‘I knew there were certain things I could not do, a line over which I must not stray. But my father was indulgent and my brother lives in town and leaves the estate to me …’ Her voice caught for she was overtaken by a wave of grief for all that she had lost. ‘I was happy … so happy …’
‘Why did you leave England?’ Kasim frowned.
‘I believe you said something about your cousin’s betrothal.’
‘Marguerite was to meet a man who wished to marry her. She and my uncle asked me to accompany her to Spain. Our ship was becalmed …’ Her eyes stung with tears. ‘I do not know if my uncle and the servants survived. Marguerite and I were put into a rowing boat; they thought we might get to shore, but the corsairs swam after us.’ She gazed up into his face. ‘Would it be possible to find out if they are captives? Is there someone you could ask?’
‘I do not know. I might ask someone, but it is unlikely that I could tell you for certain. If they were killed, there is no way of knowing their fate.’
‘I know you are right, but it breaks my heart to think of my poor aunt left alone at home. She did not want her daughter to leave her and would not set foot on a ship herself. Now she may never see her husband or daughter again.’
‘You should all have stayed at home,’ Kasim said, sounding harsh. Yet as she looked at him, she saw compassion in his face. ‘This man should have come to you. I am sorry for what happened to you …’ He hesitated, then, ‘Something similar happened to me. I was not as fortunate as you at first for I served as a galley slave before I came here to work in the gardens. That was the day Allah favoured me.’
Harriet stared at him in surprise, waiting for him to continue, but instead he knocked at the door they had reached without her realising it. A eunuch opened it and they were ushered inside. Harriet was taken by surprise—although the room was open to a beautiful garden as were many rooms in the harem, it was set out with small tables and benches, much as the room she and her brother had studied in with their tutor.
The older children were sitting on silken couches while the younger ones squatted cross-legged on the floor. A woman wearing a tunic similar to Harriet’s, but richer and of a deep turquoise blue, was sitting in a chair with curved legs and arms. She had a book on her lap and behind her there was a beautifully drawn map of the known world, decorated with drawings of mythical creatures and inscribed with words, which, on closer inspection, Harriet realised were English.
The woman turned to face them as they entered and her smile seemed to light up the room. She was so beautiful that Harriet caught her breath. However, as she looked at the Caliph’s chief wife, she realised that she must be thirty or more years of age, which was an advanced age for childbearing.
