In Too Deep_ Husband Material & the Sheikh's Bargained Bride - Brenda Jackson [59]
“If you had anything on it at all, that is,” Sebastian teased, “apart from chasing down and capturing your defiant bride. Defiant at first, anyway. Then you caught her, kissed her and…whoosh. She went up in flames in your arms. I bet all those enemies who’re watching you for proof that your marriage isn’t real no longer have a leg to stand on.”
There was a long moment of silence.
“How do you know about that?” Adham asked slowly.
“A sleazebag posing as a reporter came a few days ago to interview me, but mainly asked about you and your recent marriage. He tried to get me to give him anything that would paint your marriage as a business deal. He went on to say it’s a common belief in your land that a bargained wife is an unsatisfied one who cheats to get back at the man who acquired her.”
“It’s not a belief, just a rationalization to explain cheating wives and an effective weapon to smear men in high places, since the greatest dishonor in my culture is to have a cheating wife. It is a death sentence to a man’s reputation if her infidelity results in children whom she passes off as his. This happened with my own parents. My father’s political enemies used the marital difficulties my parents had after my older brother was born to cast doubt on my younger sister Layla’s and my paternity.”
Sebastian whistled. “Well, I investigated that jerk, and found that he was sent by one Nedal Aal Ajam, renowned political enemy of the Aal Ferjanis, denouncer of the King and number one beneficiary if ever the royal family of Khumayrah was overthrown.”
“Aih, hadda suheeh. That’s true. He would have latched onto any public discord between Sabrina and me to plant doubt about the authenticity of our marriage. Just like in my mother’s case, who was herself only half Khumayran, they would have played on the fact that Sabrina is a foreigner. In my mother’s case, they said that she sought revenge as well as emotional and sexual freedom outside the restrictions of the loveless union. The lie that Layla and I were not the King’s offspring chased us through half of our lives, until my father was forced to refute the allegations with medical evidence. Of course, his wrath was severe. Anyone who’d help spread the rumors paid dearly for their transgressions.”
“I can imagine. To force a king, from a culture as big on macho pride as yours, to defend his wife’s honor and his children’s legitimacy—that’s huge. But the example he’d made of those who’d defamed you hasn’t deterred others from trying the same trick?”
“The potential gains are great enough to risk consequences. And they don’t need to go as far as the others went. If they can prove any of the royal wives unsatisfied, they won’t need to cast doubts over the legitimacy of the union’s offspring. It’s enough to start a campaign of ridicule that a man who can’t govern and fulfill his own wife isn’t fit to govern a nation or fulfill its needs. Our political situation is complex enough at the moment that a battle on this front might tip the balance in our enemies’ favor.”
“But you have nothing to worry about,” Sebastian assured. “Whatever those backstabbers are trying to do, after last night, there’s no way anyone could say that Sabrina is unsatisfied. The woman is clearly crazy in love with you. The whole world now has photographic evidence of that fact.”
There was another moment of silence. Then Adham exhaled heavily. “I guess they do.”
Sabrina turned around, stumbled away.
She somehow found herself back in her car, agony clamping each muscle, her heart flapping in her chest like a wounded bird. She dropped her head to the steering wheel.
It was far uglier than the worst thing she’d believed before.
She’d believed he’d seduced her for the land and a necessary heir. She’d thought he’d only put on a show in public, as Sebastian had so astutely realized, as a preventive measure against wagging tongues and social nuisance.
Then last night she’d come to believe he’d always been attracted to her but her father’s deal had hardened his heart, making him treat their marriage