The Treasure_ A Novel - Iris Johansen [81]
Benito nodded eagerly and set off down the long marble hallway.
“Wait,” he said as she started to follow the boy. “You’ll need clothing. I’ll send someone down the hill to tell Haroun to bring up your packs.”
“There are no packs to bring. I’ll make do with what I’m wearing.” She didn’t look back at him. “And no one can tell Haroun anything. He’s dead.”
______
He was coming.
Layla instinctively braced herself as she saw Tarik walking down the hill. He looked the same as that day when he’d left her. Well, what had she expected? Of course he looked the same. She could hardly expect him to pine away. He had done everything he could to show her he no longer needed her, even taking another wife.
But he did need her. Just as she needed him.
She forced a smile and started toward him.
He didn’t return her smile. “What are you doing here?”
“Selene wanted to come.”
“If I’d wanted her here, I’d have brought her with us. She was to go to Scotland.”
“And you chose Antonio to take her.” She met his gaze. “I think you lie. I believe you had no intention of sending her to safety. I think you knew Antonio would bring her to me.”
“I had no idea Antonio was in your pay.”
For a moment she was shaken by the flatness of the assertion. “You knew. I’d wager you know every man hired by me or Nasim in your household.”
“You’d lose. I didn’t know about Antonio. Why should I think you’d have spies in my camp?”
Because I love you. Because you know I’d never let you go. She moistened her lips. “Eshe. Why else?”
“You sent me the coffer. You don’t trust me to care for it?”
She had sent it to him because she wanted to forge a link that would bring him back to her. “You have a tendency to be foolish. I had to be sure. When you sent me Selene, I hoped you were seeing clearer.”
He went still. “And why do you think I sent you Selene?”
“Eshe. To do what you could not.”
He inhaled sharply. “Good God in heaven, what have you done?”
Pain shot through her. “Don’t talk to me in that way. I’m not a monster.” She lifted her chin and stared at him defiantly. “I’ve done nothing. Do you think I’d rush to please you? I just thought—”
“Then why did you bring Selene here?”
“She’s suffered a great loss, and I thought it best to humor her. She was not—”
“What loss? What happened to Haroun?” Kadar was striding down the hill toward them. “How did he die?”
“You’re Kadar.” It was a statement. He was young enough to be Selene’s lover and was clearly a man of considerable stature, as was necessary to be Tarik’s choice. “I’m Layla.”
“I don’t care who you are.” His tone vibrated with anger and frustration. “I want to know what happened to Haroun and what’s wrong with Selene.”
“There’s no need for harshness,” Tarik said. “Layla didn’t harm Haroun.”
He was defending her. Layla felt a rush of warmth. How pitiful she had become to feel so much pleasure from such a little thing. “How do you know? You seem to think me capable of anything.”
“How did Haroun die?” Kadar repeated.
“Nasim killed him.” She briefly related their flight into the woods and the discovery of Haroun’s body.
“God’s blood,” Kadar murmured. “Haroun . . .”
“He seemed a good lad and very devoted to Selene.”
“Yes, he was.”
“Particularly toward the last.” Should she tell him? Why not? She didn’t know whether Selene intended to tell him about the child, but she had not been able to reach Selene in the past days. Perhaps Kadar could do it. “After he learned Selene was with child.”
Kadar’s eyes widened in shock. “What?”
“That’s why she was coming to see you. She thought you’d give your name to protect the child.”
A slow smile lit his face, and in that instant she could see why Selene was drawn to him. “Of course I—”
“Wait.” As usual, she had been clumsy. “She lost the child after we found Haroun.”
His smile vanished. “Dear God,” he whispered.
“It was a terrible blow to her. Together with Haroun’s death, it was—She seemed to change overnight.”
“You don’t have