The Lion's Embrace
Page 32
‘The police detective seems thorough and trustworthy,’ she said, ‘even if this whole thing is out of his league. Let’s hope the police do their job properly this time.’
She raised her face towards his and forced a smile. ‘I understand you are ready to leave.’
‘Yes, I have done what I came here to do. You’ll be safe now, won’t you? Drake and Callaghan are no longer threats. I’m sure your aunt will become more amenable with time, and you have your father’s emeralds and gold.’
‘I have Tin Hinan’s emeralds and gold,’ she corrected. ‘As for my aunt, you don’t know her. If anyone can hold a grudge, it’s her. She will forever make my life a misery…but you’re right, I will be fine.’
She paused and took a shaky breath. It was probably the very last time she would see him, but she had promised herself, and him, that she wouldn’t make a scene.
‘So you see, you can go and find your treasure.’
For a moment, there was something in his eyes she didn’t understand. Was it relief, regret, or longing?
‘I already found it,’ he muttered, his voice so low she wasn’t sure she heard him. ‘Good bye, Harriet,’ he added, louder.
He took his bag and climbed into the cab.
‘To the harbour,’ he shouted to the driver.
The cab started down the main street.
Surely her heart would break now, shatter in a million pieces. Surely she would stop breathing and collapse onto the wet pavement. She didn’t have to pretend and be brave any longer. Tears started falling down her face, laced with rain water.
He glanced back before the cab turned the corner of the street. She was still standing in the rain. She might look small, lonely and vulnerable, but he knew just how strong and brave she was. Hadn’t she just saved his life tonight?
Something tightened up inside him. He curled his fist and punched his thigh. What was he doing, leaving her like that? The least he could do was explain why he had to go, why they couldn’t be together.
‘Turn back,’ he ordered.
‘You’ll miss the boat,’ the driver warned.
‘I don’t care. Turn back.’
‘As you wish,’ the driver said with a shrug.
He caught up with her as she was walking away from the cab station.
‘Harriet!’ he shouted before jumping down.
She stopped and turned.
‘What are you doing here?’
He put his hands on her shoulders. ‘I can’t stand leaving you like this,’ he started.’ I must explain why…’
‘You don’t have to explain anything.’ She wiped her cheeks with the back of her hands. ‘I promised I wouldn’t ask anything from you. I know you don’t want me.’
He took a deep breath. It was time for the truth.
‘Is that what you think, that I don’t want you?’ He slid his hands along her neck until they encased her face and tilted her head up towards him. ‘I never wanted, never loved a woman as much as I want and love you. You are the one for me, the only one. There was never any doubt in my mind about that.’
He paused. Her eyes had lit up. A gentle smile stretched her lips.
‘But we can’t be together. At least not now,’ he finished, narrowing his eyes.
‘And why is that?’
‘I have nothing to offer you, Harriet. I am a nobody. No, I am worse than a nobody, I am a fugitive, a man hunted by the French army for helping Abd-el-Kader’s rebels…Yet I must return to Algiers, to the mountains and the desert. That’s where I belong. What kind of life could you possibly have with me?’
Her smile just grew wider.
‘The most magical, wonderful life I could ever dream of.’
She put her hand on his cheek in a soft caress then stood on her tiptoes to kiss his lips.
He stiffened, willing to remain cold and unresponsive under her gentle touch, and stepped back.
‘I have nothing for you,’ he repeated.
‘Yes, you have,’ she whispered as she carried on kissing him. ‘You have this.’ She put her hand on his heart. ‘That’s all I’ll ever want.’
His resolved weakened, melted away under the heat radiating from her hand, the warmth of her smile. The steam packet’s foghorn echoed in the night, made them both jump.
‘It’s not too late, Sir,’ the cab driver called. ‘It’s only the first call.’
Could it be that he had been wrong and they could make a life together after all? Suddenly it was as if a weight had been lifted from him. He took hold of Harriet’s hand and kissed her fingers lightly. They stared at each other in silence.
‘Would you like to go treasure hunting with me, Harriet Montague?’ he asked at last.
She smiled again. ‘It all depends if you’re any good as a guide…But yes, I think I’ll give you a try.’
He enfolded her hand inside his, grabbed her travel bag and flung it inside the cab. Then he opened the door for her.
‘In that case, I believe we’re going to Sardinia, my darling. And then, who knows? Maybe we will go to the Tassili N’Ajjer to find the Garamantes’ mines. But first…’
He stopped her as she was climbing into the cab and looked into her eyes, serious once more.
‘First, I’ll have to marry you. What do you say?’
Her lips quivered slightly, her eyes filled with tears. She grew serious too.
‘Yes.’
Chapter Thirty-Two
One year later, near Abalessa…
‘What exactly are we doing here?’
He turned round and winked.
‘Wait and see.’
His pale blue eyes shone, a happy smile stretched his lips. He had been so carefree since coming back to the Sahara. After months of travel throughout Europe, and after finding what was left of Barbarossa’s treasure in a ruined fort on a Sardinian hilltop, they had decided to journey back to the Barbary States. Even if they never found the Garamantes’ emerald mines, they were now rich beyond measure.
It was disconcerting to see how gold—and the promise to fund hospitals, schools and farming cooperatives, as well as railway lines and roads—had smoothed the path for Lucas’ return to his native land and helped even the most belligerent French officials forget his former status as a rebel. Now he had sworn to stop fighting the French, Lucas had resolved to put his newly acquired fortune to good use for his people. He had started negotiations to get his Bou Saada estate back from the French government. One thing troubled him greatly, though. In the past few months, most of the rebels had surrendered to the French army. His friend Ahmoud, however, had followed Abd-el-Kader into hiding and nobody knew if he was dead or alive.
At least there had been good news from London. Theophilius Knox had succeeded in exposing Lord Callaghan and putting an end to his criminal activities. The scandal had been immense and the disgraced earl was now awaiting trial at the Old Bailey.
‘We’re here.’ Lucas brought his camel to a kneeling position and jumped down.
Harriet did the same and looked around. In the transparent mauve and golden light of dawn, the rugged peaks of the Hoggar looked as mysterious as ever, dark purple, almost black. She breathed in the scents of vegetation and dust, listened to the crystalline silence surrounding them. Nowhere else was silence this clear, this vast and eerie.
She recognized this place. It was where they had hidden from the sand storm, where they had made love near a deserted guelta. She shivered at another, less pleasant memory. It was also where Lucas had killed a lioness on top of the hill. Her heart beat faster and she smiled. She now knew why he had brought her here.
Lucas tied the camels’ bridles to the branches of acacia trees.
‘There is something I have been meaning to do for months,’ he said, keeping hold of her hand as he led her up the hill.
‘Kill another lion?’ she asked, playfully.
He grimaced. ‘I hope not.’
They reached the plateau of black rock on top of the hill. The rising sun cas
t oblique shadows onto the symbols and drawings of feet and hands crudely carved into the smooth stones and their touching tokens of love. She followed Lucas to the edge of the plateau. Her throat tightened when he pointed to a smooth black stone.
‘This is the place for us.’ He knelt down. ‘Put your hand there.’
Her carved a line around her hand, repeated the process around his, then he carved their names and a series of symbols.
‘I asked the Tuaregs to teach me,’ he said with a smile.
‘What does it say?’
He lifted her up, took her hand in his, and pressed it against his chest. As the sun appeared behind the mountains and the sky took the glorious colour of fire, he bent down and murmured against her mouth.
‘Tar Hani. I love you.’
Marie Laval
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Published by Accent Press Ltd 2015
ISBN 9781910939109
Copyright © Marie Laval 2015
First published 2013
The right of Marie Laval to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by the author in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
The story contained within this book is a work of fiction. Names and characters are the product of the author’s imagination and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, electrostatic, magnetic tape, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the written perMission of the publishers: Accent Press Ltd, Ty Cynon House, Navigation Park, Abercynon, CF45 4SN