by Anne Herries
She held back a sob, praying that they would be taken to
Suleiman. If the eunuchs decided to administer punishment
themselves…but surely Suleiman would hear for himself what
Eleanor had to say?
Eleanor had to say?
Suleiman watched from his window as the eunuchs laid hands
on the woman and the man she had taken as her lover. He had
never felt such a cold rage as that which possessed him now—
that this woman who had resisted his embraces so fiercely should
throw herself into the arms of another!
The man should die and she—she should learn to know the
power of her master. His first reaction had been to order them
brought to him, but now his anger was such that he was almost
inclined to have them tossed into the darkest cel the palace
possessed and left to rot. The man should die most horribly and
Eleanor… Pain pierced through his rage as he thought of her
being beaten with the cruel whips the eunuchs used to such
terrible effect. How she would suffer…she might even die of
such a beating.
Yet she deserved her punishment. His eyes were hard, his
mouth set in a cruel line that told of the blood of his ancestors
swirling in his heated brain. She must have known that what she
did was forbidden, and yet she went unheeding to her lover’s
arms. Did she love him so much then that her life was nothing to
her?
Suleiman was aware that his anger was turning to jealousy
and pain—pain that she did not love him as she did this man,
who looked to be a poor puny thing. She had rejected his
embraces and yet went eagerly to this dog of an infidel. He was
angry, but also curious to see what kind of man it was that had
angry, but also curious to see what kind of man it was that had
aroused such love in the woman he desired above al others.
They should be brought before him. He would let Eleanor see
that he was capable of justice. If she begged for the man’s life it
might be spared—he could be sent to the galeys as a
punishment and she… He would think of something more
suitable for her punishment.
He heard the noise as they approached—the man was
shouting and yeling defiance at his captors. He had spirit, then,
despite his slight appearance. It would be interesting to see what
kind of man Eleanor loved so much that she would spurn
Suleiman for him.
His face was harsh as they were dragged before him, and
sent roughly to their knees. He did not immediately give Eleanor
permission to stand this time, for he wanted to make her suffer
for her wilfulness.
‘You have betrayed me with your lover,’ Suleiman said
coldly. ‘What have you to say before I condemn you, woman?’
Eleanor looked up, gasping as she saw the rage in his eyes.
She had never seen him like this! He was beside himself with
anger and she thought that he might be capable of anything in this
mood.
‘He is not my lover…’
‘Do not lie to me,’ he said. ‘I watched you embrace him. You
ran to his arms as soon as you saw him—why? You must know
the punishment for your actions. Did you wish to die? Are you so
miserable that your life is nothing to you?’
‘Please, my lord,’ Eleanor said. She was terrified of this
‘Please, my lord,’ Eleanor said. She was terrified of this
stranger, but she would not let him see her fear. ‘I beg you to
hear me…’ He glared at her but did not tel her to be silent.
‘Richard is my brother…I told you he was taken when the
Corsairs attacked our ship. He is my only brother and he is a
youth of fifteen, not a man.’
Suleiman’s gaze narrowed suspiciously as he looked at her
and then the man. Indeed, the youth could not be older than she
claimed—and there was a faint likeness about the eyes. Her
brother, then, in truth. His rage abated a little. He bent down,
gripped Eleanor’s arms and puled her to her feet, propeling her
roughly towards the inner chamber, and thrusting her towards the
sleeping divan so that she fel against it and slipped to the floor.
‘Stay there!’ he commanded fiercely. ‘Don’t you dare to
move!’
‘What are you going to do to my brother?’
‘Be quiet or you wil feel the sting of the whip. I shal do what
I please with both of you!’
‘Have mercy, I beg you. Richard was sent to the gardens by
Abu—it was a deliberate act on his part, meant, I believe, to
cause trouble.’
Suleiman paused, eyes narrowed in suspicion. ‘He told you it
was Abu? You are sure of this?’
‘Yes, my lord. Richard believed the man was chief eunuch of
the harem. He did not know that it was forbidden for him to be
there. He was merely obeying orders. How could he have been
there if it was not so?’
‘But you were aware that what you did was forbidden?’
‘But you were aware that what you did was forbidden?’
‘Yes, my lord. I forgot in my excitement at seeing him—but I
knew.’
His eyes gleamed with some strange emotion she could not
read, though she did not think it anger. ‘Wait here, Eleanor, and
prepare yourself for your punishment.’
She hung her head as he left her. What would he do to
Richard? It no longer mattered what happened to her—but if
Richard were made to suffer unspeakable torture because of her
impulsive behaviour she would not be able to bear it. Then,
indeed, she would rather die than continue to live here as a slave.
Her mind went back to the times she had Richard had played
together as children in the gardens of their home, and of one
particular day when he had dared her to climb the old apple tree
and she had falen and hurt her arm. Richard had been so
contrite, so loving, as he picked her up, wiping her tears…and
there was nothing she could do to help him now that he was in
trouble. She felt so helpless, so guilty because there was nothing
she could do for her beloved brother. He would be punished
because she had kissed him.
She could hear only a low murmuring from the other room
and knew that Suleiman must be questioning her brother about
how he came to be in the harem gardens. He must have been
sent there for a purpose—and he could not have gained access
without the key to the gates, which were always kept locked.
Eleanor believed she knew what was in Abu’s mind. He blamed
Eleanor for his removal from the harem, and must somehow have
learned that Richard was her brother—or at least that they were
captured together.
Yes, yes, that must be what had happened. Abu had gambled
that she would know the youth captured with her, and that she
would react to seeing him there. Richard had been sent to clean
out the birds’ cage in the hope that she would see him and do
something unwise—and she had falen straight into the trap that
had been set for her. The eunuch’s plan had succeeded better
than he coul
d have hoped. How could she have been so foolish?
What was going on out there? What would Suleiman do to
her brother—and to her? Her fear was mainly for her brother,
but she tried to control it. She thought that Suleiman seemed to
be questioning Richard at length…but there was silence now.
What had been decided? Oh, please God, let her brother not
suffer for her foly. She feared the worst. Suleiman had been so
very angry. Had he accepted her explanation—had it swayed
him towards mercy?
She had been sitting on the edge of the divan as he had bid
her, not daring to move less she anger him further, but as he
came back into the room she rose to her feet and faced him
proudly. She had begged for Richard, but she would not do so
for herself.
‘I see that you are ready to accept your fate, Eleanor.’
‘Punish me as you wish, my lord—but spare my brother.’
‘Your brother’s fate is out of my hands now.’
Eleanor gasped, her face turning pale. ‘What have you done
to him? He is but a boy—an innocent child.’
to him? He is but a boy—an innocent child.’
‘You wrong your brother, my lady. He told me he had a great
desire to kil me and al my kind—those are a man’s words, not
a boy’s.’
‘He—he is bitter over our father’s death. He does not know
you. He thinks you as evil as those devils who captured him. I
did not have time to ask him, but I believe he suffered at their
hands far more than I…’
‘Yes, I do realise that. I may be a savage, but I am not a
fool.’
Eleanor bit her lip as she saw the way his mouth had gone
hard, his eyes as bright as a hawk’s before the kil. ‘No, my lord.
I have never thought you a fool.’
‘No? That is good, because you wil learn to respect me. I
had hoped to spare you much, but it is time you accepted your
position here. You are my property. I can dispose of you as I
wish—have you beaten, sel you to the slave merchants.’
‘I know that, my lord.’
‘Do you, my lady? That is something. I had thought you
incapable of accepting your fate. I hope you have learned your
lesson today. I have perhaps indulged you more than I ought.
You might do better with some discipline.’
‘Yes, my lord. I have al my life been indulged. My father
often told me that I must learn more humility, but—but he liked
me as I am. What happened was my fault and mine alone. I
accept the blame. Punish me as you wish—but spare my poor
brother.’
‘What—shal I not cut off his head with my scimitar? Or
‘What—shal I not cut off his head with my scimitar? Or
perhaps he should be roasted over a slow fire and the Janissaries
may eat him for their supper. Or shal I be merciful and send him
to the galeys?’
Eleanor stifled her gasp of horror. There was something in
Suleiman’s manner that alerted her. He was mocking her—
deliberately baiting her to see her reaction.
‘He is yours to do with as you wil, my lord. I ask only for
justice.’
‘Ah…’ A wicked light danced in his eyes. ‘Now you change
your tune, Eleanor. You ask for justice from a savage! Think you
I am capable of justice?’
‘If you are like your father, yes. I have heard that he is a truly
great man and that his words are always wise. I believe that you
wil do none of these things you threaten for they are not just in
this case.’
Suleiman tossed back his head and gave a shout of laughter,
as his rage began to abate. ‘I vow you are a sorceress, Eleanor.
How did you read my mind?’
‘There was a look in your eyes that gave you away, my lord.’
She met his gaze with a proud stare as she began to realise that
he was mocking her for sport, taunting her to punish her for her
defiance. ‘I think you would make game with me, sir. So, what
would you consider just for my brother?’
‘We have a school for the sons of the Janissaries in the
palace. There the boys study and also learn the skils of war. If
your brother wishes to kil his enemies, it is just that he should
learn how it may be done—do you not think so?’
learn how it may be done—do you not think so?’
Eleanor could hardly believe her ears. He was sending her
brother to school! She had expected many things, but not this.
He was watching her expectantly. ‘You do not speak, my
lady. Has something happened to your tongue?’
‘I was thinking that it was the judgement of Solomon.’
‘Ah, yes…that is a story from the book of fables your people
cal the Bible, is it not?’
‘Yes, my lord. It is a story from the Bible. Have you read a
Christian Bible, my lord?’
‘Such a thing would be forbidden to one of the Faithful,’
Suleiman said. ‘Another day you shal tel me the story of this
wise judge you cal Solomon—but now we have other things to
discuss. Your brother was blameless and has been treated
accordingly, but you have admitted your fault and stand
convicted of your crime.’
Eleanor sensed that he was lying when he said he had not
read the Bible or at least looked inside its covers, but her heart
quickened as she saw the expression in his eyes.
‘Yes, my lord. There is the matter of my punishment.’
Suleiman nodded, his eyes narrowed so that the thick dark
lashes veiled his thoughts from her. ‘What would you think a
fitting punishment for a woman who betrayed her lord in the arms
of another man?’
Eleanor gasped as she saw the expression on his face—which
was clearly jealousy. Her heart pounded and she felt as if she
could not breathe. ‘He was my brother, my lord. It was but an
could not breathe. ‘He was my brother, my lord. It was but an
innocent kiss. I meant no harm—nor disrespect to you.’
‘Women have been executed for lying carnaly with their
brother before this, Eleanor. In your case I believe it was
innocent—but nevertheless such embraces are forbidden unless
your lord is present and permits a decorous embrace. Yours was
not restrained or decorous—indeed, so free was your passion
that I think I can be forgiven for mistakenly believing he was your
lover.’
Her cheeks were hot as she looked at him. ‘Indeed, I have
never kissed a man other than my brother or father—and if my
kisses seemed passionate it was because I was so glad to see
my brother alive and wel. I had no intention of betraying you
with any man, my lord. I beg you to believe me—I would not do
that! I would not wilingly lie with any man other than my
husband.’
‘Yet you spurned me when I said that I would honour you
above my other women, that I would make you my wife—why
was that, Eleanor? Am I an ignorant, cruel savage and not
worthy of you?’
‘No! No, of course not—I think you a good and generous
man at heart and I have wanted to thank you
for your kindness in
sending the monkey and the birds…’ Her voice faltered as he
looked at her with narrowed eyes and she blushed. ‘And the
gifts you sent me…they were too generous, my lord. But I do
thank you for them, and for treating my brother so fairly. Indeed,
if I wished to marry any man…’ She faltered and blushed as she
realised what she had so nearly said, hoping he would not guess
realised what she had so nearly said, hoping he would not guess
what had been in her mind, but she saw from the gleam in his
eyes that he knew.
‘So we make some progress,’ Suleiman said, nodding to
himself. ‘I should end this nonsense now, Eleanor. You are a
foolish child and do not know yourself. I would swear there was
passion in you…’ His eyes narrowed and glinted. ‘Shal I show
you how foolish you are to fear the loss of your maidenhead?’
Eleanor shook her head wordlessly. How could she explain
that it was not fear of the physical act that held her back from
giving herself to him—but the need to retain her freedom of
spirit?
‘I know you can take me here and now if you wish it, my
lord. I cannot fight you, for your generosity prevents me. You
make me your slave by your generosity, and if the price I must
pay is to be your concubine then I shal accept as best I can…’
‘But I must take for you wil not give—is that it, Eleanor?’ He
looked deep into her eyes and she trembled at the fire she saw
burning within them. ‘If I force you to my bed, I shal never have
you wilingly—I shal never have that part you keep sacred within
you—that is what you are teling me, is it not?’
Eleanor hung her head, for there was something in his manner
at that moment that made her ashamed of her churlishness. He
had given her so much, both in material gifts and understanding,
and yet she had made no move to understand him or give
anything in return.
‘I—I hardly know you, my lord. I am beginning to admire
and respect you, but…I cannot do what you expect of me…
and respect you, but…I cannot do what you expect of me…
what Karin says I must do. I—I would be your friend if you—’
‘You would be my friend?’ Suleiman’s gaze narrowed and he
appeared to be considering. ‘Why should I need a friend,
Eleanor? Do you not think I have many about me who would cal
themselves my friends?’
‘Yes, my lord. Forgive me for my presumption. It was only
