Royal Spy

by Valerie Parv

  She looked up to find Nargis regarding her speculatively. Although her attendant said nothing, Nadia could almost hear the other woman's earlier accusation that Nadia was thinking about "this man who isn't Butrus, who makes your cheeks glow and your eyes shine." And Nargis would be right. The problem was, Nadia had no idea how to stop.

  Chapter 9

  Driving along the road to Black Rock Souk always made Nadia nervous. The bazaar, built on the ruins of an ancient trading center, was perched atop one of the highest cliffs in the region and could only be reached by a narrow road carved out of the side of the cliff.

  On one side of the road rose a wall of rock that felt as if it could come crashing down on the car at any time. Even so, it was easier to fix her gaze on the cliff wall than to look at the other side, where the road sheared away in a dizzying drop to the sea, pounding the rocky shore far below.

  At one point their driver had to slow almost to a crawl as a massive, yellow power shovel-tractor chewed chunks out of the cliff to widen the road ahead of them. Nadia saw more yellow vehicles parked along a new dirt siding they had gouged out of the cliff to keep the main thoroughfare clear while they worked.

  "It's about time something was done about this road," Nargis commented, clutching a handful of scarf to her face although their car's air-conditioning system kept the choking dust from reaching them.

  Nadia looked back. The car occupied by the other guests had almost disappeared in the dust churned up by the roadwork machinery. She couldn't see Gage's car at all, although she told herself she hadn't been looking for him. In any case, he was well able to take care of himself.

  "Do you have much shopping you want to do?" she asked her attendants to distract herself.

  Nargis gave her the sort of look usually reserved for a backward child. "There is always shopping to be done, my princess. A new dress, a headscarf, some jewelry, gifts for friends."

  For Nadia, shopping was something she did when she needed something, not a pursuit she found pleasurable, as well Nargis knew. She brightened. "I may buy some art supplies so I can paint the swans, as well as sketch them."

  Nargis made a tongue-clicking sound of disgust. "Art supplies. What about the beautiful things you will need for your wedding?"

  "Mother is taking care of everything to do with the wedding."

  More tongue clicks. "She is not the one being married," Nargis said acerbically. "You might take a little interest in the proceedings, my princess."

  Nadia traded looks with Tahani, knowing she understood. "Oh, but I do. I assure you I'm taking as little interest as I possibly can." She saw Tahani duck her head to hide her smile. On either side of Tahani, Thea and Ramana adopted bookend looks of confusion.

  Muttering her disapproval, Nargis subsided against the butter-soft leather seat and said no more about wedding preparations, much to Nadia's relief.

  Suddenly a new idea occurred to Nadia. "I know what I'll shop for—a gift for Father to commemorate his long tenure on the throne."

  Her attendants approved of this, she saw as they burst into an excited discussion of possibilities. Their suggestions ranged from gold and precious stones to daggers, Tamiri pearls and fine carpets, all of which would be available in abundance at the souk.

  None of them were what Nadia had in mind. "I shall purchase new tools and order a special piece of marble to make a bust of the sheik," she announced.

  The attendants stared at her, all but Tahani looking aghast. "But, Princess, surely you don't want to be carving statues now, when you are soon to be married?" Nargis asked.

  Nadia read between the lines. What Nargis meant was that she didn't want to prepare the princess for her wedding day by picking chips of marble out of her hair and scrubbing the dust of the studio off her skin, as had happened the last time Nadia embarked on a major new work.

  "Indeed I do," she said happily. "This bust will be the most special gift I have ever given my father."

  "I think he would prefer grandchildren," muttered Nargis under her breath.

  Nadia pretended not to hear. Her mind was already racing ahead to the bust she intended to create. At the Black Rock Souk she knew of a shop that specialized in supplying marble of all kinds, more usually for floors and columns. They were bound to have a piece that would suit her needs. In addition, she would need new chisels, hammers and bolsters, and sketching materials to make a preliminary plan. Oh, this would be wonderful!

  She was so preoccupied that she hardly noticed when they crawled along the stretch of road she usually found most alarming, where the edge looked as if it might crumble at any moment, and there was barely room for one car to pass in either direction. They had reached the souk before she had finished outlining the new project in her mind.

  Black Rock Souk was the largest of the Tamiri marketplaces, built according to traditional design and extended many times throughout the centuries. Bridges and staircases connected the older clifftop section with the newer sections, although even they were a century old by now. It was hard to tell old from new, because both featured intricate Tamiri architecture, Arabesque granite floors and spectacular skylights, as well as lovely murals on the walls.

  In the old section, men gathered in coffee shops to play dominoes and cards, or waited on benches outside a traditional hairdresser, talking to while away the time.

  One wing of the souk was reserved for gifts and electronic wares, while the other housed gold, gems and jewelry shops. Nadia knew there were more than six hundred shops arranged along the winding alleyways and atop the steep stone staircases. New merchants seemed to be opening stores all the time.

  The upper floors were the most popular with tourists and offered antiques, fine carpets, Tamiri jewelry, curios and artifacts. On the lower floor could be found gold, precious stones, rosewood furniture and household items. A special section offered textiles and bridal wares, garments, cosmetics and leather goods. Here, there were also stores devoted to particular designers—Versace, Chanel, Tiffany and Gucci—which Nadia's sisters adored. Nadia was happy to replenish her store of jasmine perfume blended especially for her and stored inside an exquisitely handcrafted bottle.

  She was surprised at how quickly she became caught up in exploring the lower floor. She even found herself enjoying inspecting some of the bridal wares, as bolts of exquisite textiles were unrolled before her, accompanied by thimble-size cups of coffee.

  For once she was happy to follow Nargis's advice and refuse to buy at the first few shops they visited, although privately she thought the custom unnecessarily time-consuming. Left to herself, she would probably buy the first thing she saw that suited her needs and be on her way. As it was, she couldn't resist buying a dress she knew would be perfect for her sister Samira, without inspecting the dozen more that Nargis recommended.

  "You would take all the pleasure out of the experience, my princess, "Nargis said reprovingly as they left the shop. She gestured ahead of them. "At least your fiance's guests take my advice."

  Nadia felt her heart catch as she automatically looked for Gage ahead of them, forgetting for a moment that he wasn't the only one of Butrus's guests to join the shopping excursion. And indeed, Nargis was referring to a married couple Nadia had barely spoken to. They shook their heads and lifted their hands as a merchant tried to thrust a Shirazi carpet upon them. From where she stood, Nadia saw that it was an imitation.

  Stepping out of the shop with the merchant on their heels, the couple gave the princess's party a helpless look. Nargis stepped between the merchant and his victims, remonstrating with him in voluble Tamiri until he rolled up the offending carpet and returned to his shop.

  Nargis turned away the couple's thanks, insisting she had done nothing, but Nadia heard her attendant give them a few more shopping tips before they plunged once more into the heart of the bazaar.

  "Maybe you should go with them," the princess suggested.

  Nargis shook her head. "They were wise enough not to be taken in by the carpet seller.
They will be all right." She looked at her mistress keenly. "Were you, perhaps, expecting to see one of your fiance's other guests, my princess? When I pointed them out to you, you reacted as if you had been stung by a bee."

  "You're imagining things."

  "No doubt. Shall I imagine your reaction this time, when I tell you that Mr. Gage Weston has just entered the shop of the gold merchant we are to visit next?"

  Forewarned, Nadia was able to stop herself from reacting so obviously this time, although she couldn't slow the racing of her pulse or stop her hands from growing moist. "I have no idea what you're twittering about," she said to Nargis in her most regal tone.

  The attendant gave her an assessing glance. "As Your Highness wishes." She lifted the embroidered hanging separating the gold merchant's shop from the busy alleyway and bowed slightly as Nadia passed her. Thea, Ramana and Tahani had paused to inspect a display of gold trinkets outside the shop.

  "He is a most attractive man, your foreigner," Nargis said for the princess's ears alone.

  Nadia shot her a sharp look. "He is not my foreigner. From the way you're going on about him, one might think you were the one stung by the bee."

  Nargis let the curtain drop and spread her hands. "Alas, the bee of passion is unlikely to sting me, my princess. I am not such a beautiful flower as you, to attract men so easily."

  "Maybe you're better off," Nadia said thoughtfully. Since Gage Weston had come into her life, she had known nothing but confusion. Allowing him to kiss her last night had only deepened her mental turmoil.

  She knew she was letting him assume far too much importance in her life. That was what came from leading such a proscribed existence. Probably any man would have caused the same havoc within her, had they met under similar circumstances.

  Or so she tried to tell herself.

  One look at Gage, reclining easily on the cushions that edged the shop floor, his arm resting on a padded, boxlike affair, was enough to convince her of the folly of this idea. A coffee cup looked absurdly delicate in his masculine grasp, and Nadia couldn't help remembering how those same hands had felt holding her last night.

  He uncoiled from the floor with all the grace of a hunting tiger. The slight smile curving his generous mouth suggested that he was remembering, too. She met his gaze directly, refusing to let him see how unsettled she was by his presence.

  The gold merchant, Mr. Khalid, also sprang to his feet as soon as he recognized the princess. He bowed low. "This is a great honor, Your Highness. Let me make you comfortable."

  She was shown to cushions opposite Gage. As soon as she and Nargis were comfortable, the merchant clapped his hands and a servant materialized from the rear of the shop to offer her one of the small, bell- shaped cups that held a tablespoonful of very spicy coffee. She drank and answered polite inquiries about her father's health, her own health and the health of everyone in the royal household, then in turn inquired about Mr. Khalid's well-being and that of his children.

  Throughout the ritual, she was aware of Gage relaxing on his cushions, watching and saying nothing. He didn't seem impatient with the performance; indeed he was enjoying it she saw, when she studied him covertly from beneath lowered lashes.

  No doubt visiting the souk was a novelty for him. England had its share of marketplaces but none as rich and varied as the Black Rock Souk, not only for the breathtaking choice of wares, but also for the timelessness of the shopping experience.

  While studying abroad, she had been bewildered to visit English stores and to see price tags for the first time. Such an idea was totally alien to her experience. How could prices be negotiated if they were already written down? For once Nadia found herself agreeing with Nargis, who believed such an outrageous concept allowed no room for the delicious art of haggling, which the merchants enjoyed as much as their customers. According to the attendant, the cut and thrust of arriving at precisely the right price to suit both parties was what made shopping the adventure it was.

  Nadia wasn't as enthusiastic as her attendant and often found herself wishing every transaction didn't have to take quite so long, but she had to agree that the process had its pleasant moments.

  The coffee ritual began again when Tahani, Thea and Ramana joined them. Nadia's cup was refilled twice from a brightly polished brass pot. At last she shook her empty cup and said, "Bass—enough." The server then collected all the cups and departed, one hand looking like a chandelier from the cluster of cups hooked onto his fingers.

  Only then did the merchant bring out trays of gold wares for the women and Gage to inspect. As the agreed bargainer for the group, Nargis recoiled in horror every time a price was mentioned. Gage looked amused, but went along with the process, Nadia was pleased to see. Nargis would have been highly affronted had he contradicted her at any stage.

  Nadia found her eye drawn again and again to a necklace made of heavy gold links in the shape of the Greek key pattern. At the center of the chain was a tiger's head the size of her thumbnail, the eyes made of gleaming emeralds. She had never seen anything to compare with it.

  Had she been alone, she would have paid Mr. Khalid's price, but she didn't wish to incur Nargis's wrath a second time. When the attendant signaled, Nadia took a last regretful look at the necklace, then followed the group out of the shop. After a moment's hesitation Gage shrugged and followed them.

  Mr. Khalid pursued them along the footpath until Nargis managed to convince him that no one in her entire life had ever offered her such inferior wares at such inflated prices. Seemingly cowed, the merchant returned to his shop.

  "Wasn't she a bit hard on him, considering we'd accepted his hospitality?" Gage asked Nadia in a low voice.

  "In Tamir hospitality is not considered a favor, but an obligation. By the time this day is done, you will have drunk many cups of coffee or tea and probably bought very little."

  "Sounds like an expensive way to do business," he observed. "I was hoping you would buy that tiger necklace. It looked superb on you."

  Nadia felt her face grow warm. She had seen him watching as the merchant placed the necklace around her throat and had also caught the nod of approval he gave, as if the combination pleased him. "If I had agreed to buy it so quickly, Nargis would have had my head on a platter. I already succumbed to impulse and bought a dress for Samira. Two impulses in one day are more than Nargis can cope with."

  "Tough lady, your Nargis."

  "She has served my family well for many years, and has only my best interests at heart."

  As if to prove the point, Nargis moved closer to the princess, her frown disapproving of the whispered conversation between her and Gage. "We will visit three more gold merchants, then we will return to Mr. Khalid and purchase the tiger necklace."

  "Wouldn't it have been easier to buy it the first time around?" Gage asked innocently.

  He might as well have asked Nargis why she made a habit of breathing, Nadia thought, restraining her smile with an effort. Her attendant drew herself up. "If you seriously intend to improve trade relations between your country and ours, Mr. Weston, you will do well to observe how things are done here."

  He made an elaborate salaam. "My apologies, Mistress Nargis. My words were ill chosen and I withdraw them. I shall listen and learn."

  Mollified, Nargis let out the breath that had puffed up her chest and addressed Nadia. "Come, we have many more merchants to visit."

  She wasn't exaggerating, and by the time Nargis was satisfied they'd made enough comparisons, Gage's head was spinning. He was ready to call for time-out when Nadia announced they would stop for refreshment at one of the many cafes crowding the souk.

  To Gage, one cafe looked much like the other, but Nadia insisted they patronize a particular one, which evidently had links to her family for generations back. The food was certainly good, Gage thought. They ate spicy roast lamb carved from a giant vertical spit, with flat bread and fragrant sauces, followed by honey-drenched baklava, the meal washed down with springwater, which he
found a welcome antidote to the copious amounts of coffee he'd drunk that morning. The beverage may have been served in tiny cups, but they added up.

  Afterward Nadia announced that she intended to order the marble and hammers for her new work.

  "I'll forgo the tiger necklace and have those, instead," she said.

  Nargis made a face. "Butrus will not appreciate seeing you on your wedding day wearing marble and hammers."

  "Perhaps not, but my father will be thrilled with his gift."

  The princess had spoken. Nargis fell silent but kept up a moody sulk all the way to the marble seller. Only Tahani showed any interest in this stage of the proceedings, Nargis and the twins remaining outside to rest on wooden benches. Gage accompanied Nadia and Tahani into the shop, wishing he could convince Tahani to stay outside, as well.

  When the merchant brought out the coffee cups and brass pot, Gage had to work at looking pleased, not sure he could handle much more caffeine. He wondered if that was the source of Nadia's dazzlingly bright eyes, then decided the credit was hers alone. She was easily the most engaging and lively woman he'd ever met.

  If he hadn't been preoccupied with what was going on back at Butrus's estate, he would have enjoyed the shopping expedition, if only for the pleasure of watching Nadia. She was enough to distract any man, especially as she was now, engaged in a quest that commanded her full attention.

  After they had drunk coffee and exchanged the required small talk, the merchant automatically turned to Gage. "I am honored to be asked to supply marble to the royal palace, Your Highness. My grandfather, may he rest in peace, supplied marble to the princess's grandfather, may he rest in peace. May I be permitted to ask, how many columns are we discussing?"

  Nadia sketched a foot-square cube in the air. "One piece, about so large."

  The merchant hid his disappointment well, but still insisted on honoring Gage with a title. "Your Highness, I understand why you would wish to order a sample—"