her sandwich, Faith was thoughtful as she reached for her cola, offering the unopened one to Kadid. Something didn't add up.
"So why would Ali lie to her if he cares so much for her?"
Kadid's dusky skin all but paled and his slender body stiffened as if she'd offended him. "You must be mistaken, Ms. Faith." His white head shook slowly. "Sheik El-Etra would never lie to anyone, let alone to Mrs. Jourdan."
"Kadid," she said carefully. "I was there. I heard him lie to her face. He told her that she would never have to worry about Alfred's—By the way, who is Alfred?" she asked with a frown, taking a greedy sip of her icy soda.
"Mrs. Jourdan's beloved husband." Kadid sighed sadly. "Mr. Jourdan is suffering from an incurable illness, one that requires constant care and round-the-clock hospitalization. It is such a pity, and pains the sheik deeply."
"Kadid, I heard Ali tell Mrs. Jourdan that she would never have to worry about her or Alfred's expenses, when in fact the woman has barely ten thousand dollars. He lied to her." Her voice held the venomous emotions she'd been trying to bury since yesterday afternoon.
He looked totally perplexed. "But that is not a lie, Ms. Faith. It is the truth." Relieved, his shoulders seemed to relax. "Mrs. Jourdan will never have to worry about any expenses, medical or otherwise."
"On ten thousand dollars?" One brow rose. "Come on, Kadid, this is America. Do you have any idea what round-the-clock medical care in a first-class facility costs?" Because of the cost, her mother had to go to a state-run hospital.
Kadid looked perplexed. "But it does not matter Ms. Faith. The sheik personally takes care of all of their expenses and always will."
"Wait." Shaking her head, she held up her hand. Her headache had suddenly returned. "Are you telling me the sheik uses his own money to pay for Alfred's care and Mrs. Jourdan's living expenses?"
"But of course. The sheik is a loyal, honorable man. His deep affection and gratitude toward Mrs. Jourdan cannot be measured in dollars. She gave him so much, he feels it is his privilege to be able to give something—even something as insignificant as money—in return. He feels it is an honor for him to do so."
Speechless, and feeling slightly sick to her stomach, Faith recalled her conversation with Ali yesterday, recalled her accusations, her condemnation.
He'd never defended himself, never said a word. He'd simply let her go on thinking…She glanced at Kadid and was heartily afraid she was going to lose her lunch.
"Oh, Kadid," she moaned.
"Are you ill?" Alarmed, he placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Shall I phone the sheik's physician?" He patted her back nervously. "He can be here momentarily."
"No," she said weakly, mortified, humiliated, and more embarrassed than she'd ever been in her life. "I'm not ill, just an idiot."
"No, Ms. Faith." He patted her back. "Most certainly you are not an idiot."
"Yes, I am." She glanced up at him. "Kadid, I accused Ali of all kinds of things. Basically called him a liar and—"
"You called Sheik Ali a liar?" Kadid's eyes had bulged. "Oh dear." He clasped his hands together. "Oh." He sighed. Loudly. "Dear."
"Exactly." Miserable, Faith shut down the computer she'd been working on, knowing she'd never be able to concentrate now. It was late in the day, and she was totally drained, partially because she'd been in an outrageous emotional uproar ever since her confrontation with Ali yesterday.
Miserable, she pushed the keyboard across the table so she could rest her head on her hands for a moment.
"Kadid." She lifted her head. "Why on earth—Never mind. I think I understand." She wasn't exactly sure she did understand anything about this, except that she'd made a complete and total fool out of herself. "So Mrs. Jourdan was a mentor and surrogate mother to Ali, so that's why he's grateful, and why he's doing what he's doing."
"Yes. Mrs. Jourdan is more than just a mentor, or a surrogate mother. Ten years ago,
"So why would Ali lie to her if he cares so much for her?"
Kadid's dusky skin all but paled and his slender body stiffened as if she'd offended him. "You must be mistaken, Ms. Faith." His white head shook slowly. "Sheik El-Etra would never lie to anyone, let alone to Mrs. Jourdan."
"Kadid," she said carefully. "I was there. I heard him lie to her face. He told her that she would never have to worry about Alfred's—By the way, who is Alfred?" she asked with a frown, taking a greedy sip of her icy soda.
"Mrs. Jourdan's beloved husband." Kadid sighed sadly. "Mr. Jourdan is suffering from an incurable illness, one that requires constant care and round-the-clock hospitalization. It is such a pity, and pains the sheik deeply."
"Kadid, I heard Ali tell Mrs. Jourdan that she would never have to worry about her or Alfred's expenses, when in fact the woman has barely ten thousand dollars. He lied to her." Her voice held the venomous emotions she'd been trying to bury since yesterday afternoon.
He looked totally perplexed. "But that is not a lie, Ms. Faith. It is the truth." Relieved, his shoulders seemed to relax. "Mrs. Jourdan will never have to worry about any expenses, medical or otherwise."
"On ten thousand dollars?" One brow rose. "Come on, Kadid, this is America. Do you have any idea what round-the-clock medical care in a first-class facility costs?" Because of the cost, her mother had to go to a state-run hospital.
Kadid looked perplexed. "But it does not matter Ms. Faith. The sheik personally takes care of all of their expenses and always will."
"Wait." Shaking her head, she held up her hand. Her headache had suddenly returned. "Are you telling me the sheik uses his own money to pay for Alfred's care and Mrs. Jourdan's living expenses?"
"But of course. The sheik is a loyal, honorable man. His deep affection and gratitude toward Mrs. Jourdan cannot be measured in dollars. She gave him so much, he feels it is his privilege to be able to give something—even something as insignificant as money—in return. He feels it is an honor for him to do so."
Speechless, and feeling slightly sick to her stomach, Faith recalled her conversation with Ali yesterday, recalled her accusations, her condemnation.
He'd never defended himself, never said a word. He'd simply let her go on thinking…She glanced at Kadid and was heartily afraid she was going to lose her lunch.
"Oh, Kadid," she moaned.
"Are you ill?" Alarmed, he placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Shall I phone the sheik's physician?" He patted her back nervously. "He can be here momentarily."
"No," she said weakly, mortified, humiliated, and more embarrassed than she'd ever been in her life. "I'm not ill, just an idiot."
"No, Ms. Faith." He patted her back. "Most certainly you are not an idiot."
"Yes, I am." She glanced up at him. "Kadid, I accused Ali of all kinds of things. Basically called him a liar and—"
"You called Sheik Ali a liar?" Kadid's eyes had bulged. "Oh dear." He clasped his hands together. "Oh." He sighed. Loudly. "Dear."
"Exactly." Miserable, Faith shut down the computer she'd been working on, knowing she'd never be able to concentrate now. It was late in the day, and she was totally drained, partially because she'd been in an outrageous emotional uproar ever since her confrontation with Ali yesterday.
Miserable, she pushed the keyboard across the table so she could rest her head on her hands for a moment.
"Kadid." She lifted her head. "Why on earth—Never mind. I think I understand." She wasn't exactly sure she did understand anything about this, except that she'd made a complete and total fool out of herself. "So Mrs. Jourdan was a mentor and surrogate mother to Ali, so that's why he's grateful, and why he's doing what he's doing."
"Yes. Mrs. Jourdan is more than just a mentor, or a surrogate mother. Ten years ago,
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