when the sheik returned to America, it was she who helped him get over the heartbreak of Jalila's death—"
Faith's head came up. "Wait a minute. Who's Jalila?"
Kadid hesitated. "Forgive me, Ms. Faith. I spoke out of turn. I should not have—"
"No, please." She touched his arm. "Kadid, it's important to me. Who is Jalila?"
He sighed, looking torn. Finally he sighed again. "She was the sheik's intended."
"Intended what?" Faith asked with a frown.
Kadid struggled to find the right words to explain. "They were betrothed." He searched for another word. "They were to be married."
"Ali was going to be married?" She had a hard time envisioning the playboy whose picture she saw in the paper almost every morning, sporting a new woman like a shiny, new toy, with a man who would settle down with just one woman. "What happened?" she asked softly.
Kadid stared straight ahead for a long moment before finally speaking. "After his schooling, the sheik returned home to prepare for his wedding. It was to be a joyous, gala celebration for the family, and the country." His voice was soft, echoing with sadness. "Three weeks before the wedding, Jalila was killed when a buried landmine exploded under her vehicle. She was killed instantly." He took a deep breath, then let it out slowly. "That was ten years ago."
"Is that why Ali came to America?"
He nodded. "Yes. That is when he decided to start his business."
She nodded, realizing the puzzle pieces were starting to fit. "And when Mrs. Jourdan became his customer and why he's so grateful to her." No wonder there was so much love and affection between them.
Kadid smiled, pleased that she seemed to understand. "Yes, that is correct."
"Kadid?" Frowning, Faith tried to digest all this information. It threw a serious crimp in the image and the opinion she'd had of Ali. "Are there many others that the sheik is grateful to?"
Kadid's chin lifted and he stared straight ahead. "The sheik is a kind and generous man who has many, many friends."
Lord, it was getting worse by the minute, Faith thought with a soft groan.
"The sheik is a man who believes strongly in loyalty to those who have honored him with their friendship and their trust."
Faith closed her eyes again, the entire scene with Maureen Jourdan replaying over and over in her mind. Something Mrs. Jourdan said was confusing and she'd forgotten to ask Ali about it. Now, after what Kadid had told her, her curiosity was even more aroused. "Kadid?"
"Yes, Ms. Faith?"
"When Ali introduced me to Mrs. Jourdan, she said something about his parents' taste in women improving. What was she talking about?"
Kadid seemed to hesitate. "Sheik Ali is an only son. It is his duty and obligation to marry and produce an heir."
"Okay, fine. So he's got to marry and produce a son. What does that have to do with me or his parents?"
"With you, I'm afraid I am not certain," he admitted with a bit of a frown. "Sheik Ali's parents have been concerned over his apparent lack of success in finding a suitable bride. Since Jalila's death he has not had a serious relationship and it greatly concerns his parents."
"I can imagine." Faith smiled. "The man does go through women like a revolving door."
"For the past several years, the sheik's parents have been pressuring him to find a proper wife, and when he did not, they took it upon themselves to start…arranging dates for him with appropriately suitable women."
Faith's eyes narrowed and she held up her hand. "Wait a minute. Are you telling me this bevy of beauties he's with every night are women his parents have fixed him up with because they want him to settle down and get married?"
Kadid nodded. "Yes."
"Why the heck doesn't he just tell them no?"
Kadid smiled. "Ms. Faith, the sheik is extremely close to his parents. His love for them knows no bounds. Family is very important to Sheik Ali. And his parents' intentions are honorable and meant to be helpful. To tell his parents that he does not wish for them to
Faith's head came up. "Wait a minute. Who's Jalila?"
Kadid hesitated. "Forgive me, Ms. Faith. I spoke out of turn. I should not have—"
"No, please." She touched his arm. "Kadid, it's important to me. Who is Jalila?"
He sighed, looking torn. Finally he sighed again. "She was the sheik's intended."
"Intended what?" Faith asked with a frown.
Kadid struggled to find the right words to explain. "They were betrothed." He searched for another word. "They were to be married."
"Ali was going to be married?" She had a hard time envisioning the playboy whose picture she saw in the paper almost every morning, sporting a new woman like a shiny, new toy, with a man who would settle down with just one woman. "What happened?" she asked softly.
Kadid stared straight ahead for a long moment before finally speaking. "After his schooling, the sheik returned home to prepare for his wedding. It was to be a joyous, gala celebration for the family, and the country." His voice was soft, echoing with sadness. "Three weeks before the wedding, Jalila was killed when a buried landmine exploded under her vehicle. She was killed instantly." He took a deep breath, then let it out slowly. "That was ten years ago."
"Is that why Ali came to America?"
He nodded. "Yes. That is when he decided to start his business."
She nodded, realizing the puzzle pieces were starting to fit. "And when Mrs. Jourdan became his customer and why he's so grateful to her." No wonder there was so much love and affection between them.
Kadid smiled, pleased that she seemed to understand. "Yes, that is correct."
"Kadid?" Frowning, Faith tried to digest all this information. It threw a serious crimp in the image and the opinion she'd had of Ali. "Are there many others that the sheik is grateful to?"
Kadid's chin lifted and he stared straight ahead. "The sheik is a kind and generous man who has many, many friends."
Lord, it was getting worse by the minute, Faith thought with a soft groan.
"The sheik is a man who believes strongly in loyalty to those who have honored him with their friendship and their trust."
Faith closed her eyes again, the entire scene with Maureen Jourdan replaying over and over in her mind. Something Mrs. Jourdan said was confusing and she'd forgotten to ask Ali about it. Now, after what Kadid had told her, her curiosity was even more aroused. "Kadid?"
"Yes, Ms. Faith?"
"When Ali introduced me to Mrs. Jourdan, she said something about his parents' taste in women improving. What was she talking about?"
Kadid seemed to hesitate. "Sheik Ali is an only son. It is his duty and obligation to marry and produce an heir."
"Okay, fine. So he's got to marry and produce a son. What does that have to do with me or his parents?"
"With you, I'm afraid I am not certain," he admitted with a bit of a frown. "Sheik Ali's parents have been concerned over his apparent lack of success in finding a suitable bride. Since Jalila's death he has not had a serious relationship and it greatly concerns his parents."
"I can imagine." Faith smiled. "The man does go through women like a revolving door."
"For the past several years, the sheik's parents have been pressuring him to find a proper wife, and when he did not, they took it upon themselves to start…arranging dates for him with appropriately suitable women."
Faith's eyes narrowed and she held up her hand. "Wait a minute. Are you telling me this bevy of beauties he's with every night are women his parents have fixed him up with because they want him to settle down and get married?"
Kadid nodded. "Yes."
"Why the heck doesn't he just tell them no?"
Kadid smiled. "Ms. Faith, the sheik is extremely close to his parents. His love for them knows no bounds. Family is very important to Sheik Ali. And his parents' intentions are honorable and meant to be helpful. To tell his parents that he does not wish for them to
Similar Books
