her choosing. Now everything was different.
She wanted to tell herself that he couldn’t possibly marry her without her permission, only she didn’t know if that was true. Murat was determined and obviously sneaky. Should anyone be able to pull that off—he was the guy. She was going to have to stay on her toes and prevent the wedding from happening.
Finding herself married to him would be a disaster of monumental proportions.
Getting out of this engagement was going to be difficult enough.
She needed a plan. Which meant she needed more information. But how to get it?
“Hello? Anybody home?”
Daphne turned toward the sound of the female voice. None of the servants would address her that way. Not after they knew about the engagement. To be honest, none of the servants had addressed her at all—it was as if they’d been told to avoid conversation.
She hurried back into the harem.
“Hello,” she said as she stepped into the large, cool main room.
Three women stood together. They were beautiful, elegantly dressed and smiling.
Two blondes and a redhead. One of the blondes—a petite woman with short, spiky hair and a curvy body to die for—stepped forward.
“We’re your basic princess contingent sneaking in to speak with the prisoner.”
She grinned. “Not that you’re really a prisoner. There were rumors, of course.
But now you’re engaged to Murat, which makes you family. I’m Cleo. Married to Sadik .” She rolled her big, blue eyes. “How totally Lawrence of Arabia to introduce myself in terms of who my husband is.”
“You’re a disgrace to us all, Cleo,” the other blonde said fondly. She was a little taller, even more curvy, with big hair and sandals that looked high enough to be a walking hazard, especially considering her obvious pregnancy.
“Daphne Snowden.”
“Hi.” The redhead waved. “I’m Emma. Reyhan’s wife.” She motioned to the pregnant woman. “That’s Billie.”
Billie frowned. “Didn’t I give her my name?”
“No,” Cleo and Emma said together. Cleo sighed. “Billie thinks she’s all that because she can fly jets. Like that’s a big deal.”
“It is a big deal,” Emma whispered. “We talked about it.”
“I know, but we don’t want her to get a big head or anything.”
“It’ll match my big stomach,” Billie said with a grin.
Daphne didn’t know what to say. Just then she heard a rapid clicking sound. She glanced around and saw a small Yorkshire terrier exploring the main salon of the harem.
“That’s Muffin,” Billie said. “My other baby.”
“I didn’t know there were any dogs at the palace,” Daphne said. “Doesn’t the king only keep cats?”
“He’s taken a liking to Muffin,” Billie said. “Which is great because she gets into all kinds of trouble.” She rubbed the small of her back. “Mind if I take a load off?”
“What? Oh, sorry. Please.” Daphne motioned to the closest grouping of sofas.
“Make yourselves comfortable.”
The women sat down. Daphne stared from one to the other, not sure what to make of them. The last time she’d been in Bahania , all of Murat’s brothers had been happy bachelors.
“I read about your weddings, of course,” she said, then glanced at Emma. “Well, not yours.”
“I know,” she said as she flipped her red hair over her shoulder. “We were a scandal. But I thought the ceremony to renew our vows was very lovely.”
“The pictures were great.” Daphne turned to Billie. “You’re married to Jefri ?”
The pregnant woman nodded. “I’m embarrassed to say he swept me off my feet, and in the shoes I wear, that’s a trick.”
The women laughed. Daphne sensed their closeness and felt a twinge of envy.
She’d never had that kind of relationship with her own sisters.
Cleo scooted forward on the sofa. “There are five of us altogether. I know it sounds confusing, but it’s really simple. The king has four sons and two daughters. Of the girls, Sabrina is married to
She wanted to tell herself that he couldn’t possibly marry her without her permission, only she didn’t know if that was true. Murat was determined and obviously sneaky. Should anyone be able to pull that off—he was the guy. She was going to have to stay on her toes and prevent the wedding from happening.
Finding herself married to him would be a disaster of monumental proportions.
Getting out of this engagement was going to be difficult enough.
She needed a plan. Which meant she needed more information. But how to get it?
“Hello? Anybody home?”
Daphne turned toward the sound of the female voice. None of the servants would address her that way. Not after they knew about the engagement. To be honest, none of the servants had addressed her at all—it was as if they’d been told to avoid conversation.
She hurried back into the harem.
“Hello,” she said as she stepped into the large, cool main room.
Three women stood together. They were beautiful, elegantly dressed and smiling.
Two blondes and a redhead. One of the blondes—a petite woman with short, spiky hair and a curvy body to die for—stepped forward.
“We’re your basic princess contingent sneaking in to speak with the prisoner.”
She grinned. “Not that you’re really a prisoner. There were rumors, of course.
But now you’re engaged to Murat, which makes you family. I’m Cleo. Married to Sadik .” She rolled her big, blue eyes. “How totally Lawrence of Arabia to introduce myself in terms of who my husband is.”
“You’re a disgrace to us all, Cleo,” the other blonde said fondly. She was a little taller, even more curvy, with big hair and sandals that looked high enough to be a walking hazard, especially considering her obvious pregnancy.
“Daphne Snowden.”
“Hi.” The redhead waved. “I’m Emma. Reyhan’s wife.” She motioned to the pregnant woman. “That’s Billie.”
Billie frowned. “Didn’t I give her my name?”
“No,” Cleo and Emma said together. Cleo sighed. “Billie thinks she’s all that because she can fly jets. Like that’s a big deal.”
“It is a big deal,” Emma whispered. “We talked about it.”
“I know, but we don’t want her to get a big head or anything.”
“It’ll match my big stomach,” Billie said with a grin.
Daphne didn’t know what to say. Just then she heard a rapid clicking sound. She glanced around and saw a small Yorkshire terrier exploring the main salon of the harem.
“That’s Muffin,” Billie said. “My other baby.”
“I didn’t know there were any dogs at the palace,” Daphne said. “Doesn’t the king only keep cats?”
“He’s taken a liking to Muffin,” Billie said. “Which is great because she gets into all kinds of trouble.” She rubbed the small of her back. “Mind if I take a load off?”
“What? Oh, sorry. Please.” Daphne motioned to the closest grouping of sofas.
“Make yourselves comfortable.”
The women sat down. Daphne stared from one to the other, not sure what to make of them. The last time she’d been in Bahania , all of Murat’s brothers had been happy bachelors.
“I read about your weddings, of course,” she said, then glanced at Emma. “Well, not yours.”
“I know,” she said as she flipped her red hair over her shoulder. “We were a scandal. But I thought the ceremony to renew our vows was very lovely.”
“The pictures were great.” Daphne turned to Billie. “You’re married to Jefri ?”
The pregnant woman nodded. “I’m embarrassed to say he swept me off my feet, and in the shoes I wear, that’s a trick.”
The women laughed. Daphne sensed their closeness and felt a twinge of envy.
She’d never had that kind of relationship with her own sisters.
Cleo scooted forward on the sofa. “There are five of us altogether. I know it sounds confusing, but it’s really simple. The king has four sons and two daughters. Of the girls, Sabrina is married to
Similar Books
