Читать книгу I Married A Sheikh - Sharon Vita De - Страница 12

“M s. Faith, I apologize for disturbing you.” Kadid stood in the doorway of the sprawling room that held the entire systems operations for El-Etra Investments.

The walls and floors were a rather utilitarian gray, computer towers, monitors and printers in various states of disarray dotted every square foot of desk space. The hum of machines filtered through the air.

“May I come in, please?” he asked politely.

Turning from the computer she was working on, Faith managed a smile at the tray he carried. There was a glass full of ice, several cans of cola and a sandwich. “Of course.”

“I took the liberty of having the chef prepare a little something for you.” He set the tray down on the desk next to her, nudging aside a keyboard she’d disconnected.

“Bless you.” She eyed the tray greedily.

“If it is not to your liking, I will be happy to have him prepare something else.”

“You have a chef here?” she asked, picking up one half of the delectable-looking sandwich and taking a bite. She nearly swooned. It was the first bit of food she’d had all day and it was way past the dinner hour.

“But of course,” he said with a smile. “May I?” At her nod, he lifted the can of cola and began to pour it over the glass of ice for her. “Sheik El-Etra brought him with him when he came to America. He has been with the family for almost two generations.” Kadid set the empty can down on the tray. “Sheik El-Etra is a very loyal man.”

The respectful tone of his voice and his careful words gave her the impression he was trying to tell her something.

“Loyal, huh?” She chewed thoughtfully. That wasn’t quite the word she’d have chosen for Ali after the scene they’d had yesterday afternoon. She leaned back against her chair, deciding to take a break. “Kadid, who is Mrs. Jourdan?”

He handed her the icy glass of cola, then clasped his hands together in front of him. “She is a very old and very dear friend of the sheik’s. He is not only greatly fond of her, but enormously grateful to her.”

Faith frowned. “Grateful?” This didn’t make sense. “Why is Ali grateful to her?”

Kadid was thoughtful. “When the sheik first came to America, he was only sixteen years old. There was political unrest in our country, and as an only son and heir and a descendant of the royal family, there was of course enormous concern for his safety, so his father sent him to America.”

“To live with the Coltons.”

“Yes,” Kadid said with a slow nod. “Although English is a required language for all school children, Ali’s English was not…shall we say, perfect.” His wrinkled face creased into a smile. “As you know, children, particularly children of that age, can be cruel to anyone who is not the same as they are.” He shrugged his shoulders. “The sheik was a foreigner, of royal blood, and not used to the language, customs or ways of your beautiful country.”

Intrigued, Faith reached for the other half of her sandwich. “Go on.”

“It was a…difficult time. He was at a very vulnerable age, an age when a boy is struggling to become a man, to show his strength, to develop his pride, and it was most difficult to be the object of cruelty.”

“People were cruel to Ali?”

Having been the butt of cruelty herself as a child, Faith had grown to abhor any hint of cruelty toward anyone.

Kadid nodded sadly. “Yes, I’m afraid so. The sheik has always kept his own counsel. As a member of the royal family, it is of course expected, accepted—”

“But you knew?”

His wrinkled face once again creased into a smile. “Yes. I have been with the sheik since his birth and perhaps know him as well as his father. It is the honor of my life.”

“So where does Mrs. Jourdan come in?”

“Mr. Colton was aware of the difficulties the sheik was having. Mrs. Jourdan was a teacher at the private school where the sheik had been enrolled. Mr. Colton had heard that Mrs. Jourdan did private tutoring. She was a much-beloved, much-respected member of the community, as well as an excellent teacher, kind, loving, nurturing. With Ali’s father’s permission, Mr. Colton made arrangements to hire Mrs. Jourdan to help the sheik with the language, as well as with the difficult cultural adjustment he was having.”