‘He asked to marry me.’
‘Mikael asked you that?’
‘Yes.’ Layla said. ‘And I laughed because it is so impossible. I love my family. I did not know how to say yes to what I want without hurting all the people I care for. He tried to tell me that he loved me and I would not let him, because those words only belong in marriage. But I want to hear those words now, and I want to tell him I love him too. I wish I had at least said that. If I could speak with him just one more time…’
‘Do you have his phone number?’
‘No, he gave it to me but I tore it up.’ Layla turned and managed a smile. ‘I don’t want his number—there would be too much temptation.’ The tears had stopped but the sadness was still there and very possibly would never leave. ‘I should get back to the palace.’
‘Stay and talk,’ Trinity said, but Layla shook her head.
‘I had better not take too long…’
All the fight had gone out of her, Trinity thought sadly as Layla headed back.
Trinity walked into the second palace and looked at her husband. His back was to her as he gazed out to the ocean and his shoulders were set rigid. Trinity wondered if it would make things better or worse for Layla if she told Zahid.
She did not have to tell him, though—it would seem that he already knew.
‘I think something went on with Layla and her barrister.’ Still Zahid did not turn. ‘He has called to see how she is.’
‘Perhaps it was just a follow-up call,’ Trinity said, not sure how to tread here. She loved her husband so much, but some of the ways in Ishla she would never understand.
‘I don’t know if it was poor reception, but…’ Zahid could not explain, and neither did he want to acknowledge the sudden husk in Mikael’s voice near the end of his call. ‘He asked to speak with her.’
‘What did you say?’
‘That it would not be wise. That she was happy to be back with her family.’ Zahid turned then. ‘She’s not happy, though, is she?’
‘No.’
‘Has she spoken to you about what went on while she was away?’
‘A little,’ Trinity said. ‘Zahid, please don’t ask me to break her confidence.’
‘I shan’t.’ He looked at the wife he cherished, despite once fearing love. ‘Layla is very different to me,’ he explained. ‘She has always craved love. From the day she was born she screamed for it. She wanted to be held, to be cherished. Jamila did her best for her. I was seven when Layla was born, and I tried to be a comfort to her, but she wanted her mother. She wanted my father too, but she got neither…’
‘Is there anything you can do to help her?’ Trinity asked.
‘I have tried.’ Zahid sighed. ‘You remember I had already agreed to choose a bride when we met again in London?’
Trinity nodded.
‘The reason I had agreed to choose a bride was in order to postpone a wedding for Layla. I knew my father did not have much time. I wanted to change the rules for my sister.’
Zahid was conflicted too—angry with the man who had looked him in the eye as he’d lied to him.
‘Have you seen the scum that Romanov defends?’ Zahid sneered. ‘I have looked him up and his reputation with women is—’
‘I had a terrible reputation,’ Trinity broke in. ‘We both know that what people said about me was wrong.’ She took a breath as she saw her husband waver. ‘Layla herself says that they can never be together—she simply wants to speak with him one more time.’
Zahid did what he knew he should not: he handed Trinity his phone.
Trinity almost flew from the second palace. She chatted politely with the King for a few moments and then asked how Layla was.