Love, the capacity for which she had so long denied, had become a force
that, predominating everything, held her irresistibly. The accumulated
affection that, for want of an outlet, had been stemmed within her, had
burst all restraint, and the love that she gave to the man to whom she
had surrendered her proud heart was immeasurable--a love of infinite
tenderness and complete unselfishness, a love that had made her
strangely humble. She had yielded up everything to him, he dominated
her wholly. Her imperious will had bent before his greater
determination, and his mastery over her had provoked a love that craved
for recompense. She only lived for him and for the hope of his love,
engulfed in the passion that enthralled her. Her surrender had been no
common one. The feminine weakness that she had despised and fought
against had triumphed over her unexpectedly without humiliating
thoroughness. Sex had supervened to overthrow all her preconceived
notions. The womanly instincts that under Aubrey's training had been
suppressed and undeveloped had, in contact with the Sheik's vivid
masculinity and compelling personality, risen to the surface with
startling completeness.
To-day she was almost desperate. His callousness of the morning had
wounded her deeply, and a wave of rebellion welled up in her. She would
not be thrown aside without making any effort to fight for his love.
She would use every art that her beauty and her woman's instinct gave
her. Her cheek burned as she thought of the role she was setting
herself. She would be no better than "those others" whose remembrance
still made her shiver. But she crushed down the repugnant feeling
resolutely, flinging up her head with the old haughty gesture and
drawing herself straighter in the saddle with compressed lips. She had
endured so much already that she could even bear this further outrage
to her feelings. At no matter what cost she must make him care for her.
Though she loathed the means she would make him love her. But even as
she planned the doubt of her ability to succeed crept into her mind,
torturing her with insidious recollections.
Ahmed Ben Hassan was no ordinary man to succumb to the fascinations of
a woman. She had experienced his obstinacy, and knew the inflexibility
of his nature. His determination was a rock against which she had been
broken too many times not to know its strength. For a moment she
despaired, then courage came to her again, thrusting away the doubts
that crowded in upon her and leaving the hope that still lingered in
her heart. A faint tremulous smile curved her lips, and she looked up,
forcing her thoughts back to the present with an effort.