Again, Diana had no idea what to say—could only hope that the Princess would forget to speak to her brother about any such thing as a desert love-nest, which was the last place she wanted to go with Nikos. Meekly she let the Princess lead the way into another exquisitely decorated room, this time with a balcony overlooking a beautiful ornamental pool in a pillared courtyard.
‘Tea,’ the Princess announced, lowering herself onto a silk-covered divan and indicating that Diana should do likewise, ‘but this time from my part of the world!’
The mint tea that was served proved very refreshing, and their conversation returned to the subject of historic English country houses. Diana waxed enthusiastic, mentioning the exhaustive restoration work she was having done on Greymont.
‘You love your home dearly, do you not?’ the Princess observed.
‘It’s the most important thing in the world to me!’ Diana answered unguardedly.
The dark eyes rested on her curiously. ‘Not your husband?’
Diana started, not sure what to say.
The Princess was still looking at her curiously. ‘But surely you are in love with him more than anything in the world? If, after all, you had to choose between your home or your husband, surely there would be no choice at all?’
Diana swallowed. How could she answer?
Then, to her relief, a servant approached, bowing, then murmuring something to her hostess, who immediately got to her feet.
‘We are summoned,’ she announced.
A servant was there at once, with their headscarves, and once appropriately attired Diana followed the Princess from her private apartments back into the palace, to take her farewell of their hosts with Nikos.
As they settled back into the limousine that would return them to their hotel, she turned to him. ‘How did it go? I hope the Sheikh was as gracious to you as his sister was to me.’
Nikos eased his shoulders back into the soft leather seat. ‘Extremely well—just as I hoped after our having been invited socially,’ he said with evident satisfaction. ‘I have an agreement in principle from the Sheikh—which is essential—and clearance to talk to the relevant ministers. Exactly what I wanted.’
He looked at Diana and smiled warmly in a way that she must wish he hadn’t.
‘You did wonderfully. Thank you. I don’t just mean all the protocol—I wouldn’t insult you by implying you might not have been able to handle it—but the personal touch. The Princess clearly took to you...that was obvious—’
Diana cut across him, feeling flutteringly uncomfortable after that warm smile. ‘Nikos, Princess Fatima has given me one of her couture gowns. It’s worth a fortune, but she insisted. I know I couldn’t refuse, but what on earth should I do now?’
‘Make her a present of equal value,’ he returned promptly. ‘I don’t mean financial—that would be crass, and anyway they have so much money it makes me look like a pauper, let alone you,’ he said carelessly. ‘I mean something matching.’
Diana furrowed her brow, and then a thought struck her. ‘I know! I’ll find an antique gown for her—something she can possess but not wear because it’s too historic. Maybe she can display it in her English country house when it’s all done up.’
‘Great idea,’ said Nikos. He rested his eyes on her with warm approval, in that way she wished he wouldn’t. ‘You impressed the Sheikh, too, I could see that—he quoted from some Persian poet about how a beautiful and intelligent wife is the ultimate jewel a man can possess.’ He paused, keeping that look on his face. ‘And he was right about you being a jewel, Diana, both in beauty and intelligence. You are, indeed.’
For one long, endless second it seemed to her there was no breath in her body. Then, as if urgently grabbing a towel after emerging naked from the shower, she forced a little laugh to her lips.
‘Well, I’m glad I came in useful this afternoon,’ she said, and now her face was deliberately bright. ‘And thank you for the opportunity to see inside a royal Arabian palace. It was like something out of a fairytale, and with a real-life prince and princess inside it too.’
Determinedly she went on to recollect with admiration some of the architectural details that had impressed her, even more determined not to mention anything about the Princess’s talk about desert love-nests.
Hopefully Princess Fatima would forget all about it. A desert love nest was the last place that could be relevant to a marriage such as theirs.
A marriage in name only had no need of such a place.
* * *
‘What do you say we dine up here tonight?’
Nikos’s voice was casual as they walked into their huge suite and Diana’s reply was immediate.
‘Oh, yes, let’s. I feel today has been quite a strain, and to be honest I could do with an evening just vegging.’
She rolled her head on her shoulders, rubbing at the nape of her neck.