His gaze swept her linen tunic and trousers. ‘No, you’re not. It would be inappropriate for my prospective fiancée to be parading around in borrowed clothes...’ he glanced at her feet ‘...and stolen shoes?’
She was still wearing Stella’s sandals. ‘They’re alsoborrowed,’ she reminded him, ‘and I can’t afford to buy new clothes.’
He looked at her as if she was an idiot. Of course he would be paying for them.
‘I’m looking for Lily. Is she with my son?’ Eleanor’s voice floated in from the anteroom.
‘Right,’ Khaled murmured, ‘time to practise looking like you’re madly in love with me.’
‘I’m mad, all right,’ she answered, just as Eleanor walked in.
Khaled hesitated just long enough before jumping away from her, to appear as if they’d been caught embracing. Lily glowered at him.
‘I’m sorry if I’m interrupting.’ The Queen didn’t look sorry. She looked thrilled that there might have been something to interrupt. ‘I’m here to take Lily shopping, as instructed, but I can come back later if you’re in the middle of something?’
‘Only your son being a tyrant again,’ Lily muttered.
He shot her a quelling glance.
In a grey sheath dress, Eleanor looked elegant and cool. The exact opposite of how Lily was feeling. How had this man got her so worked up so quickly?
She had to fight back. ‘I’ll manage with some T-shirts and a skirt or two.’
Perfectly adequate for a fake fiancée.
‘My dear, fashion is my one vice,’ Eleanor said. ‘Allow me the fun of helping you chose a wardrobe for your stay.’
‘By the way, I’ve decided to join you,’ Khaled announced, ignoring Sabir’s startled expression. ‘Whatever was planned for this morning can be rearranged.’
Eleanor’s eyes danced. ‘But, my heart, you despise shopping.’
‘Not at all—in fact, it will be a pleasure.’
From where Sabir stood, frantically reviewing the diary, came an incredulous snort which, too late, he tried to disguise as a cough. Horrified by this dreadful slip in etiquette, he made his apologies and fled to the anteroom.
Eleanor was leaving, but as Lily followed her arm was caught and Khaled bent low to speak in her ear.
‘Remember, you’ll be dignified and restrained, as would befit my fiancée, and you’ll curb your insolence while you’re with my mother.’
‘It won’t be hard to be nice around Eleanor. I actually like her.’
‘Then that should make it easier for you to convince her we’re serious about each other.’
‘How I am supposed to do that? I can hardly bear to look at you.’
They’d reached the cars. Not limos today, but a line of four-by-fours.
‘Improvise,’ he said sweetly, placing a hand on her back and giving her a shove towards his mother’s car.
‘Oh, don’t you start,’ she muttered, dredging up a smile and walking towards the Queen. ‘Nate said that, too, and look where it got me.’
CHAPTER SIX
HISMOTHERWASRIGHT. He did loathe shopping. But her interference yesterday had forced a change of plan. This was him regrouping and turning events to his advantage.
The Qaydari King was dragging his feet on the terms Khaled wanted. He’d lay odds on the man changing stance when a potential new bride appeared on the scene.
As for the missing charity funds, he admitted Lily might be right about her stepbrother’s innocence. Resolve that issue, too, and she could return home. An outcome he’d have been fine with until that revelation about how little stood between her and destitution.