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‘Can you get sonore all the others?’ he demanded

‘And who is going to pay e in the meantime?’

There was a moment’s silence, and Hashi that he trod on very sensitive ground here ‘That is simple You must let me help you, Sienna’

She froze ‘What do you mean—help me?’

He could hear the bristly defensiveness which spiked her voice and, while he silently applauded her fierce pride, he knew that it would not and could not serve her well—not in circumstances such as these ‘Just hear me out without interruption That is all I ask of you Please, Sienna, it is vital,’ he said softly ‘If I took care of your et away for a while?’

‘I’ you pay for me!’ Her voice lowered ‘You must be able to see why I stand so firm on this issue’

For a ue Stubborn wo to help her?

Drawing on diploain ‘Sienna,’ he said patiently ‘I admire your independence and your spirit, but this is not so of expensive baubles on a et out of a bad situation which isTo make some kind of amends Will you not let rown between us be completely worthless if you will not allow me to behave as any true friend would towards another?’

There was silence How appalled he would be if he knew that her thoughts were not of indignation that he was trying to buy her out of so but instead had fixed upon a hich resonated cruelly round and round in her head Who would ever have thought that the acknowledgely caused so much heartache?

‘Will you let me?’ he said

What choice did she have? To brazen it out in London, aware of the eyes which followed her? The curious glances? Wo…? Well, she didn’t even want to go there

‘In a feeeks all the fuss will have died down,’ he continued smoothly ‘The neill have moved on That’s what happens’

And, stupidly, that upset her even more—for once it had died down it really would be over And wasn’t there a part of her—ever while loathing all this fuss and attention—that was secretly glad because it had brought Hashiood?

‘All right I’ll go to my mother’s,’ she said

At the other end of the phone, Hashim closed his eyes with relief Outside his private study the court was in uproar, and Abdul-Aziz was prowling round the palace like a starving tom-cat, but Hashim didn’t care She was safe She would be safe—he had the resources to protect her