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A radiant san to formulate plans for the rest of the day She phoned her sister first and beahted anticipation Afterwards she called her grandfather’s horand She held back her pregnancy neanting to share that with Rashad first

‘That would be best,’ Dursa told her granddaughter in her halting English ‘Haki and will be away until late and your grandfather would not like to miss your visit’

Her single social engagement cancelled, Polly decided to spend the rest of the day painting She had her regular language lesson first, of course, and then spent another hour studying Dharian history and culture The more she learned about every aspect of Dharian life, the easier she found it to understand Rashad’s concerns and share the to learn about the heroine of the legend, the saintly Queen Zariyah Why had her randfather, Hakiht have been because the naive her that link to her father’s heritage, but Polly thought it was just as likely that her ht the name was pretty Evidently she had not appreciated or had possibly not cared that the nainal Zariyah Now the world had turned full circle, Polly acknowledged, for while it was known that she was called Polly the media routinely referred to her as Queen Zariyah

‘You’re going to paint,’ Hayat said unnecessarily when Polly appeared in the loose sundress she usually wore for her sessions

Polly nodded, wondering why Hayat was staring at her, her dark eyes cool, her face stiff Had she offended the other woman in some way? Polly pushed the concern to the back of her mind because she was not in the mood to tackle ould be a difficult conversation In fact she kept on wanting to smile in the most stupid inane way because she was so happy about the baby she carried As she relaxed into that startling concept she was finally allowing herself to think about what it would mean to have a child and become a parent

Certainly, she hoped that she would e to be a better parent than her ownjudgereat deal more coic circumstances of her own birth Yet Annabel Dixon had moved on fro another child and once again landing the responsibility for that child onto her own ret It seemed that her mother had led a tued to sustain a lasting relationship with any one of her daughters’ fathers She wanted so very different for her own life and her own child, she conceded ruefully She wanted love and stability and two parents for her baby, so that her child could feel safe and supported as he or she grew up

The air-conditioned cool of the room set aside for her to use as a studio elcome There were two unfinished canvases on easels, one a painstaking watercolour in Polly’s signature drearound floor, the second a sunset in oils of the desert landscape The second painting was a new departure for Polly The colours were more adventurous, the brush strokes bolder, possibly expressing the ulfed her since she first cahtfully

And yet had she had a choice there was nothing she would change, she reflected while she painted Rashad had transfor finger, the iddily, ht have been, had nonetheless reunited her with her grandparents and allowed her to eous but often unfathomable Rashad He was passionate, clever and driven, sexy beyond words, everything she had not even known she wanted in a e with hidden and dangerous depths and that worried her, for she herself was not introspective and pretty s on the surface

As the heat of day began to fade Polly went off to shower and change into the blue dress Rashad particularly admired If he made it back in time she would tell him about the baby over dinner, otherwise over a late supper In fact it didn’t ot back, she would wait up

When she reappeared, Hayat aiting for her again ‘I’’s friend, Mr Benedetti, is about to arrive to join hi is not here—’

Polly frowned, knowing how important the art of hospitality was to Rashad and how very rude a last-minute cancellation would be ‘I’ll dine with him and explain’

Hayat gave her a bright ad—’

Polly raised a brow ‘How?’

‘To dine alone with a man who is not your husband’

Polly laughed ‘Neither my husband nor I are that old-fashioned,’ she asserted with confidence