page22 (1/2)

He looked her over ‘You’re starting to tan,’ he said ‘It suits you’

There was nothing particularly provocative in the way he was inspecting her, but she had to steel herself all the same

‘Hoeet of you to notice,’ she said, e amounts of sun cream all the same!’

He smiled ‘Well, make sure you take plenty with you e head off into the desert tomorrow’

She looked at hi perhaps?

But it was not dune-bashing

‘Yes I’ve had a co his eyes rest on Diana ‘Apparently it has pleased the Princess to request that her brother the Sheikh lends us the use of hisah“desert love-nest”, I believe is the term the Princess used, since we are here on our honeymoon’

Dismay filled Diana’s face ‘Nikos, we can’t possibly accept!’

She’d deliberately not told him what Princess Fatiet all about it, or that her brother would turn down any request she ht make But in vain

His expression changed ‘Diana, we can’t possibly not’ His tone was adaular honour, and an indication of how the Princess has taken to you’

‘To refuse would be to offend’ Diana echoed in a hollow voice

‘Exactly,’ Nikos confirmed in that same steely voice Then his expression softened, and there was a hulint in his eye now ‘Think of it as an adventure You’ll be able to dine out on it in years to come’

She gave a disheartened sigh ‘I suppose so,’ she said reluctantly

Her mood had plummeted For a start, she felt a total hypocrite A co upon her what she fondly iined would be a fantastically ro that was appropriate for her and Nikos

But there wasa hypocritical fraud The thought of being wafted off to a desert hideaway, all on her oith Nikos