Page 20 of Royally Promoted

‘Thank you, Nadia, for inviting me here.’ Lucy stood up, taking her cue from Malik. Nadia likewise stood up, as tall and slender as a willow, and Lucy impulsively hugged her.

‘I really feel for you,’ she confided, drawing back to look up at the older woman, who was smiling at her. ‘Your son isn’t great when it comes to talking about anything of a personal nature, but I just want to say how pleased I am that your husband is on the path to recovery. You know—and this is just my personal belief...’

She leaned forward, tilting up to look at her hostess and continued earnestly, ‘You can sometimes get just scared stiff of small things after you’ve had a health scare. My aunt had a stroke a few years ago and it took her ages to get back to the things she’d grown fond of doing.’

‘Lucy...’ Malik tapped his watch. ‘Time is moving along...’

‘Hush, Malik, and let the child finish what she has begun to say.’

When Lucy looked at her boss, she was surprised at his dumbfounded expression and instantly rueful, feeling that she had maybe gone a step too far without realising it.

Was a hug a little too much? Because she had been excused from curtseying didn’t mean that she was at liberty to drop all formalities. She blinked, suddenly skewered with doubt.

‘I am afraid I do not quite understand you, my dear. Your aunt?’

Lucy mentally took a deep breath and carried on, because she was who she was, but she was inching ever so slightly back towards the door, conscious that Malik was ready to leave. ‘Was very much into mountaineering.’

‘Mountaineering?’

She stopped and thought of Aunt Maud, a proud spinster who was fond of preaching about the advantages of nature over men. Lucy had often thought cynically that she was preaching to the converted, after Colin and her broken heart. ‘Loved it. She used to say that she was wed to nature because it would endure the test of time so much better than any marriage. She became quite hesitant about climbing after her health scare...’

‘Lucy,’ Malik said firmly, ‘I’m really not convinced my mother is particularly interested in the ins and outs of mountaineering...’

Lucy reddened.

‘But, Malik, I am keen to hear the rest of the story.’ There was a distinct smile in Nadia’s voice.

‘But eventually,’ Lucy concluded, looking over her shoulder to her brooding boss and saying sweetly to him in a rapid undertone, ‘And I’m cutting this story as short as I can, Malik, believe me.

‘Aunty Maud came to terms with the fact that life was there for living to the fullest and so she began taking small steps to overcome her fear. Of course, she never really could do the big mountains again, but she still enjoys exploring.’

‘I understand what you are saying, Lucy, and of course we all hope that our beloved Ali returns to his duties as soon as possible.’ Nadia smiled, a smile that softened the austere lines of her beautiful face. ‘Although, as you wisely point out, some of his activities might have to be curtailed. He will tire. I hope, however, that his optimism remains tireless.’

‘I would definitely discourage him from thinking about mountaineering.’ Lucy grinned and, unexpectedly, Nadia laughed, a light, girlish laugh.

‘I will certainly remember your aunt and her curtailed escapades, although Ali and mountains are not a natural mix.’

‘Perhaps I can get to meet your husband some time,’ Lucy said warmly.

‘You certainly will, my child.’

Lucy was quite unaware of Malik’s dark eyes resting coolly on her amid the polite farewells as they were ushered to the door. His mother fell back, allowing one of the staff to pull open the front door, and the still warm, humid night air wrapped around them. She’d been apprehensive about what to expect and had been pleasantly surprised, because the very limited picture Malik had painted had been of a couple who were so rigidly traditional that any stray word would have had her escorted to the nearest tower for instant beheading.

As soon as they were in the car, and still basking in the relief of not having made a fool of herself in front of his illustrious parent, Lucy spun to look at Malik with bright eyes.

‘She’s nothing like I thought she was going to be!’ She had tugged her hair over one shoulder and was playing with the ends of it.

‘What do you mean?’

Malik was leaning back against the seat, legs splayed, his hands resting lightly on his thighs.

What had he expected of this brief social call? He didn’t know. Perhaps a cool, polite visit, over before it had begun. As he had expected, tea had been exquisite. He had known that his father wouldn’t be making an appearance and his mother, also as expected, had been her usual elegant, coldly beautiful self.

So far, so good.

He’d felt a little sorry for Lucy, landing in this place of well-bred civility, which he supposed would be a family dynamic which was the polar opposite of what she had grown up accustomed to.

He hadn’t expected her to throw herself with gusto into their perfunctory visit. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen his mother laugh and he hadn’t seen her so relaxed since... Frankly, it escaped him. Had his father’s illness softened her? Or had he just never looked deep enough to someone else behind the sophisticated, distant façade?

---