Page 94 of Modern Romance November 2024 5-8

‘Go to the hammam,’ he suggested. ‘If you still ache.’

‘Oh, I do.’

He did not kiss her goodbye, but she didn’t need it to feel the warmth in his parting, and she knew he would come to her tonight, in the observatory.

Violet took her time to finish her breakfast, then went to stand at a huge arch as Sahir and his entourage walked through the Welcome Gardens, lingering to watch the royal jet soar into the sky.

Nervous about the future, she still dared to feel happy. She even wore a smile on her face as she walked through the central star and glanced up, thinking of last night and more certain with each step that she was right about Queen Anousheh.

Pushing the door open to her wing, she walked down the long corridor, then turned into her suite.

‘Bibi?’

She frowned, because the maid was crying. She met the unwelcome glare of Aadil.

‘What’s going on...?’

‘I was just moving your glass,’ Bibi sobbed.

Violet felt her heart plummet as she glanced down at the floor and saw the scattered stones—diamonds, emeralds and rubies—and the little square of silk Sahir had given to her the first day they’d met.

It was her worst nightmare...

‘What’s going on?’

She heard both Layla’s voice and her footsteps.

‘Oh...’ Her face fell when she saw the jewels.

‘They are Queen Anousheh’s,’ Aadil said. ‘I believe they have been missing for some time.’ As Layla went to scoop them up, he halted her. ‘Don’t touch them. We’ve called for the palace jeweller.’

Violet, when she should be protesting her innocence, was shivering.

‘I found them in the trunk.’ She felt as if she might vomit. ‘I left them there.’

She wasn’t crying or pleading, which astounded her, and she just let Layla take her by the shoulders and sit her down.

‘It’s a simple mistake.’ Layla glared at Aadil. ‘Please leave us.’

‘Not till the palace jeweller is here.’

It was dreadful—the awful silence as the jeweller arrived and with white gloves collected the stones, each and every one. It took ages.

Aadil took the square of silk.

Oh, why didn’t she say something? State her case?

Because it was hopeless.

She didn’t want to see the doubt in Sahir’s eyes, or the disappointment—or, on the impossible chance that he believed her, watch him having to defend her. To people who wanted her gone.

‘It’s a misunderstanding,’ Layla said, when all had left.

‘Why aren’t you with Sahir?’ asked Violet.

‘I’m on my day off.’ Layla smiled and took her cold hands. ‘It’s okay, you’re shocked. I am going to contact Pria. She can tell Sahir—’

‘No.’ Violet shook her head. ‘Please don’t.’

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