Sweet Revenge Ch. 03

Karina donned the sandals and scooped the rest into a bundle and stalked toward the entrance of the clearing, with a regal toss of her head. Richard stood, feet planted firmly apart, directly in her path. She looked coldly into his eyes and raised a haughty brow.

"Would you mind getting out of my way?"

A long moment passed as he stared down at her, fighting the urge to pull her into his arms. Finally, he moved to the side and motioned for her to precede him. She did so with all the arrogance of a queen, as she tossed her head and stalked past him. He secretly admired her spirit, as he followed in her wake, enjoying the gentle swing of her hips as she walked. He smiled to himself. Having a mistress had its advantages, and he intended to enjoy each one of them! He would be spending the next several months with her in his bed, and he mentally grinned as he resolved to make good use of the time. He could hardly wait to get her back to the tent!

***********

William Sinclair paced restlessly in front of the fireplace in his study. It had been two days since the Viceroy's ball, and still there was no trace of his daughter! His hair was ragged and unkempt, while two days' growth of stubble was scattered across his firm chin. His clothes were rumpled. What little sleep he had found had been in the big leather chair at his desk, and his clothes were terribly wrinkled as a result. He cared not one whit about his appearance. His only thought was to find Karina, and he prayed she would be found safe and sound.

He mentally thrashed himself once again for the ultimatum he had given her. Damn! If he had not forced her into a corner, she would never have fled from the ball. He mentally retraced every word they had exchanged, and he cringed. It was his fault she had run away, all his fault.

No one had seen her leaving the ball, and no trace of her had been seen about the city. He had sent men to search everywhere, every friend's house where she might have gone for sanctuary, every known haunt she had around Cairo. The result had been nothing. He had even searched all the docks, hoping she may have booked passage on a ship bound for England, but no one had seen her there either. It was as if she had dropped off the face of the earth!

A knock sounded on the door, and William jerked around and called admittance. Abdul, entered and approached the desk. He seemed eager to impart his news.

"Sir, one of the deckhands on a ship said he saw someone fitting your daughter's description boarding a ship two evenings ago. He said she booked passage to England, and she had no luggage or belongings. He wasn't able to see her face, because she wore a veil, but he said her hair was long and blonde. It must have been your daughter, sir."

William felt a flicker of hope at the news. "What is the name of the ship?"

"The Sea Falcon, sir. The ship left port on the night of the ball and is bound for several ports in the Mediterranean before making her way to France. I understand she is one of Lord Bryant's ships. He has another ship in port, the Wave Catcher, and he has offered you a berth on that ship to look for your daughter."

William raised his eyebrows at the latest news. "I don't even know the man. Strange that he is being so helpful," he mused, frowning slightly.

Abdul hesitated only a moment before replying. "Well, sir, I think he feels somewhat responsible for your daughter's disappearance, due to the fact that she left on one of his ships. He seemed most anxious to help out in any way he could."

William accepted the explanation as a matter of course. "Very good of him to offer. I will be leaving posthaste to accept his proposal." He hurried to the foyer and called his valet, Charles. "Pack a light trunk for me immediately, and see that the carriage is brought around without delay. I will be leaving within the hour." With that, he started up the stairs, taking the steps two at a time.

Willam was ready to leave in less than an hour. His trunk was loaded in the carriage, when he stopped in the doorway of the sitting room his two daughters usually shared. Elizabeth sat on a chaise, staring out over the gardens, but she turned at the sound of his voice and stood to receive his peck on her forehead.

He stood looking down at her, her face cupped in his hands. "I am going to be gone for a while, possibly for several weeks," he said grimly. "I will bring your sister back here, God willing. I can only pray she hasn't come to any harm. I cannot take you with me. You will be much better off staying here with Mrs. White."

Elizabeth nodded her acceptance, as a single tear rolled down her cheek. "Please be careful, Papa and bring Karina back safely to me. I miss her terribly."

He smiled gently, "You have my word, I won't rest until I find her. Should she return before I do, please tell her I'm sorry for forcing her into this." At her puzzled frown he added "She will know what I mean." With that, he placed one more kiss on her forehead before he turned and left the house. He wouldn't find a moment's peace until he found his daughter and brought her safely home.

**********

Lord Stuart Rawlins stood before the window in his bedroom, as he looked out over the gardens below. He was dressed in a plush velvet robe, his hair mussed from his night of activity. A slight stirring in his bed brought him around abruptly to stare at the woman just now sitting up amidst the tangled sheets. When she spied him, she rose naked from the bed and walked seductively toward him to place a searing kiss upon his mouth.

"Good morning," she purred with a smile, rubbing against him suggestively.

He rested his hands on her hips and stared down at her nakedness with only slight interest. She was the wife of a wealthy lord, recently returned to England on business, and she was quite desirous of a diversion while her husband was away. While she was very lovely, she didn't compare to Karina. Still, she took the edge off his passion while he waited to get Karina into his bed.

He smiled at her coolly. "Amanda, dearest. I have my coach waiting for you to return you to your home. It wouldn't do for your husband to learn of your indiscretion." As he said the words, his hand lightly caressed her ripe breast, and he watched her eyelids drop with passion. He mentally sighed, as a sense of power started to awaken his own unquenched desires.

He had more pressing matters to attend, but they could wait until he enjoyed this woman's body once more. He bent her over the windowsill and entered her forcefully from behind. She egged him on as he plundered her pussy, using her like a cheap strumpet. She obviously enjoyed it, screaming in ecstasy as he spilled himself inside her.

He was still buried inside her when she giggled and gave him a seductive smile over her shoulder. Rawlins mentally groaned his frustration. He had taken her several times last night, but he had always been thinking of Karina's disappearance. He had not been able to sate his desires, and that angered him more than he cared to admit.

Just then, there was a knock at the door. Rawlins called admittance and despite her sudden panic, he held Amanda still with his cock still embedded inside her as the other man entered to bring the breakfast tray. Rawlins finally released Amanda, and she darted to the bed to snatch the sheet in front of her chest. James didn't spare her a glance as he crossed to deposit his burden on a small table. He had long since become inured to the sight of his employer fornicating with some woman or other. He carefully avoided looking at Amanda as he asked calmly, "Will there be anything else, sir?"

Rawlins stared out the window and drawled, "Yes, James. Mrs. Winslow will be leaving in a few minutes. She won't be joining me for breakfast. Please see that she makes it home safely, and," he paused as he looked over his shoulder, "discreetly." At the emphasis he placed on the last word, James bowed slightly.

"I will do my best, sir" Turning back to Amanda he added, "Your coach is ready and waiting madam." Bowing slightly again, he turned and left, closing the door behind him.

Amanda closed her mouth with a humph. She had stood rooted to the spot in her embarrasment, but she quickly turned to retrieve her clothes that had been strewn about the room. She had never been so humiliated, and she quickly dressed and stomped out of the room without a backward glance.

Rawlins sighed with relief and strolled to the breakfast table. While he enjoyed women sexually, he no patience for their constant demands. He much preferred the bawdy play he enjoyed with his servants over entertaining a noblewoman in his bed. His servants were completely under his control, and therefore, he found them much more satisfying.

He found most women were susceptible to his charm, and his interest in them was temporary at best. An evil grin split his face as he thought about Karina. She was the exception! She had managed to hold his interest for nearly three years, and he had been close to having her for his own. And now this!

He tapped his fork against the plate in irritation, as he mused on the latest developments. He knew that Karina Sinclair had disappeared from the ball, but he hadn't expected to learn that she had boarded a ship to leave the country. Sinclair's houseman had brought word this morning that her father was pursuing her, hoping to bring her back home, and Rawlins didn't doubt that he would be successful. Sinclair always seemed to succeed at his endeavors. Rawlins lip curled up with envy. He hated William Sinclair and his spoiled daughter.

Stupid little twit! What was she trying to accomplish? Just when Rawlins thought everything was going according to plan, she had pulled this little stunt! And now, her father was off on another ship, chasing her around the Mediterranean. It could be weeks before he caught up to her, and possibly longer before they returned to Cairo!

He growled in frustration, as he poured himself a brandy from the crystal decanter on the sideboard. He swirled the amber liquid in the glass and frowned darkly. Just when all his plans had been coming together! He had finally managed to get William Sinclair to seriously consider his proposal for Karina's hand, and he was sure the old man had been on the verge of forcing Karina to accept.

He smiled coldly as he thought of the haughty little bitch he had been courting. She was certainly beautiful, and he entertained fantasies of using her lovely body for his pleasure. He would savor the satisfaction of watching her beg him for mercy, when he finally got her in his bed! He would make her pay for every time she had snubbed him. He hated her, and he would enjoy putting her in her proper place, namely underneath him! His greatest joy lately had come from fantasizing about the many ways he intended to humiliate and use her.

He sank back into the overstuffed chair and swirled his brandy absentmindedly. Karina Sinclair was the key to gaining all he had sought and worked toward for years. His eyes narrowed, as he thought about his family back in England. He should have been a titled lord there, except his mother had ruined everything through her selfishness.

Stuart was, in reality, her firstborn son. However, when he was just a babe, his mother's husband, Kenneth, had learned that his beautiful wife had been carrying on with a young groomsman around the time that she got pregnant. Kenneth had been enraged, and he threatened to throw both her and her child out into the streets. However, she had pleaded for forgiveness, no doubt using her bountiful charms to win him over, and she had promised never to be unfaithful again. Kenneth had finally relented, but he was not convinced that Stuart was his son. As luck would have it, Stuart had the fair good looks of his mother rather than Kenneth's dark locks.

Kenneth finally agreed to forgive his wife, but only under one condition. He rejected Stuart as his heir, and instead, he passed his title and all his holdings to Stuart's younger brother, Matthew. Stuart hated his mother for what she had done, and he never forgave Kenneth for rejecting him. His only source of pleasure came from knowing that his mother had continued to cuckold her husband at every opportunity. Stuart was simply too humiliated by his family's secret to reveal it to anyone, and he always claimed to be the second son. However, he was determined to become even wealthier than his brother, and marrying Karina was his best chance of success.

Stuart's eyes glowed as he thought about his plans. If he could just marry her, then he could do away with her father. His smile was positively evil, as he savored his brandy. Some tragic accident should do the trick, then he would gain control over the entire Nile delta, south of Cairo. He would have a stranglehold over half of Egypt, and his wealth would soar, as he imposed stiff tariffs on those who wanted to travel through his land. He would certainly not be like Sinclair and allow the Arabs to trespass so freely over his property, once it became his!

Rawlins sneered as he thought of his most recent raid against the Arabs whom he had found camped on the edge of Sinclair's land. William Sinclair had welcomed his help in patrolling his vast holdings. Of course, the old man was not aware that Rawlins was abusing any trespassers he found, for he would never have approved. Rawlins gloated to himself. He had put the fear of God into those heathens, and he had managed to cast the blame on Sinclair. The Bedouins would think twice before trespassing on Sinclair's land again.

Rawlins grinned as he remembered the little whore he had bedded during the last raid. Now there was a soft little piece of baggage he wouldn't mind having again! She had obviously enjoyed his rowdy lovemaking. She hadn't even tried to cover herself when he had finished with her, and he remembered her dark tipped breasts and parted thighs covered in his warm, sticky seed. He knew the Bedouin moved their camps often, but he was convinced that, although it might take some time, he could find their new location.

Yes, he would have to locate their camp again and have another taste of her! He needed some distraction, while he waited for Sinclair to chase down his brat of a daughter. Impatiently, he downed the rest of his brandy and rose to dress, calling for his valet. He would round up his men, and they would ride until he found the little Bedouin whore! Then he would thoroughly enjoy the sheik's wife once again.

*********

Richard sat on his horse, staring out over the vast expanse of desert below him. His thoughts were centered on Karina. He couldn't get her out of his mind, or his dreams. He had been insatiable since her capture almost a week before, making love to her at all hours of the day and night.

Each time he took her, she would resist at first, either fighting him outright or attempting to remain indifferent to his touch. However, with a bit of persuasion, he was always able to awaken the passion in her, and she surprised him by meeting his demands and giving even more than he asked in return. He had never found so much satisfaction with a woman before, and he couldn't get enough of her.

He had thought to satisfy his appetite, and then surely he would grow bored with her. But so far, the more he had bedded her, the more he wanted her. He admitted only to himself that he was falling more than a little in love with her. He felt a familiar stab of guilt that he could become enamored with another woman so soon after the death of his wife.

He closed his eyes and thought of his beloved Ameena. He had known her since boyhood, when his father had brought him to Egypt at the age of sixteen. His mother had died, and his father brought his son to Egypt to distance themselves from the painful memories back in England. They had both come to love their new home, and Richard had immersed himself in learning the culture and customs of the native inhabitants. His father had respected the Arabs, and he had taken his son with him often to visit the Bedouin camps when they passed through his land. It was there that Richard had met Ameena.

She was the daughter of the sheik, and she had been ten years old, with awkwardly skinny long limbs and bony knees. Richard had not taken much notice of her at the time. Although she watched him like a lovesick puppy, he had been young and too caught up in exploring this new land to pay much heed to a smitten little girl. However, he had visited her village often, getting to know their customs and language, and over the years, Ameena fell deeply in love with him.

Richard was fond of her too, although he had viewed her much as an older brother would, teasing her and playing childish pranks on her. When he was twenty, he had returned to England to attend university and manage his family's estates, and he had not returned to Egypt until the age of twenty-four, when his father had died unexpectedly.

Richard returned to put the family holdings in order, and of course he visited the Arab neighbors he had known as a boy. He anticipated wrapping up his business in Egypt within a couple of months and then returning to England to manage his more extensive holdings. However, he had been shocked to find that the little girl he remembered had grown into a strikingly beautiful woman, and he had very quickly fallen in love with her. Their budding relationship put a crinkle in his plans, but he made up his mind to have her as his wife.

Ameena had not been so sure about the union, however. While she made no secret of her love for him, she didn't wish to return to England or to live among the English nobility in Cairo. She didn't understand their customs and was convinced she wouldn't be happy trying to adapt to their way of life. At first, Richard had been torn, for he loved his life in England. He had a natural flair for business, and he enjoyed the challenge of successfully managing his family's vast holdings.

He was the only child, and he had inherited several estates in England as well as a large home in Egypt. Each home had its own lands, and there were crops to manage, livestock to buy, breed and sell and repairs to oversee. Managing the estates was enough to capitalize all his time and attention, but in addition, he owned a rather large fleet of ships. Because of his father's interest in Egypt, most of their ships traded in and around the Mediterranean, although a few ventured as far as America and the Caribbean Islands.

Richard had been raised to handle the responsibilities of such exhaustive holdings. He thrived on the challenge of balancing so many priorities, and he felt a tremendous sense of pride that he was able to manage everything so smoothly. However, he now felt forced to choose between the business he enjoyed and the woman he loved. Led by his heart, he had been intent on having Ameena as his wife.

Somewhat reluctantly, he made the decision to adapt to her way of life, adopting the name Rashid, since it was similar to his own Christian name. Richard smiled as he remembered Ameena's warm response to his lovemaking. She had been shy, but very willing, and he had gently tutored her in the pleasures to be had in their marriage bed.

Richard had been accepted quickly by her Bedouin people, and they had chosen him as their Sheik, when the old Sheik died. He had not taken his responsibility lightly. He realized that his Bedouin people would be the subject of much scrutiny if polite society ever found out their leader was a British Lord, and that their traditional lifestyle as nomads could be placed at risk. So, he shunned his role as a noble, and spent the bulk of his time roaming the desert.

He only returned to his Egyptian estates once or twice a year, to make sure his affairs were being managed smoothly and to obtain supplies for his village. During those visits, he would put in the occasional appearance at a dinner party or ball, just so his peers would know he had not disappeared altogether, but he never mentioned that he was married. He simply rebuffed any offers for feminine companionship, and would disappear back to his wife before the ladies could take too much notice of him. Thus, he had lived for the past three years as an Arabian Sheik.