Bought for the Harem

Harriet nodded, then splashed her. Marguerite looked startled for a moment and then splashed her back. They both laughed, feeling happier as some of the tension slipped away.

When they had finished washing, they walked up the steps leading to the bench. Harriet allowed her cousin to go first, deliberately turning her back until Marguerite called that she was decent. Harriet followed and wrapped herself about. She was wondering what to do next when Mellina reappeared with some women bearing what looked like clothes of such fine soft material that it was possible to see through it.

‘You may choose which you prefer,’ Mellina said and spread the clothes out on the bench and the grass. ‘You will need the pants and the bodice for wear in the harem. If you are allowed outside the harem as a special treat for pleasing the Caliph, you will be given more suitable clothes to wear.’

Harriet gasped as she saw what she was expected to wear. Marguerite was looking quite interested and seemed to be inspecting them with a view to choosing her favourite colours.

‘Is there nothing else for me?’ Harriet asked. ‘You are wearing an overdress. May I not have something of the kind?’

Harriet looked down at the overgown that covered the trunk of Mellina’s body and was far more modest than the garments she had brought for them to see.

‘Only the older women wear these,’ Mellina told her. ‘Surely you do not wish to cover yourself? You have quite a good figure, better than I would have thought from the clothes you were wearing before—but if you wish for a tunic like mine you may have one.’

‘I should feel more comfortable,’ Harriet said. She saw that Marguerite had chosen her pants and a filmy shirt with a little embroidered jacket that finished in gilt tassels just above her waist. She was trying to work out how to put them on when a young girl came running out to help her. She was giggling and Marguerite laughed as she saw what she had been doing wrong.

Harriet smiled as she saw that her cousin seemed to have lost her terror. For the moment Marguerite was content enough, because most of the harem ladies seemed friendly. As yet she had no idea that she was destined as a gift for the Caliph’s son, and Harriet wanted to keep it that way for as long as possible.

Surely there must be some way of reaching the Caliph? If only she could speak with him, she might be able to persuade him to ransom them to their families.

Would she see Kasim again? She had thought that just for a moment he had regretted bringing them here, that he had at last been tempted to help them. Yet why had he done so when she had begged him to help them? He had seemed sympathetic at the last, but he must be as ruthless and barbaric as his Caliph or he would never have brought them here to a life of slavery.

Kasim was deep in thought as he walked away from the harem. He did not know why it should be, but he was deeply troubled by what he had done. The look in Lady Harriet’s eyes as her cousin was led away had cut him to the heart. Had he been able he might have called her back and taken them both to their homes in England, but he had known once Prince Hassan arrived with his men that the time for such action was over.

He had tried to smother his feelings of guilt that he had not done so from the first, telling himself that he had saved the women from a terrible fate by buying them for the Caliph’s harem. Kahlid was no longer young and he hardly ever bothered to send for one of his houris. He had a favourite wife with whom he spent much of his time. It was likely that Lady Harriet would be allowed to find her own niche and never be troubled by the Caliph’s attentions. Many women were only too happy to live in the harem, especially those who had little hope of marriage in their own lands.

Kasim judged Harriet to be in her mid-to-late twenties. She was attractive, but not beautiful. Since she claimed to have a fortune of her own, she must have decided against marriage at some point. He wondered why and wished that he had taken the opportunity to ask her so many things.

He had tried to stay away from her on the ship. It was clear to him now that he had been hiding from the feelings she aroused in him, and his conscience had begun to bother him more than he cared to admit. Kasim could probably arrange a ransom for Harriet, but she had made it clear she would not leave without her cousin. Once the Caliph saw how lovely Marguerite was, he was bound to claim her for his son’s bride.

Hassan had not yet been told of his father’s wishes as far as he was concerned. He had come to meet Kasim, because he was curious about his mission and wondered what had kept him away from the palace for so many weeks. Hassan had wanted to see the women once he knew that Kasim had brought some new additions for the harem, but when told he must wait until his father permitted it, he had curbed his impatience.

‘My father usually allows me to pick from the new women,’ he said confidently. ‘Tell me, Kasim—are they beautiful?’

‘One is—one is a hellcat,’ Kasim said, though he hardly understood his motives for labelling Harriet with the title Yuri had given her.

What was he going to do about the two English women he had purchased in Algiers? Kasim frowned as he realised that their fates were no longer in his hands. He had delivered them to the harem and there it should end … unfortunately, the look in Harriet’s eyes would haunt him both waking and sleeping.

There was little he could do for her cousin, but perhaps Harriet’s fate could be resolved with a little persuasion. For the moment he must visit the Caliph for he was sure to be eager for news.

‘You have done well, Kasim.’ Caliph Kahlid bin Ossaman walked away from the small window that overlooked his chief wife’s private gardens. It was screened from the eyes of others in the presence chamber, but gave him a clear view of the bathing pool. He had enjoyed watching the two women playing in the water. It was obvious that they were both modest, for they thought themselves unobserved, which was impossible in the harem. There were spyholes everywhere so that he might watch the women without them being aware of it. The women charged with discipline, and sometimes the eunuchs also watched them, though this last was forbidden and could be punished. The English women did not know of the spyholes yet and had played innocently together. ‘I believe my son will like his gift. I shall have her prepared for him in a day or so when she has rested and become accustomed to her surroundings. If he is happy with what he sees, she will become his first wife.’

‘She has been very ill,’ Kasim said, wondering why he was embroidering the truth to a man he both liked and admired. ‘It might be as well to give her longer to settle so that she recovers her looks. Besides, she ought to be taught the faith if she is to be Hassan’s wife.’

‘Yes, what you say is true,’ Kahlid said and inclined his head. ‘I was thinking of sending Hassan to the Sultan’s court for a week or two. I believe I shall do so. The young woman will settle in after a while—but it is not necessary for her to learn everything at once. Hassan will teach her and if she is all that he requires, she may convert to the faith then.’

‘But she would not be his wife under the law unless she consented.’

‘You are a better servant of Allah than I,’ Kahlid said. ‘I shall consult with the mullah and hear what he has to say. I believe it may be enough for her to give lip service at first.’

Kasim saw that the beauty’s fate was sealed. She would be his son’s wife or his houri and it might be better if the ceremony went ahead, even if it were not a true marriage in accordance with the law. He knew that Kahlid sometimes took the law into his own hands, bending it to suit his wishes, and to argue would only anger him.

‘The older woman … I bought her because you spoke of needing a teacher for the children. The lady Katrina is sometimes unwell now that she is with child herself, and it might ease her if she did not have so many duties in the nursery.’

‘This woman is thinner than I like in a houri,’ Kahlid said, ‘though attractive in her way; her hair is an interesting shade. Is she intelligent? Would she be able to teach my children to speak English?’

‘Yes, my lord. I am certain she would be more than capable. I believe she speaks French as well as a few words of Arabic.’

‘She has studied extensively?’ Kahlid looked thoughtful as Kasim nodded. ‘Very well. For the moment I shall leave her in your hands, Kasim. She is not beautiful enough to interest me, but she may serve as a teacher. She will be of the harem and yet not of the harem. You may send for her tomorrow and take her to the children. You will observe her, and you may order her life as you see fit for the moment. I may watch from behind the screens. If she does well, she shall take Katrina’s place as the children’s teacher, at least until my wife gives me another son.’