Court of Veils Read online

  ‘I thought you might want to - after that,’ he said huskily.

  ‘I feel much too weak,’ she sighed. ‘Duane, you strange man.’

  ‘Sure, a rugged fool who’s best at handling trees,’ he agreed wryly. ‘Someone who once thought that love was just another name for getting hurt.’

  ‘Love?’ She spoke tentatively. ‘Am I a little storm-crazy, or do you mean what you are saying?’

  ‘I mean what I am saying, and feeling.’ His arms tightened round her. ‘It’s your feelings I’m worried about, Juliet.’

  ‘Juliet,’ she murmured after him. ‘I feel brand-new, as though life is only just beginning for me - Duane, why were you cruel to me at times?’

  ‘Because I didn’t dare to be kind,’ he said gruffly. ‘I couldn’t believe that rare, kind simplicity still existed. Like a jungle boor I had to keep on testing you - no wonder there have been times, Juliet, when you’ve wanted to slap my face.’

  She smiled and drew a finger down the hard cleft in his cheek, savouring this moment of heartfelt joy and clarity of mind. This ravishment in feeling his muscular shoulder under her cheek, the warmth without, and the love within.

  ‘You will have to teach me to be humble, and human, my dear,’ he said.

  ‘Darling tyrant,’ she laughed against his throat, ‘I don’t want you humble, and you feel very human to me right now.’

  ‘But I want to make up for hurting you,’ his lips brushed warm across the bump on her forehead. ‘How do I do that?’

  ‘By never doubting me,’ she said gently. ‘I love you, Duane. I want to be near you, all my life. I want to care for you, and love away the bitterness you learned as a boy. We’ve both been lonely—’

  ‘Too lonely, ma chérie.’ His arms crushed her to him. ‘But I must work in the forest and the desert - could you share them with me ?’

  ‘Easily,’ she smiled. ‘I have a Ruth-like nature. Whither thou goest, Duane, I’ll follow and be happy.’

  He kissed her, gently then fiercely. Outside their shelter the tempest was breaking, the wind was dying down, the. sands were settling into stillness. Juliet rested against Duane’s shoulder, home, found, safe in the strength of the man she had fought and finally come heart to heart with. She loved and was loved, and the knowledge was sweet.

  ‘Poor Roslyn,’ she murmured. ‘But they are together, she and her love. For always.’

  When the storm had died quite away, she and Duane drove home to Dar al Amra. There was much to explain to his family, but first they stopped at Duane’s house among the trees and he led her inside. There he took from a little box the ring which Nanette had given him for his bride-to-be. He slipped it on to the third finger of Juliet’s left hand, a golden ring set with a pearl and a diamond. A lovers’ ring. The pearl symbolic of the woman, the diamond of the man.

  A Romeo and Juliet ring.

  Table of Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen