Accidentally The Sheikh's Wife Part 18

Ras.h.i.+d looked around, as if a.s.suring himself they would not be overheard.

"I owe you an apology, Bethanne. Your father's friend was correct. Hank was doing a special favor for my father-a secret a.s.signment, as said. He came here to Quraim Wadi Samil to pick up someone special. The flight was cut short with a freak sandstorm shortly after they departed the airport. They were blown off course, or flew wide trying to avoid the sand. But the plane crashed. Everyone on board died."

Bethanne stared at him. Ras.h.i.+d tried to gauge her feelings, but her expression was wooden. "What was the secret?"

He didn't want to tell her. He didn't want to believe it, but his brother had made it clear it was the truth. After accusing her father-he owed her the truth.

"A daughter my father had with a woman not his wife. He wanted to see her before sending her to finis.h.i.+ng school in Switzerland. Hearing of her death triggered his heart attack and he died. Khalid has known, and chose not to reveal it to anyone. Until I forced it out of him last night."

She still didn't say anything.

"My apologies for accusing your father. Had I known the truth from the beginning, I would never have said such a thing."

"So you know where he's buried?" she asked.

"I have directions."

She nodded and then stared around the courtyard as if she didn't know where she was.

"I'm sorry, Bethanne."

She nodded again. "Does your mother know?" she asked.

"No. Khalid's rationale was no one needed to know. He never expected Hank's daughter to show up. When I told him who you were, he finally agreed to tell me everything. He was protecting my mother."

"And you," she said slowly.

He nodded. "It's hard to discover the honorable man I revered my entire life had cheated on his wife and had another child. One, moreover, he spent a great deal of time with. I thought his reasons for keeping the oil fields operational and under such close observation was he wanted the best for the people of Quraim Wadi Samil. Turns out it was a cover for visiting his mistress and child."

"Now I'm the one who's sorry. That has to be hard to learn at this late date."

"I can deal with it. It's my mother who continues to need protecting. Fortunately he was circ.u.mspect and few people knew of the situation. Now that the daughter is dead, and my father, the story is unlikely to come out."

The waiter reappeared with their breakfast. Conversation ended while they ate. Ras.h.i.+d wished Bethanne would say something. But he couldn't have said what. She had a lot to forgive with his family. If he'd told Khalid sooner, would he have told Bethanne the truth immediately? Before he had a chance to know her, to grow to care for her?

After they finished eating, they summoned a hired car. Ras.h.i.+d gave directions to the cemetery and when they reached it instructed the driver to wait. The graveyard was dusty and brown. Few scraggly plants grew, no gra.s.s. The tombstones were lined up in rows. The main path cut the grounds in half.

Bethanne looked at the tombstones as they walked through one section. Her heart was heavy. Tears threatened. She had known for a long time her dad was dead. He would not have ignored her this long had he not been. But she had clung to hope as long as she didn't know for sure. Now that hope was gone.

As if he knew exactly where he was going, Ras.h.i.+d led her across a series of sections and stopped in front of a newer stone. Hank's name was in English. Other words were carved in Arabic. She hadn't a clue what they said.

"What does the inscription say?" she asked, staring at the foreign script.

"It says, 'Here rests a true friend, loyal to the end.'"

"Probably not the words that would be used if he were a thief," she murmured. She wished the words had been in English.

"Hi, Dad. I found you," she said softly. She knelt on the ground, reached out and touched the stone. It was already warm from the sun. Memories flashed through her mind. She loved her father. Felt curiously happy to find him, even though he had died three years ago. She had known it all along, just denied it. He would not have ignored her for so long had he been on earth. The cards and letters had came sporadically, but the phone calls had been as regular as the sunrise.

She wouldn't have been a pilot if he hadn't fostered the love of flying in her. She wouldn't have seen as much of the world as she had. And he wouldn't be lying here now at age fifty-two if he hadn't been who he was. Wild and free, only touching down when he had to. Otherwise the skies were his home.

Would she end up like he had? Alone, far from her native land? Having lived life the way she wanted?

She glanced at Ras.h.i.+d. One thing she wanted she wasn't going to get.

"How did you know right where he was buried?" she asked.

Ras.h.i.+d was silent for a moment, staring at the headstone. "Khalid told me. And where our half sister lies. I want to see that stone as well. I didn't know I had a sister until last night."

"The mechanics at the airport said Hank stole the plane and vanished. That the sheikh's son didn't know anything. Hasid said he'd told you."

"No. I didn't know. But Khalid did. He was the one who discovered what happened when they didn't arrive as planned. She was to go to college in Europe and my father wanted to see her before she left."

"How was he planning to do that without your mother's knowledge?"

"I have no idea. But she doesn't know. She would be so hurt. She herself always wanted a daughter."

Bethanne looked at the graves marching away from her father.

"And where is her place?"

"Come, Khalid told me. It was he who arranged the stones. He who took care of everything, careful to keep our father's name out of it."

Bethanne rose and touched the stone again. She would in all likelihood never be here again. She'd found her father, only to have to say softly, "Goodbye, Dad."

Ras.h.i.+d led the way down several rows. Soon they stood before a stone engraved completely in Arabic.

"The place next to it is saved for her mother. She loved my father and he loved her. When they met-when he came to start the oil fields-he was already married with two sons. According to Khalid, the arranged marriage with my mother was important in a business sense. Yet he wanted to end it. My mother would not without causing a scandal and pulling out the money that would have sunk the business back then. In the end he stayed married to her. He told Khalid this as he was dying. He visited Quraim Wadi Samil as often as he could, enjoying his daughter and spending time with the woman he loved. He swore to Khalid our mother never knew.

"The plane crash and his daughter's death caused his own heart attack and death. Khalid never made the facts known. It would do nothing for those who died. He said he'd rather have the living content with life as they knew it. What point to shatter that?"

"I'm so sorry, Ras.h.i.+d," she said simply. She had no idea of the circ.u.mstances. Yet she was glad he had not known and not told her. She was glad her father had been helping someone when he died. It sounded more like him than being a thief.

"You once said truth always comes out. This is one I hope doesn't," he said.

"I understand. Thank you for telling me. And restoring my faith in my father. I never believed what you thought."

"Ironic, isn't it?" he said.

"What?"

"Hank was a loyal employee of our company and a loyal friend to my father. A man trusted to carry his most precious daughter. A man of integrity. It was a tragedy to end as it did."

She looked around the cemetery, imprinting it on her mind. She'd remember the words on the stone. Remember he'd died trying to help a friend.

"Instead, it was my father who was less than honorable. I'm sorry, Bethanne, for doubting your father."

"I'm ready to leave now," she said, turning away lest he see the tears in her eyes. She'd never hug her robust father again. Never get a card or letter. Never be able to tell him how much he'd meant to her-even though they rarely saw each other. She knew he'd known, but the plans they'd made-for someday-would be carried out solo now. She had his memory and his love of flying. It would have to be enough.

"Thank you for bringing me. I will honor the secret. I would do nothing to hurt your mother," she said as they walked slowly back through the cemetery.

"Her behavior could be better toward you."

"She doesn't like me. That's okay. She doesn't need to." Bethanne stopped at the gate, the hired car only a few yards away.

"Truth always comes out. I'm glad you found out before I left. And told me. If I hadn't been able to wrangle the flight to deliver the plane, I would never have gotten to know you, and that would have been my loss. I'm grateful for all you've done for me. I wish you the best life has to offer, Ras.h.i.+d."

He studied her for a moment. This was the time for him to say something, if there was anything to say. He merely inclined his head.

"And you, Bethanne."

Bethanne summoned a smile and turned, walking swiftly to the car. There was nothing left to say.

When the jet landed in Alkaahdar, she finalized all the details for leaving the plane near the private hangar. Taking her bag, she saw Ras.h.i.+d had already disembarked. She carefully withdrew the beautiful dress from her case, along with the shoes and golden necklace. Putting them on the sofa, she was sure they wouldn't be overlooked. Glancing around once more, she smiled. This jet was the best Starcraft had to offer. She knew Ras.h.i.+d would get years of service from it. She'd think about him from time to time, imagining him flying high in the plane. And she'd remember the times they'd flown together.

"Bless this aircraft and all who fly it," she murmured before leaving.

When she reached the tarmac, she looked around for a conveyance to take her to the main terminal. She had a flight to Texas to catch.

CHAPTER NINE

"SO THE deal is signed," Khalid said. deal is signed," Khalid said.

"It is. We begin to implement next week," Ras.h.i.+d returned. He looked up from his desk. "What are you doing here?"

"Came to say goodbye for a while. I'm heading inland on another consultation job for a new field opening up. I'll be gone a few weeks, probably."

"The Hari fields?"

Khalid nodded, walking around the office. He touched one of the statues on the bookcase, then went to the window.

"Where's your pilot?"

"She's not my pilot."

Khalid turned at that. "You could have fooled me. You seemed as besotted with her as you were with Marguerite."

"Then that should have told you something."

"Only I don't think Miss Bethanne Sanders is anything like Marguerite."

"Don't bet the oil field on it," Ras.h.i.+d said.

Khalid raised an eyebrow in silent question.

Ras.h.i.+d hesitated, but Khalid was his twin.

"She wanted something from me after all."

"Money?"

He shrugged. Hesitating a moment, he looked up. "She said she loved me. Once."

Khalid stopped and stared at his twin.

"And that's a problem because?"

"She was trying to get info on Hank."

"That must have hit her hard, when she learned you thought he'd stolen the plane."

Sighing at the inevitability, Ras.h.i.+d related the entire story to his brother.

"I wanted you to remember our father with love. How honorable was it for him to have another family?" Khalid said. "I never expected anyone from Hank's family to show up. Was she hurt when she discovered his death?"

He shook his head. "I believe she'd known all along, just kept hoping. I'm the one in the wrong, accusing her father of theft when it was ours who acted dishonorably. Did you ever meet her? Our sister? What was she like?"

"I didn't know about her until after her death," Khalid said. "Father had pictures of her. He loved her mother and her. I have the photos. You can look at them if you wish."

"So there is love in the world," Ras.h.i.+d said.

"Which doesn't always bring happiness. Do you think any of them were happy?"

"Maybe the daughter, cherished by both her parents."

"At least he went after the love he wanted. Ever think you should have gone after Marguerite?"

Ras.h.i.+d shook his head. "But I'm thinking of going after Bethanne."

"Why not?" Khalid asked.

"You're suggesting that I should? I thought you didn't like her."

"I like her fine. I was worried she was after something else. But if she wanted closure about her father, that's different."