Rashid relished the feeling of satisfaction Victoria's capitulation gave him. Now, they could make progress. He could soften his manner and exert more patience. She possessed a warrior's fearlessness, but she would need to learn to temper her boldness against his superior strength and will. No doubt, she better understood this now. Smiling, he resolved to show her the utmost courtesy and charm when she returned. 

"My Lord," Califar whispered at Rashid's side. "Perhaps the princess needs assistance?"

Rashid drew his thoughts back to the present. Why would Victoria need assistance? Her office was only a small distance across the reception area. He looked at Califar, his brows furrowed, and dipped his head in a questioning gesture.

"Twenty minutes have passed, my lord. Perhaps there is a problem?" said Califar.

A streak of clarity presented an incredulous possibility that shattered Rashid's complacency. Where was his wife? He spun around and strode toward the door, headed for his wife's office. Surely, she would not dare to disobey him.

Califar quickened his stride to keep up. Jacob followed.

Rashid yanked open the heavy door to Victoria's office. The spacious room held an array of crafted mahogany furnishings, impressive artwork, and a spectacular view of the New York skyline, but not his wife. Another door to the right of Victoria's desk stood open, giving him an unrestricted view of a small hallway and elevator.

Courtesy! Charm! The words exploded in his head. He would strangle her when he found her. She'd made him the fool she'd labeled him earlier and he seethed with the humiliation. This woman thought she could challenge him and win. She would soon know better.

*  *  *

Photo Credit: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/34128909661029411/

Victoria's right foot tapped in double time as descending floor numbers lit up on the panel over the elevator door. She could hear her heartbeat pounding in her ears and beads of perspiration dampened her skin. All she needed was just enough time to get to the underground garage and the company limousine. No. She couldn't use the limo; the driver would be the first person her father would question.

The elevator, moving with snail-like velocity, jerked to a sudden stop. So did her breathing. She froze as the doors retracted. No one stood in her way. Resisting the urge to run, she crossed the garage at a brisk walk and headed for the street entrance. A taxi stood at the curb unloading passengers. As soon as they'd cleared the way, Victoria tossed her packages into the rear seat and slid in beside them.

Photo Credit: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/34128909661029411/

She was giddy with relief when the driver pulled into the main flow of traffic. Freedom! A surge of sweet revenge filled her with euphoria. Just imagining the hole in Rashid's inflated ego when he found her gone was worth the risk. He would probably turn his anger toward her father. Good! Her father deserved any consequences he received. What misguided reasoning could have possibly induced him to act this irresponsibly? No one arranged his grown daughter's marriage to a stranger, especially a foreign devil. What was he thinking? Was the company in trouble? Did he need money? Questions jumped at her one after the other. Too many questions and not one answer.

"This can't be happening." The sound of her own voice startled her.

"Are you okay, lady?" the driver asked with a dubious frown as he gazed at her through his rearview mirror.

"Yes, I'm fine. I just need to get where I'm going in a hurry." Victoria counted as she breathed in and out. She didn't need to hyperventilate.

Perhaps she was overreacting. Surely, after a demonstration of her rejection, any civilized man would concede defeat and have the good sense to go home. On the other hand, good sense didn't seem to be one of Prince Davar's stronger qualities.

The fact he was a prince added a deep layer of complexity to her questions. Did his superiority and conceit come from a position and power, or, from his culture and beliefs? Either way, she didn't want to be on the receiving end of his immeasurable arrogance.

"Get a grip, Victoria." Once again, she drew the concerned look of the driver as she voiced her thoughts aloud. Taking out her cell phone, she punched in Jessica's number.

"Hello," Jessica answered.

"Jessica, thank goodness you're home. Don't leave. I'll be there in another ten minutes. I'm in a terrible crisis. You've got to help me."

"Victoria, where are you? What's the matter?"

Victoria noticed another of the driver's scrutinizing looks. Realizing she was divulging too much information in front of a stranger, she lowered her voice. "I'll explain all when I get there. You've got to help me..." Her voice quivered.

"Calm down, Victoria. I'll be here when you arrive. Surely things can't be as bad as you sound?"

"Everything is awful, Jessica. He's a nightmare."

"He? Who's he?" Jessica's voice rose with frustration.

"I'm counting on you, Jessica. I'll be there soon. Bye."

She slipped the phone back inside her purse and counted pedestrians to keep her mind occupied. Sweet relief lifted her confidence as the taxi stopped in front of an upscale apartment complex. After handing the driver a generous tip, she gathered her packages and vacated the vehicle.

Before she could knock on Jessica's door, it swung open to reveal a shocking sight. Victoria's only hope stood in the doorway dressed in camouflage underwear with jumbo curlers in her hair and an oatmeal mask plastered on her face.

"Come in! Come in! You're not being followed, are you?" Jessica dragged Victoria into the hallway then rechecked the outside area. When she was certain no one lurked in the bushes, she secured the door.

Whirling to face Victoria, she exploded. "What in the world is happening? You scared me to death. You were in such a panic. I thought someone was trying to kill you, or something."

Victoria opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out. She tried again. The best she could do was a pitiful squeak. An uncontrollable shaking started in her knees, moved up her body, and set her teeth to chattering.

"I've never seen you like this before," said Jessica as she caught both of Victoria's hands in her own. "Now, you really are scaring me. Come and sit down before you fall down." Jessica drew Victoria toward a chair. "I'll get you something to drink."

Victoria accepted the seat her friend offered, grateful to sink into its overstuffed cushions. Burrowing deep into their puffiness, she fought the overwhelming need to hide. How was she going to explain to Jessica what she didn't fully understand herself? Especially, since her thoughts were like roman candles, rapid flashes of light and shape which streaked with short-lived brilliance across her mind and then disappeared.

Photo Credit: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/8866530499146362/

"Here, drink this," said Jessica, pushing a small glass into Victoria's hands. "It's just a little something guaranteed to supercharge your engines and restore your voice. Maybe then we can get to the bottom of this."

Victoria clutched the glass. With her eyes fixed on Jessica, she took two large gulps in quick succession.

Heat! Scorching Heat! A burning river of lava seared her throat and shot a pyroclastic plume up her nose. A spasm of painful coughs followed. Her eyes poured with water and, grabbing her throat, she glared at her executioner and tried to speak. "Wha...what?"

"Breathe shallow, Victoria!" said Jessica as she gave Victoria's back several strong hits. "Heavens, don't you know you're supposed to sip brandy slowly? Are you trying to kill yourself?"

The scorched muscles in Victoria's throat relaxed giving her air to fill her lungs and a voice. "Me? You're the one who gave me the poison. How was I supposed to know the drink was lethal?"

Jessica perched on the arm of Victoria's chair. Her eyes showed serious concern one moment then closed as she burst into laughter. Victoria couldn't suppress the hilarity infecting her friend so she joined her. When they had used up every last giggle, Jessica insisted upon hearing the details of Victoria's predicament. For the next twenty minutes, Victoria recounted the unbelievable turn of events in her life.

The story should have taken only ten minutes to tell but Jessica's interruptions were explosive and many. "Unacceptable! Horrible! What a beast! They can't treat women this way. This means WAR!"

To have a freedom fighter on her side with such enthusiasm bolstered Victoria's confidence. As much as Jessica loved the adoration of the male species, she never considered herself anything less than their equal, both mentally and physically. Surely, with her help, Victoria could get out of this mess with the least amount of embarrassment.

"The third thing we'll do..."

"Wait, Jessica. What are you talking about?" She must have retreated completely into her own thoughts. Obviously, she was missing Jessica's strategy. "I'm sorry. I must still be a little buzzed with the brandy. I think I missed the first part."

"Pay attention, Victoria. How am I going to get you out of this mess if you don't listen to me?" The intrigue of battle darkened Jessica's frothy green eyes.

Victoria could almost read the words "Retribution and Reckoning" in the depths of her friend's eyes. Straightening in her chair, she gave her commanding general her full attention. After all, this was the only army she had.

Jessica laid out her combat strategy in logistical detail. "Your prince won't do anything at a public gathering. He wouldn't want anyone to know he couldn't keep track of his property...would he? Therefore, you must be at the ball tonight. We'll sneak you out prior to the presentations. No one will be expecting you to leave before the award presentations so we'll have an element of surprise. I'll book a hotel for a few days until we can get some legal muscle on your side. We'll keep you very public or very lost. They may show up here at any time so we had better move out."

Gathering costume gear and all the girl-related accessories were daunting. Since she had no other clothes with her, a quick detour to a boutique was a necessary side trip. They managed to finish everything in a little over an hour, giving them plenty of time to locate a hotel. Jessica lapsed into an unusual silence as she drove, no doubt refining her strategy.

Victoria hoped her friend was right about Rashid. Perhaps his dignity would keep him from following her to the ball and causing a public embarrassment to himself, not to mention her. Surely, he knew how ludicrous he'd look chasing down an errant bride in this modern time and place. But she had no way of judging what his parameters of behavior were. Wasn't one supposed to know their enemy? Whatever force moved this man didn't exist in her realm of experience.

Victoria was exhausted by the time they pulled into the hotel of Jessica's choice. She needed a nap and a shower, preferably in that order. As the attendants unloaded their meager luggage, she followed Jessica to the front desk. How could she do otherwise? Jessica had latched on to her arm with a death grip.

"Let me do the talking," whispered Jessica. "Do what you can to look invisible. We don't need anyone recognizing you."

"Let go of my arm, you're cutting off the circulation." Victoria rubbed some circulation back into her wrist. "Besides, I'm not the one making a spectacle of myself. People are already staring at us funny."

To Jessica's credit, she composed herself in less than three seconds and in another five minutes had secured a room under the names of Joan Troy and Helen Arc. When they finally settled in their room, Jessica decided to swim a few laps in the hotel's indoor pool. Victoria took the opportunity to check on the children.

She dug her cell out of her purse and dialed Applewood. The night nanny in charge told her Breeze and Emily were at movie night. She didn't want to drag them away from one of their favorite treats so she asked if she could talk to Talli and Aaron. To her dismay, Aaron was in the infirmary for the evening because he had a low-grade fever. Finally, Talli's bubbly little voice brightened her evening.

"Hi, Toria. I got ice cream."

"Ooh, sounds yummy. What flavor?"

"Trawberry. Aaron got 'anilla. But he didn't eat it. His throat hurts. Nurse Judy said he caught a cold. I don't know how, 'cause he never can catch the ball I throw for him."

"I'm sure he will get better very soon and you can play ball with him some more."

"When I hanged up the phone, I'm going to tell him some 'tories."

"What kind of stories are you going to tell him?" asked Victoria. The way these children cared for each other made her heart glow with love and pride.

"About bugs, and 'nakes, and dwagons," Talli said with a giggle.

"He'll love your stories. I have to go now, Talli. I'm sending lots of hugs and kisses; you give them to everybody, okay? I love you."

"Otay, Toria. Wuv you too. Bye."

She put the phone up, kicked off her shoes, slipped out of her skirt, and loosened the top few buttons of her blouse. Pulling back the satin coverlet, she slipped under its cool softness and settled her head on the down-filled pillow.

_____________________________________

I appreciate all those who read my books. Your support helps me have the energy to continue writing the stories that fill my head.

Please take the time to share this story with a friend, give it a star, or leave a comment. I'd love to hear from you. Thank You.