Yasmin was fascinated in spite of herself. “But, how?” she asked.

“If I wanted someone dead I should chose the time and place
carefully, and then I should wield the blade myself. The fewer people
involved the better, would you not say? Who would suspect you if
we were seen to enter your chambers together on the night in ques-
tion?”

“When, Jamil? When?”

He smiled. Tomorrow night, my dear Yasmin. The sooner the
better. I shall send a message to Khalid el Bey asking that he meet
me at the Casbah fort. Afterward I shall simply deny that I sent any
message. You and I shall be seen entering your rooms. I shall stay
the night. You will slip out and walk to Khalid el Bey’s house. Enter
through the garden. The lady Skye should be alone, possibly even
sleeping. Strike quickly, check to be sure you have succeeded, then
leave.”

“Why are you so willing to help me?” she asked, suddenly sus-
picious.

“We are friends, Yasmin. Khalid’s woman means nothing to me,
but you do. If my plan seems harsh, my dear, you need not act on
it. The choice is yours.”

“No! You are, as always, Jamil, direct and to the point. I will
do it!”

The captain smiled toothily as Yasmin rose. She said, “I will
send the two girls you desire to the baths and then to you. From this
night on, anything you want in the House of Felicity is yours.”

Jamil could not believe either his luck or Yasmin’s gullibility.
He’would have to work quickly now. The slave-spy he had placed
in Khalid el Bey’s house would have to be informed and instructed
in two tasks. The first would be to give the bey a sleeping draught
in his wine so that he would retire early. Then the slave would tell
Skye that a man claiming to know something of her past was at the
front gate asking to see her. This would keep Skye out of the house
while Yasmin entered the darkened sleeping chamber. She would
kill the bey believing it was Skye.

He chuckled wickedly, well pleased with himself. His spy would
be a tongueless mute soon after the murder and could not implicate
him. In fact, he would see the hapless creature sold off. As to
Yasmin… well, the penalty for murder was rather severe. A killer
was tortured first and then thrown from the city walls onto the iron
spikes that studded the walls. Sometimes a prisoner could linger for
several days… Strangely, the women were the longest-lived. It would
be interesting to see how long Yasmin would last.

Naturally, Jamil would offer his strong arm and protection to the
grieving widow. The grieving rich and beautiful young widow, he
amended his thoughts. An idea struck him. Perhaps he would marry
Skye. He need not remain the Sultan’s captain-governor of the Casbah fort forever. He could as easily retire here in Algiers as anywhere
else. Besides, Skye would need someone to run Khalid el Bey’s
various business interests. Jamil had never had a wife, but with the
bey’s wealth in his pocket he could afford four wives as well as a
fine harem. With unlimited money a man might have anything he
desired. Jamil sighed, musing on the pleasure and wealth Khalid el
Bey’s death would bring him. To be sure, he would be losing a good
and interesting friend, but that could not be helped.

His thoughts were interrupted by the entry of the two girls who
had earlier entertained the merchant. Giggling nervously, for they
knew his reputation, they knelt submissively at his feet.

“How may we serve you, lord?” they chorused.

He viewed them through cruelly narrowed eyes. “Let us begin
with the same exercise you performed earlier on your merchant
client,” he said. “We will progress slowly and inventively from
there.”

And across the city, Skye lay awake hugging her happy secret to herself. There was no doubt now. She was with child, and oh!
how happy Khalid would be when she cold him! They had entertained
earlier, and then he had gone off on his customary nighttime rounds
of his houses. When he came back she would surprise him with the
news. Smiling, she imagined the look on his face. She folded her
hands protectively across her belly. It was much too early to feel
any life, but she tried to imagine what the son of Khalid el Bey
would look like.

Hearing his step, she rose and ran to greet him. His strong arms
wrapped about her, and he kissed her very thoroughly. His mouth
inflamed her, and when his hands slipped beneath her gauze gown
to caress her trembling body she almost forgot what she had waited
to tell him.

“Khalid! Stop! I have news.”

“Yes, my love,” he murmured, pulling her robe open to nuzzle
at her pretty breasts. His mouth closed over a pointed nipple; he
sucked hard on it, and she almost fainted. It was no use. She wanted
him as much as he wanted her. Her news would wait. She swayed
against him and he picked her up and carried her to the bed. Some-
where along the way their garments were shed.

He put her down on the middle of the mattress, positioning her
body carefully. Then he straddled her just as deliberately, his hairy,
well-muscled legs lying outside her smooth ones. Sitting back on
his haunches, his heels against his tight buttocks, he reached out his
hands to play with her. One moved forward to pinch gently at her
sensitive little nipples, the other moved behind him to tickle the soft
throbbing flesh of her sweet cleft.

Skye’s eyes narrowed like a cat’s and she murmured her pleasure.
”So, my lord husband, you would tease me. Two can play at the
same game.” And she cupped the sac of his manhood in her right
hand, rolling his balls with a provocative rhythm while her left hand
stroked his rod with equal expertise. She elicited a groan of delight
from him.

For several minutes they continued to caress each other until both
had reached a peak of excitement that offered only one satisfaction.
Skye enjoyed pleasuring Khalid as much as he enjoyed pleasuring
her. As always, she felt a thrill of excitement as she watched him
grow big and hard for her.

The bey watched his wife’s growing passion with delight. She
was so beautifully natural, so unlike all the skilled whores he owned.
To have such a wife was a blessing for which he was deeply grateful.
He swung off her body now and said, “Let me play the great desert
stallion tonight, my Skye. Roll over, and be my little wild mare.”

She knelt, her head resting on her arms, her white bottom facing him, ready. Kneeling, he gently inserted himself into her. Then one
hand moved to squeeze and fondle her hanging breasts while, with
the other, he did something he’d never done with her before. As she
approached her climax, he pushed a finger into her anal orifice and
sent her into such a frenzied climax that for one brief and terrifying
moment he thought he’d done her some awful damage. Then, realizing that she had only fainted, he took his own release. It was a
greater climax than usual because of his relief.

Afterward she lay relaxed in his arms and sighed with pleasure.
”I was worrying,” she said, “that our lovemaking would not be as
much fun now, but I see that it can continue to be just as delicious.”

“Why should anything be different, my love?”

“Because, my lord and husband, you are to be a father next
spring. Is that not wonderful?”

The bedchamber was plunged into deep silence. Slowly then,
awareness began to grow, and his face took on a brilliant glow. He
caught her to him.

“You’re sure?” he cried, tearfully, hugging her to him fiercely.

“Yes! Yes!” she gasped, laughing and crying at the same time.

“Oh my Skye! No one has ever given me a greater gift than you
have given me in yourself. And now you will give me a child, too.
It is too much, my love. Far too much. Thank you, thank you!” And
he wept, still holding tightly to her.

Skye cradled Khalid to her breasts crooning to him. This won-
derful man who had rescued her from God only knew what horrors,
who loved her, had made her his wife and given her a wonderful
life was thanking her! She wept with him and her heart swelled with
joy.

“I love you! Khalid! Whoever I might have been I cannot re-
member, but I rejoice in the woman I am now for I am your woman.
It is I who should thank you.”

Silence again descended upon the room as the two lovers joined
once more, tenderly, and Khalid bent to kiss Skye’s faintly rounded
belly. Then they slept, entwined together on the bed, until long after
dawn.

It was Skye who rose first to greet the new day. Looking down
upon the sleeping Khalid, she let the great love she felt for him
sweep over her, leaving her teary. She noted every inch of him. The
light sprinkling of silver gray that had begun to touch his dark, wavy
hair. The faint scar on his left shoulder left by a wild Bedouin girl’s
dagger. The almost boyish look he had when he was asleep. Her
blue-green eyes traveled the length of him. Then, shivering, she
began to feel as if she were committing his face and body to memory.
Shrugging the feeling away, she went to her bath.

Skye would always remember that the day progressed with an
easy familiarity that offered no hint of the things to come. She
worked with Master Jean on the books of the trading vessels, amazed
that Captain Small had done so well. He was due again in Algiers
any day now. They had recently received word of his arrival in
London, where he had disposed of the last of the Spanish gold. She
was looking forward to seeing Captain Small again, knowing how
delighted he would be at her happy news.

After the midafternoon prayers, Jean’s Marie brought them a light
repast and the news that the bey had gone on his daily inspection
rounds early as he wished to spend the entire evening with his wife.
Skye blushed happily, then said, “My good Jean, you and your
Marie have been true friends to my lord Khalid and me. I shall
therefore share with you a secret known only to my husband. I am
to have a child in the spring.”