Desert Prince, Exiled Princess

By Catherine Carson

Whilst growing up in Badiyah Princess Aisha has always found solace in her friendship with Prince Rafik al Abia whom she has loved forever, but after an incident which involved a young English woman he sees her as nothing but an interfering busybody who should be married off to someone who can keep her under control.
When her Father arranges such a marriage for her with a man thirty years her senior she escapes to England to enlist the help of her English friends.
Rafik hears of her Father’s intention to bring her back forcefully and he goes to England to find her but unfortunately she misconstrues his intentions and so she finds herself exiled from both Badiyah and Abia.
After almost three years her English friends attempt to reconcile the rift between the couple but like all good intentions matters are only made worse by their interference.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Aug 1, 2014
• ISBN: 9781291970050

Book preview

Desert Prince, Exiled Princess

Desert Prince, Exiled Princess

By Catherine Carson

Standard Copyright © Catherine Carson 2014

ISBN 978-1-291-97005-0 eBook

Profile of the author

Born in Scotland I now live with my husband in the North West of England.  We have three children who, between them have given us six wonderful grandchildren.

I studied commercial subjects at school and college and spent most of my working life in the offices of various companies, starting as a junior in a local garage typing invoices for car repairs.   I left Scotland and crossed the border to England to marry the man I met whilst on a holiday with my extended family and eventually became a secretary with a beer bottling company leaving six years later when the first of our three children came on the scene. 

Returning to the workforce when our children were young adults I finally untied the apron strings to join the offices of a large wholesale book supplier and embraced the advancement in technology since I had first learned to type on a manual typewriter and take notes in shorthand.

During the years I became something of a letter writer as friends and family lived in many parts of the country and indeed the world.  Often friends and family would tell me…..‘You could write a book’ to which I always replied…..‘But would anyone read it’. 

When my granddaughter asked if I would write a book especially for her I confided in my good friend Lisa Schmidt and she told me to go for it.  That book became the first of many stories which had been lurking in my imagination for a good number of years.

Once started I found the stories simply kept coming and often an overheard conversation or a glimpse from the passenger seat of the car would trigger a likely scenario which my imagination would then elaborate and weave into a story.

My hope is that my writing brings a little pleasure into the life of my readers and allows them to leave the mundane world behind for a few hours as they meet the characters I adore creating.

www.facebook.com/catherinecarsonbooks.uk

www.catherinerenacarson.jimdo.com

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Dedication

I have dedicated books to my daughter Julie before but this one is for all the hours she puts in reading my work and coming up with titles and front covers.  Thank you Julie I would be lost without you.

All characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names.  They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author and all the incidents are pure invention.

Other Books by this Author

The Mouse in the Library

Family Ties

Overall Construction          

Wounded Wolf

Coffee and Cakes

Memories Rekindled

Wholesale Love

Hope’s Conflict

Estates of the Heart

Sibling Rivalry

Fighting for Custody

White Knight Black Knight

Through the Garden Gate…

Love Lost and Found

Alphabet Bachelors

A Dreamer’s Tale

A Precious Jewel

Footbridge of Solace

Girl Meets Boy

Demolition of the Heart

When Life Gives You Lemons

Return to the Past

Pretence & Reality

Opening a Can of Worms

Fields of Contention

A Heart Encased In Steel

Russian Revenge

~~~~~~

Tapestry of Love-Bk 1

Twins Exchanged-Bk 2

Highland Feud Bk-3

~~~~~~

Soil, Seed & Betrayal-Bk 1

Desert Prince, Exiled Princess-Bk 2

Body Language-Bk 3

~~~~~~

An Open Book-Bk 1

Afraid to Love-Bk 2

~~~~~~

A Second Chance-Bk 1

Taming the Playboy-Bk 2

~~~~~~

Estranged Husband & Father-Bk 1

Identical Mistake-Bk 2

~~~~~~

Sigh of the Claymore-Bk 1

Beyond Claymore-Bk 2

~~~~~~

Sneaking Into His Heart-Bk 1

Scent of the Heather-Bk 2

Prologue

Aisha woke with a pounding headache having drunk a bottle of wine with her friend Sarah the previous evening and wandered into the lounge to make a cup of coffee.  The strange eeriness of being alone had her knocking first at Sarah’s door and then Laura’s when she realised both Crawford ladies were no longer in the suite she showered and dressed ready to go to the restaurant for breakfast.

Opening the door of the suite she heard a deep voice grumbling……’Stop struggling woman and let me open the damned door’……and was amazed to see Sarah being carried in Nico Salzano’s arms as he attempted to open the door of his suite.  Smiling she turned to walk to the restaurant but as she reached the entrance her smile faded when she saw Prince Rafik al Abia sitting and laughing with everyone as they enjoyed their breakfast.

Backing away from the doorway she turned and ran back to her suite.  Her heart was pounding as she pulled her case out and placed it on her bed throwing her clothes into it without even attempting to fold them.  Lifting the house phone she asked reception to order her a taxi to take her to the nearest railway station.

‘How could he sit there laughing when he has probably already rung my Father to inform him where I am?  I hate him, I hate him.’ Aisha mumbled to herself as she closed her eyes tight to stop the tears falling.

‘Are you all right miss?’  The taxi driver asked concerned that the young woman he had picked up from the Willow Water Hotel was obviously in some distress. 

‘Thank you for your concern but I shall be fine.’  She told the driver as she recalled the events which brought her to leave her native country of Badiyah.

Aisha remembered clearly her plight when her Father, Sheikh Hakim, informed her she was to marry a man thirty-five years her senior simply to give him the sons he needed to become his heirs.  Her first thought was to run to Rafik who had always been her champion against her father but having recently angered him with her interference in his plans she ran to England where she found strong allies in Sarah and Laura Crawford.

Sarah and Laura arranged to take her away to a Country Spa Hotel.  Sarah was fighting her love for the Director of the Serafina Institute, Dr Nico Salzano and Laura felt betrayed by Pierre Eduard, Finance Minister of Abia; but unfortunately the people they were all trying to escape found and followed them.

***

It was almost lunch time by the time Sarah eventually left Nico’s suite and returned to hers but within a few minutes she was aware Aisha had left. Ringing Reception she was informed Miss Malouf had checked out at nine o’clock and had ordered a taxi to take her to the nearest railway station.

Something must have happened to make Aisha run off without leaving a message for Laura and her.  Sarah lifted the phone and pressed the number for Nico’s suite. ‘Nico I need to talk to you.’

‘Darling you were the one who left.’ He laughed into the phone. 

‘Nico this is serious Aisha has gone, she has packed her bags and left the hotel. Oh Nico I think she must have seen Rafik and she thinks he is going to take her back to her Father.’  Hearing the distress in her voice Nico told her he was on his way.

As he entered the suite he gathered her up in his arms telling her not to worry they would find Aisha. ‘This is the last thing Rafik wanted.  He came to prevent her Father taking her back and now she may well be found by Sheikh Hakim’s men.’  Nico did not want to say too much for fear of frightening Sarah but Aisha could well be in very real danger