Twinkle of Love - Completed

Chapter 18

"You're divorced." Lucy pointed out recklessly. Her own temper flaring out of control. "And, as I heard it, you still have a wife to spare. But whoever that is, it's not my sister."

"Have you hidden her upstairs?" Sadiq shot out but did not wait for their response, instead he sent his men up after Cat.

Mary and Patrick Little broke out in protest, but Lucy gritted her teeth, unable to do much else with Jace's hand firmly wrapped about her own.

They stood there, angry at this deliberate invasion of their privacy, but seriously glad Cat had gotten away. They could hear the footsteps thundering about upstairs and noted their path as the moved through the house slamming through rooms before they proceeded back to the stairs to steadily thread back down.

"There's no one upstairs."

"Where is she?" Demanded the prince, only barely restraining a hold on his anger. Jace tightened his hold on Lucy and tugged her a step behind him. Lucy, likewise, did the same with Emily.

The screeching tires of expensive cars could be heard speeding up the drive. Blaring their horns loud and long. The cars halted and there was a moment's silence, then a tussle ensued. Lucy and Jace exchanged glances—their reinforcements had arrived. The front door slammed open and Richard strode in.

"Sadiq," said Richard without preamble. "I didn't know you were back."

His attempts at pleasantries were as fake as his smile.

"Go away, Richard. This does not concern you." Sadiq turned his cold glare on Richard, who returned it unflinchingly.

"Your diplomatic immunity will only allow you so much, Sadiq. Once the press gets wind of this, and from the amount of commotion outside, they soon will, then the government will have no recourse but to step in and protect its citizen. Catherine and her unborn child are citizens of this country," Richard remarked that truth without a flicker of emotion.

Lucy held her breath as the tension in the room mounted.

"Catherine is too young to be involved in all this. Young and pregnant. In this country they would have locked you away for that. Not have you married off to an underaged girl," added Patrick Little, venting his pent-up anger at the injustice of Sadiq's actions. But there is no reasoning with the prince on this matter; in his eyes he committed no crime. Not in bedding Catherine and getting her pregnant. Not in flitting her away to marry her, and not in his attempts now to get her back.

Lucy watched in despair as her brave father crumbled with tears he couldn't hide. She drew in closer to him and wrapped him in her embrace then looked expectantly at both Jace and Richard. They needed to put an end to this matter, here and now.

But just then a phone rang. Richard reached into his front pocket and slipped out his phone. Answering the call, he said, "Yes, I'll let you in."

Then, without an explanation, he made for the closed front door and after a quick exchange with whoever was on the other side he remerged with a suit in tow. A lawyer. After a day spent at Stanton & Stanton, Lucy could now tell the breed apart. And by the expensive cut of his suit Lucy could tell a very expensive and good lawyer.

She breathed a sigh of relief and set about to listen in earnest.

"I am Davey Cooper from Mitchell and Partners. I am also a consultant with many other firms." The man walking in beside Richard was saying, explaining just who he was to the rest of them.

"From what I understand, the girl in question, is a Catherine Little," he paused to look questioningly at Patrick Little, who nodded tiredly, "Well, she is underaged. The prince committed a crime by impregnating her. We abide by secular laws in this country not Sharia law and we do not practice Hudud. Marrying the victim to the perpetrator is not our method of a just solution. The prince may be above our laws in that he is covered by diplomatic immunity. However, that does not make him invincible." Davey paused mid-speech and looked about calmly at the gathered crowd.

"I propose we arrange a time at my office to discuss this in detail and, until then, secure police protection for the family," he continued, ignoring the venomous looks that Sadiq shot his way.

Abruptly, Sadiq rose to his feet and with a barely restrained gesture he summoned his lackeys to follow him to the front door. "This is not over," he called out over his shoulders before he strode through the open doorway without a backward glance.

The tensed atmosphere relaxed a little, but it was only when the friends that Jace had called over popped their head around the door that they all sighed their relief.

"Hell, of a party Jace," murmured a sardonic looking blond. "Those were MK15s they were totting."

"Thanks for showing up, Josh," said Jace. Handshakes were exchanged, a few more of his friends stepped in, and then Josh announced, "The party is over at my place next. Let's pull out." With a wave, the friends Lucy once considered rich spoilt brats clambered back into their luxury vehicles and sped on away.

"Remind me to never criticise your friends again, Jace," murmured Lucy.

"I'll remind you of a lot of things, babe." The wink he shot her contrasted terribly against his grim expression. None of them believed this was over. Not by a long shot. The prince had clearly said so.

"We should pack," muttered Mary. "Pack up and head out on a run."

But this was news to Jace and Richard, who shot them unhappy looks.

"Let's go sit at the dining table. I'll put the coffee on." Lucy announced, and Mary took over. Em excused herself to dash out and retrieve Cat. Blaise went with her.

Soon they were all settled about the dining table, armed with coffee and hot chocolate according to preferences, and the leftovers of Em's baking earlier. Davey began explaining the law and the legal repercussions that could arise, then went on to explain that he had a friend who could advise on the Islamic law angle, but as long as Cat remained in this country the laws here would protect her. But when the babe was born, the tussle over the child could be an entirely different matter.

They talked and argued the subject matter to death. There was no clear resolution. In all respects, it became apparent that the only course of action was to somehow make peace with Sadiq. That was where Lucy's plan would kick in. A plan which no one other than Blaise knew about. A plan she hesitated to mention at all in case it all came to nothing. If Barry could not pull it off in time then it just might. Lucy exchanged worried looks with Blaise. The chances of a diplomat being imprisoned for the crime of having sex with a consenting but underaged girl was near impossible, despite the clever and convincing bluff Davey pulled earlier on. There was too much at stake. The country would not jeopardise peace with Sadiq's family over this.

The night was long and, in the end, not fruitful. Tired and sleepy after seeing off the last of their guests away, Lucy climbed into bed beside Jace, ready to fall into the deepest slumber. Jace tugged her in close and buried his lips against her hair. Soon their breathing evened out, lulling each other to sleep.