"I was wishing that you could find someone ..."

"Oh," I said lightly, "there aren't enough of Tom Keeping's kind to go round. Only the fortunate ones get them."

She was frowning. "I shan't like leaving you."

"My dear Alice, I shall be perfectly all right."

"I shall worry about you."

"Oh, come, Alice. You know I'm not a wilting blossom. I shall manage the children perfectly with Ayah's help."

"I wasn't thinking of that, Drusilla. We have been very close. Oh, I feel I can talk to you. How do you feel about Fabian Framling?"

"Oh ... an interesting man. Very much aware of his own importance."

"How important is he to you?"

"I suppose the same as he is to everyone else. He seems to be quite a power around here."

"That isn't quite what I meant."

"Then what did you mean?"

"I think he is not indifferent to you."

"He is not indifferent to anything that goes on around here."

"You know what I mean. He's interested ..."

"In seduction?"

"Well ... I did think of something like that."

"And I think it might enter his mind ... as it would where any youngish woman was concerned."

"That is what I'm afraid of. It wouldn't be wise to feel too strongly."

"Don't worry. I know him very well."

"Isn't that Lady Somebody coming out to marry him?"

"I should imagine all that is shelved because of the uneasiness here."

"But eventually the marriage will take place."

"I think it is Lady Harriet's will ... and that is usually obeyed by all."

"I see. I wish you could come away with me when I go."

"I don't think Tom would want a third person to share his honeymoon."

"I do hope you will be all right. Of course, you are very sensible. I don't like your being here ... with the Countess, who is very reckless and selfish ... and as for her husband ... I think he is half in love with you."

"Don't worry, I tell you. Dougal would always be half in love ... never wholly so."

"I don't like the situation at all. You must never let anyone take you off your guard."

"Thank you. I suppose you feel that as an about-to-be-married woman you should look after your less experienced and fragile sisters. Oh, Alice, just concentrate on being happy. For I am happy for you."

Lavinia was amused when she heard that Tom and Alice were to be married.

"Who would have thought it of her! She seems a born old maid. Frankly, I can't understand what he sees in her. She's very plain."

"There is more to people than waving tendrils and tigerish looks, you know. She's highly intelligent."

"Which, you imply, I'm not."

"Nobody could call you plain."

"Nor intelligent either?"

"Well, the way in which you behave does rather suggest a scarcity of that valuable asset."

"Oh, shut up. Anyway, I think it's funny. Nanny Alice and Tom Keeping. And what about the children? Mama will be furious. She sent Alice Philwright out to look after the children, not to get married."

"The matter will be passed out of your mother's jurisdiction. She may rule Framling, but not all India."

"She'll be extremely put out. I wonder if she will send out another English nanny."

"I wouldn't think so. After all, your time out here is not very long, is it?"

"Thank you for reminding me of that blessed fact."

"You might not enjoy such male adoration on the Carruthers country estate as you do here."

"No. That is a point. And Mama will not be so far off. I shall have to reconsider. Perhaps I shall persuade Dougal to stay after all."

"I think he longs to get home."

"To those dry old books, which he can't get here. Serve him right."

"Such a dutiful spouse," I murmured; and she was laughing.

Fabian's reaction to the news was one of surprise.

We were at dinner when the matter was brought up.

"I thought Keeping was a confirmed bachelor," he said.

"Some men are until they meet someone they really care about," I replied.

He threw me an amused glance.

"Nobody could be more surprised than I," said Lavinia. "I thought people like Nanny Philwright never got married. They're supposed to be devoted to their charges all their lives and in the end live in a little house bought for them by some grateful one who visits Nanny every Christmas and on her birthday and makes sure she is comfortable for the rest of her days."

"I am not surprised at all," I said. "They are a delightful couple. I could see there was a rapport between them from the moment they met."

"On the road across the desert," said Fabian, smiling at me significantly and reminding me how Tom Keeping, at his command, had saved me from a fate too horrible to contemplate.

"It means we are losing our nanny," said Lavinia. "That is a bore."

"The ayah is very good," I reminded her. "I shall help to look after them, as I always have done. But we shall all be very sad to see her go."

"She will visit the house with Tom from time to time, I daresay," said Dougal.

"Then there can be a joyous reunion," added Fabian.

"I am very happy for Alice," I said. "She is one of the best people I have ever known."

"Then," said Fabian, "let us drink to them." He lifted his glass. "To lovers ... wherever they may be."

The Riot

Asraf's body was brought to his father. It was kept in state in the little house in the grounds that was the Great Khansamah's home. There was to be a traditional burial, which meant that Asraf's body would be placed in a wooden cart and taken to a certain spot, where it would be burned.

Roshanara had come back. She was staying under the protection of her father-in-law, the Great Khansamah. I wished that we could see her again. I should have liked to talk to her. I wanted to know what her future would be.

I was soon to learn.

Ayah came to me; she plucked my sleeve, implying that she wished to see me alone.

I said, "Is anything wrong?"

She did not answer that. Instead she said, "Missie ... come ..."

She took me out to the garden and to the gazebo, there among the tall grasses and shrubs. Few people went there. We were told that snakes abounded in the long grass. The Russelian snake had been seen there, and on one or two occasions the dreaded cobra.

I drew back a little as we approached the gazebo. The ayah noticed. She said, "We take care ... great care. Follow where I go, please."

I followed her, and in the gazebo I came face to face with Roshanara. We looked at each other for a few seconds and then she was in my arms.

"Oh, Missie ... Missie ..." she said. "So good ... so kind."

I held her at arms' length. I was a little shocked by her appearance. She was no longer the child who had sat down with Louise and listened to my lessons.

She looked older, thinner and what alarmed me was her expression of apprehension, which was immediately noticeable. I realized that here was a very frightened girl.

"So you are a widow now, Roshanara," I said.

She gave me a sorrowful look.

"I am so sorry," I said. "It was terrible. You have been so briefly married. How sad to lose your husband."

She shook her head and said nothing, but her big, frightened eyes never left my face.

"He was murdered," I went on. "It was so senseless. Was it some enemy?"

"He did nothing, Missie. He just frightened little boy. He die because of what was done ... by another."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

She shook her head. Then suddenly she was kneeling at my feet, clutching at my skirt.

"Help me, Missie," she said. "Do not let me burn."

I looked at the ayah, who nodded. She said, "Tell. Tell, Roshanara. Tell Missie."

Roshanara looked up at me. "There will be the funeral ... the funeral pyre. I must throw myself into the flames."

"No!" I said.

"Great Khansamah say 'Yes.' He say it is the widow's duty."

"No, no," I said. "That is suttee. It is no longer permitted under British rule."

"Great Khansamah, he say this our way. He will not have the foreigners' way."

"It is simply forbidden," I told her. "You just have to refuse. No one can make you. You have the law on your side."

"Great Khansamah, he say ..."

"This is nothing to do with Great Khansamah."

"Asraf was his son."

"That is of no account. It is against the law."

"Missie will know," said Ayah.

Roshanara nodded.

"It is not going to happen," I said. "We shall see to that. Leave it to me. I shall see that it does not happen."

Roshanara's terrified look was replaced by one of confidence. I was a little shaken that she put so much reliance on my powers.

I wanted to act quickly and I was not sure how to go about it. This was too big a matter for me to deal with alone. I must consult Fabian and Dougal. It would have to be Fabian. Dougal would be all sympathy, but he was a little ineffectual. Fabian would know what was the best thing to do.

I must find him quickly and talk to him.

I said, "Leave this to me. Now I must go. What will you do, Roshanara?"

"She will go back to Great Khansamah's house," said Ayah. "He must not know she come and tell you this. I take her back."

I said, "I am sure I shall soon be ready to tell you what you must do."

I went at once to Fabian's study. By good fortune he was there.

He rose and showed his pleasure at the sight of me. I was annoyed with myself for feeling so elated when I had this terrible situation to face.

I said, "I have to talk to you."

"I'm glad of that. What is it?"

"It's Roshanara. She's here. I've just seen her. The poor child is terrified. The Great Khansamah is going to force her to leap into Asraf's funeral pyre."

"What?"

"It is what she has been told she must do."

"It's impossible."

"It's the Great Khansamah's orders. What do we do about it?"

"I'd say we'd stop the proceedings."

"That would not be difficult in view of the law, would it?"

"It wouldn't be difficult, but it might be dangerously provocative. We have made a few alarming discoveries and it is my opinion that the situation is becoming explosive. I believe we have to act with the utmost caution."

"But in a case of lawbreaking ..."

"Drusilla," he said seriously, "I can trust your discretion."

"Of course."

"Don't speak of this to my sister, or anyone. When Tom Keeping returns I daresay he will put Miss Philwright in the picture ... but she is a sensible girl. Tom wouldn't have fallen in love with her otherwise."

"I have promised Roshanara that something will be done."

"Something shall be done. This atrocious thing will not be allowed to take place. Rest assured of that. But we have discovered certain things. There is a rebellion in the air. It would take very little to set a spark to the smouldering fires, and when it comes—if it comes—the conflagration will be great. We've gone wrong somewhere ... or perhaps it has all come about naturally. The Company has never wanted to make a subject race of the Indians. We have improved their lot in so many ways, but there are bound to be mistakes. Perhaps we have made a few. I think our influence has been too rapidly felt. These people may believe that their civilization is threatened and that their native institutions are being squeezed out to make way for others."

"But surely they must realize that they are better off without such evil practices as suttee and thuggery."

"Perhaps. But still there will be some who object. You see, under Lord Dalhousie we have annexed the Punjab and Oudh. But the real trouble at the moment is that a certain unrest is growing up here in Delhi round the deposed King Bahadur Shah and Dalhousie is now threatening to send the old Mogul family from their seat in Delhi."

"Why?"

Fabian lifted his shoulders. "We are watchful of the leader Nana Sahib, who will seize the first opportunity to rouse the people to revolt against us. We are in a difficult position. I am telling you this so that you will see that we have to act with the utmost care."

"What about Roshanara?"