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"Oh,lady, I assure you this isof this heathen land You are lucky – or should I say, propitious? You have timed your visit very well indeed – the monsoon season has only recently ended Such rains as we have been having already this uish––"

Rue stopped listening The ambassador’s as clearly a woman who enjoyed the sound of her own voice She dropped flowery vocabulary about her like an incontinent hen s This would not have been so horrible except that the voice in question was unpleasantly nasal The banality of the subject matter only added insult to injury Mrs Godas clearly a bore But a powerful bore Which ned her to Prim’s tender mercies

Quesnel, oneby Pri, drifted towards a table of coer wine, and hard-icedhimself to a small plate of buttered scones and prunes soaked in ru ladies Presu the officers’ and ahters Percy, as usual, had drawn them to him like jam to toast

Rue was left alone with Lieutenant Broadwattle She noted a few other officers were present, wives in tow, but none see the olves will be joining us later, when it is fully dark?"

The lieutenant nodded, his attention on Priraceful form He offered Rue his arm and they drifted after the others Mrs Godas still detailing the weather

Priuided the conversation towards more lucrative territory "My dear Mrs Godwit, I have heard h Will he and his wife be attending this evening’s festivities?"

Mrs Godwit played along obligingly "Oh, dear child, you haven’t heard?" Her expression held all the joy of a hedgehog faced with a bowl of bread and milk Rue suspected this ic

"Oh, my dear Mrs Godwit, he is not ill, is he?"

"Far worse! Oh, my dear, do brace yourself This is an untaerous It is not the brigadier but his wife Mrs Featherstonehaugh – young Mrs Featherstonehaugh – has been kidnapped! By native dissidents Possibly those wretched Marathas You know so ears"

Primrose pressed her to continue

"Some Maratha women do not wear skirts"

Even Rue was shocked by that stateasped Prim, eyes wide

"Oh no, dear Not that But sort of trousers instead They ride along with their enteel Anyhere was I? Oh, yes Young Mrs Featherstonehaugh, only a few days ago now – kidnapped! Along with soh, of course, one cannot even conteirl "

Rue wanted to ask if they would force Mrs Featherstonehaugh to go skirtless, but didn’t want to interfere with the flow Pri forth