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Prologue

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India—1872

“Wild blood! It’s a taint in the blood I’ve heard it said that every generation of Dangerfields produces one of theerfield devil”

Mrs Leacock, beginning to fan herself vigorously, continued, “All those generations of inbreeding… what do they expect? They call Melchester ‘the Eccentric Earl’ behind his back, but at least he hasn’t done anything too outrageous yet… but I think it’s a positive outrage that he lets Rowena go her oay! That girl will come to a bad end one day—I can feel it That teroootten to rub down her horse? And she’s the only white woman in the province of Jhanpur who has ever witnessed a public execution The colonel told me he was stunned to see her there in the first place, and that she didn’t turn a hair, either!”

“So,” Mrs Leacock pronounced awfully, “must be done! You kno my dear husband hates to interfere, but I shall ask hiovernor We cannot have a scandal here, and especially one involving a young Englishwoman and a native prince!”

It was the custolishwomen who had followed their husbands to the sether for tea every afternoon When Mrs Leacock, as the bishop’s wife, or Mrs O’Bannion, whose husband cos they became tea parties, with the rules of protocol and etiquette strictly adhered to Dainty iced cakes, sweet fruits, and thin sandwiches cut into pretty shapes by a well-trained cook were graciously served Either of the two ladies sat graciously behind a silver tea service,

On this particular afternoon, Mrs Leacock was the hostess, and as she served the last steahtly

“Speaking of discipline,” she continued, “I must confess that the natives are not alone in their lack of it! I tell you, eous every day!”

Ever since the Earl of Melchester, as British governor of Jhanpur, had brought his granddaughter to live with hierfield had been a source of speculation and co the small British community

“Oh, heavens!” Mrs O’Bannion said, sitting up straight, “are the rumors true?”

“I learned fro the young prince on her rides And if you’ll relad theon a visit”

“Oh, dear! You think this is why he’s stayed?” Little Mrs Loving, whose husband was a very junior subaltern, opened, her blue eyes very wide

Mrs Leacock save the interruption

“Everyone knows that the Shiv Jhanpur is far fonder of the fleshpots of Bombay and Delhi than he is of the province he’ll rule one day He was educated at Oxford, like his father, but that doesn’t really make too much difference to these native princes—they follow their old ways as soon as they return here!”

“But, Marion!” Mrs O’Bannion looked visibly agitated “Surely—what I overnor aware of this? As—as peculiar as some of his ideas are, I do not think…”

“You knoell as I do, A her to visit the palace, and even to—to visit the women’s quarters! It’s unchristian, positively heathenish that these Indian princes should be allowed to continue with their old custo so many wives! Why, even the prince has five, at least He was married to the first of them when they were both no more than infants!”

“Oh!” Mrs Loving breathed, and the older wo looks

“You haven’t been here long enough, my dear, to understand how very prily

“Of course not!” added Mrs Leacock “And you haven’t overnor yet, have you? My husband, who is a dear, sweet, charitable man has reached the point of despair I overnor to set an example, but he hasn’t been to church for years, and neither has that hoydenish, arrogant granddaughter of his I mentioned it to him myself, I said, ‘It would be so pleasant to see dear Rowena in church some Sundays; after all we do live in a country of heathens, and if children are not taught their own religion while they’re still young enough to be influenced…’ and then, my dear, he cut me off! He wouldn’t let me say another word, merely frowned down at me in that bushy-broay and said curtly that he did not wish his granddaughter’s ma! I can tell you, that left me speechless! I sometimes doubt if he’s a Christian himself”