Page 66 of The Girl from the Tea Garden
‘I hope you haven’t been foolish while I’ve been confined to bed, young lady.’
‘I’m in love,’ Adela blurted out. ‘And Jay loves me back. He’s even talked about marriage.’
Fluffy snorted. ‘Don’t be ridiculous. It would never be allowed.’
Adela was hurt. ‘If two people love each other, anything is possible.’
Her guardian gave her a sharp look. ‘I thought it was young Sam Jackman you were sweet on.’
Adela blushed to be reminded of her infatuation. ‘That was a girlish crush. This is the real thing. Anyway, Sam has chosen to marry a native woman.’
‘Native woman?’ Fluffy echoed, raising an eyebrow. ‘I hope you’re not turning into a snob.’
‘Auntie, please can we stay longer?’ Adela implored. ‘Or let me stay on if you want to go home.’
‘Certainly not,’ Fluffy replied. ‘We’ll return together. If Prince Jay thinks the same way as you, he’ll follow you back to Simla.’
Adela determined to ask him to do so the minute he returned from his hunting trip with Nerikot. He had gone before dawn, setting off for his friend’s estate, leaving her to creep from his bed before the servants were about, promising to be back by nightfall. She had been frustrated by his refusal to take her with him.
‘Nerikot is a backward state– more traditional.They wouldn’t approve of you hunting with us like a man.’ He had smiled and kissed her nose. ‘I’ll be back tonight – tomorrow at the latest.’
He didn’t return that day or the day after. Adela, filled with worry, determined she would ride to Nerikot and make sure he was all right. Fluffy would hear none of it and sent a message instead. Back came a chaprassy with word that the prince had been unavoidably detained on business and advising them to return to Simla in the meantime.
‘What on earth does that mean?’ Adela fretted. ‘Do you think he’s in danger, Auntie? There might be trouble up in Nerikot.’
‘Nonsense,’ said Fluffy.
‘I saw Ghulam Khan the communist at the Sipi Fair,’ Adela confessed.
Fluffy looked taken aback by this. But her words were bullish.
‘The prince is quite capable of taking care of himself. And we must do as he says and return home before we outstay our welcome.’
Back at Briar Rose Cottage, they soon picked up stories that unrest had broken out in Nerikot.
‘There was a big demonstration,’ Noor said. ‘In the bazaar they are saying that things got out of hand. Shots were fired.’
Adela was aghast. ‘I told you Jay wasn’t safe!’
‘How terrible,’ Fluffy said in agitation. ‘I hope the Raja and his family weren’t hurt.’
Noor gave them a strange look. ‘No, memsa’b, quite the opposite. It was palace guards that fired on the demonstrators. They say dozens have been killed.’
The women looked at each other, appalled and speechless. The bearer hesitated and then held out a small buff folder to Adela.
‘Jackman Sahib left these for you.’
‘For me?’ Adela tensed as she took it. ‘When was he here?’
‘Just before the Sipi Fair, Adela Mem’.’
Alone in her room, Adela opened the folder. Her heart lurched to see photos from Narkanda. She flicked through them quickly, pausing over one of her and Sam leaning on the veranda, smiling; Fatima must have taken it. But most of them were of the Gaddi shepherds, including a close-up of a grinning, pretty Pema. In annoyance, Adela threw them into a drawer.
Daily, Adela waited for some word from Jay to say he was safely returned from Nerikot, but none came. Simla was rife with rumours. The police were investigating the shootings. Fluffy and Adela called to see Inspector Pollock for news.
‘The rumours of multiple deaths were grossly exaggerated,’ he assured them. ‘As far as we can tell, two men were shot dead and three more were injured.’
‘That’s still terrible,’ gasped Adela.
