Monsoon Mists (15 page)

‘No, not that I know.’

‘Well, check will you, please.’

But nothing was missing. Zar shook her head. ‘I still want him watched. Tell Ali to find someone else if he’s not capable of doing it himself. He mustn’t fail, make that absolutely clear.’

‘Yes,
sahiba
.’ Priya looked resigned and Zar suspected she would have enjoyed giving the hapless Ali his marching orders. The man hadn’t proved very reliable. In the next instant, Priya’s expression changed to one of sly amusement. ‘Now, what are you going to wear tomorrow? You want to look your best, I assume?’

‘Why would you think that? I’m merely going for a picnic.’ Zar had been annoyed to note the speculative gleam in Priya’s eyes when she told her of the proposed outing.

‘Ah, but with a man. A handsome man. You haven’t done that since … well, a very long time.’ Priya smiled, as if her mistress was finally seeing sense.

‘Don’t read anything into it. Mr Kinross is not interested in marrying me, he told me. Besides, you know my feelings on the subject even if he did.’

But Priya didn’t seem to be listening and for the rest of the day, she went about her duties with that annoying smile on her face, humming under her breath. It made Zar want to hit her, but she knew she’d never do such a thing.

She’d just have to prove to her the outing meant nothing.

And to herself as well?

There were a lot of beautifully laid out gardens in the suburbs, owned by rich merchants, and Jamie had obtained permission for his party to visit one of them. It was wonderful to escape the cramped conditions and odours of the inner city, especially on such a hot afternoon. In the weeks leading up to the yearly monsoon, the heat always became more intense and well nigh unbearable. The humidity levels rose for each day, relentlessly building to a furnace like crescendo. And with so many people crammed together the stench in towns could become most unpleasant. Rubbish was simply thrown out into the streets and there were no sewers, which meant that the only time the town was cleaned was when the monsoon rains came.

He had hired palanquins to transport them to the picnic site and along the way they passed the huts of ordinary workers who usually lived together in groups according to their occupation. Carpenters, weavers, potters and stonecutters, all passed their skills on to the next generation. And women and children seemed to help with many of the tasks. It was a peaceful, if somewhat uninteresting, view.

When they arrived at their destination, Jamie helped the ladies out of the conveyances by the simple expedient of lifting them. He started with Roshani, followed by the maid, then turned to Zarmina.

‘I’m sure I can manage,’ she protested, but he took no notice.

‘Wouldn’t want you to catch your gown or trip,’ he said, lifting her without asking permission. He noticed a blush spread over her cheeks, giving them a pleasing glow, and hid a smile. For someone who’d been married for three years or more, she was unaccountably spinsterish. He could only assume her elderly husband hadn’t taken much notice of her, at least not in the daytime. And being decrepit, he probably hadn’t been able to lift her either.
A shame for him − she’s a pleasing armful.
Although fairly tall for a woman, she was soft in all the right places. He felt his body respond to the sensation of holding her like this and set her down as quickly as he could.

This was not the time or the place for desire. He tried to concentrate on other things.

Kamal, who had come with them, helped Jamie to spread out rugs for them to sit on and then Priya assisted him in unpacking the baskets of food. Jamie’s cook had provided enough to feed an army and he saw Roshani and the dog stare at the sight of so much sustenance in one place. Presumably they’d both gone hungry on more than one occasion. The thought made his insides clench with anger. Her uncle should have provided for her. But some men cared nothing for their relatives.

Are you any better?
A little voice inside his head needled him.
Leaving a defenceless baby in your mother’s care without a thought? Your responsibility.
Jamie clenched his jaw. That was different. He’d provided for her. Just because he didn’t want to raise her, didn’t mean he’d see her want for anything. And he trusted his mother to look after Margot properly.

With an effort, he turned his thoughts back to the present. He wanted to enjoy this day, not think dark thoughts.

The garden was near the river and it was pleasant sitting there on the long rugs, with a warm breeze cooling their cheeks at least a little bit. They had found the perfect spot in which to eat their picnic, in the shade of a large tree. Jamie glanced at the three women seated near him. The first, his main guest Zarmina, was looking around with guarded wariness, as if she was afraid he was going to abduct her. The second, her
ayah
, wore the expression of someone who had just won a major victory, which puzzled Jamie somewhat. And the third, Roshani, was almost bouncing up and down with excitement, as was her canine companion.

Kutaro had scrubbed up well, his fur now several shades lighter and resembling treacle. It was also shiny and clean, which was just as well since Jamie had been unable to resist stroking the little dog whenever he saw him. For a mutt who must often have been badly treated, he was extremely friendly and loved nothing better than to lean into Jamie’s hands as he scratched behind the mismatched ears. Jamie knew he was going to find it very difficult to part from the animal when the time came. He’d missed having a dog around. As for Roshani, it would be even harder to leave her behind.

‘It’s a perfect day for an outing, wouldn’t you say, Mrs Miller?’ Jamie decided to try and make small talk as politeness dictated. He was on his best behaviour for the sake of propriety and refrained from calling her by her first name.

‘Indeed.’

She didn’t seem inclined to help him out, he noticed. For every observation he made, she replied in monosyllables. In the end, he turned to Roshani and chatted to her instead. He’d been talking to her as much as possible in order to improve her English and he had been right – she was a fast learner.

Jamie noticed that whenever she did speak, Zarmina made an effort to include Roshani in the conversation and often translated quickly into her own language in order to help her out. The little girl was a bit shy at first but soon opened up and began to chatter away, half in English, half in Gujarati. She seemed pleased when Zarmina made friends with Kutaro as well, and as always, the little dog lapped up all the attention, mouth open in that silly grin of his.

Roshani and the mongrel ate whatever they were offered until both were too full up to manage another mouthful. Taking one of the rugs, they went to lie down near where Kamal was sitting and promptly fell asleep. Priya, although trying valiantly to keep her eyes open, looked as though she’d like to follow their example and have a nap. Jamie took pity on her.

‘Mrs Miller, would you care to go for a stroll among the banyan trees? I find it helps to settle the food.’ He smiled at Priya. ‘Your maid can watch us from here, we won’t go far.’ To his surprise, the maid winked at him when Zarmina wasn’t looking, then made flapping motions with her hands to shoo them off.

‘Yes, go, a walk will do you good,
sahiba
.’

Despite throwing her maid an irritated glance, Zarmina nodded agreement and stood up. She unfurled a parasol and placed a couple of fingers on Jamie’s sleeve. He steered her towards the shore, wondering why such a small gesture felt so right, as if her fingers belonged there. He shook himself inwardly. He must be going soft in the head, as well as the heart.

She seemed nervous though and he could feel her fingers trembling slightly. He wondered why he would have that effect on her, but before he could ask, she began to talk, presumably to stop him from flirting with her.

‘Have you been a gem trader for a long time, Mr Kinross? You seemed very knowledgeable.’

He gave her a small bow. ‘Thank you, I’m glad you think so. No, I’ve only been in the business for four years, but I had a good teacher. One of the best.’

‘The man who took you to Golconda?’

‘Indeed.’ Jamie was surprised that she remembered. She obviously missed nothing.

‘And is it only diamonds you trade in?’

‘No, any precious stones I can find that are worth having. I’ve recently been to Burma, in fact, to acquire some rubies.’

‘Really? Any pigeon’s blood ones? I’d love to get my hands on one of those. Or one with an asterism?’

Jamie raised his eyebrows at her, thoroughly impressed by her knowledge. ‘Pigeon’s blood’ denoted rubies of the most desirable colour, a deep and pure red with a touch of blue. And a ruby with an asterism was one which appeared to have a shimmer in the shape of six rays on the surface whenever you moved the stone. They were very rare.

‘I may have,’ he replied cryptically. ‘But if I did, I’d want to sell them in Europe. I think I’ll get a better price for them there.’

‘Yes, of course. I merely wanted to have a look. I’ve never handled a Burma ruby.’

‘I suppose that could be arranged.’ He smiled at her and saw her turn away, her long eyelashes fluttering down over her smooth cheeks. He was almost distracted from his main purpose in drawing her away from the others in their party, but now he remembered. It was time to get serious and change the subject.

‘So, why are you having me followed?’ he asked, making sure they were out of earshot of the others.

‘What?’ Her eyes flew to his, her mouth open in astonishment.

‘The fool I managed to lose in the bazaar the other day. He was in your pay, wasn’t he? Or is it your stepson who is spying on me?’

‘I … no!’ Zarmina’s cheeks were flaming now, the colour making its way down her throat towards the top of her bosom, which was enticingly displayed above the neckline of her gown. Jamie tried not to notice and with some difficulty concentrated on her face.

‘Which is it? He’s not in your pay or he’s not in Miller’s?’ Jamie’s gaze bored into hers, even though he continued to walk, giving her no option but to follow.

He saw Zarmina take a deep breath and the colour subsided a little. ‘Very well, he’s in my pay. Obviously you weren’t supposed to see him,’ she said through gritted teeth.

Jamie smiled grimly. ‘I gathered that. What I’d like to know is why? Are you trying to find out more about me because you’ve changed your mind about my suitability as a possible husband?’

She gasped. ‘No! I mean, I would never … That is to say, of course not. If you must know, Ali reported that you’d met with William and it made me suspicious since I wasn’t invited to be present. You’d already concluded your business with each other so there had to be another reason for you to meet up so soon. To be honest, I don’t trust William further than I can throw him, and it worried me when I heard of the meeting between you. He’s been consorting with some strange people lately and I wanted to know how you fit in.’ She stopped and faced him with a determined expression. ‘Perhaps you’d care to explain?’

Jamie rubbed his chin, which was smooth for once as he’d made an effort to shave that morning. Should he tell her what was going on or leave her in the dark? She seemed very astute, unlike her stepson, and would most probably make a better ally. He made a snap decision.

‘If I tell you, do you swear on your mother’s grave not to tell a soul? Especially not Miller?’

She put up a hand to cover her heart – and incidentally drawing his attention to her perfect décolletage again – and nodded. ‘I swear, as long as you’re not involved in something that’s against the law.’ She looked very serious, so he believed her.

‘I’m not, but other people are. Come, let’s walk a bit further.’

As they strolled, he told her why he had come to Surat, leaving out only the reason he was indebted to Akash in the first place. He felt instinctively that he could trust her and if she swore not to tell anyone, she wouldn’t, but what was between him and Akash was too private.

When he’d finished his tale, she sighed. ‘And you think William is the go-between or the man who’s supposed to ferry the stolen goods out of the country?’

‘He is. Why else would he know the secret words?’

She shook her head. ‘I can’t believe he’s stupid enough to become embroiled in something like that. But I suppose it explains his recent friendship with Mansukh.’

‘Who?’

‘A very influential merchant. One you wouldn’t want to cross, trust me.’ He saw her shudder slightly.

‘Does he have contacts with other countries?’

‘Undoubtedly. He has a whole fleet of trading ships.’

‘Hmm, that must be how they will pass on the talisman to a foreign buyer then. I didn’t think Miller was going to do it on his own. But we can’t let them, this is all wrong. There must be a way of stopping it. First, I need to know for certain that Akash and his family are safe. Then I want to know who the rightful owner is. I’m hoping Sanjiv will be able to tell me when he arrives as he was supposed to keep his ears open along the way. We can guess, but I need proof.’

‘You want to give it back?’

‘Possibly. Unless the theft was set up by the owner himself in order to raise funds, in which case I’m not sure how to proceed. That would complicate matters considerably.’

‘Assuming he’s not behind this, how would you give it back without incriminating yourself? No one would believe you had it if you haven’t stolen it.’ Worry lurked in Zarmina’s eyes and Jamie realised with a jolt that her concern was for him. The thought gave him pause.

‘So you wouldn’t want me to be caught then?’ He couldn’t resist teasing her a little. ‘I thought you’d be pleased to be rid of me. Another unwanted suitor.’

‘You said you were no such thing,’ she retorted. ‘You only wished to—’ She stopped herself just in time as she realised what she’d been about to say. She blushed again and looked away, out across the river.

Jamie chuckled. ‘So I did. And I can’t do that if I get myself caught.’

She turned back and grabbed his arm, giving it a little shake before letting go. ‘Infuriating man, do be serious,’ she hissed, casting a glance back towards the picnic rugs as if to check if anyone had seen her gesture. Priya and the others were fast asleep.