“Gentlemen, meet my daughters.” Surat pointed to each as he made the introductions. “Suniti, Sarla, and Vinita.”
Rob, Will, and Theo bowed in response, forcing their gazes away from the women. But the moment they straightened, their attention was once more riveted on the women who drew them like loadstones. They watched as the graceful women appeared to float toward them. As the oldest, Suniti stepped forward first. Rob accepted her proffered hand, placing his beneath hers, but with an appropriate space between them. He bent to kiss the air above the back of her hand.
“Robert Courtenay, my lady.” Rob watched Suniti dip into a shallow curtsey, her cleavage appearing for a moment. He commanded his eyes away from the lush breasts and up to the hazel eyes that observed him. She moved away, allowing Vinita to greet Rob.
“Theodore Rowe, my lady.” Theo copied Rob’s gesture, but he caught himself before lingering over Vinita’s hand. Will was the same with Sarla. A particular princess mesmerized each man. However, someone might have dumped a bucket of cold water over them when Surat spoke.
“The princesses will join us for our meal.”
Princesses. The women were far above any of the men’s stations, even Rob’s. He was merely the second son of an earl, unlikely ever to inherit since his older brother was in fine health. Theo and Will would inherit their fathers’ titles, but at best, they would be baronets.
The men followed the sisters, who followed their parents, into an ornately decorated room. Jewels adorned gold figurines, and finely woven carpets covered the floors. Exquisitely stitched tapestries hung from the walls. The ornate furnishings further reminded the men that they were attending a meal with royalty. It humbled them as they glanced at one another before taking their seats.
It was a poor coincidence for each pair that they were seated across from the person they desired. Suniti wondered if Amrit rushed to gossip with Chandra, and now their mother punished them. It made course after course interminable. The men kept an easy flow of conversation with Surat, while Chandra and her daughters remained quiet. Vinita, Sarla, and Suniti paid more attention to their food than they ever had. It was all they could do to keep from watching the men who intrigued each of them. In their silent musings, each wondered if the man across from them struggled as much as they. They had their answer when the men stood as the women rose. Each man’s eyes filled with frustration and regret that was quickly smothered. The sisters weren’t as eager to escape their guests as they had been while they dressed. The meal dragged, but now it was over too soon.
Surat and Chandra watched their daughters from opposite ends of the table. They recognized what was happening, and it pleased neither of them. Theirs had been an arranged marriage that fortunately grew into love. But never had the electricity fired between them that virtually crackled between the pairs. The Company men bid the young women goodnight before they went their separate ways, the women to their chamber and the men to discuss business with Surat.
Rob had a sickening feeling as he entered the Maharaja’s inner sanctum, a library stocked with walls of books and rolled maps. He knew the prince’s home was more a palace than a house, but he’d been unprepared for the size and opulence once he entered. Suniti’s appearance nearly made him forget how to speak. He couldn’t have been more unprepared for such a surprise. He was certain Surat and Chandra recognized his interest. He feared they’d easily read his friends and him throughout the meal. He knew Theo and Will attempted to be discreet, but they likely struggled as he did not to stare at the woman across from them each.
Will battled the temptation to look over his shoulder, praying for one last glimpse of Sarla. He’d never seen a woman as beautiful as the one he met in the market. But when she stepped forward to greet him, he’d feared fainting. She stole his breath. He’d wanted their hands to touch and to never let go. Never had a woman so beguiled him. He had his fair share of experience in both England and Bombay, but he would gladly erase every memory and past tryst if he could have Sarla by his side. He’d recognized intelligence in her bargaining while in the market. The men had moved away from the sisters, but they hadn’t left.
They remained within earshot but blocked by a divider between booths. She’d haggled with the merchant, outwitting him several times from the way she laughed. He couldn’t understand what she said, but he’d witnessed her satisfaction, and the merchant’s annoyance, when they finished. He suspected she would be a formidable opponent if ever she faced his superiors. But she would never have that opportunity as a woman, never mind her place of birth.
Theo could still smell Vinita’s soft jasmine scent. It filled his nostrils when she stepped before him, and it lingered, even if only in his imagination. He shared her surprise when they recognized one another, but he wondered if she found it as pleasurable as he when they greeted one another. Then was it the same agony to sit across from one another without being able to speak? While Rob watched Suniti and Will watched Sarla in the market, Vinita diverted Theo’s attention when she bought food then gave it to children. It was obvious they were impoverished, clearly hungry and filthy, and likely orphans. She’d squatted to be at eye level as she spoke to them. Her generosity made Theo’s heart ache. He admired her even more when she didn’t hesitate to embrace the children, rising with dirt across her clothing. She appeared not to notice.
“Gentlemen, thank you for joining my family for our meal. You are far more agreeable than the men previously in your position. You are newly arrived, but people tell me you deal fairly and generously with them. It makes me wonder how long your superiors shall allow you to remain.”
“We are not here to cause trouble with your people, Maharaja. We have no reason not to treat them fairly. As for generosity, we don’t see it that way. What we do with our pay is our business, and we believe we should pay tradesmen a respectable amount for their goods.” Rob didn’t doubt word had already reached Surat about their shopping. He wondered what the prince was told about their encounter with his daughters.
“That may be, but it sets a precedent the rest of the Company will not follow.” Surat waited as a servant poured tea for them, then left. “The Company will squelch your habits and remove you if you are not careful. I would rather that not happen. All three of you are better than any of the other leaders sent to oversee the Company’s army. I prefer you to stay. You’d do well to curb that generosity in public. While my people and I appreciate it, and I even admire it, it won’t put you in good stead with those above you.”
“What would you have us do?” Theo appreciated Surat’s warning because it showed he cared about his people, but none of the Englishmen wished to cease paying what they believed were fair prices.
“I suggest you learn as much Marwari as you can. It is not an easy language, but it will make you invaluable to the Company and endear yourself to my people. It also means you can conduct your business as you wish.”
“How will we learn? The Company has been here for nearly three hundred years. Everyone speaks English.”
“Learn a phrase here and there. Ask people to tell you quietly in Marwari whatever you say in English. Practice with each other. It won’t take long for people to recognize your sincerity. You’re already making a reputation for yourselves.” Surat nodded his approval despite the warning he’d issued.
“We leave for patrol in the morning,” Will shared. “We will see what our guides can teach us.”
“How long will you be away?”
“A fortnight most likely.” Rob hated thinking they would lose any opportunity to see the sisters during that time. A glimmer of hope rested within his heart that perhaps Surat would respect him enough to consider allowing him to court Suniti. Rob didn’t intend to return to England. He’d decided to remain in India before he stepped foot on the subcontinent. He was glad to escape his domineering father. He missed his mother and brother, but nothing else about Powderham. He would gladly never see that pile of bricks again. He knew Theo and Will didn’t feel as he did. They counted down the years before they returned home. They didn’t regret joining the Company or coming to India, but they never intended to make it their home.
“Plenty of time to learn.” Surat held out his hand to each man before they left.
“A fortnight might as well be an eternity,” Will grumbled as they left the palace. “More fool am I to think the Maharaja would allow me near his daughter, but I can’t help but wish.”
“You and me both, my friend.” Theo’s voice held a wistfulness they all felt. “I don’t know what it is about Vinita. I saw her once before, but it’s like she’s wrapped a rope around me, and I’m praying she will pull me closer. I’ve never been so moved as when I saw her with those children today. Her compassion radiated from her.”
“Whatever Suniti said to each merchant made them laugh. She seemed to brighten everyone’s day. It was as though the sun shone from her face when she smiled. She greeted everyone by name, and I could tell she made each person feel like they were the only one in the world when she focused on them.” Rob spent the time observing, wishing that she might gift him with that smile one day. He would gladly make her the center of his world. If only she would do the same with him.
“Sarla is shrewd. I couldn’t understand a word she and the merchant said, but I could tell she outwitted him at least thrice. His expression showed it. She didn’t gloat, but it was clear her success satisfied her. At the end, the man nodded and smiled. There were no hard feelings between them. When it was business, it was business. When that was done, they appeared like lifelong friends. She could likely run my family’s estate better than my father. Who knows what shambles it shall be in when I return?”
Each man left England for his own reason, but each one centered on their family and a desire to escape. As they considered the unique woman who intrigued each of them, a family no longer seemed so onerous. But would it even matter?
“Maan, you are making something out of nothing. We met them in the market today while they ordered some things from Amrit. They were polite, then went on their way.” Suniti sat on the end of her bed as she pulled her braid loose. Chandra followed her daughters into their room, a scowl marring her ageless face.
