“Her Majesty sent us over here to help you navigate London society.I’ve grown up in it and Mrs.Randle visits often from Nigeria.We’re also both godchildren of Her Majesty’s,” Sophia says.
Oh, I know.In the least creepy way possible.“How has your experience been in London?”
“Some people will be excited about you because you are ‘exotic,’ like a zebra or an Egyptian sarcophagus.Some people will think you’re simultaneously much stupider than themandsomehow successfully conning them out of what’s rightfully theirs.Others will try to find out everything about you, the same way they would with anyone who gets invited into this tiny circle, and it won’t have anything to do with where you come from, but because you’re different, and these people do not enjoy change,” Sophia says.
“Fun.I think so far people are mostly in the staring phase.And the occasional rude comment.”
Victoria shrugs.“It is not that bad.There are worse places for a woman to be.”
That’s depressing.“Yes.I’m very grateful to Her Majesty for taking me in on such short notice.”
“That’s Her Majesty,” Sophia says.The woman lives in a grace and favor house near Hampton Court, so she’s well acquainted with the Queen’s hospitality.Even though she wouldn’t need the queen’s hospitality if she were the sister of the Maharaja of Punjab, instead of in exile.
See, complicated.
“But be careful of the people around her.She might have a soft spot for you as an Indian royal, but Parliament gets more powerful every day.They are much less enamored with you, and if they think you are a danger to the Empire, you will be dealt with as a threat.And her household will not appreciate you taking the attention they feel they deserve,” Sophia says.
The two women tell me stories about their very different experiences in England, from debuting in front of Queen Victoria, catching her attention, and getting lavish presents from her, but also sometimes dealing with her feeling she knows exactly what’s best for them and how hard it is to do what they want in light of Victoria’s “suggestions” for them.And dealing with jealous courtiers and those who used them to get close to the queen.
Then too soon, Victoria sees her husband and excuses herself.Alone with Sophia, I bite my lip to stop myself from asking her all the questions I have.Victoria’s experiences are amazing and I’ve studied them, but Sophia is my actual thesis.The subject of my graduate thesis.
Princess Sophia Duleep Singh: Punjabi, German and Ethiopian, and one of the daughters of the last Maharaja of Punjab.Not that she’s been to visit there yet.She was born in an English country house called Elveden in Suffolk, with a decidedly Indian interior full of scalloped arches, peacock fireplaces, plush Indian rugs and Indian furniture.
My parents are both from Punjab, so I can’t help but feel connected to the woman in front of me, not only because we’re from the same place, but because we were born and grew up somewhere else, only visiting the birthplace of our parents later in life.
But I have a feeling if I asked her all the questions I really wanted to, she would get a little scared and encourage those people who are already suspicious of me to look closer at the strange woman with no filter and too much knowledge of people’s personal lives.
Still… “How do you feel about being in England, if you don’t mind me asking?Instead of India?”
“It is complicated, I suppose.It is strange to miss a place I have never been, or a life I never lived.Father became a ruler at five and then two years later the British declared war.He came here at sixteen, but he could never decide if he wanted to be an Englishman or if he wanted to be a Maharaja.But he knew he wanted to live an extravagant life, so his spending probably didn’t help anything.I have never known anything else.None of his children even know Punjabi.But lately I do connect with Indians who have moved to London or are visiting, and that has felt nice, to hear them speak of this place.I would like to visit it one day.”
The grief is thick in her voice, and I do some mental math to realize he passed two years ago.In Paris with his second wife, an English hotel maid he started an affair with before his first wife died.Duleep certainly made some…choices.And the English didn’t live up to their own treaty with him either.Also, they stole a kid from his mother.And the Koh-i-Noor diamond from that kid’s treasury.And then cut it up to place it on one of their crowns.Very rude.
“Your Royal Highness,” another voice calls out from behind me, dragging me from the past into…well, still the past.This time it’s a man’s voice.
“Leo…I mean Lord Basildon.Good evening.”
Leo bends low over my hand as he bows, touching his lips to my hand like I wished his lips had touched mine earlier.Even now, the stupid glove gets in the way of me feeling his actual lips on my skin.
“It is lovely to see you again.”Leo bows over Sophia’s hand too.But with less lingering, thankfully.
“Lord Basildon.It is always a pleasure.”Right, they must know each other.Victoria does have a habit of seeing two brown people and try to marry them off to each other.Case in point.Although that is helping me, so I shouldn’t complain about it.
“If you’ll excuse me, I see some friends.It was a pleasure to meet you, and please do call on me if you need any help while you are here,” Sophia says.
“Thank you.”I belatedly look up at Sophia, only to see her smiling at me.Then she walks away, leaving me alone with Leo.
“You got Her Majesty’s letter?”I ask, even though he must have, because he’s here.
“Yes.I received it just as I was getting ready for the evening, so I thought I would answer in person.”He extends his hands out as if presenting himself.“I would be delighted to come.”
“Good.Although it would have been awkward if you showed up just to tell me you weren’t coming.”
“Hmm.I could see how that would be.Since I am here, would you like to dance?”He extends his arm to me.
“Yes.”I tuck my hand in the offered elbow.“Wait.Is it an easy one?”
“I will pay the orchestra to change it, if it isn’t.”
