‘A woman suspected of witchcraft.’
‘In this day and age?’
He nodded slowly. ‘When another woman thought to be adakanwas found dead with an axe in her back, Indi’s grandmother acted quickly and sent Indi to the castle along with the original miniature, plus some pictures of her own. Indi told Laxmi she no longer had a safe home and, out of obligation to the grandmother, my mother had to take her in. They get rid of witches with an axe in the back.’
Eliza felt a shiver of alarm. ‘You mean they might have killed her too? That’s what you meant when you said you worried about what might have happened to her.’
‘Indi is talented, and very beautiful. Other women would have been jealous.’
Remembering Indi’s looks, Eliza could understand why.
‘So what happened when she came to the castle?’
‘She started off as a handmaiden, but when her talent became fully known my mother gave her the task of painting each member of the royal household. She became my mother’s eyes and ears. Remember Laxmi was Maharani then. I don’t exactly know how, but Indi continues to have an ear for all the castle intrigue, gossip and plotting.’
‘I imagine Laxmi was a wonderful queen.’
‘She was. And a wonderful mother … though sometimes a bit too wonderful.’
The last part of his sentence had almost been an aside, and Eliza couldn’t help comparing Laxmi, who almost certainly lived for her children, with Anna’s lack of interest. So far Eliza had given little thought to motherhood and had scant regard for it.
Jay looked distracted for a moment, glancing at both possible tracks ahead, then picked up on Eliza’s previous comment. ‘Though of course the British disallowed the use of the words king and queen. A chief was what my father had to become. We were also banned from wearing crowns. They were the preserve of British royalty.’
Eliza grimaced. ‘Honestly, that’s almost funny, but I do feel a little guilty.’
He gave her a candid look. ‘Don’t. There’s plenty of wrong on our side too. Had a son of my mother’s not succeeded the throne, as a widow she would not be enjoying the high status she does.’
‘I see.’
‘We’d better get on.’ He got back on the motorcycle. ‘This way, I think.’
After a few more miles he cut the engine and they came to a halt. ‘Please stay close,’ he said, as they left the bike against a tree. He gave the appearance of walking nonchalantly but Eliza could tell something was up from the stiffness of his shoulders and the tight expression on his face. He found a local man and they spoke rapidly, Jay raising his voice but the man simply shaking his head.
Eliza heard a strange strangled bleating sound and, glancing down a side alley, saw a live goat hanging by the back feet. She shuddered as a village man drew a sword and with one strike decapitated the creature.
Jay turned to her. ‘Quick, back into the sidecar.’
‘But I just saw a –’
‘Don’t talk now, we have to hurry.’ He put a hand on her back and almost pushed her.
‘What’s happening?’
As he started the bike up he turned towards her, a look of extreme anguish on his face. ‘I told you the old customs had gone underground.’
‘Yes.’
‘Something terrible is about to happen.’
9
As Jay rode furiously along an increasingly rocky dirt track, Eliza gripped her seat. Fear locked itself behind her ribs. The not knowing made things worse and up until now she had not seen him look so worried. She sensed he lived within a world beyond her sight, an inner, protected realm – and, just like the Rajput kingdom she might never fully understand, there were layers within layers to this man. Hidden beneath the rituals and customs of his life lay something important, something that glued it all together. She wondered what it was and decided to make it her business to learn more about the Hindu gods. It might help her understand these people better, but for now this was nothing mystical or strange, merely the private workings of another human being who, at this moment, was excluding her.
‘So tell me, please,’ she shouted. ‘What’s going on?’
‘It’s a widow-burning. The Thakur had heard a rumour that there might be one tomorrow, but Indira’s grandmother told me to come to the village we’ve just left and that’s when I found out it is today.’
‘Oh, dear God. But I thought you said suttee is illegal? We must stop it.’
