‘I’m hungry already. Aren’t you?’
‘Yes, but I can’t be bothered to move. Eating seems rather too basic after all this.’
‘Basic is good, woman.’
‘But not as good as love.’
He pulled a face. ‘Mmmm. Now let me think. Food? Or love?’
She dug him in the ribs.
‘Oi,’ he said and, laughing, gathered her to him and hugged her.
She liked it when he held her, liked it when he smiled, laughed, or even scowled. Was there nothing about him to dislike?
‘Do you want me?’ she said, plucking up courage to ask. ‘I mean really?’
‘Haven’t I already made that clear?’
Part Three
‘It is not light that we need, but fire; it is not the gentle shower, but thunder. We need the storm, the whirlwind, and the earthquake.’
– Frederick Douglass
24
With no further ill-effects from the spider bite and full of her love for Jay, Eliza was soon back at the Juraipore castle. Dottie had heard that she had been unwell and eventually plucked up courage to call at the castle, entering Eliza’s rooms carrying a bouquet of flowers.
‘I must say you look wonderful. I’d expected you to look pale and peaky.’
Eliza grinned and leant back against the sofa, feeling blissful.
Dottie stared at her. ‘Oh Lor’! Has Clifford proposed?’
‘Clifford?’
Dottie laid the flowers down on a side table. ‘You have the look of a woman who has just said yes.’
‘No.’
‘Then what?’ She lowered her voice. ‘Or should I say who?’ There was a brief pause, then her hand flew to her mouth. ‘You haven’t, have you?’
Eliza didn’t reply.
‘You’ve fallen for one of them. That’s it, isn’t it?’
Eliza grinned helplessly and nodded. ‘It’s Jay.’
Dottie stood and stared, hands on both hips. ‘Well, that’ll put the cat among the proverbial pigeons. On both sides.’
‘Can’t you be a little happy for me?’
Dottie moved over to the window and gazed out before turning back to Eliza. ‘It will end in tears, my love. This sort of thing always does. Though I imagine it must be deliciously romantic.’ She had spoken the last sentence in a wistful tone of voice.
‘Would you talk to Clifford to smooth the waters?’ Eliza asked.
Dottie shook her head. ‘No, darling, I really can’t. My advice is to put a stop to this before it goes any further.’
