Read Online By Eastern windows by Gretta Curran Browne - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Gretta Curran Browne
Ads: Link
turned to look at her and it seemed, extraordinarily, as if the air had suddenly chilled. Her open and natural laughter appalled them.
Aware that such behaviour was not acceptable Jane pressed her lips together and lowered her head as if in shame, but smiling at him all the while out of her laughing brown eyes.
‘Jane!’ Maria Morley arrived, excused herself and her sister, and ushered the heavenly young creature away.
With perfect courtesy he had stepped aside, but he watched her go, back into the protective company of the women. No, he realised, she was definitely not a young lady who would fit in well with the society of British Bombay. There was too much of the Caribbean in her ways, as untamed as Antigua … She suddenly turned and looked over her shoulder, her dark eyes meeting his in one final smiling glance.
*
‘It’s not that I have anything against the man personally,’ James Morley explained to Jane the following morning. ‘It’s simply due to the fact that Macquarie is a junior officer who possesses no wealth or private fortune of his own. A penniless captain. And he’s been in India long enough to know the rules about place and position and wealth and courtship. So any interest he has thus far shown in you, m’dear, is clearly based on a desire to get his hands on your money.’
‘I have no money,’ Jane replied. ‘You have it all.’
‘I am simply holding it for you,’ Morley insisted. ‘As your brother-in-law and guardian, and as your only protector here in India.’
Jane looked down as a small bird danced around her feet. She was sitting in a wicker chair on the partially-screened veranda leading from her bedroom and overlooking the back garden, wearing a lacy blue robe known as a ‘tea gown’, her lovely chestnut hair falling long and loose around her shoulders.
‘And you think …’ she said thoughtfully, `that I need protection from Captain Macquarie?’
‘I most certainly do! Don’t you know that most of those soldiers only come out here to India in search of a fortune to take back to Britain? Why else would they put up with the unbearable heat? The incessant flies and the dust, the stupid natives?’
Jane was still watching the small bird thoughtfully. ‘Is that why you came to India, James? In search of a fortune? Is that why you married my sister?’
James Morley almost chocked on his breath, just as his wife Maria appeared in the open doorway from the bedroom. ‘James, do let Jane finish her breakfast. She is not even dressed. It’s hardly seemly for you to – ‘
‘I was simply warning her about that soldier!’ James expostulated. ‘She needs to understand – ‘
‘No you need to understand,’ Jane said calmly, `that I am not the slightest bit interested in that soldier. I gave him a few dances one night, that’s all.’
Maria stared at her. ‘You’re not interested in him? Then why did you make such a disgrace of yourself at Mr Forbes’ house yesterday? Flirting with him like a floozy!’
‘I was bored,’ Jane confessed tiredly. ‘Bored with all the snooty women complaining about their servants, and bored with all the talk of how things are done so much better in dear old Blighty.’
‘Oh, Jane,’ Maria said reproachfully, ‘that is not a kind or polite way to speak about the British ladies here in Bombay. And if you are not interested in Captain Macquarie, then why put us through such worry? Why didn’t you just say you were not interested?’
‘I might have done, if he had once entered my thoughts in the time between the two meetings, but as he didn’t…’ Jane shrugged carelessly. ‘May I finish my breakfast now?’
‘Well, thank God that’s settled,’ James Morley said with relief, then added firmly, ‘But remember, Jane, in any future social gatherings, interested or not, I insist that you have nothing more to do with that soldier, not one word is to be spoken to him nor even a look in his direction.
Aware that such behaviour was not acceptable Jane pressed her lips together and lowered her head as if in shame, but smiling at him all the while out of her laughing brown eyes.
‘Jane!’ Maria Morley arrived, excused herself and her sister, and ushered the heavenly young creature away.
With perfect courtesy he had stepped aside, but he watched her go, back into the protective company of the women. No, he realised, she was definitely not a young lady who would fit in well with the society of British Bombay. There was too much of the Caribbean in her ways, as untamed as Antigua … She suddenly turned and looked over her shoulder, her dark eyes meeting his in one final smiling glance.
*
‘It’s not that I have anything against the man personally,’ James Morley explained to Jane the following morning. ‘It’s simply due to the fact that Macquarie is a junior officer who possesses no wealth or private fortune of his own. A penniless captain. And he’s been in India long enough to know the rules about place and position and wealth and courtship. So any interest he has thus far shown in you, m’dear, is clearly based on a desire to get his hands on your money.’
‘I have no money,’ Jane replied. ‘You have it all.’
‘I am simply holding it for you,’ Morley insisted. ‘As your brother-in-law and guardian, and as your only protector here in India.’
Jane looked down as a small bird danced around her feet. She was sitting in a wicker chair on the partially-screened veranda leading from her bedroom and overlooking the back garden, wearing a lacy blue robe known as a ‘tea gown’, her lovely chestnut hair falling long and loose around her shoulders.
‘And you think …’ she said thoughtfully, `that I need protection from Captain Macquarie?’
‘I most certainly do! Don’t you know that most of those soldiers only come out here to India in search of a fortune to take back to Britain? Why else would they put up with the unbearable heat? The incessant flies and the dust, the stupid natives?’
Jane was still watching the small bird thoughtfully. ‘Is that why you came to India, James? In search of a fortune? Is that why you married my sister?’
James Morley almost chocked on his breath, just as his wife Maria appeared in the open doorway from the bedroom. ‘James, do let Jane finish her breakfast. She is not even dressed. It’s hardly seemly for you to – ‘
‘I was simply warning her about that soldier!’ James expostulated. ‘She needs to understand – ‘
‘No you need to understand,’ Jane said calmly, `that I am not the slightest bit interested in that soldier. I gave him a few dances one night, that’s all.’
Maria stared at her. ‘You’re not interested in him? Then why did you make such a disgrace of yourself at Mr Forbes’ house yesterday? Flirting with him like a floozy!’
‘I was bored,’ Jane confessed tiredly. ‘Bored with all the snooty women complaining about their servants, and bored with all the talk of how things are done so much better in dear old Blighty.’
‘Oh, Jane,’ Maria said reproachfully, ‘that is not a kind or polite way to speak about the British ladies here in Bombay. And if you are not interested in Captain Macquarie, then why put us through such worry? Why didn’t you just say you were not interested?’
‘I might have done, if he had once entered my thoughts in the time between the two meetings, but as he didn’t…’ Jane shrugged carelessly. ‘May I finish my breakfast now?’
‘Well, thank God that’s settled,’ James Morley said with relief, then added firmly, ‘But remember, Jane, in any future social gatherings, interested or not, I insist that you have nothing more to do with that soldier, not one word is to be spoken to him nor even a look in his direction.
Similar Books
