Punished with Love

by Barbara Cartland

  She was glad, however, that she could ride as well as, if not better than, Toni and had been used to horses of more diverse quality than the well-trained, highly bred hunters that were always at her cousin’s command.

  The fine-boned horses that were waiting for her and Lord Branscombe were small and spirited and Latonia realised when she first mounted hers that she would have to assert herself to keep it under control.

  She was amused to see that Lord Branscombe’s mount was also giving him a certain amount of trouble.

  Finally the horses settled down, which gave Latonia a chance to inspect the countryside and to look at the people they passed by the wayside.

  It was all a fascination and a joy that she had not expected and she thought of thousands of questions she wanted to ask about the castes of the people they were passing, but she felt that this was not the right moment.

  They had quite a caravan with them, including an elephant on which much of their luggage was piled and a whole army of servants who seemed to appear from nowhere, although she imagined that some of them must have come on the train with them.

  There were only two soldiers in uniform and she was not surprised that Lord Branscombe was also wearing his uniform of the Bengal Lancers.

  She understood that this was a semi-official visit, but he still had the authority of the British Raj and his uniform was a symbol of it.

  When he had worn it to arrive in Bombay, she had thought it made him look more distinguished and in a way more handsome than he had been when dressed as a civilian.

  Now, riding a horse, she thought he was very impressive and, under any other circumstances, it would have been exciting to be alone with such a good-looking man in a world of their own.

  ‘I am only his niece whom he dislikes,’ Latonia told herself, ‘and when he realises that I have deceived him, he will undoubtedly hate me. Yet, if I had not come to India, it would be something I would have regretted all my life.’

  She was thinking the same thing when their guides led them up the narrow streets of the City and there ahead of them was the Palace.

  It was not a very impressive one, although Latonia was not aware of it, but she was to find later that it comprised half-a-dozen courtyards, a garden or two and perhaps a hundred rooms.

  The outer courtyards were filled with the Rajah’s personal bodyguards, who bowed low to Lord Branscombe as he rode by, pressing their palms and fingers together in the age-old greeting of the East.

  Lord Branscombe and Latonia dismounted and were led by what was obviously a senior official into a large room that opened onto a garden.

  It was very hot and the crowds of privileged persons who sat cross-legged on the uncarpeted floor made it still hotter.

  A shallow flight of steps led to a raised platform and on this was a throne where sat the Rajah in his robes of State, wearing ropes of pearls round his neck and a diamond-hilted sword.

  He was a slim and impressive figure, except that for a young man he looked somewhat debauched and the pupils of his eyes were dilated. Latonia, looking at him with interest, was sure that he was addicted to opium.

  He greeted Lord Branscombe with ceremony and he was bowed into a chair on the Rajah’s side while Latonia was accommodated on a smaller chair beside him.

  “We are deeply honoured by your presence, my Lord,” the Rajah said in surprisingly good English.

  Latonia learnt later that he had been educated at a British University.

  “I am delighted to meet Your Highness,” Lord Branscombe replied.

  Latonia, listening intently, noted the geniality of his tone and the way, as the conversation continued, he complimented the young Prince and made it very obvious that he desired to be friendly.

  Occasionally Latonia thought that his questions were searching and she felt that some of the Indians in the room, especially those of high rank who were standing near the Rajah, were tense.

  ‘They have something to hide,’ she thought to herself and wondered if Lord Branscombe was aware of it.

  When their reception was over and they had accepted the sherbet that was offered them and eaten some of the sticky sweetmeats whose taste seemed to linger on the tongue long after they had been swallowed, Lord Branscombe and Latonia were taken to the Guest House.

  It was quite small and by no means as grand as the Palace and Latonia saw with astonishment how shabby it was.

  The paint was peeling from the walls, the covers and the furnishings were faded and the tablecloth that covered the table at which they were to eat later in the evening was only rough dried.

  As if he sensed her surprise, as soon as they were alone, Lord Branscombe explained,

  “This is a poor State, but anyway you will find in India that, although they paint the building when it is erected and when the Rajah takes a new bride, otherwise it remains untouched.”

  “How extraordinary!” Latonia exclaimed. “Personally I would rather have fewer diamonds on the hilt of my sword and more paint on the walls.”

  “You would never get His Highness to agree to that. His diamonds are very much a part of his prestige and actually they are not his but merely handed down from Rajah to Rajah and kept, except on ceremonial occasions like today, under lock and key.”

  “It is all fascinating,” Latonia said. “Now, please tell me about His Highness.”

  Even as she spoke, she realised that she had made a mistake and Lord Branscombe replied in a slightly louder tone than he had used previously,

  “We are indeed, my dear niece, very privileged to be guests of such a charming and intelligent young ruler.”

  As he was speaking, Lord Branscombe moved from the room they were talking in onto the verandah so that he could look out at the garden that lay behind the Guest House.

  There was no sign of anyone, but Latonia, as she followed him, was quite certain that what he had said had been overheard and the information was at this very moment being carried to the Palace, where it would be related to the Rajah.

  Chapter Five

  Latonia did not get the chance to talk to Lord Branscombe alone for the next forty-eight hours.

  She noticed that he was being charming and, for him, almost effusive to the young Rajah.

  She thought that the young man responded, but she was aware that the pupils of His Highness’s eyes were still dilated and she wondered if Lord Branscombe had noticed it.

  Addiction to opium was, as her father had told her, very prevalent in India and she had learnt that English women were often afraid that their Ayahs would give the babies they looked after small amounts of opium to keep them quiet.

  At the same time the English permitted the sale of opium and, because it brought in much revenue in taxation, encouraged it to some extent.

  Latonia found herself wondering if it was not something that could be stamped out by those who ruled the country and she wished that she could talk about such issues to Lord Branscombe without his being suspicious of her motives in asking questions.

  She found herself thinking how pleasant it would be if they could travel as ordinary people and she could learn from him so much about India, which she was beginning to find more fascinating every day.

  In the afternoon of the second day of their visit they had watched a display of horsemanship and pig-sticking.

  When the entertainment was over, Lord Branscombe and the Rajah walked away from his attendants ostensibly to inspect the band. But Latonia was sure that it was also to have a conversation that could not be overheard.

  She felt that the older members of the Rajah’s entourage were apprehensive about what was being said.

  Their heads were all turned in the direction of the two men who were talking together and they appeared to forget that they should in fact have been entertaining her because she had been left behind.

  When the Rajah and Lord Branscombe came walking back towards them, she was sure that they heaved a sigh of relief.

  The following morning when they said
goodbye she thought that Lord Branscombe’s speech of gratitude for the hospitality they had received was most eloquent.

  Certainly their host seemed pleased, although she thought that it might have been merely an expression of delight at their leaving.

  Once again Latonia and Lord Branscombe were riding, while their attendants and the luggage followed at the more leisurely pace set by the sad-eyed bullocks who had to be prodded by their drivers to keep up even with the slow progress of the elephant.

  They had left very early, so it was still comparatively cool and, when Lord Branscombe suggested that they should exercise their horses, he and Latonia rode off on their own.

  When finally they drew in their mounts to a walk so that it was easy to converse, she enquired,

  “Please tell me what you thought of the Rajah. Do you intend to recommend that his Province be given a British Resident?”

  There was silence and she thought that Lord Branscombe intended either to refuse to answer or to snub her for her curiosity.

  But after a moment he said,

  “As you are so interested, suppose you tell me what were your impressions.”

  Latonia glanced at him quickly. She had the feeling that he was testing her, perhaps trying to prove to his own satisfaction how stupid and frivolous she was.

  She chose her words with care.

  “I noticed as soon as we arrived that the Rajah was taking opium,” she said. “I also thought that for such a young man he looked somewhat – debauched.”

  She waited for Lord Branscombe to make some comment and after a distinct pause he asked,

  “What else?”

  “I may be wrong,” Latonia answered, “but I felt that those in attendance on him, especially the older men, were tense and watchful. When you and the Rajah talked together yesterday afternoon, they were definitely apprehensive about what you were saying.”

  She stopped and saw that there was an undoubted look of surprise in Lord Branscombe’s eyes.

  “You are certainly very observant, Latonia.”

  “Am I right?” she questioned. “Did they have something to hide?”

  As she spoke, she was thinking of Russian arms being supplied to the Rajah as they were to the tribesmen on the frontier, but she suspected that they were too far South for that to be a possibility.

  “I did not expect to discuss such matters with you,” Lord Branscombe said, aware that she was waiting for his reply. “But perhaps I should make an exception.”

  “Please do,” Latonia pleaded quickly, “and tell me what was wrong.”

  “Nothing very sensational,” Lord Branscombe answered, “and it happens very often in these Princely States.”

  “What is that?”

  “The Rajah, having enjoyed a European education, has new and progressive ideas, while his relatives are determined to keep to the status quo and make everything remain as it has been for the last one thousand years.”

  “Is that why they give him opium?”

  “Exactly. Opium and women leave a young man little time to concentrate on changes or to introduce new policies.”

  “So you have decided that a British Resident should be appointed?” Latonia ventured.

  Lord Branscombe smiled.

  “That may happen eventually, but I have given His Highness a chance to prove himself.”

  “In what way?”

  “I have told him that he has to cure his habit of taking opium and must spend more time in the saddle, inspecting his people, than in the women’s quarters of the Palace.”

  “What did he say?” Latonia asked.

  “He is intelligent when his brain is not fogged with drugs and, because I flattered him quite a lot, he was not offended when I told him that he must behave like a man and assert himself.”

  “Do you think he will do so?”

  “Quite frankly, I don’t know the answer” Lord Branscombe replied. “But I made it clear that if in six months he has not changed his ways, I will recommend to the Viceroy that a British Resident be installed.”

  Latonia drew in her breath.

  “Oh, I do hope he will listen to you”

  “So do I,” Lord Branscombe replied. “I hope, too, that he survives.”

  Latonia’s eyes were wide as she asked quickly,

  “What do you mean by that?”

  “There are many ways of disposing of young Rajahs who try to break away from the traditions, which are considered sacred.”

  “What happens?”

  “They die one way or another. There is a regrettable accident when they are out shooting – a fall, a snake bite, something they eat that proves poisonous. Indians have used such methods since the beginning of time.”

  “You make it sound horrible and very dangerous,” Latonia said in a low voice.

  “Then forget it,” Lord Branscombe answered sharply. “Perhaps things will be different at our next port of call.”

  This in fact was very much farther North and they spent two nights in the train before they reached it.

  Once again Latonia was fascinated by the crowds of sightseers and travellers at the stations and by the country they were passing through.

  She noticed that the villages, which often consisted of just a little oasis of green standing, because of the lack of water, in what seemed little more than a desert. There would be a few shady trees, a central square with a well in the middle of it and a pond for watering the cattle and the huge water buffalo.

  Latonia was also interested in the market towns where, she learnt, the British had their administrative offices, shops, Police stations, hospitals and, of course, Army barracks.

  It was all fascinating and she sat glued to the window until darkness fell with a swiftness that was almost like a curtain being dropped from the sky until the stars came out.

  Although Lord Branscombe was most of the time immersed either in reading the newspapers or in writing what Latonia was sure was a report on the place they had just visited, he was at least prepared to talk while they had their meals.

  These were brought onto the train at large stations and consisted of various dishes that all tasted the same whatever they were called.

  There was also dust, which seemed to permeate everything, even with the windows and door closed.

  At the same time, it was all new and exciting and an adventure.

  Already she had discovered the atmosphere of India, the smell of spices and of wood smoke, the blare of conches, the throbbing of distant tom-toms and the muffled tread of bare feet on dusty ground.

  She felt as if it had always been there like a half-forgotten dream in her mind or in her heart, only to rise now to reality like a phoenix from the ashes.

  Sometimes, as if he could not resist the excitement in Latonia’s shining eyes, Lord Branscombe would answer her questions without sounding cynical or suspicious of her reasons for asking them.

  Outa, the next State they visited, was very beautiful.

  There were lakes, shrines, and temples, scarlet-clad horsemen with fine moustaches and curved swords and golden-skinned women walking like Queens as they carried brass lotahs on their proud heads.

  Lord Branscombe and Latonia drove through a shifting crowd who wore turbans and saris of vermilion, amber, turquoise and green.

  The Palace, set upon a ridge, was white with minarets, fretted windows, arches and balconies. Through an immense triple gateway Latonia had a glimpse of a row of picketed elephants.

  The Rajah, an old man with a white beard, had reigned for nearly thirty years. There was no doubt that he had his people well under control and the whole State revolved round him so that his slightest wish was law.

  Latonia thought that it would be impossible under these circumstances for Lord Branscombe to find anything wrong, but because by this time she had grown what she thought was almost a sixth sense where he was concerned, something told her that he was not satisfied.

  They stayed three days and here she was allowed to go into
the women’s quarters, with its inner courtyards, its tank, and its sacred neem tree whose feathery leaves had medicinal virtues.

  The Ranee was very young and pretty but unfortunately spoke only a few words of Urdu and no English.

  Latonia tried to communicate with her and the other ladies by mime, but even when they showed her their jewels it was a somewhat laborious task and she felt relieved when the visit came to an end.

  When they left, she and Lord Branscombe were provided with an open carriage drawn by two horses in which to drive to the nearest railway station.

  “What did you think?” she asked eagerly as soon as they had finally waved to those who were seeing them off and to the crowds who threw flowers into the carriage as they passed.

  “I am waiting to hear your assessment,” Lord Branscombe replied.

  “I thought everything seemed as it should be,” Latonia answered, “but I knew that you were suspicious.”

  “Did you think that was strange?”

  “Not entirely, because ever since I have known you, I have found you suspicious of something.”

  “Meaning yourself?”

  “Yes.”

  “Well, perhaps the same applies both to you and to the State of Outa,” he said. “You both appear to be too good to be true!”

  “I am flattered,” Latonia said. “But tell me, what did you discover?”

  “Nothing,” he answered. “I find that disconcerting and, as you have already said, it makes me suspicious.”

  “Then what do you intend to do?”

  “What can I do?” he asked. “But I have not yet heard the reports from those who stayed in Outa with us.”

  For a moment Latonia looked perplexed and then she realised that she had been very silly.

  Of course amongst the servants, many of them being superior Indians, some were employed by Lord Branscombe to spy on his behalf on the people he was investigating.

  It made her feel a little uncomfortable and, as if he knew what she was thinking, Lord Branscombe said,

  “Do I detect an air of condemnation about you?”

  Latonia did not pretend not to understand.