The Far Pavilions - Mary Margaret Kaye [88]
He brushed her hand from his arm and broke into a run, leaving Belinda to stare after him, startled and more than a little shocked by the sight of her betrothed publicly embracing a strange native with a fervour that she would have considered excessive even if they had been Frenchmen. Why, they were actually hugging each other. Belinda turned away abruptly, scarlet-cheeked with embarrassment, and met the malicious gaze of Amy Chiverton who had also been a witness to the encounter.
‘Mama always said that there was something fishy about Mr Pelham-Martyn,’ remarked Mis Chiverton spitefully. ‘Do you suppose that man is his half-brother, or a cousin or something? They are certainly very alike. Oh, I forgot you were engaged to him. How dreadful of me. I'm so sorry. But of course I was joking. I expect it's only one of his old servants come to meet him. Ours have come too. I expect yours are here as well.’
But surely one did not embrace one's old servants? thought Belinda; and anyway, the man was far from old. She turned to look at them again and saw with a sharp pang of unease that in one respect Amy Chiverton had been right. The two men were not unlike, and if Ashton were to grow a moustache they could almost pass as brothers…
‘Really, Belinda dear,’ scolded Mrs Harlowe, hurrying back from saying her goodbyes to a Colonel and Mrs Philpot who had occupied the next door cabin. ‘How many times have I told you that you must not stand about in the sun without a parasol? You will ruin your complexion. Where is Ashton?’
‘He – he had to see someone about his luggage,’ lied Belinda, catching her mother's arm and pulling her away in the direction of the customs shed. ‘He will only be a moment. Let us get into the shade.’
It was suddenly unbearable to her that Mama should see Ashton and that native hugging each other, for although Mama would never dream of saying -or even thinking – the sort of things that Amy Chiverton had just said, she would certainly be disapproving, and just at that moment Belinda felt that she could not bear to listen to anything else on the subject. Ashton would probably have some perfectly reasonable explanation, but he should never have abandoned her like that. He had no right to run off and leave her alone and unattended among a crowd of jostling coolies, just as though she was someone of no importance at all. If this was the way he intended to treat her –
Belinda's blue eyes filled with angry tears, and all at once the bustling, colourful scene about her lost its charm and she was aware only of the heat and noise and discomfort, and the fact that the bodice of her flowered muslin dress was already drenched with sweat and clinging unattractively to her shoulder blades. Ash had behaved abominably and India was horrid.
For the moment, at least, Ash had forgotten all about her. And forgotten too, as he laughed and exclaimed and embraced his friend, that he was now a Sahib and an officer.
‘Zarin – Zarin. Why didn't anyone tell me that you would be here?’
‘They did not know. I asked for leave and came away, not telling anyone where I meant to go.’
‘Not even Awal Shah? How is he? Did you recognize me at once, or weren't you sure? Have I changed very much? You have not, Zarin. You haven't changed at all. Well, a little perhaps. But not enough to matter. Tell me about your father – is he well? Shall I see him in Mardan?’
‘I do not think so. He is well, but his village lies two koss* beyond the Border and he seldom leaves it for he is getting old.’
‘Then we must take leave and visit him. Oh Zarin, it is so good to see you. It is so good to be back.’
‘I too am glad. There have been times when I feared that you might grow away from us and be reluctant to return, but I see now that you are still the same Ashok with whom I flew kites and stole melons in the days when we lived in the Hawa Mahal. I should have known that you would not change. Have the years in Belait seemed very long?’
‘Yes,’ said Ash shortly. ‘But they are over, thank God. Tell me about yourself and the Regiment.’
The talk turned