Ladies' Day by Steve Turnbull

Author:Steve Turnbull [Turnbull, Steve]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: india, empire, alternate history, steampunk, action adventure for girls
Publisher: Tau Press Ltd
Published: 2017-09-07T04:00:00+00:00

xii

They arrived back late afternoon. The bandits did not walk with much enthusiasm, even with Sikh swords at their backs. Qi thought perhaps if the soldiers had used those swords once or twice it might have encouraged them to go faster. But Captain Reynolds felt there were certain proprieties to be followed, and those included no unnecessary violence to prisoners.

“After all,” he said when she suggested it, “we have no proof as yet that they are bandits.”

“They attacked my ship.”

Apparently this was not sufficient.

Mrs Ruane was delighted to see her and gave her a hug that lasted considerably longer than such a greeting warranted—assuming a hug was an appropriate greeting in the first instance.

After the evening meal Qi watched as Mrs Cameron, Otto, Fanning and Mrs Ruane played croquet on the lawn. They seemed to be enjoying themselves, though only Mrs Cameron was holding her own against their host. Every now and then Dingbang would appear between flowerbeds, wandering through the gardens accompanied by one of Mrs Ruane’s gardeners, studying the plants. Occasionally he would crouch down to examine one more closely. Qi had known him for most of her life and had had no idea he was interested in plants.

Qi, on the other hand, sat doing nothing and itching for action. She wanted the moving ship under her feet, the feeling of lightness the Faraday gave them; she even wanted the mountains and the ice. She did not think she had ever been this idle before in her life, even when she was a child. But she forced herself to remain in the chair, shaded by a parasol and leaning on a table, with a constant supply of water in the jug by her side.

To think every single one of Mrs Ruane’s days was like this. No wonder she fed off the life of her guests.

Captain Reynolds was announced. He emerged from the house and descended the stone steps to the lawn. He came up beside her and watched the game for several minutes, seemingly as unhurried as their host.

“Your crew are not skilled in this game,” he commented, without malice.

“No,” she said.

Mrs Ruane glanced over at them from across the lawn. She nodded to the captain and gave Qi a sly wink which the captain could not possibly have missed.

“Is there a Mr Ruane?” said Qi.

“There is such a man,” said the captain. “But he is never here, and I believe that suits his wife.”

“Yes, I am sure you are correct.”

There was a long pause as the game continued.

“I have some good news,” said the captain at length. “I have received confirmation regarding your ship, although Fanning and Mrs Cameron are not mentioned.”

“Fanning is a recent addition and, as I said, Mrs Cameron has chartered the ship.”

The captain cleared his throat. “There was, however, a note about a Mr Cameron in Delhi claiming his wife had been stolen away from him.”

Qi did not reply but watched Mrs Cameron whack her ball firmly through a hoop and knock another ball away.

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