Pride, Honour & Love

Chapter 30

The dinner was over, My Lady, Jacques and Sarah had joined the Wilsons for it, Ismail and Toddy were given a room at the servants quarters and Bani ate with the children in the nursery, where Tara was with her new found friends, she was a good and caring mother, Maggie observed, earlier that evening Maggie had complimented her for raising her child with good manners, very quiet and well behaved child you have I must say, she had commented to note Bani looking sad, ha memsahib, mauka kaha diye humlog usse bolne ki, thora awaaj kiya and we kept hands on her mouth, this is the only thing I hated about the escapade......

Maggie had frowned briefly then understood as a mother she had the right to feel sorry that her daughter's childhood was getting hampered. She was a native maybe used to hard life....

Her guests decided to retire early, in the afternoon we were too excited to sleep as we could not believe we have made it but now things are settling in, our body is getting used to it, I think we will have a good sleep.....

After wishing them goodnight, Maggie and Charles sat to have a chat, summing up the sudden arrival, the changes they see in the Wallaces, specially My Lady etc etc., after bidding Charles to hurry up with his nightcap, Maggie left him to check on the children first and then retire, the corridor leading to the bedrooms were now dimly lit but she was used to it, she noticed Jacques standing outside his grandmother's room and speaking to Bani, infact giving her something from a pouch, Bani inspecting it and smiling upto him, he fleetingly touches her hair, just then Sarah came out of the bedroom in her nightclothes, Bani called out to her and showed her what Jacques gave her, Sarah too admired, My Lady's door opened, the maid came out wishing them goodnight she left, Sarah & Bani got in after waving at Jacques.....

Maggie became more confused, the way Jacques & Bani were standing little while ago, they seemed to be very at ease, very close in fact, obviously they were talking something personal as they could not do before the maid who was helping My Lady to get ready for bed, Sarah looked anything but upset seeing them standing close together, infact admired what Jacques gave Bani and seemed to compliment Jacques too...a cozy threesome? Thought Maggie, little she had seen Sarah before leaving Calcutta for Dariyaganj she looked to be very self respecting dignified woman with a class, infact over the dinner a little while ago her table manners were impeccable, after hearing her butler in the afternoon Maggie was a bit apprehensive but three of them never gave her any scope to complain, if Bani is Jacques, you know what after all Jacques may not be above vices and men of his strature had many such women with bastards even but then ladies like Sarah always maintained their dignity and kept themselves aloof from such people......Maggie gave one last glance at My Lady's room, it seems they will spend the night in the same room, she came out of the shadows to go into the nursery, tomorrow she was going to have a chat with Sarah definitely...

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In a big glass vase filled with water, Maggie was putting long sticks of 'rajanigandha flowers' when Sarah came, nice smelling flowers, what a these called, she asked. 'Rajanigandha' or the night queen, Maggie smiled and wished her goodmorning....

Had a nice sleep ? She asked Sarah

Yes reasonably well, infact much much better than my afternoon performance....she inhaled the flowers, wow what smell, never seen these in Dariyaganj must be locally grown wait till Bani sees these, I am sure she can do wonders with these....Sarah looked around to see if Bani was visible

Wonders & Bani?

Yes she makes aromatic oils you know, some balms even, for the first part of our journey, she was carrying some samples so we used to get quite relief but then these take time to make and once those finished you know we had tough time, money too was limited....Sarah's eyes went dreamy remembering the journey...