Ether & Elephants

by Cindy Spencer Pape

  It was, but Tom couldn’t care less at the moment.

  There were also magnificent mansions. Alistair pointed to the largest as they drew past. “The Marble Palace, residence of Raja Mullick. I’ve never been inside, but it’s said to be even more elegant than Government House.”

  Why did people waste so much labor and money on a monstrosity of a home? At least a functioning palace served some administrative purpose.

  “Is that a Hindu temple?” Nell tipped her head at a lovely older-looking structure with three white domes topped by little cupolas.

  “Temple of Kali,” Alistair confirmed. “It’s old, but redone, oh, fifty to a hundred years ago. Some say the temple, called Kalighat, is where the name Calcutta comes from.”

  Nell smiled. “The capital city is named for a goddess. I like that.”

  “A six-armed goddess, if I recall correctly,” Tom added, glad to finally have something to contribute. “Of war and destruction.” Kali might be a little bloody for Nell’s taste. Wink would be a devotee in a heartbeat.

  “Yes, but oddly enough, she also represents fertility and other domestic virtues,” their guide added. “Quite fascinating, these primitive religions.”

  Tom wanted to remind him that the Christian god had done a fair bit of destruction himself in the Old Testament, but held his tongue.

  Nell sighed. “I’d love to see a Buddha statue. I have in pictures, of course, even in English drawing rooms, but never in situ.” Ah, Tom understood her goal. The one she wanted to see had a ruby eye, but her plan was a sound one. Establishing a silly fascination with the subject would give her an excuse to search.

  “Well, in Hinduism, Buddha wasn’t a single person or god,” Tom reminded her. “So there are different faces to the statuary, depending on which Buddha is being honored. If you wish to make a pilgrimage to each one in the area, you’re more than welcome.”

  “You’ve done your research,” Alistair said. “I find Ganesh much more interesting myself. Face of an elephant and all that. Very whimsical.”

  Nell rolled her eyes and Tom winked back. The man was a flibbertigibbet. Whimsy was fine in its place, but not on a mission.

  They ended the tour at the bank. “My mother would love to have you come up for tea.”

  Nell made a polite moue of regret. “Thank her for us, but we have to dress for tonight’s entertainment, and I’m afraid I need to lie down first. Another time perhaps?”

  Tom shot her a quizzical look. What game was she playing now?

  Alistair drove them back to the side gate of the viceroy’s residence.

  “Why not stop for tea?” Tom asked as they walked back up to their rooms. “You no more need a nap than I have a dress fitting.”

  She sighed. “Because you didn’t want to take tea with Mrs. Van Guilder.”

  “I didn’t?” He paused at the top of the stairs, one elbow on the marble bannister.

  Nell wrinkled her nose. “No. Remember the kindly lady who escorted me to my room yesterday morning? I don’t think she’s your greatest admirer.”

  No. The older woman had looked at Tom as if he were a particularly nasty snake. “Good God, thank you.” That would have been horrible. “I suppose they’re coming tonight?”

  “They are,” Nell confirmed. “And she has distinct designs on me for her son, so I wouldn’t go off in secret with her. She might try to bump you off.”

  “Thanks for the warning.” The fact that anyone had witnessed his humiliation was enough to make him want to hide in his room. “My only goal tonight is to meet Nawab Shanku. And, of course to look for anyone who resembles our Alchemist.”

  “If Polly is at the party in some other guise, won’t it be dangerous if she recognizes you?” Nell worried her lip between her teeth. “Maybe you should stay in your room.”

  He wasn’t about to do that. “I’ve looked at the guest list. There are no women invited with the initials P. B., and Polly rarely seems to deviate from those. Just to be on the safe side, His Excellency is letting me stand where I can watch the arrivals without being seen. I’ll make a slightly delayed appearance without being announced.”

  “Good. I’ll stick close to Her Excellency if I can, or perhaps Mrs. Van Guilder. I can be quite sure neither of them is one of our miscreants.” By all accounts, Lady Elgin had just recently joined her husband in India, and had been busy in England caring for their several children. Nell opened the door to her chamber and smiled sadly. “Be careful, Tom. You have a large family, including me, who care very much about your well-being.”

  “I know. And thank you for agreeing to be cautious as well.” He tipped his head politely and strode away.

  * * *

  Nell dressed that evening in her best evening gown, a multi-hued silk that was rose in one light and gold in another, so the entire gown shimmered with both colors every time she moved. Roses made of a coordinating pink fabric, set off by embroidered gold vines and leaves, edged the short, puffed sleeves and the sweeping skirts of the frock. With it, she wore gold satin gloves and a gold choker hung with a delicate diamond pendant her parents had given her for her twenty-fifth birthday just before Christmas, along with matching earbobs. More of the silk roses attached to gold ribbons were woven into her hair, an elaborate tribute to Eileen’s skill.

  With her dark coloring but English style and demeanor, she felt she embodied both sides of her heritage to the best of her ability. That was something she’d never once thought about in England, where she downplayed her Indian half. Maybe being in India just these few hours had already changed her. It was a disconcerting thought.

  Tom bowed deeply as she stepped into the hall so he could escort her down. “You look like a princess. Are you holding up all right?”

  She sucked in a deep breath. “I feel like I’m going to burst, but I’m ready to meet him. We may never know for sure, but if I can know, I want to.”

  “I can probably tell, if he’ll allow a spell.”

  “Well, I’m not going to complain.” She took his arm. “Let’s go, so we can meet Lady Elgin and get you into your hiding place.” They’d arranged to be the first guests to enter the salon, so they could be introduced to the vicereine and give Tom a chance to take an observation post behind a slatted door. It hadn’t been difficult since they were the only guests currently in residence at Government House. All the other visiting dignitaries were either staying with other Calcutta residents or at hotels.

  The Elgins sat in state at one end of the salon as Tom and Nell approached. Only after they’d made their bows did Lady Elgin, the former Lady Mary Lambton, make hers. Nell had seen her in a painting as a young woman and she remained as pretty and dark-haired, if not as slender. Lady Elgin smiled and gestured for Nell to take a place next to her, while Tom spoke a quick word to the viceroy and disappeared.

  “I’m thrilled to be helping facilitate a familial reunion,” Lady Elgin said. “You’ve a certain look of Sir Vivek. I’ve arranged for him to be your partner at supper, and later His Excellency will pull the pair of you, along with your foster brother and myself as chaperone, apart for a private conference once the dancing has been established. Does that meet with your approval, my dear?”

  “It is beyond my fondest dreams, Your Excellency.” Nell bobbed a slight curtsy. “You and His Excellency have been more than kind.”

  “Well, I have daughters of my own,” the vicereine said. “I cannot imagine not knowing them. It’s difficult enough that the eldest remains in England, along with her brothers, who are at school.”

  “You’ve made a great sacrifice, ma’am.” Nell meant every word of that. “For all you live in a palace, I think you would rather be with your children.”

  “You’re a perceptive young lady.” The older woman gave her a curious appraisal. “But your adoptive father is in public service as well, so I suppose you know something of the situation.”

  Nell nodded. “My father’s duty is almost always in England, but even so, he travels more than m
y mother would like, and she sometimes must choose whether to go with him or stay at home with the young ones. It isn’t an easy life.”

  “My dear, no life is ever easy,” the vicereine said. “Just look at how devastated Her Majesty is by the loss of the prince consort. All we can do is accept our lot with the best grace we can muster, and hold fast to those we love. Now, the others are about to be admitted. Stand right where you are and I will introduce you as my guest. Tap your fan on the back of your hand should you see one of those villains for whom your brother is searching.”

  “Thank you, ma’am.” Nell turned to face the room, her most demure smile firmly in place.

  After dozens of introductions to East India Company officials and other English gentry who’d settled in India to find their fortunes, Nell noted the arrival of a trio of native blood. At the front stood an older man, strong and slim, wearing a dinner jacket and honors medal. Behind him walked a younger version of himself and, on the younger man’s arm, a beautiful girl. Nell adored the young woman’s gown, a vivid tangerine garment that seemed to be a single length of cloth artistically draped to cover her entire form. She wore a king’s ransom in jewels at her neck, arms, earlobes and even hanging from her forehead.

  The vicereine greeted the older man first, offering her hand once he’d made his bow. “Dear Sir Vivek, we are so pleased that you could join us. May I introduce my young houseguest, the Honorable Miss Hadrian? Miss Hadrian, meet Nawab Sir Vivek Shanku, one of our most loyal allies in the Bengal region, along with his son and daughter-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. Shanku.”

  Nell doubted that they called themselves Mr. and Mrs., but they had taken the side of the English, so perhaps they did. She barely spared them a glance as they curtseyed. Instead, she gazed at Sir Vivek, who greatly resembled the portrait she’d seen of him as a younger man.

  “Delighted,” she murmured, trying not to stare. Turning her gaze to the young couple, she dipped her head again. “Mrs. Shanku, please allow me to remark on the beauty of your gown. The color and the material are truly lovely.”

  The Indian woman cast Nell a disdainful look, but softened it to an eyeroll after a sharp glance from her father-in-law.

  “It’s called a sari.” The younger Mr. Shanku spoke perfect Oxfordian English, offering Nell his hand to shake. “My dearest Vidya prefers to retain our traditional form of dress.”

  “I can see why. It looks comfortable, as well as stunning.” Just in case this young couple were her half brother and sister-in-law, Nell was determined to be polite, but in this case, she spoke the simple truth. “Although, I must also admit that both of you gentlemen look quite smart in your dinner jackets as well. Does your family live here in Calcutta?”

  “Our lands are nearby,” the nawab said. “Though we maintain a home in town, as well. Now, there are others eager to meet such a pretty newcomer to our gatherings and we are holding up the line. Come along, Jagganesh, Vidya.”

  “I prefer Jonathan, Papa.” The younger Shanku gave Nell a lithe bow. “Welcome to India, Miss Hadrian.” With another bow, he reclaimed his child bride’s arm and moved away.

  Nell met another two dozen people, and reacquainted herself with a handful from the airship, but none of the others registered. Could Sir Vivek be her biological father? There was something kind in his eyes, she thought, but was determined not to get her hopes too high.

  “Are you enjoying Calcutta so far?” Mr. Pritchard, the archaeologist, had just finished greeting his host and hostess.

  “I don’t know.” Nell surprised herself by blurting out the truth. “So far, it’s confusing. So much grandeur and so much filth.” She dropped her voice to a whisper at the end. “How do you stand it?”

  He shrugged. “It’s just India. I don’t expect it to be any different, any more than I expect Parisians to suddenly start speaking Swahili.”

  Reluctantly, she grinned. “You must be an accomplished teacher, sir. You have given me a stern lesson in the course of one sentence.”

  He smiled back. “From one teacher to another, I take that as a compliment. I’m off to a dig site tomorrow. Would you like to come? If you’ve never ridden an elephant, this would be a new experience for you to write to your sisters in England about.”

  “I should like that, if Her Excellency has no other plans for me,” Nell said. “If I may let you know later this evening?” After she’d met with Sir Vivek, and after she’d talked to Tom about any possible leads. If they had nothing else to go on, than a visit to archaeological digs might help them find the Buddha the Alchemist was seeking.

  Pritchard agreed, signed his name on her dance card for later in the evening, then moved on. Nell continued to scan the crowd, looking for anyone who matched the sketches they had of the Alchemist or Polly, but so far, no one had appeared who fit either description.

  Once all the guests had arrived, sherry was served and Tom appeared at Nell’s side, shaking his head. “She isn’t here,” he said. “As far as I can tell, he isn’t either.”

  “Well, if they were coming by sea, they wouldn’t be here for a few days,” Nell reminded him. “Perhaps we can use that time to find the Eye of the Buddha and possibly set some sort of trap.”

  Tom agreed, even to the outing with Pritchard, if nothing else interfered. His eyes gleamed at the idea of riding an elephant, which she should have expected. Always one for a new adventure. Truth to tell, she was looking forward to the outing just a little. Maybe there was a trace of adventure left in her soul. She shook off her thoughts. “Come here. I’d like to introduce you to the nawab and his family. His son can’t be any older than Jamie, but he’s already married.”

  “Different places, different customs.” Tom followed her through the crowd.

  Nell sniffed. “Not you, too. I don’t need another lecture.”

  He chuckled. “That’s never stopped you from dishing one out, my girl. Sauce for the goose.”

  They chatted with the Shanku family until it was time to line up for supper. Nell was shocked to find out that Jagganesh, or Jonathan as he preferred, had recently finished his studies at Cambridge, giving him and Tom plenty to talk about while Nell asked Vidya about the best places to purchase silks to take home to her sisters. Once they’d gone into the dining room and been seated, she turned to Sir Vivek, her partner, and asked. “Have you spent time in England as has your son?”

  “I have,” the older man said. “I was not so fortunate as my son. There was no money or connections to allow me to attend university as a young man. However, we do have some shares in a shipping operation, and I worked as an officer on one of the vessels until it was time for me to return home and marry. In recent years, I’ve visited London once or twice on business, and I attended my son’s commencement ceremonies.”

  There was no way she could ask at the dinner table if he’d known a prostitute named Fanny Jenkins, even if he did remember such a thing after all these years. That would have to wait for later.

  “Forgive me for asking, Miss Hadrian, but do you have ancestry from the Indies? You have a familiar look about you. In fact, you remind me of one of my sisters as a young woman.”

  Nell’s heart raced. Since this wasn’t the time, she dissembled. “I was adopted by the Hadrians, so I’m afraid there is much about my ancestry I do not know.” She couldn’t help adding, “But I believe so. That was one reason I asked to accompany my foster brother on his business to Calcutta. I wanted to see India and learn more about the culture.”

  “Commendable, my dear. Should you and Sir Thomas like to experience a Bengali household, you are more than welcome to visit Shanku. Vidya enjoys playing hostess, as the role is still quite new to her. I believe it makes her feel like a grown-up.”

  “She is newly wed?” They were so young, it was something of a relief that the marriage was recent. “Perhaps, they would prefer not to entertain visitors.”

  Sir Vivek laughed. “Not that recently wed. They were betrothed as children, of course, as is common among my peopl
e. The marriage took place on her seventeenth birthday, some six months ago.”

  “Arranged?” Nell hadn’t realized that practice continued anywhere in the British-ruled world. “Surely that’s an antiquated notion?”

  Sir Vivek’s lips drew together. “Perhaps. But my grandfather was nawab when Jagganesh was a child, and his word was law. Later, I would have allowed them to call it off, but Jagganesh was always fond of the girl and her parents would have been deeply offended. I think, perhaps, he will be the last of our family to practice that tradition. I would be surprised if, with his English education, he were to arrange contracts for his own children once they arrive.”

  “Different places, different customs,” she said lightly, a reminder to herself as much as a response to him. “I should enjoy a visit to your home, Sir Vivek, and I’m sure Tom would as well.” She’d have to ask her hostess about local etiquette for guests. She and Tom hadn’t packed a lot of British goods as hostess gifts.

  The rest of the meal passed in idle conversation about the local agriculture, flora and fauna.

  When the ladies withdrew, Nell spent some time with her shipboard acquaintances, barely keeping her composure at being forced to wait for her conference with Sir Vivek. It seemed forever before the men finished their port and cigars and led the women into the ballroom, where a fully human orchestra played but champagne and lemonade were served by gilded, six-armed automata.

  His Excellency claimed the first dance, while Tom partnered the vicereine. “Fifteen minutes,” Lord Elgin murmured. “I had a little chat with Shanku over port. We’ll meet near that potted palm in the center of the west wall, then slip off to the library.”

  “Thank you, sir.” Nell’s heart galloped in double time to the lively reel. When Elgin handed her to her next partner, she begged a headache and asked of to sit out the dance in favor of a glass of lemonade. She didn’t want to risk champagne, because she needed to be stone-cold sober for the upcoming meeting.