She had not felt anything except the regular throb of her backside and the awful, hollow ache that filled her. However, Julia had not been so sunk in her misery that she could not sense the changed atmosphere in the zenana. The cheerful and light-hearted tone she had grown used to had been replaced by one of gloom and brooding tension.
Jahngir too, Afia had told her, remained short-tempered and sullen.
His mood seemed even worse since the flogging. He had barely visited the zenana and had not indulged in any of the usual pleasures with any of the girls.
“The whole business of the Prince’s anniversary has done him no good,” she had said. “The delays with the water channel, racking his brains to think of another gift, and then chasing around after Jefferson Sahib to find him one just upset him all the more. After he brought you here I thought he was getting back to his usual self, but then everything suddenly went wrong again. Perhaps when you….”
She had stopped herself at that point but Julia had known what she had been about to say. Perhaps when she left, the zenana would get back to normal. She could not find it in herself to blame the girl. Afia and the others had to live with Jahngir after she was gone.
She watched him pacing the balcony, his chin on his chest and a deep frown on his face. Julia sighed. Why should she care if he was troubled? Very soon it would no longer be any concern of hers. She had made her gesture, for all the good it had done. Now there was nothing left but to face her fate as best she could. A little of the pride Afia had mentioned and the determination Julia had discovered for herself stirred in her breast. The girls had told her she had taken nearly thirty strokes of the whip before Afia had placed her own buttocks in the way and suffered the blow that had persuaded Jahngir to end the flogging. By then, Julia may have been on the verge of surrendering, but first she had squarely faced her fear and overcome it. Whatever happened to her from now on, she would never have to endure it with the blind, terror-stricken panic she had known when Jefferson had threatened her with the cane.
Afia’s hands on her shoulders faced her towards the balcony.
“My lord, she is ready.” She had to repeat the words more loudly before he stopped and looked up. He seemed more morose than impatient as he ran his eye briefly over Julia and looked away. She wore fine, baggy trousers of pale-blue silk, patterned with gold thread and gathered at the ankle above dark-blue, high-heeled slippers. Her white skin and a small rectangle of dark-blue silk hanging from the gold chain encircling her hips to cover her intimate place were plainly visible through the opaque trousers. A sleeveless jacket of the same blue silk, edged with gold, was held by a single golden button just beneath her bare breasts.
Bracelets and armlets, earrings and a necklace of the precious metal, all set with pearls and sapphires to match the combs in her hair, completed her outfit. If Jahngir was impressed, it did not show.
“She looks very fine, my lord. What a pity we could do nothing to disguise her bruises,” Afia said pointedly.
His gaze flickered in their direction. Afia produced a full-length cloak of white silk with a pale-blue collar, draped it around Julia’s shoulders and fastened it at her neck and across her jutting breasts. She put her arms around the blonde and hugged her tightly, though careful not to smudge her make-up or disarrange her hair.
“Goodbye, little golden hair,” she said. “I will see you again. We are allowed to visit the girls in the Prince’s zenana. Good luck, and remember: one day you will be happy again. And no more tears, or all the work the girls and I did will be undone.”
Julia sniffed hard and did her best to fight the prickle in her eyes as Afia gave her a hopeful smile and the other girls crowded around calling their good wishes and farewells. Jahngir Khan stepped into their midst and laid a heavy hand on her shoulder.
“Come, we’re late.”
When she looked back, his body blocked her view of the faces she was leaving behind. His horse was waiting in the courtyard. He mounted and pulled her up in front of him to sit sideways across the saddle. Julia bit back a cry. She had stood the whole time she was being made ready for a good reason. Though her pain had diminished in the days since the whipping, her bottom was far from healed. Any pressure on its welts and bruises caused her intense discomfort.
Jahngir cradled her shoulders and slid his other arm between the backs of her thighs and his leg, taking much of the weight off her hurts.
Guiding the horse one-handed, he rode through the gate and onto the track, which quickly steepened.
Julia kept her head turned from him and looked down into the valley. She could see the town beside the river: white and brown and yellow buildings, and the tall minarets of two mosques. It was of no interest. She had been attracted to him, she thought, she had admired him, obeyed him, done her best to please him and finally fallen in love with him. And from the very beginning he had never intended anything except to turn her into a toy for another man. The moments of intimacy she had imagined they had shared, when it seemed as if their minds as well as their bodies had met, had never meant anything to Jahngir. The hopes and fears and ambitions she had revealed, her sacrifice and her love had left him unmoved. It felt as if the emptiness inside her was about to swallow her up.
“That is the city of Dhokat,” Jahngir said. “Above it, across the valley, is the palace of my brother, Bahram Khan, the Prince. That is where you will live. It is a fine palace, much grander than my home.
You will have every luxury for your comfort.”
Dhokat, Julia thought dully. That was where she and Kate had been travelling with Mrs. Winter. She felt the briefest flicker of irony.
She had been living in the place that had been her destination from the start and never even known it. Now she was about to meet the man they had all come so far to see but certainly not in the fashion Mrs. Winter had intended. Would it make any difference to what happened to her, she wondered, and found that she did not care. It would not give her the one thing she truly wanted.
“I owe a duty to my brother,” the Pathan continued. “While the revolt is still fresh in everyone’s minds I cannot oppose him about anything. Though I would never betray him, I cannot allow myself to be seen or used as a focus for the ambitious or disaffected. There can be no discord between us, either on an official or a personal level. There have been times he has made decisions I disagreed with, but I did not tell him so. To ensure the people’s loyalty is not divided, both publicly and privately I must demonstrate my own. You understand what I’m saying, little murgah?”
When Julia did not reply, his arm tightened around her shoulders, jerking the hand that held the reins. The horse gave a surprised snort and tossed its head. Julia groaned as her bottom slipped on the saddlebow.
Jahngir lifted her, taking her weight on his arm again.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “Damn it, I’m sorry I beat you! Afia was right. It was nothing but cruelty, but you were driving me to distraction with your stubbornness. It seemed like such a good idea when I thought it up. My brother always admired white girls when we were in Britain, so why not buy him some? Now I wish….”
Sunk in her discomfort and despondency, Julia barely noticed when he fell silent. She had only half heard his words. Now that she knew she had never had any chance, there was nothing he or she could say that mattered.
He let the horse pick its own way across the ford at the river and rode parallel to the ancient town walls, paying no heed to the noise of the crowds and the gunfire on the other side. Soon they were climbing the slope towards the palace less than a mile above the town. Moments later, it seemed to Julia, they were at its gates and Jahngir lowered her to the ground and passed the reins to a servant. It had ended, she thought.
Everything felt as if it had ended.
Another servant led them through a big room where tables were being laid with white cloths and piled with cups and dishes. The steady pressure of the Pathan’s hand in the small of her back guided Julia through them. Her heart felt as
if it was tearing itself apart as he opened a door and ushered her through it.
Too despairing to be surprised, she saw Mrs. Winter standing beside a tall, lean, older man she did not know. Julia recognised Jefferson along with his two henchmen, one holding Kate and the other Mrs. Winter’s servant, Subaidah, who she had not realized had also been kidnapped.
“Jahngir, what a pleasant surprise. I’ve just learned you were on your way. I wasn’t expecting you until later.” The man who spoke was tall, broad-shouldered, black-haired – a slightly older version of Jahngir.
His gaze rested on Julia, curious and appraising at the same time. Her aching heart beat faster. She felt a sudden upsurge of strength that straightened her limbs and stiffened her back. Her head lifted and her jaw tilted up in renewed determination. She was not going to meekly submit.
Let them beat her if they wished, but first they would know that it was Jahngir Khan she loved and him alone she wanted. And they would learn that she was not too timid to say it, but proud of the fact. Then let them do their worst.
“Congratulations on the anniversary of your accession, my Prince,”
Julia heard Jahngir say. He stood close behind her, his big hands resting on her shoulders. “In honour of the occasion I have brought two gifts that I hope will give you much pleasure. One stands there with Captain Jefferson’s man, trained to perfection, I was guaranteed, to serve you in any way you desire. The other stands here with me, as rare and wondrous a woman as any man could ever wish, as I learned for myself when I trained her with my own hand.” He freed the hooks holding the cloak around Julia and pulled the garment away, exposing her bare breasts and her body in its brief, revealing costume.
Pain stabbed through Julia’s heart and she flinched despite her resolve as Jahngir’s grip returned to her shoulders, and he pushed her out in front of him, offering her to his brother. Giving her away.
Chapter 9
Penny watched the war of emotions on Julia’s face as the Prince’s brother held her out at arms’ length. She had never imagined the girl would find her enslavement so painful. She had always seemed so timid and anxious to do what was expected of her that Penny had assumed she would accept it quickly and with little fuss once the initial shock had worn off. Yet the conflict she saw told a different story.
For a moment Julia seemed to sag, then her head came up and the shoulders under Jahngir’s hands seemed to grow broader. That the posture thrust forward her full, firm breasts and their red-rouged, pointed nipples, the beautiful blonde appeared to care not at all as she fixed her bright-blue eyes on Bahram Khan. Despite Penny’s mounting excitement as the culmination of her plan came closer, the big, taut young breasts provoked a twinge of envy. Rather to her surprise, she felt admiration too for the way the girl had found the courage to overcome her obvious despair. She also experienced some very unwelcome pangs of guilt and regret. Penny forced them from her mind. Her success was too close now to be having second thoughts. She ought to voice her protest, she thought, but she was reluctant to interrupt the brothers. It was plain that Jahngir Khan knew nothing of the true situation. Doubtless his brother would explain, once he had found in her favour.
The Prince took a step towards Julia. Jahngir’s face was sombre, devoid of any of the pleasure Penny would have expected him to show when presenting a gift to his brother. Julia’s chin lifted higher. She opened her mouth as if about to speak. Penny saw Jahngir’s hands tighten on her shoulders. His mouth twisted as though he was in pain.
Abruptly, the hands gripping Julia drew back but without releasing their hold. He pulled her against him and wrapped a forearm around her waist.
“Forgive me, brother, I cannot do it. I care too much for this girl myself. I have wanted her since the moment I first saw her. Even for your sake I cannot let her go.”
The light of joy that shone in Julia’s face was like nothing Penny had ever seen before. With a short, startled cry the girl twisted in Jahngir’s grip, clasped her arms tightly around him and pressed herself hard against his broad chest. Gulping, Penny saw a mass of weals and bruising on Julia’s buttocks through the transparent seat of her silk harem trousers. They were even worse than those Courtney had inflicted on her own backside. Jahngir Khan had clearly flogged her mercilessly, yet still she very obviously wanted him with an intensity that could only mean she was in love. Astonished and bewildered, Penny watched the smile that had appeared on Bahram Khan’s face grow wider.
“Little brother, I have waited for a whole year to hear you tell me what you want. Never once since I came to the throne have you asked for anything for yourself. You have never disputed the decisions I made, even when I knew you thought them the wrong ones. You never disagreed with my opinions or offered me advice you thought I did not want to hear. Thank heaven that something has happened to make you act like your old self again.”
The pained expression on Jahngir’s face changed to puzzlement that clearly equalled Penny’s own.
“What? But… but my duty,” he spluttered. “And honour demands you have a gift. The girl was for you, a sign of respect and loyalty. What about the people? They need to see….”
“Oh, Jahngir!” the Prince cut him off. “The people know that you are loyal. They know you are not like our uncle and that you never will be. Why, we could stand in Dhokat’s market place and argue with each other from dawn ’til dusk and no one would ever believe we were anything but the devoted and loving brothers we have always been.” He shook his head at the baffled expression on the other’s face. “As for gifts, is the aqueduct not enough? And will it not be a reminder of your loyalty and respect every time people see it and benefit from its water, and of much more interest to them than who has ownership of a slave girl?” He held out his hand. “Come, Jahngir, if you wish to give me a gift this day, take my hand in love and friendship and promise me that next time you think I’m being a fool you’ll tell me so.”
Jahngir released his hold on Julia’s waist, grasped the outstretched hand and shook it vigorously, though he at once slid his other arm possessively about the girl, Penny noticed. “I will,” he said, giving him a somewhat stunned smile. “I will deal honestly with you in all things from now on. Though you may not always like it.”
Bahram laughed. “Oh, I will, brother! I’ve been waiting a long time for a good argument like the ones we used to have. But it’s not going to be over a slave girl.”
“Why didn’t you say something sooner?” Jahngir asked.
“Would you have believed it was true if you hadn’t started to arrive at the same conclusion yourself first? I knew you’d come to it eventually, though it took rather longer than I thought.” He smiled at Julia whose face still bore an expression of pure joy. “She is a beautiful girl. You should return her to your zenana as soon as possible. Come back this evening. The party will be in full swing by then.”
“This evening? But my duty is to be here with you. The people….”
“Can get along very well without you for a few hours,” Bahram interrupted. “Go home and enjoy your girl, Jahngir. She was meant to be yours all along.”
“Mine? That can’t be. I arranged with Jefferson to buy her for you.”
“So I have just recently found out,” the Prince said. “But I had already arranged to buy her for you. Isn’t that right, Mrs. Winter?”
Penny felt a rush of heat to her cheeks and a lurch of her belly as Bahram Khan starkly revealed the true purpose behind her bringing Julia and Kate to Dhokat. She glanced nervously at the girls. The surprise she had expected appeared on their faces but it vanished almost at once, replaced by expressions of glowing happiness. There was no sign of the anger and hatred she had been anticipating ever since she and Julia had set out from London weeks earlier. She heard Bahram Khan laughing softly.
“Yes, it’s all been something of a muddle, brother. It appears we both had the same idea. I also wanted you to have a special gift to celebrate my anniversary. I’ll admit I was at a loss to know what
until suddenly, out of the blue, I received a letter from Mrs. Winter far away in England making me a rather surprising but attractive offer. She said if I would cable her the cost of the journey she could produce a young, blonde and beautiful English girl to grace the apartments of my zenana, and deliver her for a satisfactory fee.” He paused to light a cigarette.
Penny watched Jefferson stroll towards her with a smile on his face and position himself at her left. He leaned down to whisper.
“All set, Penny? The Judgement of Solomon, eh?”
“Ordinarily I would not have accepted such an offer from a lady after a single, brief acquaintance,” Bahram continued, “but I was rather intrigued by her as well as by the letter, and it gave me the chance to obtain a unique present for you, Jahngir. So I sent my agreement to Mrs.
Winter’s proposal, and as soon as she notified me she had found a suitable candidate, cabled her the money. Two months later I received a telegram from her announcing her arrival in India and soon afterwards a letter informing me she had obtained a second girl who could be had for a price equalling the four thousand pounds we had agreed for the first.” He pointed at Kate. “That young lady there, I am told. Regrettably, for she is indeed very lovely, she is no longer available.”
“Then the same girls you were buying for me were the ones I asked Jefferson to find so I could buy them for you,” Jahngir Khan said. “That is rather ironic, and quite a coincidence.”
“Not really, when you consider the scarcity of suitable white girls in these parts,” Jefferson said. “I keep a regular watch on the railway stations, so of course I was notified about these ones arriving and that they were both very much out of the ordinary. Once I knew that, it was inevitable that I would have them.” He grinned at Penny. “I was told there were four actually, but only my two associates were available on the night so we could only abduct two girls, and the ones who had been drinking were the easiest.” He laughed softly. “But really, Penny, four thousand pounds? They’d make at least twice that at auction.”
Kate and Julia: Slave Girls of the Raj Page 16
