would have been just impossible in Calcutta at the moment owing to the heat.
When they were shown into the reception room, Lord Lytton was already there.
He held out his hands in delight when he saw Lord Kenington.
“Charles!” he exclaimed. “I have been counting the days until you arrived. There are a great number of matters I want you to help me with.”
“And I have come to India especially for your help, Robert,” Lord Kenington replied, “so we will have to take it in turns!”
“All that matters is that you are here,” Lord Lytton said, patting him on the shoulder.
Then he looked a little curiously at Aisha.
“I have brought with me,” Lord Kenington said quickly, “Miss Aisha Warde. She was due to be met by her father, Major Harold Warde, at Calcutta, but he did not turn up. So I brought her here as she had nowhere else to go.”
“But, of course, that was the only thing you could do and I am delighted to meet Miss Warde,” the Viceroy said.
After glancing round the room where there were several people at the other end, he suggested in a low voice,
“I think you should come into my study.”
Lord Kenington was immediately aware that this invitation was connected with Aisha’s father.
“That would be a good idea,” he said, “and I have some important news for you from the Prime Minister.”
“Come along,” Lord Lytton invited them.
He went ahead and Aisha thought he was certainly very good-looking, although she did not really admire a man with a beard.
But she could understand, from the way he moved and the way he talked, why he had often been described as looking like a nervous thoroughbred.
It was not that he was horse-faced. In fact he was one of the most handsome men she had ever seen. He had a lofty brow and a prominent finely shaped nose.
She was to learn later, when she knew him better, that his likeness to a racehorse was not in his physical features, but in his temperament and it showed in his face and his expression as well as in his air of breeding and distinction.
His study was a very attractive room overlooking the garden.
Having shut the door, the Viceroy turned to Aisha,
“I am afraid that I have upsetting news about your father and you are naturally worried that he did not meet you at Calcutta.”
Instinctively Aisha put out her hand towards Lord Kenington, who took it in both of his.
“What has happened,” she asked in a scared voice.
“Nothing so far that is very desperate,” Lord Lytton replied, “but he has not turned up at Headquarters as he was expected to do nearly a week ago and we are rather afraid that he has run into trouble.”
“You mean the Russians have taken him prisoner?” Aisha asked.
“Not as bad as that, I hope,” the Viceroy replied. “But he might have lost his way or perhaps been unable to get to where he could travel to where he wants to go, which naturally is here.”
Aisha looked up at Lord Kenington.
“What can we do?” she asked anxiously.
“I am afraid nothing until we know more,” Lord Kenington said quietly.
He helped her to a sofa, then sat down beside her.
He turned to Lord Lytton, who had seated himself at his desk, “Now please do tell us a little more, Robert. You realise what a shock this is to Aisha, after coming out at her father’s request and expecting him to be meeting her.”
“I can understand what she is feeling and I think she is being very brave,” Lord Lytton replied. “At the same time I admit we are worried about Major Warde.”
“Where did he go and was he in disguise?” Lord Kenington enquired.
“Of course he was. No one could disguise himself more effectively than Harold Warde.”
“I suppose you know where he went and what he was trying to find out?” “I understand that he went at his own suggestion, because he had some idea of what he might find. But he did not impart the information to anyone and told no one exactly where he was going.”
“No one?” Lord Kenington
When they were shown into the reception room, Lord Lytton was already there.
He held out his hands in delight when he saw Lord Kenington.
“Charles!” he exclaimed. “I have been counting the days until you arrived. There are a great number of matters I want you to help me with.”
“And I have come to India especially for your help, Robert,” Lord Kenington replied, “so we will have to take it in turns!”
“All that matters is that you are here,” Lord Lytton said, patting him on the shoulder.
Then he looked a little curiously at Aisha.
“I have brought with me,” Lord Kenington said quickly, “Miss Aisha Warde. She was due to be met by her father, Major Harold Warde, at Calcutta, but he did not turn up. So I brought her here as she had nowhere else to go.”
“But, of course, that was the only thing you could do and I am delighted to meet Miss Warde,” the Viceroy said.
After glancing round the room where there were several people at the other end, he suggested in a low voice,
“I think you should come into my study.”
Lord Kenington was immediately aware that this invitation was connected with Aisha’s father.
“That would be a good idea,” he said, “and I have some important news for you from the Prime Minister.”
“Come along,” Lord Lytton invited them.
He went ahead and Aisha thought he was certainly very good-looking, although she did not really admire a man with a beard.
But she could understand, from the way he moved and the way he talked, why he had often been described as looking like a nervous thoroughbred.
It was not that he was horse-faced. In fact he was one of the most handsome men she had ever seen. He had a lofty brow and a prominent finely shaped nose.
She was to learn later, when she knew him better, that his likeness to a racehorse was not in his physical features, but in his temperament and it showed in his face and his expression as well as in his air of breeding and distinction.
His study was a very attractive room overlooking the garden.
Having shut the door, the Viceroy turned to Aisha,
“I am afraid that I have upsetting news about your father and you are naturally worried that he did not meet you at Calcutta.”
Instinctively Aisha put out her hand towards Lord Kenington, who took it in both of his.
“What has happened,” she asked in a scared voice.
“Nothing so far that is very desperate,” Lord Lytton replied, “but he has not turned up at Headquarters as he was expected to do nearly a week ago and we are rather afraid that he has run into trouble.”
“You mean the Russians have taken him prisoner?” Aisha asked.
“Not as bad as that, I hope,” the Viceroy replied. “But he might have lost his way or perhaps been unable to get to where he could travel to where he wants to go, which naturally is here.”
Aisha looked up at Lord Kenington.
“What can we do?” she asked anxiously.
“I am afraid nothing until we know more,” Lord Kenington said quietly.
He helped her to a sofa, then sat down beside her.
He turned to Lord Lytton, who had seated himself at his desk, “Now please do tell us a little more, Robert. You realise what a shock this is to Aisha, after coming out at her father’s request and expecting him to be meeting her.”
“I can understand what she is feeling and I think she is being very brave,” Lord Lytton replied. “At the same time I admit we are worried about Major Warde.”
“Where did he go and was he in disguise?” Lord Kenington enquired.
“Of course he was. No one could disguise himself more effectively than Harold Warde.”
“I suppose you know where he went and what he was trying to find out?” “I understand that he went at his own suggestion, because he had some idea of what he might find. But he did not impart the information to anyone and told no one exactly where he was going.”
“No one?” Lord Kenington
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