Diamonds & Deceit by Leila Rasheed

said in her ear as she applauded. The two of them had been sitting together in what had become known as the suffragettes’ gallery. “As a child, he could win any argument—and that skill has never deserted him.”
    “It sounds like an intoxicating power to have,” Ada returned. A moment later she reproached herself for not sounding more enthusiastic. “He is our strongest supporter, and we are lucky to have him on our side.”
    “Yes, sadly, until we have a real voice of our own, we need men like Laurence.” Emily continued, “Have you read this week’s editorial in The Times by Hannah Darford? Now, there’s a woman who could take on the House of Commons.”
    “Yes! It was so inspiring,” Ada replied eagerly. “I loved her approach to the subject—appealing to the economic argument for women in the professions. She must be a very brave woman to practice as a lawyer despite all the discouragement she has encountered.”
    Laurence was stepping down from the podium, and the other speakers came to clasp his hand and shake it. Ada saw him bowing his head, nodding seriously at their words, waving away a compliment with a modest smile.
    “Let us go and congratulate him.” Emily turned toward the exit, and Ada followed. They made their way down the stairs and met Laurence at the bottom.
    Ada smiled at him as he laughingly took her arm and guided them to the door through the jostling crowd.
    “What a lot of people!” he said in her ear. She could hear a slight self-conscious note in his voice and knew he knew how good he had been. They stepped out into the golden afternoon.
    “You were magnificent,” she said as soon as they were outside. She squeezed his arm impetuously. “You’ve certainly made a convert of me.”
    He laughed, but there was a pleased smile on his face. “My subject spoke for itself.”
    “Confess: you enjoy orating no matter the subject,” Ada said, teasing him. “You could argue that two plus two were five and I’d believe you. You just like persuading people.”
    He smiled, but didn’t rise to the bait. Emily glanced between him and Ada. “I am sure you two would enjoy some time alone to stroll by the river,” she said. “I’ll read a book in the tearooms—and pretend that I don’t know you are unchaperoned, Ada.”
    Ada laughed and blushed. Feeling a little embarrassed, she watched Emily walk away, self-contained and controlled as a cat.
    “My sister is a dear, but a little lacking in tact.” Laurence smiled, and, as always, Ada was reassured by his gentlemanly air. He offered her his arm, and Ada took it.
    They strolled in companionable silence down the cobbled streets. Before them the river glittered in the sun. Punts filled with undergraduates drifted down the water, the men holding lacy parasols above the girls’ heads.
    “With this sun and these buildings we could be in Italy.” He gestured to the glowing old walls of the Oxford colleges. “Shall we go there for our honeymoon? I’d love to show you Florence.”
    Ada did not answer immediately. Her eye had been caught by three turbaned young men lounging on the banks among the summer flowers. Their white summer jackets were bright against their skins, and she heard a familiar lilt in their voices as they talked and joked with each other.
    Ravi and I once walked on this path together, she remembered, as the leaves of a weeping willow and the pillar of the bridge came into view. That day we quarreled over Empire politics. The memory rushed over her—the sound of the water flowing lazily past, the hard kiss of a cricket ball against the bat. Ravi’s expression as he walked toward her after their argument, the way their eyes had met and she had known, they had both known, that no argument mattered compared to the strength of their desire to be together. No matter what the consequences, no matter what the risks. A sunbeam dazzled her; she put a hand to her eyes.
    “Ada?”
    “I’m sorry.” She looked up, a stab of