Chapter 15
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Fifteen
Ellie felt fresh and rested as she stepped into the breakfast room the next morning.
The space was bright and airy with a Morris print paper on the walls and thick Persian carpets on the floor.
The buffet table was loaded with platters of unfamiliar dishes that all smelled delicious.
She headed for the teapot first, pouring out a cup of strong, milky brew.
Neil trailed into the room. He wore a green canvas shooting jacket over a brown waistcoat. Elle was momentarily thrown by the sight of him in something other than tweed, but he must have already dressed for their excursion.
His eyes were ringed with shadows behind the frames of his spectacles.
“You look a bit rough,” Ellie pointed out.
“Thank you,” Neil replied tiredly.
“Was it the heat? Or was the bed too soft?”
“Connie asked me to marry her,” Neil replied distractedly as he poured himself a cup.
Ellie froze with the sugar spoon suspended over her tea.
“I mean to pretend to be marrying her,” Neil quickly corrected himself. “To be engaged. Pretending… to be engaged.”
“Drat,” Ellie blurted out. “I wondered whether she really planned to go through with that.”
Neil fumbled his tea, nearly spilling it. “You knew about it?”
Ellie squirmed. “It’s possible that she might have briefly mentioned that the notion had occurred to her…”
“And you didn’t think to tell me?”
“I didn’t know she was serious!”
“When is she not serious?” Neil protested, only barely keeping a hold on his cup. “She was serious about starting an ant farm in the scullery!”
“But what did you, er…” Ellie started uncomfortably.
“I didn’t,” Neil returned bluntly. “She withdrew the request.”
Ellie frowned with surprise. “She did?”
“She was worried about what it would do to my reputation.”
Ellie absorbed his response. “I’ll admit I’m relieved. I mean, it had occurred to me that Constance’s parents might escalate the issue by threatening to arrange a match…”
Neil choked on his tea. “Hold on—what?”
“Well, it is fairly common practice in India,” Ellie reasoned. “I don’t believe Auntie Padma would actually force Constance into anything, but I wouldn’t put it past her to wave the threat around. The woman is entirely—”
Neil frantically spun Ellie around as Padma stepped into the breakfast room, Mr. Mahjoud looming at her back.
“Good morning. Lovely weather,” Neil sputtered. “Excellent… tea.”
Padma studied them mercilessly. “Jhia. Dr. Fairfax. I hope you are both feeling ready for your expedition?”
“Entirely ready,” Ellie confirmed, plastering a smile on her face.
“Yes,” Neil agreed, nodding his head excessively.
Padma drifted past them to the settee. One of the household staff followed her there, carrying a personal tea service.
Constance’s Aunt Parvati came into the room alongside her husband, Balaram. “Good morning, everyone!” she said brightly.
“Yes. Morning,” Balaram added more stiffly.
He planted himself in a chair and immediately put the newspaper up in front of his nose.
Parvati joined Padma on the settee, greeting her with a kiss on the cheek.
Neil hauled Ellie over to the window at the far end of the room, nearly causing her to drop her tea.
“But are you absolutely certain Aai wouldn’t compel Connie into something?” he whispered fiercely.
“She would have to get Sir Robert’s permission, and he’s English,” Ellie reminded him.
“Aren’t he and Lady Tyrrell the ones threatening her in the first place?”
Ellie frowned at the reminder. “But the maharaja must have a say as well, and he seems very modern. Surely he wouldn’t go in for that sort of thing.”
“We have only known him for three days!” Neil’s voice tightened. “How can you know how modern he is?!”
Ellie eyed the clammy cast to his complexion. “Are you sure you’re all right? You’ve gone over a bit peaked.”
Constance strolled into the room. Her thick black hair was coiffed with careless elegance. She wore a very smart skirt in hues of emerald and cream with a matching jacket and a dashing scarf. Her stride was militant as she crossed to them.
“Good morning,” she announced stoutly.
Adam followed her inside, his hair still damp from a wash. His shirt was open at the throat under his battered summer jacket, while his trousers were tucked into calf-height riding boots. Kalb trotted at his heels.
He headed straight for the food table. “These look like doughnuts.”
“That’s dahibara aloodam,” Constance explained. “You put that potato curry on them and some of those crunchy things.”
Intrigued, Adam began loading up his plate.
Neil faced Constance awkwardly. “So, then. Did you manage any more—er—planning? About… things?”
“I am still working on ideas,” Constance replied. “But don’t you worry about it.”
Neil looked worried.
“Worry about what?” Adam said, joining them with a bowl full of curry-drenched pastries.
Across the room, Padma gracefully lifted her tea. “Have the invitations gone out for Arjuna’s party yet?”
“I was planning to mail them later this morning,” Parvati returned cheerfully.
Padma waved a hand to Mr. Mahjoud, who pulled a piece of paper from his valise. “I took the liberty of making a little list of some additional guests it might be nice to have.”
A worried frown creased the space between Constance’s elegant brows.
Neil’s grip tightened on his teacup.
“And what about those arrangements we spoke of?” Padma pressed lightly.
“Arrangements?” Neil blurted out quickly.
Parvati cast him a reassuring smile from across the room. “The gardens are very abundant at the moment,” she promised.
Padma smiled serenely. “You are so very skilled at bringing things together.”
Neil seemed to go even more pale—if such a thing were possible.
“Are you sure you’re all right?” Ellie demanded.
Over by the tea table, Parvati studied the list. “You wish to invite the Rani of Sonepur?”
“Of course,” Padma replied, casually stirring her spoon. “It can be ever so helpful to connect with other mothers in these situations.”
Neil stared into his cup, and then abruptly set it down. His hand was shaking.
“And Prince Shahir of Talabad!” Parvati exclaimed, still reviewing the paper. “I have heard that he has the most enormous—”
“Constance and I are getting married!” Neil burst out.
The room went silent.
Adam’s eyebrows rose.
Constance froze.
Ellie forced herself to swallow her mouthful of tea—after barely keeping from spitting it onto the Persian carpet.
Padma’s gaze glittered like ice from across the room. "What surprising news. And when was this happy decision made?”
Clammy sweat broke out along the line of Neil’s forehead. “We… I… It’s…”
He appeared to be choking on the words.
Constance recovered from her obvious shock. She grasped his hand, tugging him to her side as she turned to face her grandmother. “We have actually known since Egypt. We were simply waiting for the perfect time to tell everyone. Isn’t that right, darling?
Darling? Ellie thought, reeling.
“Time,” Neil rasped weakly. “Yes.”
“And the perfect time was over breakfast on a Wednesday.” Padma’s tone was bone-dry.
Constance pushed on with breezy aplomb. “It must certainly be reassuring to know that I’ll be venturing out to the edge of the wilderness under the protection of my fiancé!” She patted Neil’s arm. “Really, Dr. Fairfax was just being thoughtful of everyone’s sensibilities.”
“How very considerate,” Padma returned smoothly.
Beside Ellie, Adam’s spoon continued to hover over his bowl. “I think I missed something.”
“Later,” Ellie pleaded under her breath.
Parvati rose from her chair, her round cheeks glowing.
“Oh, but this is absolutely splendid! I am so very happy for both of you!” She turned to her husband, who still had his nose pressed to the financial section.
“Su-?u-chha, Pati!” she exclaimed, batting him on the shoulder as she gesticulated at Constance and Neil, rattling on to him in Odia.
A liveried messenger hurried into the room, making a low bow to Padma. “Pardon the interruption, ma’am, but His Highness requests your presence for a moment.”
Padma pinned Neil and Constance with a look. “Do be sure not to run off while I’m away. We clearly have a great deal to talk about.”
She glided from the room.
Neil whirled to Ellie and her companions. “What did I just do?” he wheezed desperately.
“Sounded an awful lot like you announced that you were marrying Constance,” Adam offered.
Neil’s breath came quickly, his pallor deepening. “It all happened so fast. The maharajkumari started talking about arrangements, and then before I really knew what was happening, the words were coming out of my mouth—”
Constance’s eyes flashed dangerously. “Are you telling me that you just fake engaged me because of the florals?”
“Fake?” Adam echoed.
“Florals?” Neil said, blinking.
“Fiddlesticks,” Ellie cursed.
Parvati hauled Balaram from his chair and dragged him with her as she crossed over to them.
“Smile!” Constance ordered in a hiss as she whirled Neil to face her relatives.
Balaram had his newspaper tucked under his arm. “My congratulations to you both.”
He extended his free hand. Neil stared at it.
Constance subtly elbowed him.
Neil took Balaram’s hand and rapidly shook it. “Yes. Thank you. Sir.”
“This is the loveliest news!” Parvati enthused with genuine excitement. “And Dr. Fairfax, let me be the first to officially welcome you into the family. We are so very glad to have you.”
Neil stared down at where Parvati clasped his hands, clearly both moved and mortified.
“But you shall have to tell me all of the details!” Parvati continued as Balaram sidled away to return to his paper. “How did the proposal happen? Was it terribly romantic?”
“Oh, yes!” Constance hurriedly assured her aunt. “Stuffy does love to put on a good show.”
“Stuffy?” Parvati echoed, confused.
Neil coughed, pounding his chest as his breath turned to a wheeze.
Ellie stepped in. “Excuse us for a moment. I haven’t yet had a chance to congratulate my brother myself.”
She grasped Neil and Constance by their arms and hauled them to the window.
Neil looked panicked. “I just lied to your aunt!”
“That’s what you’re worried about?” Constance seethed.
“She’s nice!” Neil retorted.
Ellie shot Adam an uneasy look. “I should probably try to explain…”
“It’s a hell of a goddamned picture, but I think I’m getting it,” Adam replied.
“It’s my grandmother that you should be worried about!” Constance hissed to Neil.
“Oh God!” he wailed.
“I’m sure we could tell them it was all a slight misunderstanding…” Ellie hedged.
“No,” Constance cut back grimly. “We’re in it now. There’s no way out but through. We’ll simply have to discuss the rest later.”
The words sounded like a threat.
“Princess alert,” Adam muttered as Padma returned to the breakfast room.
“I see we are all still celebrating the happy news?” Padma observed blandly.
“Yes,” Ellie replied awkwardly. “It’s very… celebratory.”
Constance snuggled into Neil’s side. “Of course, Neil and I have known about it for a while.”
“Indeed,” Padma agreed wryly. “Kondi, I wonder if I could part you from your intended for an hour to accompany me on an errand in town. Miss Mallory, I thought you might like to join us.”
“Me?” Ellie protested helplessly.
Constance snagged her arm, hauling Ellie to her other side. “Ellie is ever so fond of joining things. Aren’t you?”
“I am,” Ellie quickly agreed.
Adam clamped a hand on Neil’s shoulder. “I’ll just take care of my good buddy here. Make sure he doesn’t hyperventilate. From happiness.”
“It has been known to happen,” Ellie helpfully added.
Neil forced a weak smile.
Padma’s mouth curved with a hint of threat. “How very wonderful. Shall we?”
Constance steered Ellie toward the door, pausing to call back over her shoulder at Neil. “Don’t miss me too much, Sugar Plum!”
“What?” Neil blinked with confusion.
Ellie turned the corner on Constance’s arm, and her friend leaned in for a darkly conspiratorial mutter. “I do hope your brother’s subterfuge skills can be improved quickly.”
“I wouldn’t count on it,” Ellie warned grimly as they hurried after the princess.