Page 80 of A Modest Independence

All traces of amusement faded from Tom’s face. “What did that woman say to you?”

“That everyone knows I’m not your sister. That, if I cared for you, I would leave you here in Calcutta before I damage your reputation beyond repair.”

“Like hell you will.”

Jenny looked out at the city, scarcely registering the impropriety of Tom’s language—or the vehemence of his tone. The captain had commenced the arduous process of docking the ship. Soon the little boats would arrive to take them to shore. And then…

“Gossip about us can’t spread any further, Tom. Not here in India. If it does, we’ll have no hope of being received anywhere. And then how are we to go about finding Giles?”

“We’ll just have to see that it doesn’t spread.”

“How?”

“By being careful.”

“Avoiding each other, do you mean? Restricting our contact to public view? We’ve tried that already and it hasn’t worked at all.”

“Rubbish. If anything, we’ve been too careful. Had I showed myself to be fonder of you in public, perhaps no one would have taken notice of the—”

“It wouldn’t have made one jot of difference and you know it. These society matrons love nothing better than discovering a scandal. And it’s worse because…because you’re eligible and comfortably off. There will be any number of mothers and daughters anxious to reel you in. If they see me as an obstacle—”

“You speak as if I have no say in any of this at all. I’m not a fish to be reeled in, Jenny, no matter how cunning the angler.”

“Perhaps not, but it’s a ruthless business. I’d as soon be well out of it.”

He took her arm, forcing her to look at him. “What are you saying? Because if you’re asking me to grant you permission to go to Delhi alone, you may as well know right now that I’ve no intention—”

“Grant me permission? You have no say over anything I do. If I wish to continue my journey alone—”

“We’re back to this, are we?”

“And will be,” she said. “Every time you attempt to assert your will over me.”

“I’m not asserting my will. All I’m saying is that I won’t allow the opinions of Mrs. Plank or anyone to separate us before our time. We’re going to go to Delhi together, and wherever else we need to travel to put an end to this mystery about Lady Helena’s brother. After that—”

“Must we speak of what happens after? I don’t even want to think about it.”

“What do you want?”

“To get off this ship and away from these wretched people. I can’t bear it anymore.”

He looked at her for a long moment before giving a curt nod. “Done.”

Tom took care of everything; paperwork, passports, luggage, and accommodations. Bureaucracy he could handle. Even bribes. It was emotion he was beginning to find difficult.

The last three weeks on the Bentinck had pushed him to the limits of his control. To have Jenny so near and yet be forced to maintain a distance from her was torture. Even worse was the knowledge that the end of their journey together was rapidly looming ahead. Whatever the fate of Giles Reynolds, 6th Earl of Castleton, Tom would soon be returning to England.

He had no choice. His life and his work were in London. It had been bad enough to abandon his responsibilities temporarily. The very idea of abandoning them permanently was unthinkable. How could he? Traveling the world was Jenny’s dream, not his. He preferred the familiarity of London. The fog and the drizzle. The way the gas lamps illuminated the street as he walked home of an evening.

It wasn’t that their adventures thus far had held no appeal. Indeed, the exotic sights, sounds, and smells were things he was not likely to ever forget. But there was nothing about them that tempted him to continue on this journey.

Nothing, save Jenny Holloway.

When he at last emerged from the Custom House, he found her on the docks in the same place he’d left her, seated on her trunk beneath an azure sky, holding a dainty satin parasol half-tilted over her head to block out the unrelenting rays of the sun.

A small group of native children had gathered round her. Some crouched at her feet. Others stood. They all appeared to be eating something.

“Candied fruit,” Jenny said when he approached. “I’ve bought some for the children. And some for you.”