The India Fan

I felt a glow of pleasure which, ridiculously, seemed to make the dangers through which I had passed worthwhile.

Then something disturbing did occur. It was afternoon, that time when the day was at its hottest and the household was quiet.

Lavinia had asked me to go to her. She wanted to chat and ask my opinion about a new dress she was having made up. Not that she would take my advice on such a matter; but she wanted to talk.

I thought this would be a good time. She usually rested at this hour, though she did not sleep, so I guessed I would find her alone.

As I approached her door I heard the sound of voices. Lavinia's was high pitched. She sounded alarmed.

I ran to the door and opened it. For a few seconds I stared in blank amazement. She was standing by the bed; her peignoir had fallen from her shoulders. She looked startled and afraid— and with her was the Great Khansamah. He was there beside her, his puggaree awry ... his face distorted. It seemed to me that he was attacking Lavinia. His eyes were glazed and there was something odd about him.

As for Lavinia, her hair was loose about her bare shoulders. She was very flushed. When she looked at me I saw the fear fade from her face and an almost smug expression cross her features.

"I think," she said to the Khansamah, "that it would be better if you left now."

I could see that he was desperately trying to recover his dignity. His hand went to his half-opened shirt. He looked at me and said haltingly, "Missie come to see Memsahib Countess. I will go."

"Yes, Khansamah," said Lavinia, a trifle imperiously. "You should go now."

He bowed and throwing a look of dislike in my direction, he departed.

I said, "What was that all about?"

"My dear Drusilla, I was most surprised. The fellow thought I might allow him to make love to me."

"Lavinia!"

"Don't look so surprised. He thinks he is better than any of us."

"How could you allow it!"

"I didn't allow it. I protested vigorously."

"Why should he have thought it would be possible?"

"I tell you, he has a high opinion of himself."

"You must have given him some encouragement."

She pouted. "That's right. Blame me ... as you always do."

"Don't you see how dangerous this is?"

"Dangerous? I could have handled him."

"You looked rather alarmed when I came in."

"In the nick of time!" she said dramatically.

"You should never have received him the way you have. You should have seen him downstairs for your daily consultations."

"What nonsense! I was only doing what all the women do. They see their khansamahs every morning."

"This one is different. You have behaved foolishly. You have flirted with him. You must have made him think that he might be successful with you. It would never have entered his mind if you had behaved with decorum as the others do. Who else would dream of encouraging the servants to have such ideas?"

"I did nothing of the sort."

"You did. I have seen you. Receiving him in your negligee ... smiling at him, accepting his compliments. Naturally he thought he was making headway with you."

"But he is a servant here. He should remember that."

"Not when you behave like a slut."

"Be careful, Drusilla."

"It is you who have to be careful. If you do not want plain speaking there is no point in our going on talking."

"I thought you would be sympathetic."

"Lavinia, don't you realize the situation here? Tom Keeping is here because of it. There is unease ... unrest ... and you create this situation with that man!"

"I didn't make it. He did. I didn't ask him to come to my room."

"No. But you have implied your interest in him."

"I have never said a word."

"Looks speak as loud as words. You are just as bad as you were at school."

"Oh, you are going to bring all that up, are you?"

"Yes, I am ... as an example of one piece of folly. This is almost as bad."

She raised her eyebrows. "Really, Drusilla, you do give yourself airs ... just because I have been friendly towards you."

"If you don't like my manner ..."

"I know. You'll go home. You would go back to that boring old rectory ... so you think. But you can't. You can't marry Colin Brady, because he's already married."

"I never intended to marry him. And I don't want to be where I am not wanted."

"Fabian would never let you go."

I flushed slightly. She saw it and laughed. "He's quite interested in you ... but don't deceive yourself. He'd never marry you. Fabian is no better than I am, really. But ... you shouldn't be so standoffish with him, you know."

I prepared to go, but she cried piteously, "Drusilla, wait a minute. I'm so glad you came in when you did. I think the Khansamah would be very determined. I was really getting just a little scared that he might rape me."

"I don't want to hear any more, Lavinia. What happened was largely your fault. I think you ought to be a little more responsible. I believe he was drugged. I know he grows datura in his garden. This would account for his indiscretion, for I cannot believe that even he would dare presume so much in the normal way."

"So what are you going to do now? Tell Dougal what a terrible wife he has? Don't bother. He knows already. Tell him he's such a bore and that is why I have to find a little divertissement. "

"Of course I shall not tell Dougal."

"I know. You'll tell Fabian. Drusilla, for Heaven's sake don't do that."

"I think perhaps it ought to be mentioned. It's intolerable ... his coming to your bedroom like that."

"Well, I am rather irresistible."

"And full of implied promises."

"Drusilla, please don't tell Fabian."

I paused. Then I said, "I think it might be important in view of . . "

"Oh, don't be so profound! He's a man like any other. They are all the same if you give them half an inch."

"Then stop giving away inches ... though in your case it must go into yards."

"I promise ... Drusilla, I promise. I'll behave ... only don't tell Fabian."

At length I agreed, but somewhat uneasily, for I felt that the fact that a member of the Indian household should contemplate such a relationship with the lady of the house was significant.

It was about two days later when the news was brought to the house.

I had seen the Khansamah once during that time. He was his old dignified self. He bowed his head in the customary greeting and made no sign that he remembered that scene in Lavinia's bedroom and the part I played in it.

Lavinia said that when he came to pay his daily call she received him in her sitting room and she was dressed for the day. It had gone off in a calm manner—much as many such meetings must be going on in houses in the British quarter, where matrons were discussing the day's menus with their khansamahs. There had been no reference to what had happened.

"You should have seen me," said Lavinia. "You would have been proud of me. Yes, even you, Drusilla. I just discussed the food and he made suggestions as to what would be suitable. I said, 'Yes, Khansamah, I will leave that to you,' just as I am sure the most dignified ladies do it. Then ... it was over."

"He will understand that he behaved in a way that will not be tolerated," I said. "He wouldn't apologise, of course. That would be asking too much. Besides, the fault was largely yours. He has decided to ignore the whole thing, which after all is the best way of dealing with it."

A young man came to the house. He had ridden from afar. He was quite exhausted and wanted to be taken to the Great Khansamah without delay.

In due course we learned that the message that had been brought was from the Khansamah's brother, and that the Khansamah's son, Asraf, who had recently been married to Roshanara, was dead. He had been murdered.