Bang! Bang! Bang!

"Crap on a popsicle!"

Running headlong down a dark alley that (hopefully) led towards the Meerut city gate, Captain Carter frantically searched the surroundings with his eyes. Where the hell was his horse? He knew he had left it somewhere around here! Where—

Over there!

Finally, he spotted the four-legged menace several yards from where he had fastened it to the spot. The smart animal had just finished chewing through its bonds and was hurrying down a side street, probably looking for greener pastures without so much gunfire.

"Oy! You disobedient beast, stay where you are!"

In response to Captain Carter's shouted command, his loyal steed started to move faster.

Muttering a curse under his breath, the captain sped up.

Bang!

—and sped up again. It was always wonderful to have motivation.

Bang, bang, bang!

Lucky him, there were so many people behind him willing to help motivate him today.

Bang!

A flower pot only a few inches to his left shattered, dumping wet earth all over him. Bloody hell! This was getting a bit too much!

"Oy!" Carter called over his shoulder. "Remember, it's against your religious principles to use those new bullets!"

Bang! Bang! Bang, bang, bang bang!

Dang it! Apparently, they still had plenty of old bullets left.

"Get back here, you infernal animal!" Pumping his aching legs even faster, the captain lunged forward and tried to grab his horse's reins. "Get back here now!"

The animal gave a protesting whinny that Captain Carter basically took to mean "In your dreams, you idiot!"

"Oy! I am the master here, and you are the mount!"

Judging by the way the horse kicked at his head, it considered this point up for debate.

Dodging under the deadly hoof, Captain Carter once more hurled himself forward and, this time, managed to grab hold of the reins. Immediately, he pulled hard and forced the horse to slow and stumble. That brief window of opportunity was enough. With a single leap, he was on top of the stubborn animal and slammed his heels into its sides.

"Yee-ha! Move it, horsy! If you get me out of here, I'll give you a stable full of oats and mares!"

At the last word, the horse shot forward as if stung by a bee in the backside. It raced down the alley, towards the dim light at the other end that promised freedom.

Bam, bam!

Another bullet whizzed past Carter, just as he shot out of the narrow alley and into a crowded square. The crowd did not seem to be particularly happy about that.

"Aaah!"

"Madad karana! Madad karana!"

"Bhaagana! Ek paagal aadamee!"

"Yes, and a very nice morning to you as well. Now get out of the way!"

The whole square exploded into chaos as the horse ploughed through the masses. Clouds of flour and colourful spices were hurled through the air, along with the occasional unfortunate person. By the time the unmounted pursuers arrived at the square, the entire place looked like a drunken painter's nightmare.

"Where did he go?" one of the armed men shouted in Hindi. "Where did that British bastard go?"

Suddenly, a whinny came from the left.

"Over there! He's over there!"

And they dashed off across the square, nearly trampling an old beggar to death in process. The people cheered, cursing the British to hell and back and egging on the sepoys to give that bastard a good beating. Afterwards, the square slowly returned to calm. Only when everyone had resumed their own business did the old beggar move. Lifting one corner of the dirty piece of cloth that covered him from head to toe, he peeked out, revealing the face of Captain James Carter in the process.

"Call me pessimistic, but I don't think I'll be able to achieve a peaceful resolution."

Lowering the cloth again, he ducked between two street stalls and vanished into the nearest alley. It was time to get back to Delhi, and fast!

***

I stood at the keel of the ship, looking back at Britain's coast. Normally, when I stood at the railing of a ship, Mr Ambrose would be standing beside me. But right now...

Turning around, I let my eyes fall on the solitary figure at the bow. There, at the opposite end of the ship, stood Mr Rikkard Ambrose, looking out over the ocean, towards India. Towards where his sister was. According to what he thought, at least.

I wanted to go up to him. To comfort him. But what was I supposed to say? Don't worry, I'm sure we'll find Adaira in no time?

Well, it was technically true, since she was currently standing only a few feet away with Berty in her arms. However, I doubted very much Mr Ambrose would appreciate that point of view after arriving in India.

Goddammit, I hate this! I hate lying to him!

Ironic, wasn't it? Our whole relationship had started out by my lying to his face about who I really was, and now here I was, not wanting to lie to him.

That's what love does to you, I suppose.

However, I knew Adaira was right. That girl would never just sit on her butt and allow someone she cared for to be in danger. And if I dared to stand in her way, she would run at the first opportunity. I also knew my husband. And I knew that the last thing he would want was to put his little sister in danger.

Didn't make me feel any better about lying to him, though.

Right now, we're on a ship, Lilly. Think about it—where could Adaira run? You could just go up and tell him. She would be safe. Mr Ambrose would be happy. You could do it right now!

Yes. Yes, I could. All I would have to do was to break my promise to Adaira and let the man she loved die. Somehow, that thought made me feel even scummier than lying to my husband.

Bloody hell! Why couldn't there be a nice and simple solution to all of this? Like a delivery service for military captains? Or a way to lie to someone while simultaneously telling them the truth? Or—

"...Ambrose? Mrs Ambrose? Mrs Ambrose!"

"Huh? Wha—"

I whirled around, only to come face-to-face with Mr Rikkard Ambrose, who was staring at me, his eyes narrowed infinitesimally.

"What is wrong with you, Mrs Ambrose? This is not the time for day-dreaming!"

"I, um...I was just lost in thought."

"Again?" His eyes narrowed infinitesimally. "What is the matter with you recently?"

"I, err..."

I don't want to lie to you. I love you too much for that. But I can't stop, because I know you, and know that, deep down, you don't want to break your sister's heart.

"...I need you to hold me. Please?" Stepping forward, I gazed up at him pleadingly, trying to express what I couldn't say through my eyes.

Silently, he enveloped me in his arms.

I really hated lying to him.

For a long moment, we simply stood like that, holding each other. At any other time, if Mr Ambrose had spent so much time just hugging me, I would have suspected he was sick. But right now? We were on a ship, with a long journey in front of us. So, for the time being, I just luxuriated in the feeling of his arms around me. When he finally loosened his embrace, I sighed, knowing that for now, couple-time was over. So I glanced up and asked, "Why did you come? Was it just because you wanted a nice, long hug?"

One corner of my mouth quirked up.

A muscle in his cheek twitched in response. "No. We have to decide our route to India. I left this matter till now since I didn't want to waste time with it back in Britain, but, well..."

He swept his arm across the empty horizon, indicating an obvious fact: we now had plenty of time. Months, in fact, if my nautical knowledge didn't fail me.

I frowned. "I'm not an expert on the subject, but, is there more than one route to India?"

In answer, he simply gestured for me to follow and stalked off towards the nearest cabin. Curious, I followed. Inside the cabin, Karim was already waiting for us, looking even grimmer than usual for some reason. Glancing at Mr Ambrose, I noticed that his face, too, seemed even harder and more granite-like than ever. What was going on? I knew that in India, things would get dangerous, but was the journey there already so perilous?

Once the door was closed behind us, I wasted no time getting to the subject.

"So? Is there more than one route to India? Because I've never heard of them."

"Well...technically, there is only one. But..." Pulling a roll of thick paper out of a nearby cupboard, my husband unrolled it and placed it on a table in the centre of the cabin. Right there in front of us, a map of the entire world was revealed. "It's better to show you."

Slowly, he moved his hand across the paper. "The Suez Canal is not completed yet. So, for the first part of the journey, we only have one choice of route. From the United Kingdom, we will travel down south, past Spain and along the west coast of Africa, until we circumvent the Cape of Good Hope. From there, we will sail past the Horn of Africa and then farther eastwards."

"And then on to India?" I enquired.

There was a momentary pause. Then...

"No. As we discussed before, we cannot enter India with our son. In addition, we cannot just enter a war-torn land without any accurate and up-to-date intelligence. Which is why, before making landfall in India, we will stop here."

He tapped a spot on the map that I had previously taken for a flyspeck.

"Agatti island. It's here that Berty will stay in the company of his governess, under heavy guard, naturally. And it is here that we will meet my agent from India to gain the latest intelligence."

"Your agent?" I frowned. "Why have you never mentioned this agent before?"

Silence.

"Mr Ambrose?" Glancing up from the map, I stared at him. "Why have you never mentioned him before?"

He avoided my gaze. "Her."

There was a long pause.

Then...

"What?!"

"The agent. It's a she."

Before I knew it, I had taken two steps forward. My eyes narrowed like those of a tigress on the hunt. "Is that so? That must be a talented lady. Why don't you tell me some things about her? Such as...who is she? How did you meet? How long have you known her?"

Mr Ambrose shifted uncomfortably. And not just Mr Ambrose, but Karim as well. My heart dropped. If it had just been Mr Ambrose, that would be one thing. But Karim? He'd been with my husband for decades! Since first I had met them, neither of them had been to India. If Karim knew this "agent" as well...Mr Ambrose must have known her for a long time. Known her very well indeed. Too well for my tastes.

Could it be...could it be that...?

No! No he would never! He loves you!

For once in my life, I didn't want to argue with my inner voice.

"Who is she?!" Whirling on Karim, I stabbed an accusing finger at the man. "Do you know? Have you seen her? Is she beautiful?"

The Mohammedan's face changed colour abruptly. Without warning, he started coughing, trying to hide his face. Quickly, Mr Ambrose stepped in front of his bodyguard, as if to shield him.

"That is classified, Mrs Ambrose?"

"It's classified whether she is beautiful?"

"That's not what I meant! I—"

Directly ignoring him, I stuck my head under his outstretched arm and pinned Karim to the spot with my gaze. "Tell me! Is she beautiful? Is she attractive?"

The bodyguard gave a gagging noise, and his tanned face turned slightly green.

Suspicious. Very suspicious.

"Who?" Righting myself, I returned my wrathful gaze to my dear husband. "Who is she? Why are you avoiding the subject? What are you two not telling me?"

He cleared his throat. "As I said. Classified."

"Indeed," Karim, who had by now recuperated from his gagging fit, confirmed. "Very classified."

Inside me, panic started to rise. They were working in tandem to hide things from me. How long had this been going on? Had Mr Ambrose had a woman on the side the entire time? Some Indian beauty he had been intimate with for years and years without me noticing?

How dare he lie to me and hide things from me! Never mind the little fact I was doing the same for the last few days, how dare he?!

"Who?!" Mr Ambrose wanted to slip away, but I blocked his path and stared up at him, all the hurt and insecurity in my heart reflected in my eyes. "Who is she?"

Once more avoiding my gaze, he mumbled something under his breath.

"What?" My eyes widened. "What did you say about an udder?"

"Mother!" His eyes flicked up to glare icy daggers at me. "I said it's Karim's mother!"

There was a second of absolute silence. Nothing could be heard but the creaking of the ship and the distant sound of the sea. Then...

"Ha. Ha. Bwahahahahaha!"

"This is not amusing, Mrs Ambrose!"

Desperately clutching my stomach, I bent over. "I beg to difehehehehehehrrr! Oh my God! And...and I asked Karim if she's atractihihihive...!"

"Sahib?" In the corner, Karim's hand moved to the hilt of his sabre. "Permission to decapitate?"

"Denied."

"Hehehehehehe!"

"Although I might change my mind soon."

Supporting myself against the wall, I dragged in some air past my continued giggles and smirked at my dear husband. In return, he gave me a look that would have turned anyone else into an ice sculpture. For me, though, it warmed my heart.

Standing up on tiptoes, I pressed a gentle kiss on his cheek. "Mr Ambrose?"

"Yes?"

"I love you."

A moment of silence.

Then...

"Likewise. Despite your current behaviour."

That just made me want to giggle again. Looking back, I saw his earlier reluctance to speak in a whole new light.

"So..." Cocking my head, I batted my eyelashes. "How did an elderly married Mohammedan lady end up being your super-secret agent?"

A certain muscle in his cheek twitched. "She insisted."

"And you let her?"

"Yes."

"Let me ask...is she paid?"

"Yes."

"Well-paid?"

A pause. Then... "Moderately."

"And I assume she insisted on that as well?"

That muscle in his cheek twitched again. "Yes!"

"Oh my." I couldn't help but smile, suddenly in a much better mood than earlier. "I have to meet this woman."

In the corner, Karim covered his face, muttering something in Punjabi that sounded suspiciously like a plea for help to the big man upstairs.

"So," Mr Rikkard Ambrose's chilly voice pulled me from my translation attempts, "still have objections to docking at the Island of Agatti, Mrs Ambrose?"

My grin was so wide it nearly split my face apart. "None whatsoever."

"Adequate. Now, let us return to the subject of our journey." With two long strides, he returned to the table in the centre of the cabin. "As I said before, once we have arrived and met with Karim's Mo—ehem, with my 'agent', we will discuss our next step. Essentially, there are three options for the next part of the journey." He pointed to a spot on the map located in northwestern India. "Meerut. This is where I ordered the information about the new rifle ammunition to be released. It is a town with a large garrison of sepoys, and unrest is likely to almost immediately erupt there. As such, Captain Carter is likely to be dispatched there, and Adaira is quite likely to follow."

From just outside the door, I heard a muffled thump. Helplessly, I glanced over at the keyhole.

Well, now that you have told her she certainly will.

"Next option." Mr Ambrose's finger moved across the map. "The Bengal armies. The soldiers there have already been dissatisfied long before this whole business started. When the news spreads, unless the East India Company takes countermeasures, they will be among the first to rebel. Once again, a likely place for Carter to be sent, and thus for Adaira to follow."

His finger moved again, until it rested on a spot of the map marked with a star. "Last but not least. Delhi. The capital of the dying Mughal Empire. By now, it is an Empire only in name, its power almost non-existent, its ruler an eighty-year-old man. But the name of the Mughal Emperors, who have dominated the Indian subcontinent for hundreds of years, still has a lot of weight. If the rebels want to have any chance of overthrowing the East India Company, they must bring Delhi under their control. Similarly, if Dalgliesh and the East India Company want to retain control of India, holding Delhi is of utmost importance. Sooner or later, the fight will come here."

Looking up from the map, he swept his gaze across the occupants of the room. "So, opinions. Where is Carter most likely to go? Which route should we take?"

Karim stroked his beard with narrowed eyes. "The Bengal armies should not be our target. If they do not rebel, there is no reason for additional soldiers to be sent there. If they do, the East India Company would not let a British Army captain accompany the force sent to suppress them. After all, the last thing the East India Company wants is for the British government to interfere in their affairs. Especially if said government might end up judging the company unfit to rule over the subcontinent."

I nodded. "That does sound reasonable. And Karim is our resident expert on Indian affairs."

At least as long as his mama isn't here yet.

"Agreed, Mrs Ambrose. Then that leaves Meerut and Delhi." My husband's gaze flicked between Karim and me. "What do you say? Where is Adaira most likely to end up?"

"Hm..." Tapping my chin, I stared at the map. "I don't think we can say for the moment. It entirely depends on how fast the rebellion spreads." And on where we let our new governess venture.

"Correct." Karim nodded. "It's probably best if we wait till we arrive at Agatti and get the latest intelligence before we decide."

"Oh yes." I smiled with a very innocent expression. "I, too, would very much like to hear the opinion of Karim's dear, dear mother. And look at her collection of baby pictures."

The bodyguard's bushy eyebrows twitched. "Sahib, permission to—"

"Denied."

"You did not even let me finish, Sahib!"

"Denied anyway. She is correct. We need more information before we make the final decision." He cast a narrow-eyed glance my way. "Although we do not need more baby pictures."

Completely ignoring my disappointed pout, he swept the map off the table, rolled it back up and stashed it away.

"Unfortunately, it will be a long time before we get any such information. Until we arrive at Agatti, we won't know a thing about what is happening in India."

My shoulders sagged. "True."

"So...for now, why don't we relax?"

I froze.

Then, slowly, very slowly, I turned to look at Mr Rikkard Ambrose. Surely, I hadn't just heard what I thought I'd heard? For a moment, I thought my ears were truly deceiving me. Quite a long moment, actually.

"Um...Excuse me, Mr Ambrose, but did you just say 'relax'? As in 'take a break'?" Full of concern, I reached over and placed a hand on his forehead. "Are you feeling all right? Do you have a fever?"

Apparently unimpressed with my wifely concern, he cocked his head. "We have a month-long journey in front of us, on a ship, alone in the middle of the ocean. While stuck here, there is nothing worthwhile we can do. So why not use the opportunity to relax and enjoy our time together?"

I hesitated. It sounded logical. It really did. But this was Mr Rikkard No-Timewasters-Allowed Ambrose we were talking about. I had half expected him to pull out oars from somewhere and order me and the new governess to row to help the ship go faster. Maybe he might even provide a miniature oar for Berty. Yet here he was, telling me to relax?

Something was wrong. Very wrong.

"So, for now, why don't we have dinner together?" Stepping forward, he captured my chin in one hand, his dark eyes boring deep into mine. "I had the ship's cook prepare dinner for us in a private dining room. Would you care to accompany me, Mrs Ambrose?"

I swallowed. Was this...was this actually the legendary event that some lucky women with normal husbands got to experience. That legendary...romantic dinner?

Unable to resist, I took his proffered arm and let myself be led out of the cabin. Out on the deck, a stiff breeze was blowing, and the sun was just sinking beyond the horizon, dying the ocean a romantic shade of pink. Immediately, my husband pulled me closer against him, sliding his arm around my shoulder to shield me from the cold wind.

"Come along," his familiar, commanding voice entered my ear, and I found myself being steered across the deck. "This way."

In no time at all, we came to a halt in front of an imposing double door with gold ornaments. For a moment, I was taken aback, until I remembered that this ship was actually a luxury yacht. Then the door opened to reveal the room beyond. Vaguely, I registered staff in livery standing along the walls and Adaira sitting in a secluded corner with Berty in her arms, but those things were entirely overshadowed by the magnificent sight in the centre of the grand dining room.

A table.

A table with candles. And roses in a crystal vase. And were those heart patterns on the vase? Oh my goodness. This really was it. A romantic dinner. Had I died and gone to heaven?

Dazed, I allowed myself to be led towards my seat. Before I knew what was happening, I found myself sitting at said table in front of a sumptuous meal, gazing at the chiselled face of my handsome husband.

"The first course, Madam," the waiter announced, lifting the silver lid from the plate in front of me and allowing a delicious aroma to rise into the air. Then he proved his professionalism and immediately made himself scarce. I didn't waste another second and dug in, in any sense of the word. This was truly a rare opportunity. A feast for the eyes and taste buds at the same time. Because while my mouth was busy with my meal, my eyes were devouring the figure of my husband on the other side of the table. He, on the other hand, did not even seem interested in taking a visual nibble most of the time. Once in a while, though, he threw me an intense look with those deep, dark, sea-coloured eyes of his that made me shiver.

After a while, we were finished with the first course. While I was waiting in anticipation to see if Mr Rikkard Ambrose had actually spent money on a second, I hesitated for a moment, then asked: "So...what brought this on?"

Reaching out, he gently took hold of my right hand. "Can't I simply wish to spend a romantic evening with my wife?"

I gave him a I've-been-married-to-you-for-years-and-actually-know-you kind of look.

In response, his dark gaze intensified. Leaning forward until our faces were only inches apart, he stared deeply into my eyes.

"Well, as a matter of fact, there is one matter I would like to discuss with you."

"Yes?"

"When were you going to tell me that my sister is on board this ship?"

---------------------------------------------

My dear Readers,

Uh-oh...Lilly is in trouble... ;-)

On another note, in case some of you are not very knowledgeable about African Geography, here are some explanations regarding the places mentioned in the above chapter:

The Cape of Good Hope is the southernmost part of Africa. Before the completion of the Suez Canal in Egypt, all ships wishing to sail from Europe to Asia had to pass it, thereby sailing all around the African continent.

The Horn of Africa is a piece of land protruding like a horn out of the east coast of Africa near Arabia.

Yours Truly

Sir Rob

---------------------------------------------

GLOSSARY:

"Madad karana!"—Hindi for "Help! Help!"

"Bhaagana! Ek paagal aadamee!"—Hindi for "Flee! A crazy man!"