101. A Call of Love (4 page)

Because he was so rich and because he lived in a very different world from Aisha, it did not occur to him that she would not succumb to his desires and appreciate the amount of money he was prepared to spend on her.

If she was too grand to associate with someone who had started life as an errand boy, she would certainly have a chaperone accompanying her on the voyage.

When dinner was over, Aisha quite innocently had gone on deck, as she wanted to see the moon rising up into the sky and the stars reflected on the sea.

When Arthur Watkins had joined her, she had not at first been alarmed. He had asked her name and she had told it to him.

The music played by the band and the moonlight made the night seem very romantic.

It was then that Aisha realised that Arthur Watkins was putting his arm round her and she woke up to reality and gave a cry of protest.

“Now don’t be afraid of me,” Arthur Watkins said in his rather common voice. “I think you’re very pretty and we’ll have a lot of fun together, we will.”

He tried to kiss her.

However, she fought herself free and ran away too quickly for him to be able to catch her.

When she reached her cabin, she locked the door and sank down onto the bunk.

She felt her heart was bursting from her breast and her breath was coming quickly from between her lips.

She was very frightened. No man had ever tried to kiss her before.

She realised, now it was too late, that she had been very stupid to stand talking to a stranger in the moonlight.

‘Just how could I have been so foolish?’ she asked herself.

She realised that it was because she had never been entirely alone before. There had always been her mother or her Governess or one of her relations.

Now she had seventeen days ahead of her with no one to turn to if that unpleasant man tried once again to kiss her.

It was then, as she began to undress, that there was a knock on the door.

Instinctively she turned to see who it was and then, at the last moment, she had the common sense to ask,

“Who is it?”

“It’s me,” a man’s voice answered. “Now don’t be afraid, pretty lady, I’ll do you no harm and I don’t want you to run away again.”

He was speaking in a low voice to keep other people from hearing what he was saying.

Then, as she moved away from the door, having made sure it was locked, he started to speak more loudly.

“Talk to me!” he called out. “Come out here, I want to see you!”

Aisha had not answered and then he began to knock so loudly that people in the adjacent cabins opened their doors to see what was happening.

Finally Aisha realised that he only stopped making such a noise when people protested and a Stewardess spoke to him severely,

“There’s people trying to sleep, sir,” Aisha heard the Stewardess say, “and it’s time you went to bed instead of keeping them awake.”

“There’s someone I want to say goodnight to,” Arthur Watkins replied. “All she has to do is to open the door, then I’ll be as quiet as a little mouse.”

“I expect the lady inside has gone to sleep,” the Stewardess said, “and that’s what you should be doing, sir, and the sooner the better.”

“Now don’t you cheek me, my girl,” he replied. “But just for tonight, as there are many nights ahead of us, I’ll do what you say. But don’t you be asking too much another time.”

“Well, all I can say to you, sir,” the Stewardess said sharply, determined to have the last word, “is that there’ll not be another time, not in this corridor at any rate.”

She must have flounced away and a little later she heard Arthur Watkins’ footsteps moving down the passage.

It was then she got into bed and said a prayer of thankfulness to God that he had not been able to intrude on her.

But she was scared, very scared.

She wondered frantically what she could do for the rest of the voyage if he persisted in pestering her.

‘There must be someone who can help me,’ she said to herself frantically.

Then, as if in answer to her prayer, the following morning she had seen Lord Kenington.

She had known who he was because she recognised him from pictures she had seen in the magazines and she had read all about him in the Parliamentary reports that were always featured in the newspapers her father took.

He was often spoken of as being of great value to Mr. Disraeli, the Prime Minister, also as the owner of fine horses, which last year had won the Derby and the Gold Cup at Ascot.

‘He is a gentleman,’ Aisha told herself.

When she saw him walk into the library, she had known that that was her opportunity to speak to him.

Aisha was thrilled with her new cabin.

It was very much larger than the one she had been in previously. It had two portholes, which gave her more light both by day and by night.

There was more room to move about in and more storage space for her clothes.

And so, when she sat down to luncheon with Lord Kenington, she thanked him profusely.

“You have been so kind,” she said, “and I am so grateful. Of course Papa will willingly pay the difference in the price of my new cabin.”

“You must now tell me about your father,” Lord Kenington asked, “because I am most interested in him.”

She looked at him questioningly and he explained,

“I believe your father is doing vital work in India.”

Again there was silence.

“I hoped you would help me,” he said, “because I am going to India in order to find out what the situation is as regards the Russian menace. I believe that your father knows a great deal about it.”

Aisha’s eyes lit up.

“Oh, that is why you are going out to India!” she exclaimed. “So I need not be careful what I say to you.”

“I hope that you will be careful, as well as truthful, but you must not stop me from finding out what I need.”

He laughed as he added,

“That sounds complicated, but you will know what I mean.”

“Of course I do, my Lord, and if you are really going to India on this important mission, then it would be silly if you did not talk to Papa.”

“I have every intention of talking to him. So, if you can help me by telling me where to find him and, without doing anything wrong, inform me as to what he is doing at the moment, it will be of tremendous help.”

Aisha lowered her voice before she suggested,

“I think it would be wiser if we talked out on deck. I know that no one can overhear us here, but Papa said that some men can read one’s lips at a distance. So I always have to be careful what I was saying even if no one could hear.”

Lord Kenington was immediately interested.

He thought that it was just his good luck to find someone like her before he reached India and Aisha, he hoped, could tell him some of the things he had been sent out there to discover.

Equally was it really possible that such a young and pretty girl could tell him anything that he did not already know?

Where India was concerned, the answer was very obviously ‘yes’.

They ate their luncheon, which was well served and the Stewards tried to provide Lord Kenington with the wine he particularly requested.

He asked Aisha if she would drink with him, but she shook her head.

“I don’t really like wine, my Lord, but I would love some fresh lemonade if they could make it for me.”

“I am sure they could do so, Aisha.” And one of the Stewards hurried away.

While they were eating, Aisha was aware that Mr. Watkins at the Captain’s table had his eyes on her and so she deliberately did not look again in his direction.

But she could not help feeling a bit uncomfortable, because, without turning her head, she was aware that he was staring at her.

Without her saying anything, Lord Kenington knew what was happening.

“Just pretend to yourself he does not exist,” he said. “When I dislike a person, I try to think them out of my mind. It’s really quite easy to do. It’s a mistake to waste valuable time on being upset by nasty people.”

“Of course you are right, my Lord, and that is what I am trying to do. But I can feel him staring at me and almost instinctively I want to look his way to see if he is.”

“I know exactly what you mean, because I have felt like that myself. There was a boy at school who I always felt had his eye on me, even when I was sure he was not thinking about me.”

“I want to forget that horrible man,” Aisha said with a little shiver.

“Just decide he is nothing to do with you and that you are going to forget him.” “That is easier said than done, my Lord.”

“Of course it is, but at least you can try.”

Because he knew that she was worried by Watkins, Lord Kenington ate quickly and they left the Saloon before anyone else had finished.

They went out onto the deck and sat down at a place that Lord Kenington had found which was protected from the wind and too much sun and it was impossible for anyone to be near them without their being aware of it.

“Now,” he said, “tell me about your father, because I really am tremendously interested in him.”

“I am sure Papa would be very flattered and I will, of course, tell you everything you want to know, but I have always been afraid that, since he takes such tremendous risks, he will be hurt or perhaps killed.”

“What risks does he take?” Lord Kenington asked, as Aisha glanced round to make sure that no one was there.

“He is in
The Great Game
. Have you heard about it, my Lord?”

“Indeed I have and I think it is extraordinarily brave of those who take part in it, but I expect your father has told you it is the only way we can find out for sure what is happening on the frontier and how threatening the Russians really are.”

“Papa believes that they are very dangerous,” Aisha answered, “and, because he speaks Urdu like a native, he often goes – disguised as an Indian.”

She almost whispered the last words.

“He goes out amongst the tribes on the North-West Frontier and talks to them?

“He is usually, he told me, dressed as a Holy Man or as an Indian from another part of the country.” Aisha crossed her fingers as she added,

“So far his disguise has never been discovered.”

Lord Kenington knew that if it had, he would most probably have lost his life, but, as he had no wish for Aisha to be nervous or unhappy, he said,

“I think that is wonderful of him. How did he learn to speak Urdu so well that no one suspects that he is not an Indian?”

“When he was a small boy, his father was a Judge in India,” Aisha replied. “He went to a school where there were Indian boys as well as the sons of English Officers and he has often said that he found the Indians far more interesting and not so unfriendly as the English!”

“So now he is able to disguise himself as an Indian without being noticed.” “I expect, although Papa will never admit it,” Aisha said, “that sometimes he is afraid. He went over the North-West Frontier last year and he told me that working outside was most interesting, although somewhat nerve-wracking.”

“I am sure. Tell me where your father is now.”

“He knows I am arriving on this ship and I expect he will be on the quay at Calcutta waiting for me.”

Lord Kenington was delighted, as he had thought it would be difficult to find the men who were on the very secret list of those he should try to contact and that he should meet with Major Warde so quickly would save him a great deal of time and worry.

“I think the luckiest thing that has ever happened to me,” he said aloud, “is that you asked me for my help and protection.”

“It was very fortunate for me. I slept so peacefully last night, but I know if I had been in my other cabin, it would have been impossible to go to sleep.”

“You are not to worry anymore,” Lord Kenington said. “I am taking you under my wing, as you might say, and I am quite certain that Mr. Watkins is far too sensible to risk annoying me.”

“He is a horrid, beastly man,” Aisha insisted, “and I am sure Papa would know how to deal with him. He will be very grateful to you for having saved me as you have.”

They sat talking until he said he must take some exercise and they walked round the deck several times.

“When we get to the Mediterranean,” he said, “I am sure we will be able to play deck tennis. If you have never played it, I will teach you.”

“There is no need to do that,” Aisha replied. “I have played before on a short holiday cruise with friends to the Canaries and I won some games even against the men.”

“That is certainly a challenge. I will be determined you don’t beat me!”

Aisha laughed and then asked him,

“Have you ever in all your life had to accept an inferior position? Have you not always sat on the top of the tree?”

“I suppose if I am honest I should say I have always sat on the top of the tree. Although I must admit to being bullied a certain amount at Eton as they said I was cocky.”

“I am sure they would think that still, because you look so superior to everyone else around you.”

“Is that really the impression I give?” Aisha nodded her head.

“Yes it is, and I think perhaps your friends as well as your enemies are somewhat afraid of you.”

She saw the surprise on his face and said quickly,

“Please forgive me. I should not have said that. I have been talking to you in the same way as I talk to Papa. He has always said, ‘tell the truth and shame the Devil and say exactly what is in your mind. If people don’t like it, they need not listen’.”

Lord Kenington chuckled.

“That’s certainly very good advice on your father’s part. But I don’t want people to be afraid of me, especially in India.”

He was thinking as he spoke that so many of the important men in the political world seemed formidable and ordinary people would find it impossible to talk to them really frankly and openly.

He always prided himself that he avoided talking down to anybody he wanted to extract information from – he tried to talk with them. But what Aisha had just said definitely raised a question.

As if she was reading his thoughts, Aisha said,