The Officer’s Wife by Merryn Allingham EPUB & PDF – eBook Details Online
- Status: Available for Free Download
- Authors: Merryn Allingham
- Language: English
- Genre: Women’s Literary Fiction
- Format: PDF / EPUB
- Size: 2 MB
- Price: Free
Bombay, April 1938
Daisy Driscoll sat in a bubble of silence, a cardboard suitcase at her side.
Her skin gleamed with sweat and her hair hung limp, the carefully pressed
finger waves in a state of dissolution. Her make-up had slipped and the
crimson lipstick was now an uneven gash.
Above her, the ceiling fan pushed against torpid air, the low growl of its
rusty blades a counterpoint to the shrilling telephones and excited Hindi
emerging in bursts from beyond the glass screen at the end of the room.
From the quayside below, a rhythmic crunch of boots on stone sounded
faintly through the open door, a steady train of soldiers chugging its way
ashore.
Nervously, she fiddled with the ring, fourth finger, right hand, looking
constantly from open door to glass partition, shifting from side to side in the
shabby Windsor chair.
A shadow darkened the room. A military figure had appeared in the
doorway and was walking towards her. She started to her feet, her smile
feigning brightness, but a glance at the newcomer’s face and she crumpled
back onto the chair.
‘Miss Driscoll?’
The young Indian’s voice was soft and cultured, and his expression a
mixture of dismay and compassion. She wasn’t surprised. She hadn’t dared
to go in search of a mirror for fear of missing Gerald when he came. She’d
donned her very best dress for the occasion but that was hours ago on board
the Viceroy of India, and the heat and dust had already taken its toll on the
silk print for which she had saved so hard.
‘Yes,’ she answered uncertainly, ‘but Gerald . . .’
‘He will be waiting at the church. My name is Anish. Anish Rana. I am
a friend of Gerald’s and I’m to take you to him.’
Her face fell at the news but he affected not to notice and continued in a
smooth voice, ‘He apologises for not coming himself but he had several
important matters to attend to before the ceremony.’
She found herself wondering what could be more important than
meeting the woman you were to marry after she had been three long weeks
at sea, but she said nothing, grateful at least to have an escort. Getting to her
feet once again, she bent to retrieve the bulging suitcase but Anish was
quicker and scooped it up with ease, the knife-edged pleats of his uniform
hardly wavering. Everything about him spoke ease, the kind that came with
authority.
‘Please, follow me.’ His tall figure strode towards the open door. ‘The
port is very busy today and we must find our way through the crowds to the
main road. I have a conveyance waiting.’
Dispirited by the unexpected turn of events, Daisy followed him
obediently. At the door, he paused. ‘Do you have some kind of head
covering, Miss Driscoll? The April sun is very hot.’
‘Only this,’ and she took from her bag the fragile confection of feathers
and net she had chosen for her wedding. His raised eyebrows made her
horribly aware of how ill equipped she was for this strange country.
‘Then we must make all haste,’ he said, and flashed her an encouraging
smile.
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