The interviews were harder than he thought, tales of horror and blood were hard enough to hear without the knowledge that Julia had been in the midst of it. Yet they filled him with a burning hope that grew brighter and hotter the more he questioned.
Not one of them had actually seen Julia during the attack, and none had seen her body.
"She said you would worry," the Matron said softly as he went back through his notes, it was mostly for show and to give himself time to think of more questions.
"Julia?" he asked looking at her with misery in his eyes, she reached over and grasped his hand.
"She didn't tell you about the Prince because she didn't want you to worry, I thought it was because you would demand she come home, but now…" she smiled sadly giving his hand a little pat before digging in her purse for a handkerchief, "she was right, you are indeed a good man."
Murdoch tried to swallow past the lump in his throat, "is there anything you can tell me about the attack, anything you can remember, even the smallest thing," he managed to croak out.
Betsy frowned and started to shake her head then, "during the attack the girls and I just kept our heads down and prayed," she sighed, "afterwards they rounded us up, and put us in cages," she frowned again at that, and Murdoch's instincts kicked into overdrive.
"What?" he prodded.
"It's nothing really, but they put us all into separate cages, and then the leader came and shouted something and they put Selma and Pamela into the same cage," she said, "I thought that was a strangely kind thing for that murdering fiend to do, Pamela was so upset and scared having Selma with her calmed her down."
"What did he do with the empty cage?" Murdoch asked, his heart suddenly beating faster.
Betsy blinked at him and shrugged, "I'm sure I don't know," she sniffed, "probably took it with him when he left."
"Left?" By this time Murdoch's head was hammering as loudly as his heart.
"Yes, he came and announced that we were to be moved to Dheli and ransomed, then he made us all write letters to our families to state that we were alive and told us that Julia had been killed," her voice broke at that and tears trickled down her cheek, "then he sent a dozen of his men with us and left with his caravan of murdering bandits."
Hope did not just burn through him, it exploded, ignited and just about made him spontaneously combust with it. Instincts honed over years of detective work told him that she was alive, his phenomenal brain working on the puzzles and clues he uncovered sorting, sifting and putting them together told him the same thing. But none of that came even close to the deepest, surest conviction that came from his heart, Julia was alive.
"Madam would please to put this on," the man riding beside her unwound a long cloth from his waist and handed it to her. Julia took it, the sun was burning down on her head, and she could feel her skin heating up, the blood stained pith helmet Xui's men had shoved on her head when they'd put the yoke around her neck was long gone, probably lying where she'd collapsed, and now while the temperature was slowly becoming less intense the higher they climbed, it was still too hot for her fair complexion.
She looked at it a moment in surprise, it was the finest silk she had ever seen, so sheer that she could actually see through it and yet it was surprisingly affective once she slipped it over her head, crossed it under her chin and flipped the ends over her shoulders.
"Thank you, it's very beautiful," she said and he grinned at her. The other men started all talking at once, but Julia found it almost impossible to understand them, she had barely gotten a smidgen of Hindi, this language was a little similar in some words but worlds apart in others.
"Jeet is to be …" he frowned trying to find the word, Julia looked at Jeet and smiled understanding.
"Married?" she offered, the leader nodded a slightly mischievous light in his eyes, "the lady will be war with him," he said and she blinked trying to work it out. He nodded to the scarf she wore and understanding dawned.
"She gave him this?" Julia asked pointing to the scarf, the men nodded jostling the poor very red faced Jeet. She started to remove it when all humor left his face and he looked distressed. The leader shook his head vehemently, "is gift," he struggled with the words a moment then sighed and looked at her hopefully.
Julia shook her head, she didn't understand any of it, why would these men obviously sent to capture her give her gifts, and for that matter why were they being so polite, and… well nice?
None of it made sense, they did not look like bandits and they acted like her own private body guards.
"I don't understand but thank you," she finally said shaking her head. The leader gave her a sympathetic look, then urging his horse faster moved ahead of her, leaving her with her own thoughts and fears again.
Julia ached in every bone in her body, her backside had long since gone numb and the men around her had to gently shake her awake a few times when she'd dozed off in the saddle. The air had cooled considerably and the sun was starting to make its way down over the mountains.
In the hours of riding she'd managed to get all their names, now Gopal, the leader, pulled up along side her, as they reached the top of the rise he pulled to a stop and pointed ahead. Julia looked up and caught her breath, it looked like something out of a fairy tale, the winding river, the deep rich valley that went on for miles, and cushioned in the midst like a jeweled crown was the Palace. Ancient beautifully crafted walls, turrets and towers, protected the inner buildings and temples. She'd never seen anything quite as glorious.
"It is magnificent," she breathed, and it was, so much so that despite the horrible circumstances of her plight she could not feel anything but pleasure at having seen it.
He grinned at her proudly, and urging his horse forward lead the way down the winding path to the long bridge that crossed the river.
A woman sat on an ornately decorated horse waiting for them on the other side, she wore the traditional long outer dress and pants, with a matching scarf wound around her head and over her shoulder. Her arms were filled almost to the elbows with jangling bangles, she even had them around her ankles. Golden chains ran from hair ornaments and wound around her ears holding up the heavy golden earrings. The men froze up as they neared, shock all over their faces.
She waved whatever they were going to say away and snapped something in their language at them that had them falling back behind Julia.
"I am sorry for the long journey Doctor, you must be very tired. If you will follow me I will see to your comfort." She said bringing up her horse beside Julia's. She spoke perfect English and as she got closer Julia could see she was not Indian.
"You know who I am?" Julia asked with a frown, the woman nodded and turning her horse urged her forward.
"I am sure you have many questions and equally many demands, I am sorry that I can neither answer your questions nor grant your demands, but I can offer you the comfort of a bath, fresh clothing and a safe place to rest for a little while," she said and preceded Julia through the massive ornate doorway into the palace.
Julia could not help gawking, it was so grandly magnificent there was nothing else to do but gawk. She lost count of the many doorways they passed, the outer barracks, the middle village, the main palace grounds and finally the inner sanctum. The courtyard was bustling with movement and color. The woman jumped off her horse and handed it to an ancient man that grinned toothlessly at her, she grinned back and bowed in respect as he muttered something to her.
The world tilted slightly as she tried to slide off her horse, and strong hands grasped her around the waist and lowered her to the ground. Jeet stepped back the minute she was steadier on her feet, bowing and saying something that sounded like an apology. The woman snapped at him and waved them all off, she clapped her hands twice, then put her arm around Julia's waist as an army of men and women dressed in all the colors of the rainbow came running from ever doorway.
"Who are you?" Julia muttered frowning down at the woman that propped her up with a strength belied by a tiny body.
"I am the Maharani, but you may call me Eudora and I will call you Julia," she stated firmly with a grin. Julia blinked, no wonder everyone was running around like mad chickens, the queen herself was half carrying her into the palace.
A very large woman with a days growth of beard on her face stepped in front of them her extremely large hands on her hips, disapproval not quite hiding the twinkling of laughter in her eyes.
"You are going to get all of us beaten, probably jailed, starved and then beaten some more," she snapped at her Queen.
"Yes, by me, now make yourself useful and help me get Doctor Ogden inside, those idiots made her ride mercilessly all day without rest or sustenance," she snapped. The big woman shook her head, winked at Julia and before Julia could do more than squeak, she was being lifted into powerful arms. It was as she came face to face with the woman's Adam's apple that she realized she was a he.
"Eunuch," he informed her softly, and she winced but relaxed a little.
The next two hours passed in an exhausted blur. Eudora and Nalini had her bathed, massaged, pampered, fed and clothed all while she dozed in an exhausted lethargy.
She was lying on a mound of pillows loving the feel of soft silk against her skin without the constriction of a corset. The long outer shirt was both beautiful and practical, it decorated and kept her cool and she'd always loved the practicality of trousers and these soft silk ones were a treat to her skin. Eudora had insisted she be dressed in the finest silks complete with adornments in her hair and ears.
"I'm sorry I don't have any western clothing for you," she sighed as she sipped the cooling mint tea. Julia snorted, then clapped a hand over her mouth in horror, while Eudora fell back into the cushions with peels of laughter.
"Not wearing a corset in this heat? Yes, I'm so disappointed," she drawled sarcastically, Eudora grinned.
The woman's quarters were not what she had expected a harem to be, there were no bars on the windows and doors, in fact there were no actual windows or doors, just massive archways and open spaces, draped with flowing silks and lace of such exquisite colors it turned the light filtering through them into flowing patterns of rainbows against the walls. And what walls they were, every nook and cranny on them and the ceiling was filled with breathtaking artwork in flowing patterns of swirls and waves, imprinted with gold and glittering stones.
It was rich and opulent, but all of it done with a style that fit perfectly, and it was most decidedly feminine.
She was exhausted, traumatized and she missed Murdoch so much it was like a permanent knife buried in her heart, every breath she took hurt. This wonderful woman's kindness was so unexpected that she could not stop the tears that started down her face. Eudora said something to the servants and they bustled out of the room instantly, she rose and sat beside her on the cushions handing her a handkerchief and gently rubbing her back as the tears turned into sobs.
"Let it out, let your tears wash away all the horror you have suffered," she murmured, a constant warm presence in the tide of misery that pulled her under. Vaguely she heard someone come in, and Eudora's snarled hiss but the gentle hand on her back never wavered. When the crying jag subsided and the last tremors passed, a cool cloth was pressed into her hands and she lay it on her face, letting the soft hands urge her back to rest.
"I'm a mess," Julia finally sighed, leaving the cloth over her eyes.
"Yes, but this too will pass," Eudora said and there was a smile in her voice, "sadly it must all too quickly, we have been summoned."
Julia dropped the cloth and frowned at her, "By?"
Eudora clapped her hands and rose, as people rushed back into the room, lead by a very terrorized Nalini.
"He's found out that you were outside the gates, oh my mistress he is angry," she wailed wringing her hands.
Eudora rolled her eyes "oh for heavens sake, you will scare Julia to death carrying on like that!" she snapped, "go get her a veil for her hair and some Jatamansi tea, go, go!" she shooed them away.
When the room had cleared she sank down beside Julia and took her hand, "you are going to meet the Maharaja," she gave Julia's hand a little squeeze, "it will all seem frightening and strange to you, and with good reason." She said her voice dropping to a whisper, "Vishnu is a good and honorable man, but he can not be that and keep his people safe," she urged, Julia shook her head in confusion and Eudora's lips tightened.
"I beg you to put your western pride aside, just for now," her eyes narrowed as she looked over Julia's shoulder.
"Do not antagonize Vishnu in front of his people, whatever he says, whatever transpires, keep your head and let him do the talking," she insisted. Julia frowned at her, pride pulling her spine up straighter, but Eudora grabbed her other hand too and there was so much strength and wisdom in those eyes she felt herself calm instantly.
"I will explain it all to you, but I am begging you to trust me, whatever happens know that I love and trust my husband and we both know neither love nor trust grows in tyranny."
The throne room was as glorious as the rest of the palace, but here it was almost overpowering in its opulence. The raised dais held a cushioned throne that was unlike any throne she'd ever seen before, it was almost like a small square four poster bed with a golden roof.
The man that knelt on that was as eye catching as the palace, his hawk like face and golden eyes were strikingly attractive, and yet there was an air of something hard and wild held tightly in check underneath the civil veneer. This was a man that would never hesitated at doing what he must to get what he wanted.
The spacious balcony they were in was only slightly higher than the throne, Julia found it beyond annoying having to watch everything through the sheer curtain that veiled the women in the balcony from everyone below, but she held her tongue.
A heated discussion was going on below, as an elderly man dressed in austere black was gesturing and almost shouting, his eyes constantly flying to the balcony and it was not a friendly look.
"That group over there dressed all in black are the temple priests, the man speaking now is the head of the temple," Eudora said softly.
"He is accusing the Maharaja of being derelict in his duty," she continued, "you have been labeled as an adulteress and a whore, and should either be put to death or handed over to the man who claims you," she grabbed Julia's arm holding her still when she would have protested.
"He demands that Vishnu do the correct thing and cleanse his house of your vile presence."
"What proof do you have of the crimes this woman is to have committed?" Vishnu's voice snapped like a whip, and Julia understood him because he spoke in Hindi, the thought that he knew she could understand him was perhaps the most frightening thing of all of this. The priest blanched and seemed to bow down in on himself a little, he pointed a gnarled finger at another man in brightly colored uniform.
"That is the emissary for Prince Hussein, he arrived about two hours before you did," Eudora continued, then she turned to look at Julia.
"He claims that you are Hussein's mistress, sold to him by your husband for the crime of adultery, a crime which is punishable by death here," she tightened her hand on Julia's arm, "Hussein has made some very frightening threats against my country if we do not hand you over to him, and he has also offered Vishnu a very tempting prize of land should he comply."
Julia sank into the chair behind her, "None of that is true."
Eudora put a hand on her head, "I believe you, but Vishnu has to be very careful here," she sighed, "he may be king, but with Afghanistan pushing us on the one side, and the British wanting to add us to their territories on the other we can not afford to have discourse inside our land, it would weaken us," she nodded to the priests, "they have influence over the people, if Vishnu does not silence him now things could go badly," she did not have to point out who they would go badly for.
This was their home and their lives, and the lives of their people, if even one person was harmed by her being here Julia knew the guilt would eat at her for the rest of her life, however short it was, because no matter how deep her love for William was she would die before she let Hussein defile her.
A woman stepped forward and Julia looked at Eudora in surprise, "I thought women were not permitted down there?" she whispered.
Eudora looked at her and shook her head, "women can, I can not," she sighed, nodding to the throne, "he is above them which is why he sits up there and as his wife I can not be below him, but I can also not sit beside him because he is a man and the King."
"We have no proof that this man is telling the truth, but we also have no proof that he lies," the woman also spoke in Hindi and stepped forward out of the crowd. She was a tall striking woman, her dark features very similar to the King's, they shared the same gold eyes.
"Is she his mother?" Julia asked, Eudora's face twisted into a mask of dislike and she shook her head.
"She is his father's sister, her son sits on Vishnu's right hand as his most trusted advisor, but he is as poisonous as his mother," she snarled.
The discussion was going on, more people had joined in, some for her and some against, and Vishnu sat silent, watching, waiting, not an expression on his face, until the priest spoke again.
"There is also the matter of your wife." He snapped looking around for support and finding only wary faces, Julia saw why, the King's face had gone icy with warning.
"I'm sorry but it must be addressed, she left the woman's quarters and rode outside the gates to meet an adulteress."
Julia watched fascinated as the man stubbornly continued to dig his own grave, even the members of his group had taken a step back, as if afraid to be in the firing line.
"She even now stands up there with the abomination," his voice had become high pitched his fanaticism rearing its ugly head.
"ENOUGH!"
A deathly silence fell over the entire room at the King's roar, when he rose from his throne they took a collective step back. And the elderly priest dropped to his knees.
"The Maharani is your Queen and the other half of me, you dare to question her? You dare to question me?"
By this time the elderly priest was trembling in terror, too late he'd realized his terrible mistake, incoherent words tumbled out of his mouth, but Vishnu ignored him as he stepped off the platform.
"Get him out of my sight," he snarled at the group of priests who scrambled to do his bidding.
"The English woman was being transported in a cage, by a known bandit. If any one of you can answer why Hussein would pay a bandit to carry her to him across Hindustan, our land and Afghanistan instead of having her delivered to his country by his own people, I will consider listening to your argument. Until then she will be our guest and we will treat her as such."
With that he turned, looked up at the balcony and nodded his head once before striding out of the room.
Julia turned to her friend, "is that good or bad?" she asked.
Eudora again took her hand, "good for me, not so good for you I'm afraid," she sighed, "I have been very lonely for a friend and I already think of you as one," she smiled a little but it faded, "but for you I am afraid it will be like being held prisoner in a golden cage, Vishnu will not contact your people until he is sure it will not cause an international incident that will harm his people."