Disclaimer: Doctor Who belongs to the BBC. I do not own any of it, nor do I make any money from it.

A/N Thank you for your reviews to the last chapter. Here is Part 2 of the story. The actual story starts picking up now.

Some trigger warnings for racism. It will get bad in subsequent chapters but I have tried to stick as close to reality as possible. It's a topic very close to me as a POC and I sincerely hope I don't offend anyone.

As usual, if there are any historical inaccuracies do let me know.

Happy Reading!

Monsters of India: The Cantonment

Previously

Rose plastered on a smile and took his hand to climb into the carriage. Her heart was thudding as she realised that Patrick Milton was a British soldier in India and he had just called Mumbai 'Bombay'. She looked at the Doctor who had climbed in after her in the carriage.

"Yes," he said in a low voice as he caught the look on her face. "We are in India. Except..."

"We're in the past," Rose said, finishing his sentence. "This is during the British Raj."

"1893 to be precise," he said. "We are trapped more than a hundred years in your past."

The carriage ride was a very helpful one. Lance Corporal Milton was a chatty lad and the Doctor was always eager to talk his way through a marathon. Rose was mostly silent, picking up the bits and pieces that Milton was inadvertently letting slip.

Initially she had been worried that he had mistaken them for some other Dr. and Mrs. Smith but slowly it became evident that it was indeed the two of them that were expected. It was mind boggling to Rose but as the Doctor explained in a low voice, it was all about time travel.

"That was a bit of an odd place you picked sir," Lance Corporal Milton said. "Right in the middle of nowhere."

"I did, didn't I?" the Doctor asked. "Our earlier...carriage could only take us that far."

"I know what you mean," he nodded. "There's some peculiar folk around here. Superstitious lot. They refuse to take the carriage through the woods."

Rose looked out of the window and shivered at the sight of the woods. She wouldn't want to go through them either. They spoke of treacherous terrain and dangerous beasts lurking in their depths.

The Doctor quirked his eyebrows at that statement. "Really?" he drawled and Rose realised that he was intrigued. "Well, but you knew where to find us after all."

"Captain Wesson gave me your letter sir," Milton said. "Your instructions were very thorough."

"My letter, you say?" the Doctor mused.

Lance Corporal turned around briefly to glance at them inside the carriage, before reaching into his pocket and handing the Doctor a letter. "It is the right one, isn't it sir?" he asked, a bit nervously as if expecting a reprimand.

The Doctor unfolded the letter and read through it quickly. "Indeed," he said and Rose was surprised to hear the optimism in his voice. "This seems to be in order."

"Very good, sir," Milton agreed with obvious relief.

The Doctor leaned in towards Rose and showed her the letter. "My writing," he said. "Dated two weeks ago and bearing Her Majesty Queen Victoria's seal," he whispered in her ear.

"But how?" Rose asked, her eyes wide.

"Time travel, of course," he grinned. "Do you know what else that means?"

"We get the TARDIS back," Rose said, her voice low but enthusiastic.

"Precisely," the Doctor agreed. "I am apparently the newly transferred Doctor from Britain, arriving with his young wife, Rose," he said, reading the letter.

Rose stomach flipped at those words but she kept her smile fixed. "So we're staying at a military base? For how long?"

"Until we have the TARDIS back," he said. "For the time being, we're Doctor and Mrs. Smith of Powell Estate, England. Here in the service of Her Majesty."

The carriage ride lasted nearly an hour. The sun overhead was getting more intense and Rose had to work hard not to fidget due to the heat. She did succeed for a while but after some time, Lance Corporal Milton noticed.

"The heat troubling you, ma'am?" he asked sympathetically. "You're not alone in that. Most ladies in the cantonment complain about it."

"How many women are there in the cantonment?" Rose asked curiously.

"Well apart from Lady Beatrice, only four other officers have their wives here," he answered.

"Who's Lady Beatrice?" Rose asked.

"Captain Wesson's wife, ma'am," Milton said. "She really keeps the whole thing together. Arranges the balls, deals with the servants, that sort of a thing."

Rose nodded at that tidbit of information. The carriage pulled in through the gates to a military base that looked like it came right out of a history book. The closely constructed group of houses had brick walls and red tiled roofs, giving it a sense of cultured simplicity.

Lance Corporal Milton stopped the carriage in front of the main house and then jumped down to open the carriage door. The Doctor stepped out and gave a hand to Rose so she could climb out.

A woman came bustling out of the main house. She was in her late forties and dressed impeccably in a peach coloured dress with her blonde hair elegantly tied into a bun. Her face burst into a smile at the sight of them but her expression remained guarded.

"Oh, you must be Doctor and Mrs. Smith. How delightful," she said, her voice airy and extremely posh. "Do come in, dears."

"Ma'am," Lance Corporal said respectfully, clicking his heels.

"Oh, Patrick thank you so much," she said, giving him a smile that didn't quite reach her cool grey eyes. She turned her gaze to the Doctor and Rose. "I'm Lady Beatrice Carter, Captain Wesson's wife," she said, extending her hand.

The Doctor took her hand and placed a kiss on the back of it. "Lady Carter, it's an honour. May I introduce my wife, Rose."

Rose curtsied like she had seen in 'Pride and Prejudice' on telly. "Lady Carter," she smiled.

"Charmed, my dears," Lady Carter said, with a smile so fake that it set Rose's teeth on edge. Something about that woman seemed completely off. "You poor dears look exhausted. Come in, come in. I'll send for some refreshments."

The Doctor and Rose followed in her wake, exchanging slightly confused looks. Whatever it was, Lady Carter did not seem to like either of them much. She led them into a wide parlour with marble floors and teak wood furniture.

An Indian girl barely younger than Rose, approached them with a tray of tea as Lady Beatrice ushered them to sit. "I'll make the tea," she said to the girl in a sugary sweet voice.

The girl nodded wordlessly and left quickly, leaving the tray resting on a table. "You mustn't get too friendly with the servants, my dear," she told Rose with an air of someone imparting great wisdom. "They're quite barbaric."

Rose gritted her teeth and forced a smile on her face. She was beginning to dislike the woman entirely. The Doctor sensed her tension and turned to Lady Beatrice. "I understand Captain Wesson is in Bombay," he said.

"Oh yes," Lady Beatrice answered, passing them both a cup of tea. "Edmund will be back by the ball, don't you worry."

"The ball?" Rose asked, as politely as she could.

"There's a ball tonight," Lady Beatrice said. "You will meet the other wives then, dear. After all, we ladies have to stick together in this heathenish land."

They drank their tea in relative silence, broken only by Lady Beatrice's remarks that were seriously grating on Rose's nerves. She was certain that if Lady Beatrice began one more sentence with 'these indecent brown people' she was going to throw her expensive china at her face.

The Doctor was surprisingly attentive and was consistently steering the conversation away from tense moments. It was quite a role reversal since it was usually Rose who was the peacemaker while the Doctor insulted his way through time and space.

After what felt like several long hours to Rose, the tea was finished and Lady Beatrice clapped her hands with a girlish giggle. "Come, my dears. I will show you to your quarters. Your luggage arrived yesterday and I got the servants to have it placed there," she said. "If you do find some jewellery missing, my dear," she said to Rose. "Do let me know. I will deal with it."

Rose resisted the urge to curse colourfully at her and nodded politely. "That's very kind of you," she said, hoping she didn't sound as angry as she was.

Lady Beatrice led them down a long hall and then up two different sets of staircases. She kept a running commentary the whole way about the different rooms they passed. Finally, they arrived at a set of rooms that Lady Beatrice opened with a heavy set of keys.

"Your quarters," she said, smiling benevolently. "The surgery is right next door, Dr. Smith."

"Thank you," the Doctor nodded courteously.

"Keep the keys," she told Rose, handing them to her. "I have spares if you lose them. Keep your doors locked at all time."

"Of course," Rose said, eager to be rid of the woman's presence.

"Dinner's at five and the ball begins right after," Lady Beatrice said.

"Thank you, Lady Beatrice. You have been very kind and welcoming," the Doctor said charmingly.

Lady Beatrice flushed at the praise. "Oh it was nothing at all," she said, looking almost sincere. "I hope you settle in well."

With that, Lady Beatrice left and Rose and the Doctor ducked into their quarters. They were quite comfortable and spacious. The parlour was small but inviting which then led to the bedroom. There was even a balcony beyond the bedroom that overlooked the woods. The bathroom was surprisingly modern with underground plumbing and all. When Rose expressed her surprise at that, the Doctor grinned.

"A very recent invention," he remarked. "I believe only the officers would have such luxurious facilities."

Two tightly packed cases stood next to the bed. They bore their names on the side and when Rose opened hers, she found it was bigger on the inside. There were enough clothes to last her a few weeks. The Doctor, on the other hand, was frowning at each piece of clothing.

"This is ridiculous," he grumbled. "My old clothes are fine."

"You're a few years early," Rose reminded him, wondering if she had packed his bag too.

"I have always been at the forefront of fashion," he said, puffing his chest out.

"Tell that to someone who hasn't seen you wear a twenty feet long scarf, a multicouloured coat and a piece of celery," Rose told him, her tone teasing.

He glared at her but couldn't quite help the smile. "Cheeky," he said, rolling his eyes.

"No, if I was being cheeky I'd have told Lady Beatrice to shut up a few times," she said, gathering her dresses and hanging them inside the cupboard. "What an unpleasant woman."

"She is actually quite on par for a woman of her time and position," the Doctor said, still examining his clothes with distaste.

"Doesn't mean she has to be so horrible about it," Rose muttered, tossing the empty case aside and sitting down on the bed. "How long before we have to go down for dinner?"

"Two hours," the Doctor said.

Rose nodded and pushed herself off the bed. "I'm taking a bath and then taking a nap. Wake me up in an hour," she told him.

"Fine," he said. "I'll go and see my surgery though I do hope no one needs serious medical help for a while."

"You do have a degree in medicine, right?" Rose asked him worriedly.

"Yes, but it was a while ago. I am not as proficient as my title might betray," he winked. "Rest for a while and I'll wake you up in an hour."

Two hours later, Rose had just finished getting dressed in a maroon evening dress and arranging her hair in neat ringlets. Her bag had contained her usual shampoo, lotion and conditioner, even her curling iron. Instead of electricity, it ran on batteries.

The dress looked like it was made from silk but it was slightly cool to touch and kept the heat from making her uncomfortable. When she asked the Doctor, he launched into an explanation about a fabric from a planet whose name she couldn't pronounce, which regulated the body temperature of the wearer to stay at optimum level.

"Do you know the way to the dining hall?" Rose asked, pulling her long, white gloves on.

"Yes, we passed it on the way," he said. He looked very different dressed in a fine, tailcoat tuxedo. His unruly curls had been slicked back and tied in a ponytail at the base of his neck. He was fidgeting with the white bow tie around his neck, even after Rose had told him off twice for it. "Are you ready?"

Rose nodded and placed her arm on his. "Showtime," she smiled as they left the safety of their quarters.

Dinner was more pleasant than Rose would have imagined it to be. She was seated between the Doctor and a Lieutenant by the name of James Campbell. He was a fine man of thirty with a strong jaw and intelligent green eyes. He inquired politely after Rose and kept a steady conversation going throughout dinner.

The Doctor himself was engaged in a very absorbing conversation with Nora Campbell, the Lieutenant's wife who was a delightful woman. Contrary to Lady Beatrice, she was very pleasant and very kind with her attitude towards everything.

There were many others at the table but Lady Beatrice had promised that the introductions could wait till the ball. After dinner, Lieutenant Campbell led Rose out to the ballroom and when the music began, he asked for her first dance.

Rose had never been more thankful for her love of dancing. The dance was a waltz, which she knew well. It was still relatively new to the time, having only been seen as less scandalous in the past few years. Still, Lieutenant Campbell was an excellent dancer and when the song ended, he kissed her hand and left her with the Doctor, before taking his wife's hand.

"Dr. Smith, Rose, there you are," Lady Beatrice said eagerly, walking up to them. "Come, I have to introduce you to so many people."

The next hour and half involved Lady Beatrice dragging them across the ballroom, introducing them to everyone. Her husband, Captain Wesson, was a blustering man of forty six, who wore a monocle. Rose had an incredible desire to giggle every time she saw it.

She took an immediate liking to Lieutenant Campbell's wife Nora as well as Clarissa Webb who was the wife of the Sergeant Major David Webb.

A Corporal named George Gibson said that his wife Mary was ill and sent her apologies for missing the ball.

"Oh, that's a shame," Lady Beatrice said in disappointment. "Oh well, I do hope she feels better."

The only other one who had a wife was Sergeant Thomas Hill whose wife Eleanor reminded Rose of a junior Lady Beatrice in the making. After forced smiles and conversation, Rose was glad to return to the dance floor, this time with the Doctor.

"This is exhausting," Rose murmured to him as they danced.

"Dancing?" he asked, confused.

"No," Rose giggled. "Proper behaviour in a Victorian society."

"Ah, you humans and your social structures. I am constantly surprised," he said with a wide grin.

"So, any ideas as to how to get the TARDIS back?" Rose asked, her smile dimming a bit. It had been fun to play house for a while, but neither one of them had forgotten that they were essentially stranded.

"No," the Doctor frowned. "Everything here is as it should be. No sign of alien activity. No disruption in timelines. Not even a bit of foul play."

"MURDER! THERE'S BEEN A MURDER!"

The music stopped as everyone turned to the young Private who had burst into the ballroom.

"MURDER!" he said yet again and then slumped to the floor in a dead faint.

A/N And that's all for Part 2. Let me know how it was.

So, yeah this was fun. Very historically stimulating. The characters just got a glazed over explanation for now but they'll become more significant as the story progresses.

Part 3 will be up on Monday. See you then!

~ Phoenix