She held his eyes. 'Listen carefully, Nicholas,' she said softly. 'My father went out to India three years ago as the Governor General of Bengal, and he took his family with him. He found he disagreed with much the Honourable East India Company is doing, so he resigned, and we are all returning to England. All but one of us.'

Now it was his turn to be puzzled. 'All but one? Your husband?' Yes, of course, he had died out there.

'All but the owner of the uniforms. He has resigned his commission with the Company - he was my father's ADC - because he wants to remain out there for another year or two. His uniforms are in the trunks; although for the life of me I don't know why they were not burned before we sailed.'

'Let's join the others,' Ramage said miserably.

'But you still don't know who owns the uniforms!'

'I can guess, though why you didn't stay with him, I don't know.'

'My brother is a pompous bore,' she said.

'Let's join the - your brother?'

She was laughing as she nodded. 'Why are you in such a rush to join the others?' she asked innocently. 'Does my company bore you?'