As the weather became colder, Henry reverted somewhat reluctantly to his English style of clothing. He couldn’t dispute that the fabrics and layers of a waistcoat—and a jacket or coat when going out—as well as the typical boots he wore, were more practical for English winters. Even in the house, every room had a slight chill unless fires were kept blazing in every fireplace, and remaining in close proximity to them was preferable. Still, he preferred the change in season in England, which was more dramatic than that of India. The summer heat of India had meant always feeling sweaty, and even the cooler season there had never been dramatically different. Here in England there was a vast difference between summer and winter, and Henry liked it. He especially liked autumn and spring, when the transitions between seasons were taking place. The changes suited him, keeping a variety in his life that spoke to his spirit.

Henry noticed that Amala too reverted to her English clothing as the weather got colder, although it was impossible not to notice that she was forgoing any corsets or enormous petticoats beneath her dresses, and he liked the way she was choosing to remain more comfortable, which seemed to correlate with how she’d become more serene and at peace with simply being who she was, apparently not caring nearly as much as she once had that she was so different in appearance from the rest of her family.

The Indian servants in the household had trouble adjusting to the cold, even though it was now their second winter in England. But apparently they’d figured out—with the help of English servants in the household with whom they’d become friends—how to wear a layer of warm underclothing beneath the traditional Indian fare, which helped them remain comfortable. Henry noticed that Amala sometimes did the same. In fact, he never knew which style of clothing she would appear in each morning, which seemed to represent her love of both sides of her heritage and her desire to express herself accordingly.

The winter cold encouraged even more solitude and isolation, but since Henry loved his new home and the people with whom he shared it, he didn’t mind. He went riding occasionally, or walking in the garden, in order to get some fresh air. And he was grateful for the wealth he’d been blessed with that made it possible for servants to regularly take a wagon into town to acquire needed supplies. He became more and more comfortable with this lifestyle that combined his love for both of the countries that had so greatly influenced his life. And since no one came to visit who didn’t respect and appreciate the unique atmosphere of their home and their blended family, the entire situation settled in quite nicely.