Jaya studied him, eyes narrowed. What was he apologizing for, exactly? “It was awful,” she continued, holding his gaze. “I’ve never seen our father so… beaten. He couldn’t even look at Isha. My mother was crying all the time. And Isha…” She shook her head and paused for a moment. “The light went out of her eyes. I was afraid, really afraid, for her. She completely retreated into herself. It was like she couldn’t believe the world could be so cruel, that people could be so savage. It called into question everything her eternally optimistic, idealistic heart believed in. I was afraid she’d never come back to me. I was afraid our family would fracture right down the center.” Jaya stopped short, remembering who she was talking to. She straightened her shoulders. “Anyway, when our father suggested that we leave to go abroad before any of the serious papers picked up the story, I agreed straightaway.”

Grey’s face cleared a bit. “That’s why she looked so uncomfortable.”

“Right. Exactly.”

“But why here? Why did you choose St. R’s?” Grey asked.

Was he afraid that Jaya had another agenda? A brisk breeze tugged at her hair, and she tucked it behind her ears before continuing as earnestly as she could. He had to believe the story she was telling if she was to get any closer to him. “You’ve probably heard how superstitious Indian royal families can be. Well, my father consulted with our palace astrologer, and he suggested we go to a boarding school surrounded by mountains and hidden by aspen trees.” Jaya waved a hand at herself. “Thus, here we are.”

Grey studied her for a second. “A royal astrologer, in effect, chose where you went to school?”

Jaya nodded, feeling a thrum of anger at the disbelieving judgment in his voice. What did he know of the Raos and their traditions? “Perhaps it sounds superstitious to you, but paying attention to the stars is rather important to my family.”

Something passed over Grey’s face, a shadow of a fleeting emotion Jaya couldn’t catch. “ ‘Fear is the main source of superstition, and one of the main sources of cruelty.’ ”

Jaya felt her hackles go up. Was he calling her family fearful and cruel? After all the Emersons had done? Did he know nothing of his own checkered history? How dare he! The pompous, arrogant… She forced herself to take a surreptitious deep breath.

He glanced at her. “That’s a quote by Bertrand Russell. I’ve always remembered it.”