The door opened before Annie had time to answer and Mrs Ogilvy entered carrying a tray laden with a cut-glass jug of lemonade and two glasses, as well as a plate of dainty cakes, which she set down upon a brass-topped table.

‘Your rooms will be ready in about half an hour, Miss Martin. Luncheon will be served in the dining room at midday.’

‘You’re very kind, Mrs Ogilvy,’ Kate said earnestly. ‘But please don’t go to any extra trouble on our account.’

‘It’s a pleasure. We hardly entertain these days. The uprising might be over but there are deep scars that will take a long time to heal, and nothing will ever be quite the same again.’

Mrs Ogilvy left the room with a swish of taffeta petticoats, leaving a trail of a fragrant lavender cologne in her wake.

Kate filled the glasses with lemonade and handed one to Annie. ‘Drink it slowly,’ she said gently. ‘You’ll find you need to take in much more fluid in this hot climate. I used to envy the Indian ladies in their saris, but we have to keep up appearances in our tight-fitting garments.’

‘It is extremely hot,’ Annie said with a sigh. ‘I suppose one must get used to it eventually.’

‘Most of the ladies I knew spent the afternoons lying down in a darkened room. It’s best to keep out of the sun in the middle of the day, but it does get a little cooler in the evening.’

Annie sipped her drink. ‘I’m glad to hear it. I don’t think I’d survive long if I had to live in this climate.’

‘I would have been happy to spend the rest of my days here until I lived in Warren House. Now I find myself longing for those musty wainscoted walls and the cool greenery of the gardens. Life is strange, isn’t it, Annie?’

After luncheon Mrs Ogilvy showed Kate and Annie to their rooms. Kate was delighted to find that she had the same room that she had occupied while they waited for a passage to England. Having settled Annie comfortably in the adjacent room, Kate knew that she would not rest until she had seen Harry. She returned to the parlour and rang the bell to summon a servant.

Mrs Ogilvy entered the room, her brow creased into a worried frown. ‘Is everything all right, Miss Martin? I thought you would enjoy a rest.’

‘I need to go to the military hospital,’ Kate said urgently. ‘The reason we’re here is because Annie’s brother was badly wounded in the uprising, and a good friend travelled to India to bring Joseph home.’ Kate took the letter from her reticule and handed it to Mrs Ogilvy. ‘This explains everything.’