He looked so familiar – those eyes, that long black hair, that firm chin. Where had she seen him before? Who was he? He was the only native she had come across who was taller than her. He must be a prince, she decided.He abruptly let go of her.‘I’d stopped for just two minutes to pick up some wild flowers – you know, those yellow flowers? And the moment I got off the horse, he just galloped away …’ Rachael trailed off as she found him staring at her hands.She looked at him perplexed, and nervously played with the ring on her finger. He stared at them even harder, before clutching them.‘Ya Ali, were you playing the piano a few days back at Colonel Bristow’s house?’ he asked urgently, as he turned her hands over and over, as though looking for a clue to some hidden treasure. ‘Yes, I’m his daughter.’‘And were you in Chowk a few days back in a burqa?’ he asked as he gently rubbed the diamond on her ring.Rachael shifted uncomfortably and took her time before answering.
