It was a direct question and caught her off guard. She tried to bat it back, unsuccessfully ‘Actually we have all heard things about you… rumours really…’

‘Agatha…’ her husband warned.

‘That’s ok,’ Dutch nodded to Bit. ‘Let her finish.’

‘Well I was only going to say that actually we have heard you were ill.’ Dutch didn’t reply. Agatha shifted uncomfortably on the verandah. Dutch was too big for her, or his presence was - she could not chew him up. He crossed his arms on the verandah and looked at her hard, though secretly he was quite amused, like a bear teased by a mouse. She continued, ‘Well everyone talks here, you must know. We have very little to talk about up here, apart from the war, and that’s banned.’ She paused, wondering if she’d gone too far. ‘Well are you? I mean ill. You either are or you aren’t.’

‘What do you think?’ He leaned forward. ‘Do you think I’m ill?’

‘Now look here that’s quite enough,’ said Bit laughing, ‘I see I’m going to have to step in as compeer – not only is the war banned but all personal aspersions as well – whether you’ve got them or not.’

‘In any case, we are quite safe here, are we not?’ said Agatha seeming a bit subdued. ‘As there is a war on, I suppose one should check.’

‘Of course,’ her husband took over, ‘It depends on many things dear. Don’t let Dutch alarm you. He possibly doesn’t understand the way things work here. No offence taken I hope.’

‘No offence taken,’ Dutch replied slowly but smiling. ‘But I have just come from Calcutta. It’s suddenly a very different place. You are really not moving them to Kashmir?’

‘Really!’ laughed Agatha out loud, thinking now how he sounded as pompous as her husband and feeling disappointed. ‘We are not cattle you know - we don’t get herded.’

Dutch smiled. ‘The Japanese will start bombing very soon.’

‘But not in Darjeeling…’ she said.

‘They could be in Calcutta by spring.’