Free Kate and Julia: Abducted in India by Lindsey Brooks Page B

who was carrying her off to enslave her. As memory flooded back so did her terror, made worse by the sudden tightening of the strong arms holding her upright on the horse.
    “So, you wake at last, little murgah. You timed it well. See, we are nearly there.”
    Julia looked ahead. They were on a steep track that wound its way from the green valley up a mountainside dotted with boulders and straggling bushes. Above, perched atop the brown, rocky crags, was a fortress. Her heart was in her mouth as they drew closer to the high, crenellated walls. A man on one of the gate towers waved in their direction and a minute later the ironbound gates swung open and Jahngir Khan carried Julia into slavery. She trembled.
    When he lowered her to the ground, her legs almost gave way. He slid from the saddle and Julia dropped her gaze from his, saw with horror that one of her legs was bare to the thigh, and quickly moved the cloak he had given her to cover it. His smile bared white, even teeth that made her think of a tiger stalking its prey. She jumped when he took her arm and led her towards the big house that dominated the buildings within the fortress’s walls.
    “Do not fear me, little murgah, ” he said. “I promised you would not be beaten. You will not be punished at all, or even chastised, if you are obedient. Come, we are travel-stained and weary. Now we will take our ease.”
    Julia was too dry-mouthed to even attempt to reply. She did not know what to say anyway. To plead with the savage would be useless and she was unsure if she could depend on his promise to spare her a beating. The way he had just mentioned punishment suggested he did not think of it as anything unusual or out of the ordinary. Her belly flipped as his firm grip steered her up the steps of the veranda to the big, brass-studded door of the white-painted building.
    An elderly man waited within, bowing to Jahngir Khan and giving Julia a curious glance as they passed him. She was suddenly grateful that she had the cloak to conceal her nakedness.
    “I am going to the zenana , Babrak,” Jahngir said. “Disturb me only if it is important.”
    The house was cool and dim after the bright sunshine outdoors.
    Julia climbed two flights of stairs, fearfully conscious of the hand on her arm that might tighten at any moment if she dared to resist. She was too afraid to take in her surroundings, almost too afraid to keep one foot moving in front of the other. They stopped at an ornate double door decorated with gold leaf and plaques of ivory and mother of pearl. To Julia’s surprise, for he was plainly the owner of the house, Jahngir tapped on it instead of entering.
    It was opened at once by a stunningly beautiful native girl who smiled at Jahngir, bowed and backed into the room with an inviting gesture of her hands. As she straightened, her eyes fixed on Julia and she said something in a language the English girl did not recognise. Julia did not meet her questioning stare. Even if she had not been terrified, her attention would have been drawn immediately to the native girl’s scandalous lack of clothing. She wore a flowing robe of pale yellow muslin so fine and sheer it was nearly transparent. Beneath it the high mounds of the girl’s bare breasts were clearly visible, their brownish-pink nipples straining against the gossamer-thin cloth. Below a white cord slung around her hips the fabric hung in folds that did not conceal the outlines of her long legs or that only a tiny scrap of silk covered the area between her shapely thighs.
    Gasping in shock, Julia looked away only to be further shocked at the sight of more scantily clad young women who rose from couches or silken cushions on the floor and clustered around her and her captor.
    They all spoke to Jahngir at the same time in their unintelligible language. He held up the hand not gripping Julia’s arm and replied in the same tongue. All but one of the girls immediately fell silent. The one who did not, spoke