Raj Quartet VI

THe war is close to an end by now and Susan has been released from her hospital but she's still nervy and not very stable and she is seeing a psychiatrist. Sarah finds that by now Merrick has weaseled his way into their family circle and she's afraid of him. In the course of his work, he drives an Indian soldier to suicide, taunting him that he had abandoned his oath to the King, when captured, and shamed himself and his regiment. Sarah meets another young officer, Guy Perron who went to the same school as Hari Kumar, and joined up as a private soldier. He has now become a sargent in Army intelligence, and he comes into contact with Merrick. He too dislikes Merrick and thinks he is sinister. Barbie has had a breakdown, and is now in a hospital. Sarah likes Guy Perron and wonders if someone like him could tell her something to Merrick's discredit, so that she could use it against Merrick. She can see he's courting Susan and its scary that she seems to be taken with him and may well marry him for security. Guy and Sarah spend time together and he tries to wriggle out of having Merrick as his boss. Through family influence, he manages to get an early discharge and he's soon to go home to England, where he hopes to become a historian. He and Sarah make love, but she is committed to looking after her family. Her father is released from his POW camp and returns to India, and Mildred and Susan both need her help.