Raj Quartet II

Daphne and Hari have a row, but then they make up, late at night and make love in a darkened garden. After their lovemaking, they are attacked by a gang of Indians and Daphne is raped. Hari is considered the chief suspect since he is Indian and he's arrested by Merrick. Daphne says that she knows the rapist gang were Indian peasants... and it was not Hari. However the local British are outraged that an English woman should be raped by Indians, and she knows there is very little hope for Hari. She finds she is pregnant after the rape and she decides to keep the child. Hari is tortured by Ronald Merrick and sexually abused. He is imprisoned and Daphne has the baby. It is a girl, whom she calls Parvati, but she dies in childbirth. Lady Manners, Daphne's aunt who brought her out to India takes care of the baby, and is snubbed by the British. Lady Manners takes a holiday in the hills with the baby, and to her surprise she has a visit from Sarah Layton, an army officer's daughter who is also holidaying nearby. Sarah's father is a prisoner in Germany and his wife Mildred is a rather snobbish, unemotional woman, is on holiday with her 2 daughters, Sarah who is intelligent and a little unconventional and Susan who is younger and more willing to fit in with the prejudices of the Raj colony. Susan is engaged and Sarah does not seem to attract many men. Sarah sees the baby, and talks to Lady Manners, who is amazed that anyone should visit her now that she is rearing a half Indian child. Soon afterwards, Sarah and her family go to one of the Princely states, where Teddy Bingham Susan's fiance is stationed for their wedding. The best man is ill and unable to do his role, so Teddy invites another officer to stand in. The officer is Ronald Merrick. He has managed to get into the army and is trying to weasel his way into the upper crust Army set.