Written by Liz Harris
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2025 Blog Tour #16
Today I welcome author Liz Harris to my blog. Liz has kindly provided me with an extract from her recently published novel Jaipur Moon to share with you, for which I thank her.
Jaipur Moon is the 5th standalone novel in her The Colonials series which is set in Asia during the 1930s, and is currently on a blog tour organised by Rachel of Rachel's Random Resources.
You can follow the tour which has reviews, extracts and interviews on the blogs shown below.
Jaipur Moon is the 5th standalone novel in her The Colonials series which is set in Asia during the 1930s, and is currently on a blog tour organised by Rachel of Rachel's Random Resources.
You can follow the tour which has reviews, extracts and interviews on the blogs shown below.
The blurb:
Jaipur MoonJaipur, 1934
When Philip Grainger and Frank Fletcher met late at night on the edge of an indigo plantation in Gujarat back in 1916, and one of them handed a new born baby to the other and walked away, their stated intention was never to see each other again.
In Jaipur, 1934, almost eighteen years later, Philip’s daughter, Eleanor, is excited to learn that a new family has moved into the street where they live, and that the family has a daughter similar in age to herself.
When Frank Fletcher, having struggled for years to make a profit from his isolated indigo plantation, turns to exporting, he is encouraged by his exporter friend, Maxwell Anderson, to move his family to Jaipur. His daughter, Alice, hopes that at last she will make some friends.
But where there are secrets, someone invariably senses a secret, is determined to uncover it and use it to his advantage. Nothing stays hidden for ever…
Historical Romantic Fiction
Enjoy this short extract from Jaipur Moon
CHAPTER ONE
September, 1934
Jaipur, IndiaSeptember, 1934
Sitting at one end of a large teak dining table covered with a crisp white tablecloth on which sat three place settings of polished silverware and fine china, alongside crystal glasses that gleamed in the light from the sparkling chandelier above the table, Philip Grainger made a great show of looking at the watch on his wrist.
‘It’s late, Julia,’ he said, lowering his arm and glaring at his wife. ‘How much longer do you suggest I hold off dinner while we wait for your daughter to join us?’ he asked cuttingly. Again glancing towards the door that led from the dining room into the entrance hall, he groaned in exasperation.
‘She’s your daughter, too, I believe,’ Julia said mildly. ‘But I suggest we tell Cook that we’re now ready to eat. If Eleanor misses her meal, so be it.’
‘I’ll do that,’ he said.
He leaned forward and pressed the bell to summon the table steward. When the khitmutgar appeared moments later from a door at the far end of the dining room, Philip told him he could begin serving dinner. As the khitmutgar left the dining room through the door by which he’d entered, they heard the front door close, followed by voices, and then footsteps hurrying towards the dining room.
Philip sat back in his chair and folded his arms as his daughter rushed into the dining room and took her seat at the table.
‘I’m sorry to be a few minutes late, Papa,’ Eleanor said breathlessly, ‘but James came home just as I was leaving Harriet’s, and he started telling us something really interesting. Normally, her brother never has anything important to say so we only pretend to listen, but not this time. For once it was worth hearing. As a result, I forgot all about the time.’
‘Which means that you’ve not changed for dinner, and there’s no time for you to do so now,’ her father said in irritation. ‘You know how much I dislike the meal being delayed, especially when it’s my favourite roasted joint of mutton that Cook’s marinated with yogurt, garlic, ginger, and cumin.’
‘Important though your stomach is, Papa, the delay is allowable if it’s for an excellent reason. As this was,’ Eleanor said brightly. ‘You’re going to be very pleased with me that I didn’t leave before I’d heard everything.’
Glancing at her father with a pointedly self-righteous air, she picked up her starched white napkin, unfolded it and placed it across her lap.
‘I’ll be interested to discover if your idea of excellence accords with mine,’ Philip remarked drily.
‘It will do, Papa,’ Eleanor said, and she sat back and smiled at both her parents.
‘Are you planning to tell us what James had to say,’ her mother asked, ‘or is this a guessing game? If we’re to be held in suspense for the whole of the meal, we’ll need something to preclude chronic indigestion.’
Eleanor laughed. ‘No guesses are needed. No, it’s that James told us that a new family’s moved into the street.’
Philip straightened up. ‘New people you say? Are they British or Indian?’
‘British obviously. No Indian would live in this road, in houses like these. It’s far too English for them. James thinks their house is only about five or six houses along from ours – about as far past us as we are from Harriet’s in the other direction. And the most important thing is, he’s certain they’ve got a daughter,’ she added gleefully. ‘Someone in his office told him.’
‘In James’s office?’ Philip exclaimed in surprise. ‘Why would anyone in the Department of Public Works know that we had new neighbours?’
Eleanor shrugged. ‘I suppose the officer might live in our area and have met the family, or our new neighbour might be going to work in James’s department. James might not have met him yet, but his other colleagues could’ve done.’
Philip nodded. ‘You’re right. Either is possible. Well, I wonder where they’ve come from. I don’t suppose James was able to tell you that?’
‘I really would’ve been late for dinner if I’d badgered James for even more details,’ she said with a sanctimonious air. ‘Well, Papa? Was that sufficiently excellent for me to be slightly late and to be sitting here in a day dress?’
Philip laughed. ‘All right. I’ll agree that we both have the same standards of excellence.’
The door at the far end of the dining room opened and the khitmutgar entered the room, followed by the cook’s boy who was carrying a tray on which there were three bowls, a large tureen and a basket of naan bread. They came to a stop next to Julia’s chair. The khitmutgar put the basket of bread in the centre of the table, and started ladling creamy pea soup into the bowl closest to him.
‘I hope the girl is of a similar age to you and Harriet,’ Julia told Eleanor as the khitmutgar placed a bowl of soup in front of her. ‘Oh, I can smell the sweet scent of garam marsala,’ she said, and smiled at the khitmutgar. Then she turned back to Eleanor. ‘It would be lovely for you and Harriet to have another friend. The two of you have spent so much time together over the years that you must feel in need of fresh blood.’
‘It depends on what the girl’s like,’ Eleanor said, leaning back as the khitmutgar put a bowl of soup in front of her. She waited for the table steward to place a bowl in front of her father, and for him and the cook’s boy to leave the room. ‘I wonder how old the girl is,’ she went on. ‘If she’s the right age, James might be interested in meeting her.’
‘Does Harriet think it’s time that James got married, then?’ Julia asked as they started eating. ‘After all, James is quite an old man. He must be all of twenty-five,’ she added with a laugh.
‘I don’t know about Harriet, but I’ll be glad when he marries,’ Eleanor said firmly. ‘When he does, he’ll have someone else to boss around other than Harriet and me. He’s too fond of lecturing us, and he’s always unnecessarily strict when he chaperones us. He still sees us as babies. We much prefer being accompanied by one of our ayahs. They see us as eighteen year olds, who know how to behave.’
‘Which is why your father and I are delighted that James is always willing to go with you if he isn’t at the office and everyone else is tied up. He’s a good brother to Harriet. Not all brothers would be so solicitous of their sister and her friend.’
‘So you agree that he’s bossy, then?’
Philip and Julia exchanged amused glances.
‘To go back to the new family,’ Philip said. ‘Having another British family in Jaipur is to be welcomed, especially if he’s in business or works for the government. The British community here is still very small, despite it slightly increasing in size every year. Every newcomer makes us more of a force to be considered. Also, fresh faces at the Club are always very welcome. It’s especially pleasing that they’ll be living in our road, if James is correct, and not in the area around the Residency, where some of the British community live. That would be a little far away for ease of contact between you girls.’
‘I wonder how many fresh faces there’ll be,’ Eleanor mused ‘Maybe they’ve a son as well as a daughter. If they’ve a son, and he was good at billiards, he’d be welcomed by the Club with open arms.’
Philip nodded. ‘You’re right about that,’ he said. ‘It’d be interesting to find out. Annoyingly, although it’s Saturday tomorrow and the factory’s closed, there are some things I need to do there so I’ll be out for most of the day. I imagine it would’ve been easy enough to see where they were living, but I won’t be around to call on them tomorrow and leave our card. But perhaps someone will have told them that we tend to go to the Royal Jaipur Club on Saturday evenings, and if so, we might see them there.’
The khitmutgar returned to the room with the cook’s boy, who carried a large tray, which he placed in a stand next to the table.
They fell silent while the table steward removed the empty soup plates from the table, and then served each of them with a plate of sliced mutton alongside potatoes and carrots that had been cooked with mustard seeds. Then he and the cook’s boy left the room again.
Julia picked up her knife and fork. ‘I must say, I, too, am looking forward to meeting the newcomers. Just as you and Harriet would probably enjoy having an additional companion, so, too, Harriet’s mother and I feel the same way. At least, I’m sure that Ivy does. Anyone who adds to our circle, and also to our book group, is very welcome.’
‘Can Harriet and I go to the market tomorrow, please, Mama?’ Eleanor asked as she cut a piece of her mutton. ‘We need to get some material for the durzi to make into dresses for us. The ones I wore last year are completely worn out. You said so yourself. I thought we could make a slight detour on the way home to have lunch. Meera could accompany us, or Harriet’s ayah.’
Julia raised an eyebrow. ‘Let me guess. Your detour will be to the Club?’
Eleanor laughed. ‘It’s only a small detour, but I thought we might learn something about the new people.’
‘There’s no need for you and Harriet to inconvenience yourself so, Eleanor,’ Philip said smoothly. ‘We’ll be going to the Club tomorrow evening, as we usually do. That’s quite soon enough.’
‘You’ve been known to change your mind at the last moment,’ Eleanor said sulkily.
‘Not this time,’ he said. ‘Maxwell Anderson is staying there. He’s the exporter I told you about, Julia. He’s been to the factory several times now, and I’d quite like to meet him in a social setting for a change. If the new people are there, someone is sure to tell us when we get there, and we’ll be able to introduce ourselves. Does that satisfy you, Eleanor?’
‘It does, Papa, thank you,’ Eleanor said with affected demureness.
They smiled at each other.
‘I do hope James is right about there being a daughter,’ she added.
Philip nodded. ‘Well, you’ll find out tomorrow if he is.’
‘So have you enjoyed your day, Beatrice?’ Frank Fletcher asked his wife, glancing at her across the table as he ran his finger around the rim of his glass of brandy.
Beatrice shrugged. ‘It’s been much like any other day. I know we’ve been here for a couple of days now, but I was so exhausted by the time the train reached Jaipur, and so shaken after being jerked about in the tonga that brought us from the station, that I’m still tired and I haven’t yet had sufficient energy to explore the area.’
‘We’ll have to get our own tonga like the other British residents in the road. When it’s easier to get around, I’m sure your energy will return. It’d be strange if it didn’t. We’re now living in a town that’s famous for its markets, and you’re a woman who likes to shop.’
‘I don’t know how you can say that,’ Beatrice said huffily. ‘There was nowhere to shop in Bayana so you wouldn’t know whether or not I liked shopping.’
‘So much for my attempt at a pleasantry,’ he said heatedly. He turned to look across at his daughter. ‘Did you enjoy your day, Alice?’
Alice shrugged. ‘Like Mother, I didn’t go into the town. I’ve been too busy getting used to the house. It’s not the most impressive house on the street, but it’s much better than the place we had in Bayana.’ She paused. ‘You mentioned the markets. I’ll need some clothes that are more suitable for living in a town, especially a town like Jaipur. Can you give me some money, please, so that I can go to the market and get some material? Our neighbours will tell us when the durzi will be coming, and I’ll need to be ready. Sita can accompany me if Mother doesn’t want to.’
‘I suppose I’ll have to,’ he said scowling. ‘Our appearance must live up to our improved status.’
‘Thank you, Father,’ Alice said, suppressing the gleeful smile that rose to her lips, lest it anger her father to see it.
‘How was your day, Frank?’ Beatrice asked
He sat back and smiled. ‘Very good, if not a little better than that. The advice I was given in Bayana proved to be good, and the arrangements I made before we left have paid off. My premises on the Amer Road appear to be in an ideal location, being on a main road, and with easy access to the heart of the city and not impossibly far from the Jaipur railway station. As for our new house,’ he looked around him in satisfaction. ‘It may not be the most elegant house on the street, but as Alice kindly pointed out, but it’s in much better than where we lived in Bayana. For a start, we’ve now got indoor plumbing and modern sanitation. It’s part of the advantage of being in an area developed by British businessmen, as is the wide tree-lined boulevard we now live on.’
‘Fsther!’ Alice exclaimed. ‘You shouldn’t talk about indoor plumbing. It’s not nice.’
He laughed. ‘Would it be better for me to say “flush toilets”?’ He laughed again.
Alice pulled a face. ‘You are so embarrassing,’ she said.
Beatrice nodded. ‘You’re right about the house, Frank. I can tell that once I’ve shed my fatigue, I’m going to enjoy living here. At least I will if the social side of Jaipur lives up to our amenities. And I’m full of praise for our servants. They did an excellent job of preparing the house for our arrival. It was such a relief that Arjun and Dinesh wanted to come with us. I’d have hated to have had to train another butler or syce.’
‘And I’m very pleased that Sita came with us,’ Alice said. ‘No one could’ve had a nicer ayah.’
‘I agree, Alice,’ Beatrice said. ‘She’ll make a trustworthy chaperone when I’m unable to accompany you. And when you don’t need her, she can help me with the clothes and the house.’
‘I hope I soon make friends,’ Alice said, sitting back against her chair and gazing around the room. ‘I wasn’t sorry to leave what friends I had in Bayana. There weren’t that many of them as it was such an isolated place, and I didn’t particularly like them. But we’re in a better location now.’
‘Indeed we are,’ Frank said. ‘Better than you realise. Apparently, most of the British community, such as it is, go to a club called The Royal Jaipur Club on Saturday nights, and eat there. The Club isn’t that far from here, it transpires, which is very convenient. I’ve arranged with a fellow exporter that we’ll meet him there tomorrow evening. He’s going to introduce us to everyone he knows. We couldn’t have had a better start to our new life here.’
Alice glanced anxiously at her mother. ‘Can I go into the town tomorrow morning and have a look at the markets? Apart from needing some material, I haven’t yet seen anything outside this house. I want to get to know the place where we’re living, and markets are as good a place to begin as any. If you’re busy, Sita can come with me.’
‘I’d planned to ask Sita to help me sort out my clothes as some of them will have suffered in the journey and they’ll need to be washed. But I suppose I could defer that till another day, and let you take her. Don’t overdo things, though. You don’t want to be too tired to enjoy your first visit to the Club.’
‘I’m eighteen, Mother, not eighty.’ Alice stood up. ‘I think I’ll go to my room now. I must decide what dress to wear tomorrow evening. I want to look my best for our first social occasion here. Good night.’
‘With fair hair and blue eyes like yours, you’ll look fine in whatever you wear,’ Beatrice called after her. ‘You don’t need to fuss so.’
Frank finished his brandy and stood up. ‘I’ve one or two things to do in the room I’m making into an office. As you’re still tired, Beatrice, go up when you’re ready and don’t wait up for me.’
And he left the dining room, leaving Beatrice sitting there by herself.
| Author Bio – Liz Harris |
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 Liz Harris is the author of the historical novels THE ROAD BACK (US Coffee Time & Romance Book of the Year 2012) and A BARGAIN STRUCK (shortlisted for the RoNA Historical 2013). They and THE LOST GIRL/GOLDEN TIGER and A WESTERN HEART were shortlisted for Best Historical Romance by The Festival of Romance. In addition are contemporary novels EVIE UNDERCOVER, THE ART OF DECEPTION, THE BEST FRIEND and WORD PERFECT. THE DARK HORIZON, THE FLAME WITHIN and THE LENGTHENING SHADOW, set between the wars, comprise The Linford Collection, which was followed by The Colonials : DARJEELING INHERITANCE, COCHIN FALL, HANOI SPRING and SIMLA MIST. The second edition of THE ROAD BACK appeared in August 2022, followed by IN A FAR PLACE. Second editions of A BARGAIN STRUCK and GOLDEN TIGER were published in 2023. THE LOOSE THREAD, the first in the Three Sisters trilogy, was published in February 2024, THE SILKEN KNOT, the second in September 2024 and THE WOVEN LIE in February 2025. A WESTERN HEART was published December 2024. In addition to these, Liz has had short stories published in anthologies and magazines. |
| Social Media Links – | |
| Web site | https://lizharrisauthor.com |
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| Bluesky | @lizharris.bsky.social |
| Facebook Author Page | Liz Harris |
| X | @lizharrisauthor |
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