Even as a teenager, I was not into mushy romances of the Mills & Boon kind. A sweet, innocent, attractive girl bumping into a tall, dark, handsome, mysterious guy and falling head over heels in love at first sight but for the better part of the story trying to camouflage her feelings in anger and being hard to get at, was too stereotypical for my palate.
I needed flesh and blood characters, realistic plot, interesting story with a dash of thrill, suspense, mystery, drama and humor(added flavor). Naturally, I took to Agatha Christie, Georgette Heyer(especially, for her humor), Evelyn Anthony and above all Victoria Holt.
When I first read Victoria Holt's "Menfreya", I was bowled over. Her romances were set against historical backdrops. The stories were woman-centric. The narrative was generally in first person where the female protagonist would either be reminiscing or narrating the story. Interestingly, these were strong women with minds of their own.
Not exactly bombshells but definitely women with strength of character, intelligence and sensitivity - a rare combination and approach - considering the era in which the stories were set. Notwithstanding, her male characters would be equally strong.
As with the plot, the characters too evolved into stronger beings as the story unfolded. And above all, there was always that sprinkle of mystery, suspense and thrill to the story which stimulated readers like me to no end.
Therefore, when after almost twenty five years I got hold of a Victoria Holt, I could not let it go unread. This time it was "The India Fan".
The Story: Druscilla Delany is the plain-faced, sensible and well read daughter of the impoverished rector. She has been brought up by her Nanny, Polly Green, with whom she shares a wonderful rapport. Since childhood, Druscilla is fascinated by the Framlings, the village overlords. Framlings are mighty rich aristocrats, high-handed and imperious. They have for generations ruled over the parish and arrogance is in their blood. It's Polly's admonition to keep away from the Framlings which has always restrained Druscilla from being too close or subservient to the Framlings.
However, Lady Harriet Framling is one who is fond of taking charge of other people's lives. She impresses on the rector to send Druscilla to the French Finishing School which her own daughter, Lavinia Framling, is going to attend soon. It goes without saying that all expenses for the same shall be borne by Lady Harriet. Lavinia, in contrast, is disturbingly beautiful, haughty and reckless.
Lady Harriet thinks that Druscilla's calm presence will have a sober influence on Lavinia. The rector, who wishes to see his daughter well groomed, accedes to Lady Harriet's wishes. Thus, Druscilla, almost against her fated life, is bound up with the Framlings.
With Lavinia, life for Druscilla is never the quiet one that she is used to in the rectory. More than Lavinia, it is Fabian Framling, her elder brother, who has always exercised a remote but overpowering hold over Druscilla. Though Druscilla is unwilling to admit the same even to herself, she has a kind of love-hate relationship with Fabian since the day when he had playfully kidnapped her when she was a child and kept her with him for two weeks to take care of her.
In the meanwhile, Lavinia gets into one scrape after the other and it is Druscilla, who feels morally obligated to save her from disaster. In doing so, they come to share a secret which Lady Harriet or Fabian Framling must never know.
As the Finishing School days come to an end, Druscilla gets back to her old routine in the rectory. She is loved and respected by the parish for she is kind, patient and sensitive. However, she fears that her father's days are now numbered. The rector, as is usual, is worried about the future of his daughter. It is at this point that Dougal Carrurthers walks into Druscilla's life.
He is well educated and has a natural inclination towards academics. Given their common interests in books and art, a great bond is developed between Dougal and Druscilla. But it is Lavinia who whisks off Dougal with her seductive charm before Druscilla can make up her mind whether she is actually in love with Dougal.
With the rector's physical health deteriorating, Lady Harriet arranges for a prospective rector, Colin Brady, to come and stay at the rectory and get acquainted with the parishioners and parish duties. It is taken for granted that Druscilla shall obviously marry Colin Brady and continue to stay in the rectory as Mrs. Brady. But after her father's death, Druscilla refuses this alliance at the cost of incurring Lady Harriet's displeasure.
Tragedy strikes the Framlings. Fabian and Lavinia's aunt Lucille, who has been staying in the Framling Manor as a recluse, dies. She was old and mentally deranged. It is, therefore unexpected, when in her will she bequeaths a bejeweled peacock fan to Druscilla. It is the India Fan which is rumored to bring ill-luck to its possessor.
However, the unstoppable Lady Harriet has another plan for Druscilla. She can now accompany Alice Philwright, the newly appointed nanny for Lavinia's children and set for India where Lavinia is now settled with Dougal. Lavinia requires a companion and her children an English Governess. Who can be most suitable for these jobs but the quiet and composed Druscilla?
Surprisingly, Druscilla agrees not because she will once again be able to see Dougal, who is with the East India Company, but because she has always longed for an adventurous life. However, she is in denial of the fact that in India she will again have more opportunities of meeting Fabian who is also in a position of command in the East India Company.
After an eventful journey, Alice and Druscilla, who are by now very fond of each other, arrive in Delhi. Both are enchanted by the mystique beauty of the country- the colonized India. Settling down, Druscilla realizes that Lavinia and Dougal are not that happily married. While Dougal is repenting his decision to get married to Lavinia, the latter is having dangerous flings and dalliances(outside marriage) to amuse herself. And then there is the disturbing presence of Fabian Framling.
Nevertheless, Druscilla may have found an anchor in life in India but uprisings are suspected in the air. which are going to wreak havoc and soon change Druscilla's life irrevocably.
The Narrative:
Set against the backdrop of Indian Mutiny(1857), The India Fan is a reveting historical romance. The story is told in typical Victoria Holt-ish first person narrative wherein Druscilla reminisces about her life. The progression of plot is, therefore, entirely in line with Druscilla's perspective - how she feels and views events and characters around her. To that extent, the narrative is subjective.
The Characterization:
It is very natural to fall in love with Druscilla. She is prim and proper. It is, as Lavinia comments on one occasion, Druscilla's sense of propriety that every man will like to invade. At the same time, she is dependable, compassionate and caring. By contrasting Druscilla with Lavinia, who is willful and selfish, Victoria Holt, once again, reiterates that beauty is skin deep.
On the other end, we have Dougal, a man of cerebral brilliance yet who is indecisive and faults at judging people and Colin Brady, the conformist, who will do exactly what is expected of him, i.e. obey Lady Harriet's bidding. Fabian, of course, is larger than life and the stereotypical hero who has the captivating power to sweep any damsel off her feet.
Above all, there is the mysterious and super dignified, Great Khansamah, with a secret agenda of his own - a very realistic and intriguing character, given the turbulent times of Freedom Struggle in India.
The Goof Up: The only one which will be discernible to an Indian reader alone, is while the Great Khansamah is a Hindu, his son is called Asraf and daughter-in-law Roshanara - both Muslim names. Asraf is murdered and Roshanara is forced to embrace sati on Asraf's funeral pyre.
This is an important turning point in the novel. Greater care should have been taken while researching on India as Muslims do not have such funereal ritual.(as such, they have burials and not pyres), which is an out and out Hindu custom.
Moreover, there are allusions to thuggery, human sacrifices to please the Goddess Kali and other such regressive practices of the then medieval India which at some point, sound mixed up, confusing and deliberately brought in to encash on the mystique factor about the sub-continent - a typical English imperial psyche. For readers of non-Indian background, such sweeping references may present a deceptive and defective picture of India.
The Final Word:
The India Fan has a very wide sweep and canvas - from Druscilla's childhood to marriageable age, her migration from a settled, laid back English village to an unsettling colonial India and last but not the least, the homecoming, almost in its literal sense, when life comes full circle for Druscilla.
The development of plot and story follow the rhythm and pace of Druscilla's life. Whenever there is excitement and adventure in her life, especially the chapters with Lavinia and Alice, the pace is faster. Likewise, in her low and stagnant phases, e.g., life at the rectory and later in Framling Manor after returning from India, the story looses momentum and moves slowly.
However, any period romance is engaging. More so, if the background is the unstable India under the East India regime - this particular portion of the novel strongly and vividly reminding of the Flight Of The Pigeon by the one and only Ruskin Bond, upon which is based Shyam Benegal's classic Hindi film Junoon.
The India Fan is Gothic in ambiance with a gradual built-up intercepted by introspective and reminiscent moods. It requires a certain kind of temperament to relish Victoria Holt which, by and large, succeeds in invoking an air of wistfulness and sense of brooding in the reader, but of course mostly ending in a pleasant and euphemistic note.
Pick up a Victoria Holt and you'll know.
