The Indians are Visiting/Danny

My husband's family have very close ties to Danny's family in India. Alex's Grandfather was quite the ladies man. He left his first wife to run off with Miss India at some point in the Fifties. Bunty was to become my husband's godmother and they were extremely close. She was a very charismatic woman, full of humour and she doted on her young godson. She filled his head with tales of India and he knew at some point he would have to find a way to live there.

Sadly Bunty turned to alcohol when her husband left her for a young Italian starlet. Her life went into a downward spiral and one night she passed out while smoking a cigarette. She never did wake up. It was the first tragedy of my husbands life and he was still mourning her when we first met. We used to look at her modelling portfolio which he inherited when she died and I could see real pain in his eyes. It made me fall for him in a very big way.

When Alex graduated from Edinburgh he went off to live with the sister of Danny (pictured here) in Bombay for a year. His grandfather had set up an ad agency and Alex worked there as a copy writer. He feel madly in love with his host family and the country and he remains passionate about everything Indian to this day. When we first met he whisked me off to India to stay with his 'Indian family.' I can't say his Indian Mother Kiki was exactly taken with me to begin with. She is fiercely protective of her boys and all of her son's wives warned me not to take it personally. I did nonetheless. I really wanted to make a good impression on her. It wasn't until after we married and I had my first child that she decided I was a keeper. Now she treats me like a beloved daughter and it is a joy to see her when she comes to stay. I forget not to admire her jewellery as she will always hand it straight over. Today she gave me a beautiful old ring set with tiny stones. It is worn thin at the base from years of use. I cherish it already.

We will be hosting Kiki's son next month when he comes to London. I am already exhausted thinking about the late nights. The two of them have a hard time calling it a day when they are together. I know the Moose will be very pleased to see him when he arrives.



You might be surprised to hear that Danny is in his 80s. His English wife looks remarkably young as well.