The peacock spring - Rumer Godden

Una is 15 when her father summons her and her sister Hal to start a new life in India. When she discovers that their beautiful governess Alix is actually his mistress, she is furious. Alix isn't qualified to teach Una at the level she needs to ensure a university place, but her father suddenly seems to think that his daughter's education doesn't really matter.

Bored and lonely, Una starts to spend time with Ravi, the gardener's young assistant. He's a high-born Brahmin - a poet cast out by his family, a political activist hiding from trouble. He's also incredibly attractive. While her father is completely blind to Alix's neglect of Una and Hal, Una embarks on her first sexual relationship - one which breaks all the rules. Life is about to teach Una a lot of lessons - about race, about romance, about adults and about trust.