Page 119 of The Sapphire Child
The Raj-in-the-Hills, April 1942
The evening Tom returned, Stella was settling Belle in her cradle after a long feed. She heard Esmie’s cry of delight and voices on the veranda. They were all still living in the annex but the hotel would be reopening in May and staff hired for the summer season would soon be arriving. She knew that she would only have another week or so of feeding the baby before she would have to hand over nursing duties.
Stella stroked Belle’s pink cheek and soft brown hair and wondered how she was going to be able to leave her. Belle watched her with drowsy eyes as Stella set the cradle rocking. She remembered Esmie soothing Andrew in this very same crib. She longed to hear Tom’s news about his son and how her family was, so kissed Belle and hurried along to the veranda.
There was still a chill in the air once the sun slipped behind the mountain behind them. Tom was already sprawled in a cane chair clutching a tumbler of whisky. Even in the soft lamplight he looked exhausted. He half-rose.
‘Please don’t get up,’ Stella said. ‘How was your journey?’
‘Two punctures and a landslide near Baramullah,’ said Tom. ‘But otherwise uneventful. How is Belle?’
‘Almost asleep,’ said Stella.
‘She’s been good as gold,’ said Esmie.
‘I can’t wait to see her,’ Tom said with feeling.
‘So now that Stella’s here,’ said Esmie excitedly, ‘tell us how everyone is at the Raj. Was Andrew in good heart? Tell us everything.’
Tom took a swig of his drink and addressed Stella. ‘Your family are very well – missing you of course – but all is running smoothly at the hotel.’
‘And how is Myrtle?’ asked Esmie.
‘Putting on a brave face,’ Tom answered. ‘She’s obviously missing Charlie a lot but keeps busy with Charles, whom she adores.’
‘What is Charles like now?’ Stella asked eagerly. ‘Is he saying much?’
‘The wee lad is full of chatter,’ Tom said. ‘Some of it incomprehensible but he’s going to be another sociable Dubois.’
‘And Andy?’ Esmie pressed him. ‘It must have been wonderful seeing him again.’
‘It was.’ Tom’s face twisted in a half-smile. ‘He’s a fine young man – tall and good-looking. The residents were cooing over him.’
‘Is he still the loving Andy we remember?’ Esmie questioned.
Tom put down his glass with a sigh. ‘He’s kind and loving about his mother. But she’s obviously spent the past nine years blackening our names. To be frank, he’s angry at us.’
‘What has Lydia been saying?’ Esmie asked in dismay.
Tom hesitated and glanced at Stella.
‘Do you want me to leave you to discuss this alone?’ she asked.
Esmie shook her head.
Tom said grimly, ‘Lydia claims that I left her for you – that I was the adulterer – and that you stole me away.’
‘How dare she!’
‘Not just that,’ said Tom, ‘but she’s convinced Andy that we also took him from his mother against her wishes.’
Esmie put a hand over her mouth to smother a cry. Tom quickly leaned across and gripped her other hand. ‘I tried to tell him it wasn’t true – that you are a complete innocent in all this – but he won’t hear a bad word said against Lydia.’
‘Does he hate me?’ Esmie gasped. ‘He must do if he believes me capable of such a thing.’
Stella spoke up. ‘He can’t hate you. I know how much he adores you deep down. That sort of love doesn’t just go away. You need to see him again so you can tell him the truth yourself.’
Esmie gave her a grateful look. ‘Tom, do you think he’ll agree to see me?’
