Page 15 of The Sapphire Child
Tom looked shocked. Esmie gave him a worried look.
‘What does your letter say, Dad?’
‘I’ll read it later,’ Tom said, leaving it on the table unopened as he finished his half-eaten toast.
‘But you will let me go, won’t you? Mother’s bought tickets—’
‘We’ll discuss it later,’ his father said, slurping down tea and standing up. ‘I’ve got a lot to see to today.’
Stella was picking flowers at the far end of the garden when she overheard Tom’s raised voice coming from his studio.
‘... the gall of it! Lecturing me on neglecting our son when she’s not shown the slightest bit of interest in him since he was born. Now I’m getting blamed for Andy’s wild behaviour.’
‘It’s not your fault, darling.’ Esmie’s voice was placating.
Stella hesitated. She wanted to move away but if they heard her, they would know she had been listening. She held her breath, wondering if she could creep away without being noticed.
Tom let out an anguished sigh. ‘But perhaps it is? All that talk of me being an unfit soldier – the court-martial – all they say about me is true.’
‘Don’t be ridiculous – of course it’s not true. You don’t have one cowardly bone in your body. Tom, what you did was brave beyond words.’
‘That’s not how half the regiment saw it.’
‘They were wrong. You have nothing to be ashamed of. In fact, isn’t it time you were straight with Andy and told him what happened to you in the war? He’s old enough to understand. And perhaps you should tell him about your loss of Mary and the baby—’
‘No, not that!’
A silence followed. Stella knew she was the only person that Esmie had confided in about Tom losing his first wife in childbirth.‘The baby died too,’Esmie had confided.‘Sometimes the memory overwhelms him. The bad things he saw during the war made it all worse.’
Esmie continued. ‘I hate keeping secrets from Andy – I’m not sure I can carry on pretending...Don’t you think we should also be honest with him about us, Tom? He’s not a child any more.’
‘You’re not serious?’ Tom said sharply. ‘I refuse to let the gossips have a field day or drag your name through the mud. I couldn’t bear it – and it would make things ten times worse for Andy.’
Esmie sighed heavily. ‘Oh, Tom! What are we going to do with him?’
‘I don’t know.’ Tom groaned. ‘He’s set his heart on going to Scotland – and maybe it’s cruel to try and stop him. He hasn’t been since he was a baby and I know Lydia’s mother must be longing to see him. And maybe Lydia does now too. Perhaps I’m being unfair to her?’
‘Unfair to Lydia?’ Esmie exclaimed. ‘She’s the one who’s been unfair to us!’
‘I know,’ Tom said in agitation. ‘But maybe if we let Andy visit she might change her mind about things...’
‘Oh, darling,’ Esmie said, her voice anxious, ‘can we trust Lydia not to poison Andy against us?’
‘Perhaps he could stay at The Anchorage with my sister?’ Tom suggested. ‘Tibby could chaperone Andy and keep Lydia at bay.’
‘You know Lydia wouldn’t settle for that – she’ll want to show off Templeton Hall to him – and him to the county set.’
‘Well, I could still ask Tibby to keep an eye on him,’ said Tom. ‘And maybe his suggestion of Stella going with him is a good one. She’s sensible and Lydia always liked her. I’m sure if I asked Charlie he wouldn’t stand in the way of Stella having such an opportunity.’
‘I agree about Stella but...’ Esmie sounded torn. ‘Aren’t you afraid Lydia won’t let Andy leave once she’s got him in Ebbsmouth?’
‘Lydia will tire of him after a week,’ he said derisively. ‘She can’t bear children and she’s never been motherly towards him. Andy will be far too boisterous for her. She’ll show him off for a few days andthen realise that he doesn’t fit in with her social engagements and abandon him to her mother or Tibby.’
There was a pause and then his voice softened. ‘Come here, my sweet one, and stop worrying. Andy will be chomping at the bit to come back to us after a couple of weeks. By the time he comes home, he’ll be ready for a fresh start at a new school. Besides, Lydia could never take your place in Andy’s affections – you’re all the mother he needs.’
‘I thought I was,’ Esmie said, ‘but after these past two weeks, I’m not so sure.’
Stella was caught by a sudden dilemma. Should she tell Esmie what Andrew had told her? But he had made her promise that she wouldn’t and she knew if she betrayed his confidence, he would never trust her again.
