Page 24 of The Sapphire Child
‘But you’re coming with us on the train, aren’t you?’ Andrew queried.
‘You don’t need me for that,’ said Moira breezily. ‘I’ve decided to stay on the ship and look after poor Hugh with his bad leg.’ She gave a coquettish smile.
Stella flushed at the news but gave her friend a hug. ‘Good luck, Moira. You’ve been a hopeless chaperone but a lot of fun.’
‘We have had fun, haven’t we?’ Moira giggled. ‘Made those snooty memsahibs choke on their cutlets! Perhaps we’ll meet again. I hope so.’
Hugh came to wave them off, propped up on his crutches.
‘All the best with meeting your ma,’ Hugh said, with an encouraging smile at Andrew. ‘I’m sure you’ll have a high old time in Scotland.’
‘Thanks, MrKeating. I’ve enjoyed being your cabin-mate.’ They shook hands.
Hugh took Stella by the hand. ‘Goodbye, Stella. I’ll have to work on my backgammon before we next meet.’
‘Are we likely to meet again?’ she asked a little stiffly, pulling away from him.
‘I very much hope so,’ he said. ‘One of these days, I’ll come and stay at one of the Raj hotels – escape the heat of Baluchistan.’
‘I’m sure the Lomaxes would be delighted to have you,’ Stella replied.
‘It’s you I would rather be seeing,’ he said, giving her a direct look.
Briefly she nodded at him. ‘Goodbye, Hugh. I’ve enjoyed meeting you.’
As she turned away, Andrew noticed her eyes were brimming with tears.
Feeling guilty at Stella’s unhappiness, Andrew dashed after the Werners to say farewell. The Americans were leaving the ship at Marseille too, but were staying on the French Riviera.
When Andrew and Stella finally got onto the quayside, Andrew looked back to see Moira and Hugh standing close together, watching them go.
‘They’re waving at us,’ he said.
Stella hesitated a moment and then, putting on a broad smile, turned and waved back.
Andrew thought Stella seemed subdued on the train north. She was probably growing nervous at the thought of meeting his mother in two days’ time. He experienced a fresh stab of guilt that she could be missing Hugh – and that he might have spoilt her final days with the young Irishman. Andrew suddenly regretted that he had encouraged Moira to go after Hugh. He shouldn’t have interfered. Stella was so seldom sad and he hated to see her like that now.
By the time they got to Paris, she seemed more her usual self. Andrew was consoled by the thought that once Stella got to Scotland, she would forget all about Hugh Keating.
Chapter 10
Ebbsmouth, Scotland, 1st July 1933
After their long journey, Stella was entranced by the sight of the neat harbour town and the sea beyond, as the train made its way along the estuary.
‘The cottages are made out of pink stone,’ she marvelled. ‘So pretty!’
Andrew was infected by the same nervous excitement. ‘And look at that huge tower on the cliff edge,’ he said. ‘Looks like it’s about to topple into the sea! Do you think that’s The Anchorage?’
‘Where your Auntie Tibby lives?’ Stella asked.
‘Yes, Dad said it was more of a tower house than a real castle.’
As the train slowed to a halt, Stella adjusted her hat and licked her dry lips. She straightened Andrew’s tie – she’d insisted he wore one for meeting his mother – and reached up to smooth down his tufts of dark hair with her fingers.
‘You’ve got a smut on your cheek,’ she said, licking a finger.
Andrew pulled away. ‘Don’t! I’m not five years old.’ He rubbed his face with the sleeve of his jumper.
