Page 41 of The Sapphire Child
Stella looked on in distress. Lydia was the hateful one for denigrating Tom in his son’s eyes.
She spoke up. ‘Even if MrLomax was court-martialled, it doesn’t mean he wasn’t a hero. Think of all the years of war he went through – all he had to endure – and he was a brave Rifleman on the North West Frontier for years before that. It’s not true that he was a coward.’
Andrew looked up, hope flickering across his face.
‘You always did stick up for Tom, didn’t you, Stella?’ Lydia said in a cold voice. ‘Such misplaced loyalty. We were all taken in by him. I would never have married him if I’d known the truth about his character. I was duped into marriage and promised a glamorous life in India – but that all turned out to be make-believe too.’
Unable to stand this twisting of the truth, Stella blurted out, ‘You just weren’t suited to India! That wasn’t MrLomax’s fault.’
‘Don’t be impertinent,’ Lydia snapped. ‘You were a little girl and had no idea what was going on at the Raj.’
Stella seethed at her condescending tone. ‘I could see you were both unhappy – until baby Andrew came along. MrLomax adored Andrew from the moment he was born and would have done anything for you both. You could have had a good life in India but you chose not to.’
‘How dare you!’ Lydia went puce with anger. ‘You jumped-up little half-half! You had no idea what I had to put up with – a cheating husband and a best friend, the saintly Esmie, who stabbed me in the back.’
‘That’s a lie!’ Stella glared back. ‘Esmie saved your life.’
Lydia stood up unsteadily and stabbed a finger at her. ‘She ruined my life! Pretending to be loyal to me when all the time she was plotting to take my husband away from me.’
‘That’s not true,’ said Stella, furious. ‘Don’t say such things in front of Andrew.’
‘Why shouldn’t he know?’ she said shrilly. ‘That woman has usurped my place – I’m his mother, not her.’
Andrew sat open-mouthed, stunned by their arguing.
Lydia looked at him, wild-eyed. ‘For years I’ve put up with Esmie posturing as your mother,’ she said. ‘But not any more. I want you to live with me. It would break my heart for you to go away again. You must stay!’
Andrew’s expression was riven. Stella wanted to shout out that it was Lydia who was the cheating partner in his parents’ marriage and that it was his mother who had rejected him and left Tom to bring him up. But he had suffered enough being subjected to Lydia’s vile outpouring.
Swaying, Lydia held out her arms to her son. He hesitated. Lydia let out a sob. ‘I can’t bear it if you leave me...’
In alarm, Andrew stood up and hugged her. ‘Please don’t cry again, Mamma.’
Lydia wept into his shoulder and pawed at his hair. Stella looked on, appalled.
‘Don’t desert me,’ Lydia wailed. ‘Stay with me...and Mummy...and then your father might come back...We can be a family again...here in Ebbsmouth.’
Andrew drew back. He looked confused and a little scared. ‘But Dad’s got Meemee now. His life’s in India.’
She clawed at his arm. ‘It doesn’t have to be – he could still choose us.’
‘I don’t understand...Dad loves Meemee.’
Lydia shook her head. ‘He doesn’t! He can’t do. If he did, he wouldn’t still be married to me!’
Andrew leaned back. ‘How can he be? He’s married to Meemee.’
‘No, my darling, he’s not. I can see what a shock that is to you but Esmie is nothing more than a mistress to him. I’m still his wife. They’ve both been living a lie.’
‘No!’ Andrew shook his head as if he could throw off the words he didn’t want to hear.
Stella could take no more. She didn’t care what Lydia said to her, she would not see Andrew subjected to any more of his mother’s vitriol.
‘You’re right, Andy. Your father does love Esmie – and she him – so much so that they’ve both been forced into a pretend marriage for appearances’ sake. But only because your mother won’t give your father a divorce – out of spite; she can’t bear to see them happy—’
Lydia lurched at Stella and slapped her hard on the cheek. ‘Shut up you chee-chee bitch and go to your room!’
‘Mamma!’ Andrew sprang between them, balling his fists. ‘Don’t!’ he shouted.
