Page 14 of The Sapphire Child
Esmie handed it back to Tom and said quietly, ‘Tell him, Tom.’
Tom’s jaw clenched as he stood, undecided. Finally, he said, ‘Your mother would like you to visit her for the summer.’
Andrew looked astonished. ‘In Scotland?’
His father nodded. ‘Yes, in Ebbsmouth.’
A look of relief crossed the boy’s face. ‘Well, that’s not bad news, is it?’
Tom and Esmie exchanged looks. ‘It’s not practicable,’ said Tom. ‘There’s the expense of the boat trips – even if you’d get a berth at this short notice.’
‘Wouldn’t Mother pay?’
‘Even if she did, you’d have to be back here by September to start school somewhere – and we couldn’t take you – the hotel’s just about to open.’
‘We couldn’t send you unaccompanied, Andy,’ said Esmie.
‘Stella could take me,’ he suggested, looking at her expectantly. ‘You’ve never been to Scotland, have you? We could go together.’
Stella felt a flutter of excitement at the idea, but she also felt caught in the middle. ‘I certainly couldn’t afford the voyage.’
‘But what if Mother paid? She’s got bags of money,’ Andrew persisted.
‘I’m needed here, Andy,’ said Stella.
Andy looked hopefully at his stepmother.
Esmie floundered. ‘Maybe another year, when you’re older.’
‘But I’ll never have another summer off school like this one,’ Andrew pointed out, adding quickly, ‘I could do lessons on the boat and with Mother.’
Tom gave a huff of disbelief. ‘Your mother’s shown no interest in your schooling up to now – she’s the last person who’ll make you buckle down to studying.’
Stella knew at once it was the wrong thing to say; Andrew’s eyes lit up with delight.
‘Please can I go?’
‘Why the sudden interest in Scotland?’ Tom asked.
Andrew glanced at Stella and she wondered if he was thinking of their conversation on the marg. He shrugged. ‘I suppose because Mother’s never asked me before – and you’ve always said it’s too far away. Though it can’t be that far, because other boys from school have been to Britain on furlough with their parents. Donaldson said it’s hardly more than two weeks’ journey if you get off the boat in Marseille and take the train.’
Tom ran a hand through his greying hair. ‘Esmie and I will have to discuss it.’ He turned and signalled to Bijal. ‘We’ll have tea now, thank you.’
‘So you’re not saying no, Dad?’ Andrew persisted.
‘We’ll talk about it later.’ Tom stuffed the telegram in his trouser pocket.
Over the next few days, Andrew badgered his father about going to Scotland. Stella knew that part of the boy’s sudden enthusiasm must be his desire to get away from the upset he had caused his parents and leave behind the shame of expulsion from school. In Scotland, no boys would taunt him with gossip about his father or Esmie. She also wondered if he was flattered by Lydia’s unexpected invitation – the mother who had always shown scant interest in him – and secretly craved attention from her.
Tom, though, resisted his pleas. ‘Your mother’s telegram was sent in anger over you leaving Nicholson’s – it was a spur-of-the-moment suggestion which she obviously hasn’t thought through.’
Then two airmail letters came from Lydia: one for Tom and one for Andrew. The chaprassy delivered them as they were having breakfast on the veranda. Andrew tore his open in excitement.
He was triumphant. ‘Listen to this! Mother really does want me to visit.“It’s high time I got to see you. Are you as tall as your father yet? We’ll have such fun this summer. We can play tennis and go sailing and I’m sure we can drum up some other boys if you get bored with the grown-ups.”’
‘And is she going to send a magic carpet to fetch you?’ Tom said with a grunt of disbelief.
Andrew’s eyes shone as he read aloud. ‘“I’ve booked you onto the SSRajputana– it leaves Bombay on the 12th June. I’ve paid for two tickets so your ayah can come with you. You can return at the end of August when your grandmother and I go on holiday to Capri.”Ayah?’ Andrew laughed. ‘Doesn’t she know I haven’t had an ayah since I was a small boy?’
