Page 46 of The Sapphire Child
‘Aye, I did. It fell oot the linen when I stripped the bed.’
‘So where is it?’
‘I asked the mistress if I should tak’ it round to The Anchorage for you but she said she would dee it...’
‘She never did.’
Lily said, ‘Well, she’s been awa’ since. I’m sure you’ll get it when she’s back.’
Stella had no such confidence. It was far more likely Lydia had simply thrown it away. She could hardly bear the thought that she might have read it first. For Lily’s sake, she tried not to show how upset she was at the maid not passing on the letter herself.
Seeing how the sky was now completely grey, Stella declined a cup of tea.
‘I better get back before the rain gets worse.’
Cycling back, the wind had strengthened and Stella found it hard to stay upright. By the time she reached The Anchorage, she was soaked to the skin. Tibby sent her off to have a hot bath. Thatnight, Stella couldn’t get warm and lay shivering while she berated herself for being so careless in losing Hugh’s lovely letter.
Two days later, Stella came down with a chill and a heavy cold that went to her chest and kept her in bed. Tibby, having banished her to bed, was not a diligent nurse. It was Elsie, the gardener’s wife, who came up with cups of tea and bowls of broth. Despite her kindness, Stella lay feeling utterly homesick and longing for her time in Ebbsmouth to end.
It wasn’t until the last week of the holiday that Stella had shaken off her cold and was feeling like her old self again. Only then did she finally write an affectionate letter back to Hugh, telling him about the early part of the holiday and not the rift with Lydia. She said she would like it if they carried on writing to each other and that there was no one else courting her.
Unable to remember the exact postal address of his sister in Dublin, she hoped that the letter would eventually get to him. She didn’t know the size of the Irish city, but surely there could only be one MrsHenry French? Stella consoled herself with the thought that she could always write to him in Baluchistan once she was back in India.
Unexpectedly, Tibby got a note from Lydia, summoning her round to Templeton Hall.
‘Am I to come too?’ Stella asked. ‘Is Andrew back home with her?’
Tibby said, ‘I’m not sure. Perhaps it’s best if I go alone and see how the land lies.’
Stella spent an anxious two hours waiting for Tibby to return. Desperate to keep busy, she went to help Willie and Mac in the garden picking runner beans and the last of the raspberries.
When she heard Tibby’s ancient car rattling down the track, Stella rushed to meet her. Tibby climbed out and adjusted her purple hat in a nervous gesture.
‘Is Andrew home?’ asked Stella.
‘Yes. I saw him. He seemed in fine fettle.’
‘Oh, good, I’m so glad,’ Stella said in relief. ‘Am I to be allowed back to Templeton Hall before we leave?’
Tibby took Stella gently by the elbow. ‘Let’s sit on the steps for a minute while I explain.’
‘Explain what?’ Stella’s heart began to pound.
Tibby said nothing until they were both perched on the third step leading up to the castle doorway.
‘A lot seems to have happened in the past couple of weeks in Durham,’ Tibby said. ‘I suppose Noel Langley might have something to do with it – the boys appear to be the firmest of friends.’
‘Meaning?’ Stella prompted, anxiety curdling inside.
‘Well, Andrew has chosen to stay here and go to school in Durham.’
Stella gaped at her in shock. ‘You mean, his mother has chosen?’
Tibby gave her a pitying look. ‘Not just Lydia – it seems it’s Andrew’s decision too. He’s taken the entrance exam for Dunelm School and has been accepted. He seems quite thrilled at the idea.’
‘I don’t believe it,’ Stella cried. ‘He must come back to India. MrLomax won’t allow him to stay here.’
Tibby’s face fell. ‘I do feel badly for Tommy – I know how devoted he is to Andrew – but that’s something he will have to sort out with Lydia. Maybe it’s time she was allowed to have Andrew for a bit – before he’s grown up. It certainly seems to be Andrew’s choice.’
