Page 60 of The Sapphire Child
Felicity stubbed out hers on the stone wall and threw it into the dark.
‘You’re not really going home to your mother at ten o’clock on Hogmanay, are you? I bet you’re going to sneak off to a more interesting party now you’ve done your duty here.’
Andrew tried to hide his surprise. He decided to be honest. ‘I might go and first-foot my aged aunt later.’
‘Now that does sound boring!’
‘It won’t be. Auntie Tibby lives with a houseful of artists.’
‘Gosh, really?’ Her eyes opened wide with interest. ‘Is she the woman who dresses like a man and lives at The Anchorage?’
Andrew nodded.
‘I wish I had an aunt as exciting as her.’ Felicity gave a pleading look. ‘Will you take me with you? Please do!’
Andrew shook his head. ‘Maybe another time, Miss Douglas.’
‘I’ll hold you to that, Lomax.’ She grinned.
‘Goodnight.’ He turned and hurried down the steps, shivering in the frosty air. Looking back, Andrew saw the girl still standing in the entrance, watching him. He waved and she waved back before retreating inside. All the way home he couldn’t stop thinking abouthow the annoying eleven-year-old Flis-Tish had turned into a startling vivacious young woman.
Back at Templeton Hall, Andrew found his mother and grandmother had already gone to bed. He grabbed his bicycle from the garage and set off for The Anchorage. Moonlight bathed everything in ghostly silver and cast shadows as he cycled the empty lanes.
He thought about how he’d not heard from his father since he’d started at Sandhurst and he now regretted having sent such a hostile letter in reply to his father’s plea for him to go to university.
He’d received a Christmas card from Esmie telling him that his father had been unwell but sent his love. It had mentioned that Jimmy Dubois was now married and was living at the Raj with his new wife. There was only a passing reference to Stella being back in Rawalpindi and helping her parents once more.
Long ago he had stopped blaming Stella for the hurtful things she had said about his mother and for keeping the truth from him about Esmie not being married to his father. She had been in a difficult position, tasked with looking after him while he was in Scotland and yet resented for doing so by his mother. It wasn’t surprising that her loyalties had lain with his father and Esmie.
What would have happened if he had gone back? He would never have been as happy at school as he had been in Durham or had such a close friend as Noel. Neither would he have got to know his mother or grandmother – or his wonderful Auntie Tibby – in the way he had. His father and Esmie would have kept up the lie of being married and he would have grown up thinking that his own mother didn’t love him. But for all her faults, she did love him.She had been prepared to go through the shame and indignity of divorce so that he, Andrew, could remain with her. She had sacrificed her reputation for him.
His father, on the other hand, had chosen Esmie over his own son. He had agreed to let Andrew stay in Scotland in order to secure a divorce so he could marry Esmie. Andrew sighed. Was he being unfair to them both? After all, it had been his choice to stay in Britain. And deep down, Andrew knew how strong the love was between his dad and Esmie – it had been a part of his childhood. No matter what – or who – had caused the breakdown of his parents’ marriage, didn’t Tom and Esmie deserve to be happy together?
Andrew pounded along on the bicycle trying to rid his head of thoughts of India, but glittering stars always made him think of Stella. He’d expected to hear of her engagement before now – dreaded it because she had captured his heart years ago. Every girl he met, he measured against Stella. Tonight, meeting Felicity again, he’d been drawn by her fair looks and pretty eyes because they reminded him a little of his former friend.
Probably if he saw Stella now, he wouldn’t find her nearly as attractive as in his memory. It had been a boyhood infatuation that he should have let go of years ago. His New Year’s resolution would be to find a woman who didn’t remind him of her in the slightest.
Andrew found Tibby and her friends playing charades in the library in front of a roaring fire. He was pleased to see Ruth among the long-time lodgers: Dawan, Mac and Walter. Willie the gardener and his wife Elsie stood up as he came in.
‘Come and join us!’ Tibby cried in delight. ‘We’re having a hard time trying to guess what film Mac is acting.’
‘How smart you look,’ said Ruth admiringly, making room for him on the sofa. He’d never seen her in an evening dress before and it showed off her cleavage. ‘I love a man in uniform.’
‘Leave him alone,’ said Dawan. ‘He’s too young for you.’
Ruth gave a deep-throated laugh. ‘As you are for Tibby?’ she teased.
Andrew sat next to her and she kissed him on the cheek. He smelt a waft of her perfume and her unruly hair tickled his face. He tried not to stare but couldn’t help wondering what she looked like with her clothes off modelling for Dawan.
Mac continued his energetic mime, throwing his hands in the air and pulling faces.
It suddenly struck Andrew that the Duboises and the residents at the Raj would probably be playing charades this very night too. As a small boy, he had relished being allowed to stay up late and take part. He pushed the thought from his mind as the game rolled on, and all at once it was his go.
‘Okay, I’m ready.’
‘Shush, everybody.’ Tibby silenced her chattering guests.
Andrew signalled that he was doing the whole title, then stood legs apart and pulled on an imaginary bow and arrow.
