Page 90 of The Sapphire Child
‘You look like you’re on manoeuvres?’ she said with a questioning look.
Andrew savoured another berry before deciding to tell her outright. ‘I’m being transferred to a different battalion,’ he said.
Tibby eyed him. ‘And where do they think they need you most?’
Andrew glanced up at the fluttering canopy of beech trees and the pearly grey sky beyond and felt a tug of sadness. He had grown to love this place.
‘East,’ he replied, meeting her look. ‘India.’
Her eyes widened. ‘India? But there’s no war there, surely?’
‘The Nazis have been stirring up the tribes in the North West Frontier to rebel again.’
Tibby gave a little gasp. ‘That’s where Tommy was. Will they send you there?’
Andrew shrugged. ‘I don’t know – but that is where the Second Battalion of the Borderers is stationed at the moment.’
‘How strange,’ said Tibby, ‘if you end up where your father served.’ She touched his arm and smiled wistfully. ‘You’ll be able to see him again after all this time – and Esmie.’
Andrew felt a familiar tension in the pit of his stomach at their mention. ‘Perhaps – although it’s quite a way from Kashmir. And I might not be sent to the frontier. All I know is that in a few weeks I’ll be embarking for India.’
She scrutinised him with a shrewd look in her hazel eyes. ‘Come inside and tell me more.’
As they shared a pot of weak tea in the library, Dawan received Andrew’s news with excitement.
‘I can’t deny I’m a little bit envious that you’ll be going back to India. Plentiful curries and hot sun on your back,’ he said with a wry smile.
‘Does your mother know yet?’ asked Tibby.
Andrew shook his head. ‘I’m summoning up the courage to tell her.’
‘Poor Lydia.’ Tibby sighed. ‘Talking of India then, have you heard from your father recently?’
‘No,’ Andrew said. ‘Not for a couple of months.’
‘Well, it’s the busy time of year for him at the hotel,’ Tibby said in his defence.
Andrew didn’t like to say that he hadn’t written to his father for longer. He found himself agitated by his father’s constant harping on the dangers of the war and his demands for reassurance that he, Andrew, was safe. He would write and let him know about being deployed to India. Or would that just make his father fret about the dangerous sea voyage? Perhaps it might be best to say nothing until he was on Indian soil.
‘Have you heard the news about Miss Dubois?’ Dawan asked.
Andrew’s heart jumped. ‘Stella? What about her?’
‘Oh, yes,’ said Tibby, ‘with all this excitement over your news, it went out of my head. Stella’s engaged at last. Did Tommy not tell you?’
Andrew’s mouth dried. ‘No, he didn’t. Who is the lucky man?’ Even as he asked, he knew.
‘Hugh Keating, of course,’ said Tibby. ‘Isn’t that super? Stella is such a lovely lassie; she deserves to be happy.’
‘Yes, she does.’ Andrew felt a sudden constriction in his chest. He always knew that one day he would hear of Stella’s betrothal but he hadn’t expected to feel so upset at the news. He should be happy for her – and for Hugh, whom he liked – and yet he was overwhelmed with disappointment and envy.
Tibby carried on. ‘It was all very romantic apparently. He proposed to her in Gulmarg and bought her a sapphire ring in Srinagar. She’s as happy as a skylark. Except poor Hugh’s been sent to Singapore with government work so there’s no date been set for the wedding. Perhaps you’ll be in India when it happens. Wouldn’t that be wonderful if you were there to celebrate with them? You were their cupid, after all.’
Finally, Tibby stopped talking and gave him one of her beady-eyed looks. ‘You’re very quiet, dear boy. Are you all right?’
He forced a smile. ‘Yes, fine. I’m just a bit anxious about facing Mamma.’
Chapter 32
