The Sapphire Child (The Raj Hotel #2) - Janet MacLeod Trotter Page 0,111

of Singapore when thousands didn’t – like a rat deserting the sinking ship.’

‘Tom, don’t,’ Esmie reproved. ‘At least he’s not a prisoner, as Stella feared.’

Stella gripped the telegram, her stomach churning. Her initial relief at hearing he was safe quickly turned to anger.

‘No, Mr Lomax is right,’ she cried. ‘Hugh is a rat! He’s not even tried to contact me and tell me he’s all right or ask how I am. I’ve heard nothing for months – not even a telegram.’

She tore the telegram in pieces and jammed them into a brass ashtray.

‘I’m sorry,’ she said, turning and rushing from the sitting room.

Stella escaped to her bedroom and shut the door firmly behind her. The noise woke Belle. She began to grizzle. Stella tensed, balling her fists. Belle was living proof of her naive stupidity; a constant reminder of her weakness in falling so heavily in love with a silver-tongued adulterer.

Belle’s protests grew. Stella knew it would be seconds before the baby was yelling lustily to be fed. She leaned over the cradle and picked her up. For a moment, Belle fell silent and fixed her with curious blue eyes, as if she sensed her misery. She looked so solemn and trusting. Then her rosebud mouth flickered in the ghost of a smile. Even though Stella knew that babies didn’t smile as young as three weeks old, it pierced her heart.

She kissed her daughter tenderly on the forehead and then sat down with her in the nursing chair that Karo had furnished with colourful cushions and a warm wool blanket. Cradling Belle to her breast, Stella felt the familiar tug and her milk beginning to flow. It released the tears that had been welling in her eyes. Stella sat cuddling her baby and quietly weeping. She already knew how hard it would be to leave her and return to Rawalpindi. But she refused to think of the life she must lead beyond this moment. All that mattered was this time with her daughter, giving her what she needed that no one else could.

Through the gauze muslin curtain that blew gently in the breeze at the open window, Stella could make out the fir trees beyond the hotel, stretching up to the marg. She breathed in the sweet scent of pine as her heartbeat slowed and the baby sucked rhythmically at her breast. Calmness settled on her like soft falling petals.

April came, and with it a message from Rawalpindi. When Tom came rushing round from the hotel, the women were on the small veranda of the annex enjoying the secluded view of the sloping forest behind. Stella was experimenting with painting flowers onto fabric while Esmie helped Karo sew cushion covers for the hotel. Belle lay gurgling in the cradle.

‘It’s from Jimmy,’ said Tom, excitement in his voice. ‘He says Andrew has booked into the Raj next week for a couple of nights on his way to Taha.’

‘Next week?’ Esmie exclaimed. ‘That doesn’t give us long to get organised and down to Pindi.’

Stella saw Tom’s look alter. He glanced at Belle, who was waving her hands in the air. ‘I think, given the circumstances, that I should go down to Pindi on my own.’

Esmie looked crestfallen. ‘But I so want to see him.’

‘I know you do, my darling – but you should be here with Belle – and Stella.’ Tom looked awkward. ‘I think I should meet him alone on the first occasion – there has been so much misunderstanding – I can set the record straight. And he doesn’t know about Belle yet . . .’

Stella reddened. Would Andrew be glad to hear he had a baby sister? She hoped so. The last thing she wanted was for her actions to cause further tension in the Lomax family.

‘Yes, I suppose you’re right,’ Esmie said, putting on a brave face. ‘You must have as much time with Andy as you can get. You’ll press him to come and visit us here, won’t you?’

‘Of course,’ said Tom, brightening. ‘This is the place he loved the best in India – I’m sure he’ll jump at the chance as soon as he can.’

Stella felt overcome with excitement. How she would love to see Andrew too! The recent tantalising phone call had made her all the more curious to see what sort of man he had grown into.

Chapter 40

Rawalpindi, April 1942

Andrew peered through the slats of the train window and caught his first sight of Rawalpindi emerging out of the plain in the dawn light.