The Sapphire Child (The Raj Hotel #2) - Janet MacLeod Trotter Page 0,14

and told him what happened to you in the war? He’s old enough to understand. And perhaps you should tell him about your loss of Mary and the baby—’

‘No, not that!’

A silence followed. Stella knew she was the only person that Esmie had confided in about Tom losing his first wife in childbirth. ‘The baby died too,’ Esmie had confided. ‘Sometimes the memory overwhelms him. The bad things he saw during the war made it all worse.’

Esmie continued. ‘I hate keeping secrets from Andy – I’m not sure I can carry on pretending . . . Don’t you think we should also be honest with him about us, Tom? He’s not a child any more.’

‘You’re not serious?’ Tom said sharply. ‘I refuse to let the gossips have a field day or drag your name through the mud. I couldn’t bear it – and it would make things ten times worse for Andy.’

Esmie sighed heavily. ‘Oh, Tom! What are we going to do with him?’

‘I don’t know.’ Tom groaned. ‘He’s set his heart on going to Scotland – and maybe it’s cruel to try and stop him. He hasn’t been since he was a baby and I know Lydia’s mother must be longing to see him. And maybe Lydia does now too. Perhaps I’m being unfair to her?’

‘Unfair to Lydia?’ Esmie exclaimed. ‘She’s the one who’s been unfair to us!’

‘I know,’ Tom said in agitation. ‘But maybe if we let Andy visit she might change her mind about things . . .’

‘Oh, darling,’ Esmie said, her voice anxious, ‘can we trust Lydia not to poison Andy against us?’

‘Perhaps he could stay at The Anchorage with my sister?’ Tom suggested. ‘Tibby could chaperone Andy and keep Lydia at bay.’

‘You know Lydia wouldn’t settle for that – she’ll want to show off Templeton Hall to him – and him to the county set.’

‘Well, I could still ask Tibby to keep an eye on him,’ said Tom. ‘And maybe his suggestion of Stella going with him is a good one. She’s sensible and Lydia always liked her. I’m sure if I asked Charlie he wouldn’t stand in the way of Stella having such an opportunity.’

‘I agree about Stella but . . .’ Esmie sounded torn. ‘Aren’t you afraid Lydia won’t let Andy leave once she’s got him in Ebbsmouth?’

‘Lydia will tire of him after a week,’ he said derisively. ‘She can’t bear children and she’s never been motherly towards him. Andy will be far too boisterous for her. She’ll show him off for a few days and then realise that he doesn’t fit in with her social engagements and abandon him to her mother or Tibby.’

There was a pause and then his voice softened. ‘Come here, my sweet one, and stop worrying. Andy will be chomping at the bit to come back to us after a couple of weeks. By the time he comes home, he’ll be ready for a fresh start at a new school. Besides, Lydia could never take your place in Andy’s affections – you’re all the mother he needs.’

‘I thought I was,’ Esmie said, ‘but after these past two weeks, I’m not so sure.’

Stella was caught by a sudden dilemma. Should she tell Esmie what Andrew had told her? But he had made her promise that she wouldn’t and she knew if she betrayed his confidence, he would never trust her again.

She crept around the back of the studio as swiftly and silently as possible and headed back to the hotel.

Chapter 7

Stella had a restless night pondering the Lomaxes’ conversation and particularly Esmie’s puzzling words about wanting to confess something to Andrew. What secrets were they keeping from him? Yet, the possibility of travelling abroad thrilled her. She imagined herself on the boat and then seeing Britain, where both her parents’ families had come from generations ago.

What an adventure it would be! She had heard so much about the country from Esmie. Then there was Ebbsmouth, where the Lomaxes came from: a fishing town on the east coast of Scotland with beautiful sandy beaches and a castle where Tom’s sister Tibby lived. She had never seen the sea.

Stella eventually fell asleep imagining herself high up in a castle tower listening to the sound of the waves pounding the rocks below.

The following day, Tom took Stella aside. ‘I’ve decided to let Andrew go and see his mother for the summer and wondered how you felt about going with him?’

‘To Scotland?’ Stella was thrilled.

Tom nodded. ‘I can trust you to look after