‘Take them. I don’t want them. I’m glad I’m not coming back with you, Stella!’
He spun round and fled from the room. She threw the book ends on the bed and went after him.
Andrew was already standing at the main door with his mother as she said goodbye to Tibby. Willie was hovering in the rain with an umbrella, ready to escort Lydia to her car.
‘Goodbye, Stella.’ Lydia turned and gave her a brief nod.
‘Mrs Lomax,’ Stella said, forcing a smile. ‘I believe you have a letter of mine that I left behind by mistake. Lily said she gave it to you. I wondered if you’d brought it. If not, I don’t mind cycling over to get it before I leave.’
She saw Lydia colour. ‘A letter? No, I don’t recall . . . Lily must’ve been mistaken.’
Stella persisted. ‘She found it the day I left and offered to deliver it here but you said you’d do it.’
Lydia gave one of her dismissive waves. ‘I don’t remember any such thing.’
‘The letter from Dublin,’ Stella reminded her.
She saw a flicker of realisation in Lydia’s eyes and knew she remembered the incident.
‘Oh, the letter from a fellow passenger,’ said Lydia. ‘Some widow, wasn’t it? Aren’t you making rather a fuss over it?’
Stella flushed. Lydia was enjoying her discomfort.
‘Well, if it turns up,’ Lydia said, ‘I’ll send it on.’
‘Thank you,’ Stella said, trying to remain calm.
‘Come on, darling.’ Lydia chivvied Andrew out in front of her and dashed under the umbrella.
‘Goodbye, Andrew,’ Stella called.
He half-turned as he hitched his jacket over his head. ‘Bye, Stella,’ he mumbled. Then he was running down the steps and leaping into the car.
She watched and waved until the car disappeared beyond the trees, even though he probably wasn’t looking.
Tibby sensed her unhappiness. ‘I’ll keep an eye on Andrew,’ she promised. ‘I’ll be his link to his father and Esmie. I won’t let Lydia deny me that.’
Stella nodded, too full of emotion to answer.
After that, Stella couldn’t wait to be gone. The next day, Tibby took her shopping for small presents to take back to India, then early on the final morning, Tibby and Dawan drove her down to the railway station to catch the train to London. From there she would join a boat at Tilbury Docks. There was no chaperone organised this time; she would be turning twenty-one in a few days’ time and travelling on her own for the three-week voyage.
At the station, Stella turned to Tibby and raised her voice above the noise of the steam engine.
‘I can’t thank you enough, Miss Lomax, for taking me in when . . . well you know . . . and for making me feel so at home. I’ll never forget your kindness or my time at The Anchorage.’
Instead of shaking hands, Tibby enveloped her in a huge hug. ‘It’s been an absolute pleasure, dear girl. Hasn’t it, Dawan? We’ll miss your pretty smile about the place – not to mention your baking.’
Stella’s eyes smarted with tears. ‘I’ll miss you all too.’
Dawan nodded. He put his palms together in a farewell gesture. ‘Give my love to Lahore when you pass through,’ he said, with a wistful smile.
Stella turned and hurried up the platform to where the porter was putting her case into a carriage. Her heart was heavy; the final goodbyes had been harder than she’d imagined.
How she wished she had parted on better terms with Andrew. It might be many years before she saw him again; she was not convinced that Lydia would allow him to go on holiday to India as he hoped.
Climbing on board, Stella pulled down the window in the carriage door and leaned out to wave. Doors slammed shut, a whistle blew and the train shunted forward. It picked up speed. As she came alongside the barrier, she saw Tibby and Dawan waving through the engine smoke. Then she was past. She gazed out for her final view of Ebbsmouth, its pretty curving bay glinting in the early sun.
For an instant, she thought she saw someone waving from beyond the fence – a dark-haired youth? – and then the train pulled away from the town. Stella’s chest tightened. The figure made her think of Andrew, though it was very unlikely to have been him. With a heavy sigh, she leaned in and closed the window against the smoke.
Stella sat down and closed her eyes, conjuring up India and home in her mind.
Andrew leaned on the fence, staring at the retreating train, breathless from