The Sapphire Child (The Raj Hotel #2) - Janet MacLeod Trotter Page 0,55

resumed her letter-writing.

The baroness came up here for a fortnight, which was lovely. She went riding nearly every day – she looked so elegant in her old-fashioned riding habit and still rides side-saddle! She must be about eighty but she still won’t tell anyone her real age. As she always says, ‘Young at heart, darling, that’s what counts.’

May 1935

Dear Andy,

This is to wish you a very happy fifteenth birthday!

Jimmy is still playing a lot of cricket, which is annoying his girlfriend Yvonne – she thinks he should be spending his free time taking her to dances at the Chota Club. My brother just laughs it off. I can’t see him ever settling down. She’d be better off transferring her affections to another man – someone like my cousin Rick or one of the Gibson twins, as they all love to go dancing.

The residents at the Raj are getting a bit creaky but they’re all still with us. Ansom and Fritters have become quite friendly with Mr Tamang, the retired Gurkha soldier, and he now joins them for chota pegs before dinner. What are you doing this summer? Your dad would love it if you could come out here. You are probably the most hopeless letter writer I’ve ever known but at least we hear occasionally from Tibby how you’re getting on. She tells me that Dawan has been giving you drawing lessons.

Write soon!

Stella x

August 1935

Happy Birthday, Stella!

I hope you like the sketch of the boathouse below The Anchorage. Dawan calls me a Persian miniaturist! I thought he would be quite a critical teacher but he’s very encouraging and says I should think of doing Art at Glasgow or London. He’s jealous that I’m on holiday on the French Riviera because lots of artists come here. I find it too hot and can’t wait to go to the Highlands with the Langleys at the end of the holidays.

Andrew glanced out of the villa window at the view of shimmering sea beyond a fringe of pine trees and craggy rocks. He wouldn’t risk posting the card till he got back to Scotland in case his mother asked questions. He’d had his biggest row ever with Mamma at Easter. This year, he’d been determined to go to India for the summer holidays and had begun mentioning it in letters to his mother during the Lent term.

On Easter Sunday, he’d gone with his grandmother and mother to lay flowers on his Grandfather Jumbo’s grave in St Ebba’s churchyard. Lydia had wept openly and later taken Andrew aside.

‘I can’t bear the thought of Mummy dying too. She’s growing frailer by the day. You must have noticed a difference since Christmas? I hate the idea of something happening to Mummy while you’re away all summer in India. You’d feel dreadful, wouldn’t you?’

‘Nothing’s going to happen—’

‘It could easily. And I’d have to deal with it on my own – and with you thousands of miles away.’

‘But Dad’s expecting me . . .’

‘You’ve had thirteen summers with your father and that woman! And you’d deny your grandmother a few weeks of your company? It might be her last summer on earth! Don’t you think you’re being a little selfish?’

‘You’re the one being selfish,’ Andrew had retaliated. ‘You’re just making up an excuse so I can’t go to India.’

She’d flinched as if he’d hit her. ‘How can you say such a hurtful thing to your own mother? I’m not doing this for me – I’m doing it for your poor dear grandmamma! But if being with your father means more to you, then I’ll be the last person to stand in your way!’

Andrew had stormed out of the house and marched around the clifftops in a fury. However much he strove to please her it never seemed to be quite enough. She was impossible! He loved his grandmother and was sure that she would encourage him to go to India, but what if something did happen to her while he was away? He would feel terrible. Perhaps she was a bit doddery compared to a few months ago. Mamma was with her daily and would have noticed any changes. Perhaps he was being unfair to his mother. He shouldn’t have called her selfish – she was the most generous person he knew. Yet he longed to visit Gulmarg again and to see Stella.

Andrew had taken refuge at his Auntie Tibby’s for a couple of hours and it was then that he’d asked Dawan if he would teach him to