The Sapphire Child (The Raj Hotel #2) - Janet MacLeod Trotter Page 0,88

be months.’

Stella’s eyes stung with tears. ‘I can’t bear the thought of not knowing when I’ll next see you.’

‘I feel the same way too.’ He raised her hand and kissed it. ‘Stella . . .’ He gazed at her with intense blue eyes. ‘Will you marry me?’

She didn’t know if she was more shocked by the unwelcome news or his sudden proposal. She was in turmoil; her unhappiness turning to euphoria. She threw her arms about his neck and hugged him.

‘Oh yes, yes!’ she cried.

He smiled in relief. ‘Good! It’s the only thing that will keep me going when we’re apart – to know that I’ll have you to come back to – that you’ll wait for me.’

‘Of course I will. There’s never been anyone else for me.’

Hugh kissed her passionately. Stella was light-headed at such a bittersweet moment. Hugh was committed to marrying her and yet was about to go far away to the east for months on end.

Hugh whispered in her ear, ‘I’m mad about you, girl. I want to show you how much I love you.’

Stella’s pulse was racing. She knew what he meant.

He twirled a strand of her hair. ‘But I won’t do anything you don’t wish me to. Do you want me as much as I want you, my green-eyed girl?’

‘Yes,’ she admitted. ‘More than anything.’

‘I’ll be very careful,’ Hugh said, kissing her again.

In the sweet-scented meadow, Stella finally gave herself up to his caresses and love-making.

As they made their way back down to the hotel, Stella’s heart was still beating wildly at the intimacies they had shared under the sighing trees. She couldn’t stop exchanging grins with Hugh at what they had done. She wished they hadn’t wasted most of the week just kissing; if Hugh had proposed sooner, they could have been making love every day.

‘Can we tell the Lomaxes our good news?’ Stella asked.

Hugh hesitated. ‘I’d rather we did it properly and I bought you a ring first.’

‘But there isn’t time,’ Stella said in frustration.

‘On the day I leave,’ said Hugh, ‘come down with me to Srinagar and we’ll buy a ring.’

Stella’s spirits lifted. It would mean precious extra hours with the man she loved.

When they returned to the hotel, Stella couldn’t hide her joy or resist confiding in Esmie. ‘I’m not supposed to say anything yet, but Hugh has proposed.’

Esmie stifled an exclamation and hugged her. ‘I was hoping you’d say that! I’m very happy for you, lassie. I can see how much in love you are.’

‘We’re going to buy a ring in Srinagar when he leaves. I hope that’s all right for me to take one more day off from my duties?’

‘Of course it is,’ said Esmie.

Then Stella told her about Hugh being sent to Singapore. ‘I don’t know when we can get married,’ she said, feeling a wave of unhappiness again.

Esmie tried to reassure her. ‘Maybe he won’t be gone that long. You can still plan for a wedding. You know that you can use either of the Raj Hotels for your wedding party whenever you want.’

‘Thank you!’ Stella smiled in gratitude. ‘Do you think Mr Lomax would agree to give me away?’

Esmie looked overcome by the suggestion. Her voice trembled as she replied. ‘Dear lassie, I think he would be honoured. You’re like a daughter to him.’

They clasped each other in a tight hug.

That night, after sitting up late on the veranda holding hands, Hugh said, ‘Leave your door unlocked and I’ll come to you tonight.’

Later, Stella lay on top of her bed in a loose nightgown waiting impatiently for the dead of night. When all sounded quiet, Hugh let himself in to the small back bedroom and groped for her in the dark.

He lay down beside her and they began urgent kissing, trying to keep as silent as possible. Removing their clothes, Hugh whispered, ‘You’re so beautiful – let me see you properly.’

He pulled back the curtain, letting in a faint silvery light from the setting moon. Stella caught the look of desire on his face as he lay over her and began a leisurely love-making. Rapture flooded through her – even more than the first time in the woods – and she struggled not to cry out.

Afterwards, they lay wrapped in each other’s arms on the narrow bed, her cheek pressed to his chest, which rose and fell rapidly.

‘You make me so happy,’ she murmured.

He kissed her head. ‘And you me, my beauty.’

They fell asleep. Stella was woken by Hugh climbing stiffly off the bed, rubbing