The Sapphire Child (The Raj Hotel #2) - Janet MacLeod Trotter Page 0,96
used to complain that I spent too much of my leave with Flis-Tish,’ Andrew teased.
‘No, I didn’t. I liked her. She had spirit and her family are very well-to-do.’
‘She ditched me for an older man,’ Andrew said ruefully. ‘A farmer in the Home Guard.’
‘The Home Guard?’ Lydia cried. ‘She’s far too young for one of them. I bet he’s toothless.’
Andrew chuckled. ‘I don’t think so. I thought you would have heard from Mrs Douglas. Aren’t you still friends?’
‘I don’t go anywhere these days – my life is spent looking after your grandmother. But I’ll make some enquiries – see how serious Felicity is about this toothless farmer. You liked her, didn’t you?’
‘Yes,’ Andrew admitted. ‘A lot actually.’
‘Then we must invite the Douglas girl over before your leave ends. I’m sure, at the very least, Felicity will want to say goodbye.’
Andrew should have known that once his mother got an idea into her head, nothing would stand in her way. Within two days, she had Felicity round for lunch to fit in with her ARP warden duties.
Before the soup course, Lydia had ascertained that Felicity was no longer being courted by the farmer in the Home Guard.
‘Goodness, I haven’t seen him in months,’ said Felicity, giving Andrew a bold look. ‘I’m not seeing anyone at the moment.’
As soon as the simple lunch was over, Lydia said, ‘Andrew, why don’t you take Felicity for a walk? It’s a glorious afternoon. I want to get some letters written while your grandmamma has her rest.’
Outside, Felicity said, ‘Your mother is shameless. That was a blatant attempt to push us together.’
Andrew laughed. ‘Yes, subtlety is not her middle name. I apologise.’
‘Why should you? Only say sorry if you didn’t go along with the idea.’ She scrutinised him with attractive hazel eyes. Her shorter bobbed hair suited her and her lips were looking particularly red and kissable.
‘I wanted you to come,’ Andrew replied. ‘I’ve missed you, Flis-Tish.’
She smiled and linked her arm through his. ‘Good, because I’ve missed you too.’ They walked down the terraced steps and round the side of the hot houses. Felicity stopped and faced him. ‘I’m really very upset to hear you’re being sent abroad. Why didn’t you get in touch sooner?’
‘I thought you were with another man.’
‘That was never serious – just a fling.’
‘How was I supposed to know that?’ he asked.
‘You should have got in touch when you were on leave before.’
Andrew held her look. ‘The last time I saw you, you stormed out of The Anchorage and said you never wanted to see me again.’
She arched her eyebrows. ‘You weren’t supposed to take that seriously. In fact, you were supposed to run after me and beg me to come back.’
Andrew gave an amused huff. ‘Was I now?’
‘Yes.’ She reached for his hand and pulled him closer. ‘I was annoyed that you didn’t want to make love to me – so I went and found someone who did. But he was terribly boring. It’s you I’ve always wanted, Andrew.’
He reddened. He’d forgotten just how forthright she could be, yet it excited him.
‘The thing is,’ said Felicity, ‘do you still want me? You don’t have to worry about being responsible for my virginity any more.’ She ran a finger across his jaw. ‘I love it when you blush like a schoolboy.’
He caught her hand and kissed it.
‘Is that an acceptance that we should try again to be friends?’ she asked.
‘Yes,’ Andrew said. ‘I’d like that.’
‘Then let’s start by you kissing me properly,’ she ordered.
Andrew bent and kissed her long and hard on the mouth. She responded with enthusiasm. Breaking off, he said, ‘You taste of something sweet.’
She giggled. ‘It’s beetroot. I’ve run out of lipstick. It stains them rather a gorgeous red, wouldn’t you say?’
Andrew licked her lips. ‘Umm, tastes surprisingly delicious too.’
Felicity held his face captive and started kissing him again.
Chapter 34
The Raj-in-the-Hills, mid-October 1941
Stella had an anxious week awaiting a reply from Hugh’s head office in Calcutta. She had a letter written and waiting to send, depending on where they said Hugh was. Still no communication had come from her fiancé. She was plagued with fear that something terrible had happened to him; some accident in the jungles of Malaya, or that he had fallen ill with malaria or worse. There must be a reason why he hadn’t written to her.
The day the last of the guests left at the start of the cold season, Tom walked into the office where Esmie and Stella were doing bookkeeping. He was