The Sapphire Child (The Raj Hotel #2) - Janet MacLeod Trotter Page 0,21

start to race.

‘I’m feeling bad about leading Andrew astray last night,’ he said, ‘and I can tell you’re still cross with me.’

Stella half-turned away and gazed out across the dark sea. ‘As I said, I feel guilty for neglecting Andrew. I’m as cross with myself as with you, Mr Keating.’

‘Well, don’t be,’ he said. ‘I think what happened was probably a good thing.’

Stella looked at him in astonishment. ‘Why on earth do you say that?’

‘Because he won’t do it again in a hurry. It might have put him off liquor for life – or at least for a few years. And isn’t it better that he experienced his first taste of whisky in the company of someone who cares about his welfare and wouldn’t let him have too much – and certainly won’t be telling his parents?’

She felt wrong-footed by his argument, as if somehow the whole thing had indeed been a good thing.

‘I’m not sure about that,’ she answered.

‘Stella,’ he said, ‘may I call you Stella?’ She nodded and he continued, ‘The other good thing was that the whisky loosened his tongue. Andrew started confiding in me about things that are worrying him.’

Stella felt alarmed. ‘What did he say?’

‘How he’s nervous about meeting his mother. He doesn’t know her and is frightened he won’t like her – especially as his father and stepmother have never really spoken about her.’

Stella sighed. ‘Well, I’m concerned about it too. I remember Andrew’s mother as quite a difficult woman – moody and demanding. But at other times she could be charm itself.’

‘Well, perhaps you’d better not tell that to Andrew. The more you encourage him that it’ll be all right the better, don’t you think?’

‘Yes,’ Stella agreed. ‘Thank you for telling me. Andy hasn’t said any of this to me recently. I’ll try and think of some nice things to say about his overbearing mother.’

Hugh smiled. ‘That’s all I wanted to say. Now, I won’t keep you if you want to join Moira and the others.’

Stella turned back to stare out to sea. ‘It’s so lovely out on deck; I think I’ll stay a little longer.’

‘You don’t mind if I keep you company?’ he asked.

‘I’d be happy if you did.’

They stood very close at the railing, their arms touching. Stella’s heart drummed so hard she thought he must be able to feel the vibration through their arms. Her throat was tight with nervous excitement at being so close.

Hugh said in a low voice, ‘Last night we also talked a lot about you, Stella.’

Her heart lurched. ‘Did you?’

‘Andrew is very fond of you, and . . .’ He stammered slightly for a moment and she turned her head to look at him. ‘I find I am falling under your spell too.’

‘My spell?’ Stella laughed gently. ‘You make me sound like a witch.’

Hugh shifted his weight to be sideways on. He ran a finger down her bare arm that made her tingle all over. ‘Perhaps you are. I’m certainly quite bewitched by you. I could drown in those gorgeous green eyes of yours.’

Stella shivered. No man had ever made such bold comments to her before. Monty Gibson had once held her hand and called her pretty and his twin brother Clive had kissed her at a Boxing Day party and said she had sweet lips. But none of the young men of her community had ever made her feel as desirable as Hugh Keating did by merely touching her arm and gazing into her eyes.

‘Maybe it’s the beautiful night that’s gone to my head,’ he murmured, ‘but I’ve never felt this way about a girl before. You know what I really want to do, Stella?’

She swallowed, unable to speak, and shook her head.

‘I want to kiss you so much. Will you allow me to kiss you, Stella?’

She glanced around in case they were being overheard, but there was no one close by and they stood in the shadows.

‘Yes,’ she said, breathlessly.

They leaned towards each other and he kissed her gently on the lips. It felt like butterflies and set her whole body tingling again. He ran a hand across her hair and then kissed her again, this time more firmly. She wasn’t sure how he managed it but somehow, he was able to prop himself against the railing and slip his arms around her. He ran his fingers through her hair again and down her back, pressing her body against his as they continued to kiss.

When they broke away, Stella felt wobbly at the knees