The Sapphire Child (The Raj Hotel #2) - Janet MacLeod Trotter Page 0,22

and had to hold onto the rail.

‘God, Stella, you’re beautiful,’ he murmured. ‘I can’t believe how lucky I am that you’re on the same ship as me. The stars above must have decreed it.’

Trembling, Stella laughed.

‘I’m serious,’ said Hugh. ‘Don’t you believe in fate, Stella? I think we were destined to meet.’

‘I don’t know if I believe in fate,’ she replied, ‘but I’m very glad that we’ve met.’

He brushed her cheek with his hand and ran his thumb over her lips, which made her yearn for him to kiss her again.

‘Are you courting anyone in Pindi, Stella?’ he asked. ‘I asked Andrew but he wasn’t sure.’

‘No, I’m not,’ she whispered.

‘That’s hard to believe,’ he said, his full mouth twitching in a smile. ‘The boys in Pindi must be mighty slow off the mark.’

Stella gave a soft laugh. ‘My father’s very protective – he doesn’t encourage boyfriends.’

‘Well, I’m glad he’s not chaperoning you now.’ Hugh gave a roguish grin.

‘So am I,’ she said.

He trailed a finger down her neck and traced it across the bare flesh at her heart-shaped neckline. Stella thought she would faint at the ecstatic sensation it sent right down to her toes. They kissed again and this time she opened her mouth as he did and tasted him on her tongue.

‘Hughie! Is that you over there?’

Moira’s cry had them breaking apart. Stella moved away from him as her friend approached a little unsteadily along the deck towards them.

‘Stella, there you are. I’ve been looking for you everywhere.’ Moira looked between them. ‘Oh, have I interrupted something? Stella, you look very pink in the face. Is everything all right?’

‘Yes, I’m fine,’ Stella answered.

‘We were trying to work out what stars we’re looking at,’ said Hugh.

Moira thought this was funny. ‘Goodness, don’t ask me! Anyway, if you’ve finished being astronomers then they’re organising a game of charades downstairs. You love charades, Stella, don’t you?’

‘Yes, but—’

‘Good, I thought so.’ Moira turned to Hugh. ‘And I bet you can manage with your sticks. It’ll be such a hoot. Come on, you two; they’re picking teams. Let’s be on the same side.’

Stella knew it was useless trying to resist Moira when she’d set her mind on something. With a longing look at Hugh, she fell into step behind Moira and they made their way below.

Chapter 9

By the time they reached Port Said, Andrew had made friends with an American boy, Bob Werner, a couple of years his senior, who was travelling with his parents. His father was an engineer with an oil company in Assam and the Werners were using a spell of leave to tour Europe. Bob was athletic and happy to play deck cricket – he’d been taught cricket by the sons of tea planters – and in turn he explained baseball to Andrew.

Stella seemed happy that he’d made friends with the polite American boy and stopped watching him so vigilantly. Andrew had noticed that she spent an increasing amount of time on deck with Hugh rather than on the dance floor with Moira. Andrew and Bob would come across them playing backgammon – Stella always seemed to be winning – or helping each other over a game of patience.

Hugh would greet them enthusiastically, but never invite the boys to join them. If Stella suggested it, Hugh would laugh and say, ‘The lads don’t want to sit around when there are more active games to be played.’

Out of earshot, Bob said, ‘I bet you a dollar Mr Keating will propose to Miss Stella before we get to Marseille.’

Andrew was aghast at the idea. ‘Don’t be ridiculous! She hardly knows him.’

Bob looked earnest. ‘Mom says the India ships are famous for whirlwind romance and quick engagements. The men on leave don’t have much time. And Miss Stella looks mighty taken with your cabin-mate.’

‘Stella’s much too sensible for that,’ said Andrew.

But the thought troubled him. What if Stella did lose her head over the Irishman? What if she went off with him? Andrew dismissed the idea. Stella would never leave him to face his mother and Ebbsmouth on his own. She’d promised his parents that she’d look after him and Stella always kept her word.

The voyage began to pass more swiftly and they were soon on the final stretch through the Mediterranean. The nearer they drew to Marseille and the train journey through France, the more Andrew’s thoughts turned with expectation to arriving in Scotland. What was his mother really like? He thought of her as some distant deity or the Snow