The Sapphire Child (The Raj Hotel #2) - Janet MacLeod Trotter Page 0,52
Andy this,’ Stella exclaimed.
‘I encouraged him to.’ Esmie sighed. ‘But Tom finds it very difficult to talk about the past – and he still feels a sense of shame about succumbing to shell shock and being put in the dock.’
‘What can we do to help Mr Lomax now?’ Stella asked.
Esmie met her look. ‘Reassure him that Andrew is not unhappy with his mother and that Lydia has not forced him into this. Tom’s instinct is to want to rush off to Scotland and rescue his son – despite Andy’s letter telling him he wants to stay in Ebbsmouth. Tom’s finding it very hard to accept.’
Stella nodded. ‘Perhaps his mother will tire of the responsibility – once the novelty of having him around has worn off and she has to deal with a boisterous youth in her household. She’s not the most patient of women.’
Esmie shook her head. ‘Even if Lydia does get fed up with Andrew, she’ll never admit to it. She sees this as a great victory over us – over me in particular – and she’ll make sure he stays in Scotland.’ Her look was dispirited. ‘I can’t blame Lydia for wanting to mother Andy – not once she’d got to know him. I’d have fought to keep him with me if I’d been her.’ Her grey eyes glinted with tears. ‘And there’s one thing that makes me think that Lydia might be genuine in wanting to make a success of being Andy’s mother.’
‘What’s that?’
‘Her most recent airmail letter to Tom says she’s prepared to give him a divorce as long as he allows Andrew to stay with her.’
Stella gaped in surprise. ‘That’s good news, surely? For you, I mean.’
Esmie fidgeted with her necklace. ‘If she’s really serious about it. Tom thinks it’s to stop him appearing in Ebbsmouth or taking her to court to assert his rights over Andrew.’
‘But at least something good might come out of this horrible situation,’ said Stella. ‘Then you can marry properly and not be the victims of unkind gossip.’
Esmie smiled at last. ‘Yes, I long for that, but . . .’
Stella waited for her to elaborate.
After a pause, Esmie shrugged. ‘It just makes Tom feel more guilty towards Andrew – that he has to give him up in order to marry me. Lydia still manages to manipulate Tom even after all these years.’ She let out an agonised sigh. ‘I fear he may grow to resent me for it later.’
‘He won’t,’ Stella cried. ‘Mr Lomax adores you!’
‘Oh, Stella, you are such a tonic.’ Esmie gave her a tearful smile. ‘I’m so glad you are back.’
Stella smiled. ‘And so am I.’
Chapter 19
The Raj Hotel, January 1934
Dear Andy,
Happy New Year! My New Year’s resolution is to write to you again. I’m not sure if you ever got any of the letters I wrote to you after I returned to India at the end of the monsoon season. Perhaps they weren’t sent on to you at school? At least I know from your father that you are well and enjoying school in Durham. I haven’t seen him since the start of the cold season but Esmie tells me he’s started painting again, which is good.
Stella paused, wondering if she should mention Esmie. Things had been far from well when she’d returned to The Raj-in-the-Hills for the final month before it closed for the season. Tom had abruptly disappeared with a hunting rifle. Esmie had been frantic, but Felix had assured her that Tom had taken a tent and had gone on shikar. Tom had turned up four days later, contrite that he’d made them worry so much.
‘I’m sorry, Esmie. I should have told you I was going hunting. I thought you’d guess . . . It’s what I used to do as a young man, remember?’
‘Not since I’ve known you, Tom.’
Later, Esmie had confided in Stella. ‘Does Tom seem confused to you? It’s as if he thought I was his first wife, Mary. He’s never gone on shikar since he’s been with me.’
‘Perhaps he’s worried about Andrew,’ Stella had said. ‘Things will get better once the hotel closes and you have time together. Perhaps you should take him away for a change of scene?’
But the Lomaxes hadn’t gone away. Tom didn’t want to leave Gulmarg, telling Esmie he felt safe in the mountains. Instead, he had begun to spend time in his studio, painting.
‘Your talk of Dawan and his colourful art has inspired Tom again,’ a delighted Esmie had said to Stella.