Page 13 of The Girl from the Tea Garden
‘I’m sorry, but I couldn’t stand it any longer. They’ve been horrid to me all term and no one’s speaking and Nina Davidge, the colonel’s daughter, has said terrible things about– about both of you– and then they stopped me being in the house play so I did a dance and Miss Black said I was a d-disgrace. And I didn’t know what to do, so I got into Sam’s boot– it wasn’t his fault– and he said he’d get me home. I won’t go back– not ever!’
Clarrie hugged her and stroked her hair away from her tear-stained face. ‘Hush now. Come inside and tell us properly.’ She saw Sam hovering below. ‘And you, Sam, please come up. You’ve had a long, tiring drive.’
With growing reluctance, Sam mounted the steps behind Wesley, who was huffing and muttering under his breath.
Half an hour later, with spicy tea brought in by their khansama, Mohammed Din, who did not hide his delight at seeing Adela, Sam had explained as best he could what had happened earlier that day. Adela, after her first outpouring, was curled up under her mother’s arm, exhausted and suddenly overwhelmed by what she had done. She felt embarrassed and shy in Sam’s company.
‘You should have taken her back,’ Wesley berated the young riverboat captain. ‘They’ll have search parties out looking for her. How could you be so irresponsible?’
‘It’s what Adela wanted,’ Sam defended. ‘She was very upset.’
‘She won’t learn to stand up for herself by running away.’
‘Wesley,’ Clarrie said calmly, ‘go at once and telephone the school. Explain that Adela is quite safe and there’s no need to worry further. We’ll sort things out tomorrow.’
‘I’ll take her back tomorrow,’ Wesley declared.
‘No, Daddy,’ Adela protested. ‘Please don’t.’
‘I think that might be a mistake,’ said Sam. ‘A few days at home won’t do any harm, surely.’
‘Did I ask for your opinion?’ Wesley snapped. ‘Our daughter’s welfare is our business, not yours, Jackman.’
‘Of course.’ Sam flushed. ‘I’m sorry.’
‘Don’t pick on Sam,’ Adela said. ‘He was just trying to help me.’
‘He’s made things worse.’ Her father scowled. ‘You’ll go back tomorrow and face them like a brave Robson.’
Adela sat up in agitation. ‘No, I won’t! I’m not a Robson in their eyes. I’m a two annas– and you’re a four annas, Mother!’
Clarrie gasped and put a hand to her throat.
‘How dare you!’ Wesley hissed. He hauled her from the sofa and shook her. Adela gritted her teeth and glared back.
Sam leapt from his seat. ‘Don’t take it out on her– she’s only repeating what the Davidge girl said.’ He put a restraining hand on Wesley.
‘The Davidge girl?’
‘Nina’s mother said it,’ Adela cried, wincing in pain. ‘Henrietta Davidge. Said you jilted her at the altar and you married a half-caste. But it’s not true, is it? Tell me none of it’s true!’
Abruptly Wesley let go. Adela nearly fell backwards. Her mother heaved herself up, the blood draining from her face as she faced her husband. ‘Henrietta? The woman you were going to marry? Did you know she was in Shillong?’
Wesley’s face was puce with fury. ‘That meddling woman. I did see her at speech day, lording it over the other mothers, but we hardly spoke.’
‘Why didn’t you tell me?’
‘There was nothing to tell. She married a colonel and I married you. She’s just being malicious– jealous of you no doubt.’
Clarrie covered her face in her hands. ‘Oh, this is all my fault. I should have listened to you and sent Adela back to school in England like you wanted.’
‘You wanted to send me to England?’ Adela asked in shock.
Wesley’s eyes shone with a fierce light, his jaw so clenched he could not speak.
‘Only because he thought that way we could protect you from the gossipmongers,’ Clarrie said, her voice wobbly. She reached for her daughter. ‘But I couldn’t bear to have you so far away. It was so selfish of me.’
Adela caught a look of desolation pass between her parents. Her stomach cramped in fear. She flinched away from her mother’s hold.
