Page 20 of The Girl from the Tea Garden
‘Chance would be a fine thing,’ Tilly cried. ‘James never takes me these days.’
‘I take you to the film club once a month.’
‘Once in a blue moon,’ she retorted.
‘Well, you hate it there,’ James said. ‘You always complain about the men drinking too much and gambling away the housekeeping.’
‘Oh, talking of which’ – Tilly’s plump face was animated – ‘have you heard about young Sam Jackman, the ferry captain?’
Adela’s heart lurched at the sudden mention of Sam’s name. She caught a look pass between her parents.
‘Heard what?’ Clarrie asked.
‘He’s a captain no longer,’ said James.
‘Lost his boat in a card game a month ago,’ Tilly said.
‘Never!’ Clarrie exclaimed.
‘Silly ass!’ Wesley frowned, throwing Adela a glance.
‘Gambling went on all weekend apparently,’ James said. ‘Drank far too much. Let some clerk from a Calcutta shipping company win it from him. The man offered it back when Jackman sobered up.’
‘But Sam wouldn’t take it,’ Tilly added. ‘Said the man had won it fair and square.’
‘But theCullercoatswas his father’s boat,’ Adela gasped. ‘It meant a lot to him.’ Tilly eyed her in surprise, which made her go red.
‘Obviously not as much as we thought,’ said Wesley.
‘What is he doing now?’ Clarrie asked in concern.
‘Gone,’ said Tilly, ‘with that chattering monkey.’
‘Gone where?’ Adela asked in deep dismay.
‘No one knows. Just up and left,’ Tilly sighed. ‘It’s the strangest thing. He was always such a sensible boy. Don’t think he’s ever really got over the death of his father– they were very close.’
‘Don’t know why you had such a soft spot for him,’ James said. ‘He could be quite critical of us tea planters. Bit of a Gandhi-Congress supporter. Probably gone off to agitate somewhere else.’
‘Good luck to him.’ Rafi smiled. ‘Congress and India need young men of passion from all communities.’
‘And women,’ Sophie added.
James gave a wry look. ‘So speak the couple who enjoy life in an autocratic kingdom. You don’t have agitators coming in to stir up your workforce, do you?’
‘We feed them to the tigers,’ Rafi joked.
‘So you agree with Congress and their incitement to strike and damage our businesses?’ James pressed him.
‘No more than I agree with boycotts by the British, which damage Indian businesses,’ Rafi countered.
‘I agree with you there,’ said Clarrie. ‘The boycotts are petty.’
James pressed Rafi further. ‘Is that hot-headed brother of yours still causing trouble in Lahore?’
‘Ghulam has been out of prison and out of trouble for five years,’ Sophie came to Rafi’s defence. ‘He’s doing social work now.’
‘That’s good,’ said Tilly, ‘isn’t it, dear?’ She gave her husband a warning look. ‘And I’m glad to hear you are in touch with your family, Rafi.’
