Page 59 of The Girl from the Tea Garden
‘He appears quite single-minded,’ Fatima had said. ‘I worry for her. She assures me there’s nothing in it, but it’s obvious how flattered she is by all the attention.’
Sundar had laughed. ‘Listen to us, turning into Simla gossips. I’m sure MrsHogg won’t allow anything remiss to happen to her protégée.’
Sam had had to see for himself. Walking back to Sundar’s billet, he’d made an excuse to go further. ‘Just need to stretch the legs a bit more– not used to all this sitting around.’
In the moonlight he’d stridden out of town the five miles to Wildflower Hall. By the time he got there, dinner guests were spilling out of the electric-lit mansion and climbing into rickshaws. He’d recognised Colonel Baxter and his wife. Suddenly his heart had leapt to see Adela emerge in a figure-hugging red dress, her dark hair loose around her shoulders like a film star, Fluffy beside her. Then Sanjay had followed, beckoning a servant, who came forward with a soft shawl, which the prince draped around Adela’s bare shoulders. She had looked up at him with a huge smile of surprise and thanked him. Sam’s guts had twisted with jealousy.
He’d watched as a large gleaming black Bentley pulled up and a footman sprang forward to open the passenger door and help Fluffy inside. The prince had taken Adela’s hand and helped her into the back, then climbed in after her. The car had slipped away down the drive; his last image of Adela was of her face upturned towards Sanjay, still smiling.
Now Sam tried to shake off the leaden feeling he was carrying. Finishing his job at StThomas’, he declined the priest’s offer to stay for tiffin.
‘I’ve another visit to make.’ Sam thanked him and left. He thought about returning to Sundar’s to wash and change out of his damp shirt, but couldn’t put off the moment when he would confront Adela any longer. Pulling on his jacket, he went to buy a box of coconut fudge for Fluffy and then made his way quickly out of the bazaar.
All was quiet at Briar Rose Cottage, the veranda empty. He waved to the mali, who was watering the dahlias and roses. Noor appeared on the terrace. Sam greeted the bearer.
‘Hogg Memsa’b and Robson Memsa’b are not here.’ He gave a regretful sweep of his hands.
‘When will they be back?’
He gave a noncommittal shake of the head. ‘Three days, perhaps four.’
‘Four days?’ Sam cried. That would be after the Sipi Fair, and he would have to be back in Narkanda by then. ‘Where have they gone, Noor?’
‘Eagle’s Nest, sahib.’
Sam’s hopes plummeted. ‘The Raja of Gulgat’s place?’
Noor nodded. Seeing his disappointment, the bearer beckoned Sam on to the veranda. ‘Stay, sahib, and I’ll arrange tiffin.’
‘No, thank you, I can’t stay—’
‘Yes, yes, yes.’ Noor was insistent. ‘Hogg Memsa’b would want it.’
Sam gave in quickly. ‘Thank you, that’s kind. But only if I can take it on the terrace with you. Tea and a chillum.’
Noor smiled in agreement; he liked the young missionary with the open face and cheerful manner, despite his shabby clothes and battered green hat. People from the hills spoke highly of his hard work and lack of airs and graces.
In the shade Sam and Noor sat cross-legged drinking tea, eating boiled eggs and sharing a water pipe. Sam broke open the sweets he’d bought for Fluffy and shared those too. Soon he had the older man talking of his home in Kashmir– Srinagar, by Dal Lake– and his four sons and two daughters, three of whom had children of their own. He liked living in Simla because the hills reminded him of home, but he missed the lakeside; nowhere was as beautiful as Dal Lake on a spring morning with the cherry blossom in full bloom. Two sons worked on houseboats. He would return one day, when Hogg Memsa’b had no more need of him, and live out his days being looked after by his daughters-in-law, inshallah.
‘Don’t you mind having to live far from your family?’ Sam asked.
Noor shook his head, pouring out more hot, sweet chai. ‘It’s the path I’ve been given. It’s the same for you, sahib. You live far from home and your family too?’
Sam felt an overwhelming loneliness. ‘I don’t know where home is, Noor my friend. And I don’t have any family.’
The older man looked shocked. ‘No one?’
Sam felt his jaw clamp as it always did when he thought of his mother. He muttered, ‘Perhaps my mother is still alive, but who knows.’
‘You do not know where she is, sahib?’
Sam shook his head. ‘In England if she’s anywhere.’
Noor placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. ‘If it’s God’s will, you will find each other again.’
Sam gave a bitter smile. ‘I don’t think she’s looking.’
Noor patted his shoulder. ‘You have many friends here, and God will take care of you.’
