Page 127 of The Secrets of the Tea Garden

Adela laced her fingers in his. ‘That’s been my fault for becoming so fixated on finding ...’ She swallowed, unable to mention her son again. ‘But I can find society wherever we go. I just want you to be happy and us to be together.’

He squeezed her hand and kissed the top of her head. ‘I want the same for you.’

Adela felt a fresh surge of affection for her easy-going husband.

‘And what about your mother?’ she asked.

‘She’ll understand,’ Sam said. ‘My future is with you, my darling.’

Adela’s heart lifted with optimism. ‘Then why don’t we start at Belgooree?’ she suggested. ‘You could learn more about tea – my mothercould teach you so much – if you really are interested in that. Or if you decide you’d rather carry on with your photography, we could go back to Calcutta. We have friends and contacts there. Perhaps Ghulam Khan could give you an introduction to his newspaper?’

‘Yes,’ said Sam, ‘I like both those ideas.’

Adela saw the enthusiasm in his eyes. ‘Good.’ She smiled. ‘I’ll write to Jane today. But I’ll not mention anything to Mother until things are more certain.’

Sam nodded. ‘What about Tilly and the others here?’

Adela grimaced. ‘It’s going to be hard telling Tilly.’

‘She’ll not want you to go,’ said Sam.

‘No, so we won’t say anything yet,’ said Adela. ‘Except to tell her that we’ve kissed and made up. She’ll be happy about that.’

Sam grinned. ‘There’s no hurry to rush back to South Gosforth just yet. How about a bit more kissing and making up?’

Adela smiled, pushing him back on to the pillow and kissing him eagerly on the mouth in answer.

It was lunchtime before Adela and Sam returned to Tilly’s, hand in hand and grinning foolishly at each other. Adela felt heady from their recent intimacy and Sam’s demonstrative love for her. She hated to think how close she had come to losing him. Tilly had been right; it was when life became tough that true love was put to the test.

She had blamed Sam for not understanding her huge need to find her son but it was she who hadn’t been honest with him about her deep sense of guilt and desperate hope. He had tried to support her but she had kept him at a distance, thinking only of her own feelings. From now on, she would not shut Sam out from anything. They had agreed they would have no secrets from each other.

‘Hello!Koi hai!’ Adela called as they entered the house. ‘We’re back! Anyone at home?’

After a pause, Josey shouted. ‘In the sitting room. Sam with you?’

Adela and Sam exchanged bashful looks.

‘Yes,’ shouted Sam, taking Adela firmly by the hand and pulling her into the sitting room.

Tilly, Josey and Mungo were sitting down, their faces turned expectantly towards the door. Adela thought at once that Tilly had been crying; her eyes were red-rimmed and glistening. Josey looked flushed from several sherries.

‘Is everything all right?’ Adela asked in alarm.

‘Perfectly,’ Tilly said with a teary smile. ‘I’m so glad to see you both together again.’

‘I hope that means you’ll be moving back in?’ said Josey with a wink.

‘Yes, for the time being,’ said Sam. ‘Until Adela and I find our own place.’

‘Great,’ Mungo said with a grin, ‘someone to talk to about cricket for once and not theatre costumes or outings with the Mothers’ Union.’

‘You know I can talk just as knowledgeably about cricket as Sam can,’ Josey said with her deep-throated laugh. ‘Can I pour you lovebirds a sherry?’

Adela felt a familiar urge for a drink. She remembered how Sam thought she was drinking too much.

‘No, thanks,’ she said, ‘I’ll go and make some tea.’

‘I’ll come and help you,’ said Sam, squeezing her hand.