SQ 04 - The English Concubine (31 page)

Charlotte put her hand on her belly as the baby moved inside her. She was big with this child now but she did not mind.

‘I thought I’d lost it and found that thought was intolerable. If I never come back, I will still have Zhen with me. It’s a boy, I’m certain of it.’

‘You haven’t answered my question.’

‘Because I can’t.’

42

Zhen put down the newspaper. There were two items of interest in it today. The first was the fact that Hong Boon Tek had been found guilty of murder. The captain and other witnesses had testified that Hong had ordered two of his men to murder a Malay headman and his family two years previously for stealing his own illegal chandu. Those men, had, since then, been murdered themselves. The article went on about the revenge killings and the appalling state of the Chinese town.

Wang had had no small hand in this, pressuring the Hongmen brothers to give Hong up to the British. The captain of the captured junk had been quick to reveal these murders for a leniency in his own punishment. These men were as ruthless as Hong and could always sense when to desert the sinking ship. For his pains Wang had been murdered one evening on the outskirts of the town, his throat cut but no-one had been convicted of that crime.

Hong would go to Calcutta to be hanged. The lease for the opium farm had passed to Cheng as the only other bidder and he had earned the undying love of the governor by offering to continue at the present price until the leases came up again next year. The great opium syndicate of Tay-Cheng had begun and offered unrivalled prospects of peace and profit.

The second item was the shipping news. The
Queen of the South
, Capt. Hall, from Batavia, had arrived in the roads with a cargo of timber, nutmeg, mace, rattans, sarong cloth, Japanese silk and porcelains and would be held on commission at the godown of Robertson and Kerr.

He could not be sure that she was on it. Robert had merely told him that his daughter was returning home. The ship had arrived in the twilight and disembarked quickly. Had she returned too?

Cheng strolled into the godown.

‘You’re sure you won’t stay on?’ he said, ‘as leader?’

Zhen shook his head. ‘No, we have discussed this. Your status in the town has rapidly become very great. The Temenggong says you are “our friend, beloved of us”. The coup of continuing the lease price with the government has endeared you to the governor. Your gift of two thousand dollars to the Poor Fund has endeared you to the church and your offer to fund regular patrols of the junks to prevent smuggling has endeared you to the police. You have done very well. The English establishment adores you. I wouldn’t be surprised if, in six months’ time, they offered you a position on the Grand Jury. Better learn English.’

‘I couldn’t have done this without you.’

‘I know.’

Cheng laughed.

‘Which is why, when you become Shan Chu, I would like your word that you will help me find my Scottish son. He has disappeared but there are Chinese everywhere in the East and one day I will find him if enough eyes are watching.’

‘You have my word. I thought we might share a meal today. Jia Wen has brought us lunch.’

Zhen smiled and rose.

On the other side of the river Charlotte gazed down on Boat Quay from the open windows of the upper hall of the court house. She saw Amber move slowly across Thomson Bridge and disappear.

She returned her gaze to the godown as Zhen emerged from the darkness in the company of an older man. He stood in the brilliant light of the day, strong and handsome. He was always heart-stoppingly handsome. She put her hand to her belly. A little foot came to greet her hand.

The men greeted a woman, a beautiful, honey-skinned young woman dressed the way the Javanese did, in the tight bodice and sarong. She was slim and fine boned and even from here Charlotte could see she was pregnant. Perhaps four months. The bump was obvious and the woman stood, the way pregnant women do, her back slightly sway and one hand protectively to the side of her belly. She smiled widely at the two men. She indicated the tiffin carriers in the hands of her two servants. Zhen lifted the lid on one and peeked inside the top level. He smiled and bowed to her. Charlotte let out a gasp.

She knew the wives brought lunches to the men in the godowns. She had seen this scene enacted a thousand times.

She turned away. So now she had only to decide when to leave. She was seven months pregnant. It would not be comfortable to travel with such a belly on the open seas, even on such new steamer passenger ships as were offered by the P&O. The overland part of the journey across the desert would be arduous. She should wait and see Amber settled, have her child.

But she couldn’t do it. All the hardship in the world was not equal to the pain of being in the same town with him. Any revelations about this child would be embarrassing and pointless. He had begun a new family, one which would belong to him entirely.

She turned as Robert entered. His eyes flew open and his jaw dropped.

‘My God, sister,’ he said, staring at her belly. ‘Is there any child of yours which will not be a total surprise.’

‘Sorry, Rob,’ she said, ‘I do rather make a habit of it.’

He looked at her and put his head on one side.

‘It’s Zhen’s?’

‘Never mind that. Let’s go. I need some lunch and then I want you to send a boy to get me a first-class ticket on the next liner leaving Singapore for London.’

‘Like this. Blown up like a balloon. You intend to travel like this. And alone.’

‘I came alone and I can leave alone. There shall be plenty of passengers on board willing to be my companions. And I shall not mind if there are not.’

Robert shook his head.

‘How are little Robert and Andrew?’

Robert immediately forgot his sister’s problems.

‘Marvellous, marvellous. And Teresa is marvellous too. What a woman.’

Charlotte smiled and took Robert’s arm.

* * *

Amber waited across the street from the medicine shop, watching. This was a quiet street of cloth merchants, pepper and gambier shops, spice emporia, trade goods which arrived from India and Persia and China, silks and porcelains, tin trays and manufactures from England, fine wines and perfumes from France.

An old Baba woman and her middle-aged daughter emerged and Amber crossed the street and went inside.

A Chinese medicine shop has an odour peculiar to itself of herbs and mushrooms and wood all boiled together. It was strange but reassuring like the kitchen of her mother when she tried a new recipe.

It was empty and cool. The young clerk looked up and bowed. It was somewhat unusual to see an English lady in the shop but not rare. And she was pregnant. He moved around the counter and put a stool at her disposal.

‘Thank you,’ she said.

Unfortunately he could not speak English. He put up his finger, asking her to wait and went quickly upstairs to the office of the mistress. Dr. Kow Pah was leaning towards the mistress, their heads close together over some papers. He knocked and bowed.

Lian looked up from her desk. Dr. Cowper moved away to the sofa, looking embarrassed. Lian smiled at him.

‘What is it?’

‘An ang moh, downstairs,’ he said. Lian glanced at John.

‘Not ang moh, remember,
Englishman.’

‘Oh sorry. Not Englishman.
Englishwoman
.’

‘I’m coming.’

The young man ran downstairs.

‘I’ll be a moment,’ she said to John.

He came up to her and took her hand and put it to his lips. She kissed his cheek. She owed this man everything. Her life, first and foremost. His brilliance as a surgeon had saved her leg which had been broken in three places. He had repaired it and though she would always limp she had full use of it. He had repaired the gash in her skull too and, together with her father, they had found medicines and formulas to keep all the fevers at bay. She had been saved from instant death by a series of small shrubs that had broken her fall. John had done the rest.

But that was not why she loved him. She loved him because he had restored her mind through hours of care and love to a place where she was able to put aside, for the most part, the feelings of guilt and anguish.

‘Say yes.’

‘No, not until my baptism. And not until you have asked my father formally. I know he is happy about this and you’re his friend but you’re still an ang moh.’

‘Englishman
, remember,’ he said and she laughed.

‘I want everything by the book. Ask my father formally.’

‘All right. But it doesn’t have to be a religious ceremony. A civil marriage can be performed by Blackwood or even the governor.’

‘I should like to be married in your church and in your faith. It’s important to you and it is important to me too.’

He kissed her lightly on the lips and she pressed against him.

‘My faith, as you put it, is not in the least important to me. I should just as well like a civil marriage. I would very much like not to wait too much longer, my darling.’

Lian kissed him again. She too wanted their married life to begin, but a swirl of doubts, like flocks of sparrows, occasionally assailed her.

‘You are not certain I can have children, John. If that is the case, are you absolutely sure?’

He put his hand to her cheek.

‘Absolutely sure.’

She put her lips to his and he took her in his arms, kissing her with a wildness belied by his seemingly gentlemanly nature. Under his English calm, he was a passionate man and she wanted his wildness and passion. It struck a chord in her nature and she loved him for being wild for her, knowing all her dreadful transgressions. His love absolved her and she kissed him back, abandoning herself to his kiss. She would be happy with him, of that she was absolutely certain. He picked up his hat and ran lightly down the stairs.

She followed him more slowly, careful of her leg, and instantly recognised the woman waiting for her.

‘Amber,’ she said quietly and went into the shop.

Amber turned. Lian’s eyes went to her belly. Alex’s baby. She was not sure she would ever quite get over Alex. She still loved him so much. The fact that it was morally wrong to love your half-brother in such a way did not mean such feelings disappeared. Certainly not in the short months since she had recovered her health. But this love was now tempered with reason and quiet resolve. Amber moved forward and Lian took her hands.

‘Oh thank you for coming. Come upstairs.’

She led Amber to her sitting room and Amber saw how she limped and frowned a little. She looked around at the paper-strewn desk and the boxes of herbs and pills.

‘You live here?’

‘Yes. Father gave me this building and the shop to run. I am writing a medical treatise in English on Chinese medicine.’

‘Gosh, Lian. You work?’

‘Yes, amazing isn’t it.’

‘Gosh, your father is the most unorthodox man.’

Lian smiled. ‘Yes.’

Amber sat on the sofa and Lian drew up a chair.

‘Are you well, Amber? The baby.’

Amber looked down and patted her belly. ‘Yes, all right. Been a bit hard, actually.’

‘I’m sorry. I have no words.’

Amber looked up at Lian and tears sat in the corner of her eyes.

‘Are you angry with me, Amber?’

‘Was. Really was. But what’s the use. You nearly died.’

‘I nearly died. Father and Dr. Cowper saved me.’

‘You lost the baby.’

Lian felt the furrow of pain between her brows, then breathed deeply. ‘Just as well, don’t you think?’

Amber nodded. ‘He went away. He couldn’t stand us.’A silence fell into which floated the sounds of birdsong from the cages on the balcony next door.

‘Will he come back,’ Amber said, her eyes sad, ‘do you think?’

‘Perhaps, in a few years. He’ll want to see his child.’

‘I miss him, Lian,’ Amber said and burst into tears.

Lian went to her friend and sat next to her and the two girls hugged. I miss him too, Lian wanted to say, but knew she could not.

‘I know it’s morally reprehensible to say it after all we’ve been through, but this baby of yours, well, it’s my niece or nephew.’

Amber sat up and dried her eyes. ‘Gosh, I never thought about that.’

‘Can I love it, Amber? Will you let me love Alex’s child?’

‘You’re my oldest friend, you know. It’s not our fault. Aunt Charlotte told me that. It’s her fault. Your father begged and begged to tell Alex but she never would. None of this would have happened if she’d told Alex who he was.’

‘Poor Charlotte. She was so good to me, you know. Tried so hard for me. I can’t blame her. We all do things we regret.’

Amber sighed. ‘Yes. We do. Of course you can love this baby. Why should it not have as much as it can get? Its father might not be around.’

‘Oh, thank you, Amber.’

The two girls hugged again.

‘You know,’Amber said, ‘I’m frightfully thirsty.’

‘Want some tea? Chinese tea.’

Amber made a face. ‘Gosh, Lian, how foul. Are you mad?’

‘English then. Come on, in the kitchen.’

Amber rose. ‘Did you hear Sarah Blundell married some massively fat and wealthy old Anglo Indian towkay? Marry for love indeed, little hypocrite.’

Lian laughed. In the kitchen she added some sticks to the fire and put water on for the tea. She busied herself with cups. Amber sat and rubbed her belly.

‘I’m glad to be home. Aunt Charlotte’s going back to Scotland.’

‘Is she? That’s sad.’

‘Not so much sad as mad. Sailing on ships at her age when she’s so pregnant is jolly silly.’

Lian turned and faced her friend.

43

‘The booking is made,’ Robert said. ‘First class all the way. Steamer to Bombay via Galle, then on to Suez, train overland and pick up the steamer in Alexandria. Goes to Marseilles, train to Paris then Calais and packet to Dover. Thirty-six days, give or take. The ship departs in three days.’

‘Rob, amazing isn’t it. Remember our voyage out? Took six months under sail on the high seas. How did we manage it?’

‘Ignorance and nothing else to be done. But Kitt, I am worried. This is such a rush. You’ve hardly been here a week and now you intend to depart. Thirty-nine days when you are now over seven months pregnant. At Dover I’m told the rail line is not complete and in imperfect condition so you may have to take a coach. And even then you will have the long train journey to Aberdeen. It is a voyage of some enormity in your condition. Anything could happen. And nothing in place up there for the birth. Reconsider, please. Wait and have the baby here and then we can organise nursemaids and such and you can travel in perfect safety.’