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When the clock on the mantelpiece chimed the hour, they hurried together across the lawn, arriving at the back of his parents’ house at approximately the same time as Safiya and her parents arrived at the front. Ava greeted Safiya with a hug, and his mother served lunch in the large conservatory.
The initial polite conversation quickly gave way to genuine warmth between the families. When Safiya began to tire, she was despatched upstairs to lie down in the spare room, and coffee was served on the lawn.
‘How is Mariam?’ Thea asked Amina.
‘She is improving. She has been very upset that she was falling behind with her studies.’ Amina smiled. ‘Safiya does not have this problem. But keeping Mariam away from the library is difficult. She spends a great deal of time there.’
Thea shot him a look, one eyebrow arched in query. Lucas nodded. He knew about this already, and was in the process of liaising with the local hospital.
‘Safiya tells me that you are going to France for three weeks.’ Amina turned to Ava. ‘You must be looking forward to it.’
‘Yes, but I’ll be able to message Safiya. When we get back, Lucas and Thea are going to Mumbai, but that’s for work. Thea’s giving a talk at a conference.’
‘My first. I’m dreading it.’ Thea gave a little smile, as if the dread wasn’t all that bad. Lucas knew that wasn’t true, but at least she was talking about it. He hadn’t heard her mention it to anyone else before now.
‘Oh, I’m sure you’ll be wonderful.’ Amina looked at her husband and he nodded in agreement. ‘It won’t be too hot in September. Maybe a little wet.’
‘I used to love staying inside and drinking tea at monsoon time. Watching the rain.’
Lucas caught his breath. It was just a memory. But it had broken through the barrier of misery that seemed to separate Thea from the world. Maybe, in time, there would be more like this.
‘This isn’t your first time in Asia?’ His father looked puzzled and Lucas glared at him, willing him to leave well alone.
‘I lived in Bangladesh for two years. I was working at a TB clinic.’
‘That must have been very challenging.’ The hairs on the back of his neck prickled as Amina spoke again.
‘In more ways than I could have imagined. I loved it there, though.’ Thea looked almost as if she couldn’t believe what she was saying, but she shot him a grin and Lucas relaxed.
‘I hope that you return, then.’
‘Thank you. I hope so too.’ There was a touch of defiance in Thea’s eyes. She might be afraid, and uncertain, but she was fighting back now.
* * *
His father waited until that evening, when everyone had gone, to ask. Lucas had known for some time that the question was coming.
‘I didn’t realise that Thea had gone to Bangladesh.’
‘No. Neither did I until about a month ago.’
His father nodded thoughtfully. ‘Anything to do with you?’
Lucas sighed. He’d resolved that if Thea could talk about it then so could he, but it still wasn’t easy. ‘Yeah, I think so. She had a bad time and I wasn’t there to help her.’
His father walked over to the sideboard, picking up the brandy decanter and pouring a measure into two glasses. Something about his demeanour reminded Lucas of all the times he’d measured ice cream into a bowl for Ava. ‘What sort of bad time?’
Lucas took the brandy and swirled it in the glass. ‘Thea helped a fifteen-year-old girl who was pregnant and had been beaten by her husband. And instead of giving her a medal for that, the police locked her up on a trumped-up kidnapping charge.’
‘How long did they hold her for?’
‘Two weeks. Thea wouldn’t say where the girl was, even when they threatened her with a long prison sentence.’
‘Brave girl.’ His father took a mouthful of brandy, seeming to decide that the details could wait until another time. ‘I always liked Thea. Never understood why you two didn’t get married.’
‘Things happened, Dad. You know that.’
‘Life goes on as well.’
