Where Earth Meets Sky (56 page)

‘That’s my girl – God, I love you, Lily . . .’ His smiling eyes met hers and he pulled her close and kissed and kissed her in the rain.

For a time, that evening, the great force of the rainstorm had passed and there was a calm lull before a gathering of the next. The air felt washed and clear, and full of the new smell of soaked earth and all the plants and trees looked washed and vivid.

Lily, Sam and Susan sat on the veranda, sipping whisky and water after their evening meal. Edward was settled in bed and as they enjoyed the calm of the evening, comfortable in wicker chairs, every so often, Lily felt Sam take her hand privately, between their chairs, and hold it, giving it a loving squeeze.

A deep quietness seemed to fill the valley. From far away an occasional cry, human or animal, broke into the silence, a peace which had also come upon the three of them. The sun sank behind the dark peaks far over to their left and every now and then they saw the black outlines of birds wheeling against the changing colours as the newly washed sky altered with the sun’s retiring. It passed through white-gold to orange and pink, the mountains edged with purple shadows which sank into the smoke-grey of dusk, and they could just distinguish the outline of the peaks. Still they sat on without lighting candles, not wanting to break into the gradual eclipse of the day but let things be, watching the darkness gather, until the hour when there are no more edges to the land, and sky and rock are one.

Where Earth Meets Sky

A
NNIE
M
URRAY
was born in Berkshire and read English at St John’s College, Oxford. Her first ‘Birmingham’ novel,
Birmingham Rose,
hit
The Times
bestseller list when it was published in 1995. She has subsequently written many other successful novels, including, most recently,
A Hopscotch Summer.
Annie Murray has four children and lives in Reading.

A
LSO
BY
A
NNIE
M
URRAY

Birmingham Rose

Birmingham Friends

Birmingham Blitz

Orphan of Angel Street

Poppy Day

The Narrowboat Girl

Chocolate Girls

Water Gypsies

Miss Purdy’s Class

Family of Women

The Bells of Bournville Green

A Hopscotch Summer

For Sam, Rachel, Katy and Rose

You’re the best.

With lots of love,

Mum

xxxx

My thanks for help in researching this book are due to the National Motor Museum at Beaulieu and Brooklands Museum in Surrey. Also to my mother Jackie Summers for invaluable information, Rajinder Singh for assistance in Ambala and a special thank you to Bill Meyer for the time, expertise and information he shared with me on the way.

‘Throughout its history, the car has been a liberator, an agent of freedom. Throughout its history, the car has enabled people to break out of their constraints, to attempt something they could never previously do, to venture somewhere they could never previously go, to support ideas and trends they could never previously endorse.’

L. J. K. Setright

anna
– 1/16th of a rupee in monetary currency

ayah
– nanny

bari hazri
– main breakfast

chai
– tea (also
char
)

chelo!
– go on! get a move on!

chota hazri
– ‘little breakfast’ served around six a.m.

chowkidar
– nightwatchman

dal
– spiced lentils

dhobi
– laundry

dhoti
– loose loincloth worn by Hindus

dirzi
– tailor

garam chai
– hot tea

jhampanis
– rickshaw pullers

jao!
– go!

limbopani
– lemonade

lingam
– male fertility symbol (usually Siva’s penis)

mali
– gardener

pukka
– proper, good quality

punkah
– fan

punkah-wallah
– fan puller

syce
– groom

tonga
– cart

topi
– hat

wallah
– man

1
British Other Ranks.

First published 2007 by Pan Books

This electronic edition published 2010 by Pan Books
an imprint of Pan Macmillan, a division of Macmillan Publishers Limited
Pan Macmillan, 20 New Wharf Road, London N1 9RR
Basingstoke and Oxford
Associated companies throughout the world
www.panmacmillan.com

ISBN 978-0-330-52710-1 PDF
ISBN 978-0-330-52709-5 EPUB

Copyright © Annie Murray 2007

The right of Annie Murray to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

You may not copy, store, distribute, transmit, reproduce or otherwise make available this publication (or any part of it) in any form, or by any means (electronic, digital, optical, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the publisher. Any person who does any unauthorized act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

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