The Blue Dress Girl

by E. V. Thompson

  He was unable to share his thoughts with any of the other officers who resided in the naval barracks ward-room where he was quartered. The official attitude among service officers was that the Chinese were ‘natives’. As such they were tolerated, perhaps smiled upon occasionally, but one did not express affection for a native girl. Had Kernow intimated that he was attracted to a Chinese girl he would have been transferred immediately. Sent to a man-o’-war heading for some far-distant port with all chances of promotion gone.

  The trio had been walking in silence for some time when Nancy suddenly said, to nobody in particular, ‘I do hope Arthur is in his room in the shade, and not lying out in the sun roasting his body. Unless I’m there to tell him, he seems to think there is something to be gained by burning his skin to the colour of an Indian.’

  ‘You must allow Arthur some independence, Mrs Calvin. He’s sensible enough to think things out for himself.’

  ‘You would say that, Mister Keats, but I need no advice on how to bring up my own son from someone not yet of age. Your mother may have allowed you to join the army – or marines, whatever it is – at an age when you should still have been at school. That doesn’t mean it’s all right for everyone. Certainly not for Arthur.’

  ‘My mother died when I was quite small. I’ve never known what it is to have someone care for me in such a way. Perhaps that’s why I’m particularly concerned to see a rift growing between yourself and Arthur.’

  Somewhat mollified, Nancy said, ‘I’m sorry to learn about your mother, young man, and I have no doubt you mean well, but I know Arthur better than anyone else does. I know what he needs.’

  Despite her apparent assurance, Nancy thought about what Kernow had said to her. Perhaps this young man was right and Arthur had finally found the maturity he had been lacking for so long. If so, she wondered how much of it was due to Kernow. If Arthur was finally achieving manhood she would need to treat him with a little less parental authority and begin taking his views into account. Perhaps a conciliatory approach was the answer.

  Her good intentions vanished in an uncontrollable explosion of anger the moment she stepped inside the mission house garden. Arthur was not tucked up in his bed. Neither was he relaxing in the sun on the balcony outside his room. Her son lay back in a cushioned cane chair in the garden, enjoying the shade of a large, flowering tree. Kneeling on the ground beside him, Kau-lin mopped his brow with a damp cloth.

  Had she been a more worldly woman, Nancy Calvin would have recognised the emotion she felt at seeing Kau-lin tending Arthur in such a way. It was sheer unadulterated jealousy. But she did not pause to analyse anything.

  Hurrying across the grass she reached Kau-lin and Arthur before either realised they were no longer alone. Snatching the cloth from Kau-lin’s hand, Nancy threw it from her and vented her anger upon her son. ‘So this is why you pretended to be ill, is it? Scheming away from your studies in order to be with this … this hussy!’

  As Kau-lin beat a strategic retreat, Arthur protested, ‘That isn’t true, Mother. Kau-lin saw me return from the school and said I looked ill. She suggested I come out here in the garden, in the shade. Kau-lin and She-she have both been very kind to me.’

  ‘I don’t doubt it!’ Nancy Calvin was deeply angry. ‘From what I hear these two girls have far more experience at being kind to men than any nice girl should have.’

  Arthur felt unwell and it would not help to lose his own temper. He tried again. ‘She-she and Kau-lin have taken turns to keep me cool with a fan. Now She-she’s gone to make a cup of tea. They’ve made me feel far better than I did when I left the mission school.’

  ‘I’m sure they have,’ agreed Nancy, her voice heavy with sarcasm. ‘And what would they have done for you next, I wonder?’

  Arthur was painfully embarrassed to have been spoken to in such a manner in front of Kau-lin, but his head ached far too much to have a prolonged argument with his mother. Rising from his chair he walked wearily towards the house.

  Nancy would have pursued him, but Kernow interceded on Arthur’s behalf. He assured Nancy that all Chinese girls were brought up to tend to men. If they thought Arthur was not well it would have been natural for them to do everything within their power to make him comfortable.

  ‘I would expect you to side with Arthur – and to make excuses for those … trollops! After all, it was you brought them here. You who’ve encouraged Arthur to behave in a manner he would never have dreamed of back home in England.’

  ‘This isn’t England, Mrs Calvin, and Arthur is no longer the small boy you’ve sheltered from the world for much of his life. He’s a man. Old enough to meet girls, to fight in a war – or to go his own way if he wishes. But I didn’t come here to have an argument with you, I came to see how Arthur was. I’ve done that. When I’ve made certain both girls are all right, I’ll go.’

  At Nancy’s side, her husband said hesitantly, ‘You know, there’s sense in what Mister Keats says, dear….’

  Before he could explain further, his wife rounded on him. ‘Oh, so you do have a voice? I didn’t hear you using it when your son needed setting straight about his behaviour. Well, I’ve tried talking him, now it’s your turn. Go on! What are you waiting for?’

  Kernow waited a few moments for Ronald Calvin to speak, but the unhappy man said nothing. He stood looking at the ground at his feet. After fixing him with a scornful look, Nancy snorted derisively and walked away.

  Kernow hurried to the room shared by Kau-lin and She-she, believing they would be upset as a result of Nancy’s outburst. He need not have been concerned about them. When he raised a hand to knock at the door he could hear them giggling inside the room.

  She-she answered his knock. When he declined her invitation to enter their room, she said, ‘Why you not come in? You have a mother here too?’

  Her words brought on another fit of giggling and Kernow hurriedly changed his mind about entering the room. If Nancy heard such hilarity at her expense her fury would be uncontrollable. Stepping inside, he closed the door behind him, ‘Mrs Calvin isn’t used to Hong Kong. The heat is getting to her. It’s getting to everyone.’

  Kau-lin only partially agreed. ‘Yes, Hong Kong too hot – but Mrs Calvin hot inside, no matter where she live. She call me “hussy”. What is hussy?’

  Kernow tried to think of a diplomatic way to phrase his reply. ‘A hussy is … well, a girl who is too friendly with men. But you mustn’t take too much notice of her. She’s trying too hard to protect Arthur, that’s all.’

  ‘Why? Arthur is a man now. She must let him go.’

  ‘That’s what I told her. Arthur did too. He said you’d both been very kind to him.’

  ‘Arthur said that to mother? He speak for us against her?’

  ‘He did.’ Kernow grinned. ‘You’re making a man of him, Kau-lin.’

  She nodded gravely. ‘I make man of him, but mother don’t want him man. She want small boy, say “Do this, Arthur”, “Do that, Arthur”. He do. I make man – she make trouble.’

  ‘I shouldn’t worry too much about it. I think Mrs Jefferies is on your side. She knows what Nancy Calvin is like.’

  ‘You on our side too, Lieutenant Keats? You not think me and Kau-lin … “hussy”?’

  ‘No, She-she, I don’t think you’re hussies. I think you’ve put some excitement and interest into what might easily have been a very dull language course, but I’d better go now. It’s my birthday next week and the admiral has promised to promote me on that day. Instead of being a number two lieutenant, I’ll be a number one lieutenant. I can’t afford to have Mrs Jefferies complain about me spending too much time in the room of two very beautiful young Chinese girls.’

  Kau-lin seemed amused. ‘Why Fan Qui men all frightened of women? I think maybe because a woman and not a man number one in your country. I think I like come your country. Tell all men, “You do as Kau-lin tell you, or I shout at you, like Mrs Calvin”.’

  Her comments, made in a fair imitation of Nan
cy Calvin’s voice, brought on another fit of giggling.

  ‘I must go now.’

  As Kernow opened the door to leave, She-she asked, ‘What day your birthday?’

  ‘Wednesday – Lai-pa’ai saam.’

  ‘How old you?’

  ‘I’ll be eighteen.’

  ‘You work that day? Come to mission school?’

  ‘Yes, why do you ask?’

  ‘Thought maybe you stay with men from ships. Drink too much. No matter, you go now. Next week you be number one lieutenant. Very important man.’

  When Nancy Calvin had the garden to herself she walked among the flowering trees and shrubs until she arrived at a small garden arbour, hidden from the view of the house by a hanging wall of flowers. From here she could see out across the busy Hong Kong anchorage to the mainland peninsular of Kowloon, with its backdrop of nine irregularly shaped dark hills.

  It was hotter than ever and she felt like panting. Yet even heavier than the air was the desperately unhappy feeling inside her. It was quite unlike the contrition she usually felt after an outburst of her ill-controlled temper. Today there was something more. Kernow Keats had pointed out that Arthur was no longer a boy who could be ordered to do her bidding. She knew in her heart he was ready to go his own way, yet today she had driven a wedge between them, widening a rift that might never be fully bridged again.

  As she stood there thinking about her son, tears suddenly welled up in Nancy’s eyes. Dropping to her knees, she began to pray. She asked for guidance from the only One whose help she had ever asked.

  Chapter 12

  There were no other Royal Marine officers in the naval barracks and Kernow had formed no close friendships among the naval officers sharing the wardroom. Nevertheless, a small party had been arranged in the ward-room to celebrate his birthday and promotion to full lieutenant’s rank.

  Unfortunately for Kernow, forty-eight hours before his important day, a patrolling frigate sailed into Hong Kong harbour. The frigate was one of the ships which were the eyes and ears of the British fleet in Far Eastern waters. Its commanding officer came ashore to report a huge build-up of Imperial Chinese war junks in a bay a hundred and fifty miles north of the colony.

  After a hasty conference between the commander-in-chief and his senior officers, every available man-o’-war put to sea, the deficiencies in their crew numbers made up by officers and men from the barracks.

  Although Kernow was not sent to sea the proposed party had to be cancelled and he awoke on his birthday in a near-empty barracks. Many of the officers had taken their Chinese servants to sea with them; among these was the servant Kernow shared with a number of midshipmen. It meant he went to the mission school still wearing the star of a second lieutenant on his collar, carrying the crowns of his new rank in his pocket.

  When he reached the mission school building he found She-she waiting for him at the main entrance. Hannah Jefferies was only a short distance away in the corridor. She-she could hardly contain her excitement as she thrust a neatly wrapped package into his hands, saying, ‘Happy birthday, First Lieutenant Keats.’

  ‘Just “Lieutenant” is good enough, She-she, and you really should be calling me Kernow by now – but what’s this?’ As he looked up from the package their eyes met. Whatever her present to him was, he knew it could not match the thrill that went through him in that moment.

  He remained gazing at her until she said happily, ‘Open and see. Special for you.’

  The package contained a scarlet sash, of the type worn over the left shoulder by Royal Marine officers. This one was made of fine silk, its quality far superior to anything Kernow had seen worn by any of his brother officers.

  ‘This is a wonderful present, She-she. Thank you very much indeed.’

  Kernow meant every word. Had Hannah Jefferies not been watching them, it would have seemed natural to him to give She-she a kiss to thank her. He wanted desperately to kiss her, but he knew instinctively that the missionary would not have approved and nothing must spoil this moment.

  ‘It never be lost, see?’ She-she, delighted with Kernow’s reaction to her gift, turned the sash over. On the reverse side, where the sash ended in a tassel, were stitched the words ‘First Lieutenant Kernow Keats’, embroidered very neatly in gold thread.

  ‘How did you know what to put?’ Kernow was genuinely astonished.

  ‘Doctor Jefferies show me. Write name on paper. I copy.’ She-she hesitated. ‘First time only put Lieutenant Kernow Keats. I say, “No, First Lieutenant now?” I am right?’

  ‘You’re right, She-she. I’ll be the proudest and smartest officer on parade when I wear this. Not only that, I’ll be the envy of all my fellow officers.’

  Hannah spoke for the first time. ‘Happy Birthday, Kernow, but I thought you’d be proudly sporting your new badge of rank this morning. A crown, is it not?’

  ‘That’s right.’ Kernow fingered the stiff, high collar of his tunic where he still sported the star of a second lieutenant. He pulled the crowns of his new rank from his pocket. ‘I have them here. There was no one left in the barracks to stitch them on for me.’

  ‘Give me. I sew them when we finish school.’ She-she took the two small badges of rank from his hand before he, or anyone else, could argue.

  The two girls had returned to their lessons at the school in spite of Nancy Calvin’s objections. A state of wary neutrality now existed between the two Chinese girls and the Birmingham missionary. Hannah had suggested to Nancy that she substitute prayer for vituperation in her dealings with them.

  Aware that at this stage Hannah held the key to her future as a missionary, Nancy did her best to keep the dislike she felt for Kau-lin in particular in check.

  During the noon break, Hannah sought out Kernow and asked him whether he had any birthday celebrations planned in the Royal Naval Barracks for that evening.

  ‘Not any more,’ he said, somewhat ruefully. ‘A small party had been arranged, but there’s hardly an officer or man left in Hong Kong. They’ve all gone off to break up an Imperial war fleet that’s been sighted to the north.’

  ‘Does that mean you’ll need to do duty tonight?’

  ‘No, they’ve spared me that, for today at least.’ He wondered why she was so interested in how he intended spending his birthday evening. Her next words provided an answer.

  ‘Good! She-she and Kau-lin would like to cook a meal for you – a Chinese meal, at the house this evening. We’re all invited, but it’s to be a birthday treat for you.’

  ‘What a wonderful idea! I’d love to come. I wasn’t looking forward to spending a depressing evening in the barracks. Now it’s going to be a birthday to remember.’

  Something in his voice told Hannah that Kernow was a very lonely young man. The evening would be good for him. She was also aware that a lonely young man might prove to be doubly susceptible to the attentions of an attractive young woman. Lieutenant Kernow Keats would have met few girls, Chinese or English, who were as appealing as She-she.

  ‘It will be an occasion for all of us, especially the new missionaries. They will, quite literally, be given a taste of what they can expect when they go out among the Chinese people.’

  That evening Kernow arrived at the mission house resplendent in full dress uniform. His red coat was worn above smartly pressed white trousers. A new shako sat on his head and his scarlet sash was slung over his left shoulder. He also wore the insignia of a first lieutenant on his collar, stitched on by She-she.

  The party was held in the mission house garden with light provided by a number of lanterns suspended from flowering trees. Colourful moths of many types and sizes fluttered around the lanterns like so many windblown flowers.

  A charcoal fire burned in a corner of the garden and the cooking was shared between this and the house kitchen, with She-she and Kau-lin bustling between the two.

  A number of other missionaries currently in Hong Kong put in an appearance during the evening. Among them was Kau-lin’s cousin.
He was undergoing instruction with the Reverend James Legge of the London Missionary Society, one of many societies represented on the island.

  There was a squeak of delight from Kau-lin when she first caught sight of her cousin. After a voluble and excited welcome, she took him by the hand and led him across the garden to introduce him to Kernow as ‘Cousin Chang’.

  A tall, serious young man, Chang had an engaging smile and an honest, open manner which immediately appealed to Kernow. He also had an extensive knowledge of the Taiping rebels and soon he and Kernow were deep in conversation.

  Of all those at the party, only Arthur Calvin seemed not to be enjoying himself. Occasionally he would be asked a question by one of the guests in a bid to draw him into conversation within a group, but usually without success. After a few monosyllabic words had tripped over themselves off his tongue Arthur would retreat to the darkness of the garden once more.

  Kernow introduced him to Chang and for a few minutes the shy young man seemed to gain in confidence. Unfortunately they were joined by an effusive Esme Pilkington demanding to be told everything about the Taiping movement and Arthur retreated once more.

  It was not very long before Esme’s exuberance became too much for Kernow too. She belonged to the school of thought which believed the Taiping movement offered a golden opportunity for Christianity in China. As with every cause she espoused, Esme put her point of view with great forcefulness.

  Kernow looked around for Arthur, but could not see him. After a few minutes he realised that Kau-lin was also missing. It seemed that Nancy Calvin made the discovery at the same time.

  She and Ronald were with a group which included the Bishop of Hong Kong in its number, but her glance increasingly ranged round the garden. Her expression of pinch-faced anger left Kernow in no doubt of what was likely to happen if she did not soon catch a glimpse of her son.

  At that moment the bishop spoke to Nancy and she was obliged to reply, the absence of her son put aside for a moment.