were bringing with you." Her gaze flicked to Bethany. "I hope you'll find the room I have prepared for you comfortable, Miss Adams."
"I'm sure I will. I hope I'm not putting you out."
"Of course not." Su Ching looked up as the door opened and Mai Ling entered, followed by a manservant carrying a silver tray. "I thought you might enjoy a cup of tea after your journey, Miss Adams." Before Bethany could answer Su Ching turned to Tiger. "You flew to Canton?" she asked.
"No, mother, we came by boat."
"By boat? But that must have taken days. Why in the world would you do that?"
"I hadn't ever taken The Dragon on a real cruise. This seemed like a good opportunity. We docked on the Po On Peninsula. Chang stayed with the boat."
"And Lee Tung?"
Tiger hesitated. "Lee remained behind on one of the islands we put in to."
"I see." Su Ching's face looked puzzled as she poured the green tea and handed a cup to Bethany. "How long can you stay in Tsingyun, Tiger?"
"I'm going to leave in a few days, Mother. But if it is all right with you, Bethany will stay here."
Again the eyebrows rose. Carefully Su Ching put her teacup back on the saucer. "Are you here on business then?"
"Yes, Mother, but perhaps we can discuss it later."
She appraised him with her black almond eyes and seemed about to speak. Then changing her mind she took another sip of her tea. When she had finished it she turned to Bethany, and ringing a small brass bell on the ebony table next to her chair said, "I'm sure you are tired, Miss Adams. I will have Mai Ling show you to your room."
Bethany looked at Tiger, then away. "Thank you," she said, knowing she'd been dismissed. "Yes, I am tired."
He stood up as Mai Ling came into the room. Taking Bethany's hand he said, "I will see you later."
"We dress for dinner, Miss Adams." Su Ching's voice was cool. "And we eat promptly at seven-thirty."
Bethany's lips tightened. Barely resisting the impulse to bow, she forced a smile to her lips, and with a brief nod followed the elderly servant out to the corridor.
They climbed a curving staircase. Silently they went down a long hall, past closed doors. When at last the old woman opened one of the doors, she motioned Bethany to enter, said something in Chinese, and bowed herself out.
A large bed dominated the room. It was covered by a heavy red and gold brocade spread that matched the draperies hanging from the floor to ceiling windows. There was a lacquer bedside table, a writing desk, a chair. At one end of the room there was a cherry wood armoire and when Bethany opened it she saw that her dresses had been hung and her other clothes and shoes neatly arranged on the shelves.
With a sigh she went to the windows and pulling back the curtains looked down on the courtyard below. It was a small yard, made lovely by blooming apricot trees and a circle of pink and red tulips. When Bethany opened the window the scent of apricot blossoms drifted up to her. Her hand tightened on the curtain. She didn't know what she'd expected Tiger's mother to be like, but she hadn't expected the cold and haughty woman who had greeted her. She wouldn't stay here; when Tiger left she would leave with him.
Resolutely Bethany turned away from the window. After she had undressed and bathed in the claw-footed tub in the adjoining bathroom, Bethany lay down to think. For a while, she'd been able to believe that she and Tiger were only a man and woman who had fallen in love with each other. Now, here in his mother's house, Bethany was reminded that they were from two disparate worlds. He was East, she was West. It was obvious that his mother would never accept her.
At seven o'clock Bethany rose and went to the ar moire. She looked at the lovely cheongsam that Tiger had given her and knew that it would be more than acceptable. But with a frown she put it back in the closet. It seemed to her that it was necessary to make a statement. She was not Chinese, she was an American, and tonight she would look like
"I'm sure I will. I hope I'm not putting you out."
"Of course not." Su Ching looked up as the door opened and Mai Ling entered, followed by a manservant carrying a silver tray. "I thought you might enjoy a cup of tea after your journey, Miss Adams." Before Bethany could answer Su Ching turned to Tiger. "You flew to Canton?" she asked.
"No, mother, we came by boat."
"By boat? But that must have taken days. Why in the world would you do that?"
"I hadn't ever taken The Dragon on a real cruise. This seemed like a good opportunity. We docked on the Po On Peninsula. Chang stayed with the boat."
"And Lee Tung?"
Tiger hesitated. "Lee remained behind on one of the islands we put in to."
"I see." Su Ching's face looked puzzled as she poured the green tea and handed a cup to Bethany. "How long can you stay in Tsingyun, Tiger?"
"I'm going to leave in a few days, Mother. But if it is all right with you, Bethany will stay here."
Again the eyebrows rose. Carefully Su Ching put her teacup back on the saucer. "Are you here on business then?"
"Yes, Mother, but perhaps we can discuss it later."
She appraised him with her black almond eyes and seemed about to speak. Then changing her mind she took another sip of her tea. When she had finished it she turned to Bethany, and ringing a small brass bell on the ebony table next to her chair said, "I'm sure you are tired, Miss Adams. I will have Mai Ling show you to your room."
Bethany looked at Tiger, then away. "Thank you," she said, knowing she'd been dismissed. "Yes, I am tired."
He stood up as Mai Ling came into the room. Taking Bethany's hand he said, "I will see you later."
"We dress for dinner, Miss Adams." Su Ching's voice was cool. "And we eat promptly at seven-thirty."
Bethany's lips tightened. Barely resisting the impulse to bow, she forced a smile to her lips, and with a brief nod followed the elderly servant out to the corridor.
They climbed a curving staircase. Silently they went down a long hall, past closed doors. When at last the old woman opened one of the doors, she motioned Bethany to enter, said something in Chinese, and bowed herself out.
A large bed dominated the room. It was covered by a heavy red and gold brocade spread that matched the draperies hanging from the floor to ceiling windows. There was a lacquer bedside table, a writing desk, a chair. At one end of the room there was a cherry wood armoire and when Bethany opened it she saw that her dresses had been hung and her other clothes and shoes neatly arranged on the shelves.
With a sigh she went to the windows and pulling back the curtains looked down on the courtyard below. It was a small yard, made lovely by blooming apricot trees and a circle of pink and red tulips. When Bethany opened the window the scent of apricot blossoms drifted up to her. Her hand tightened on the curtain. She didn't know what she'd expected Tiger's mother to be like, but she hadn't expected the cold and haughty woman who had greeted her. She wouldn't stay here; when Tiger left she would leave with him.
Resolutely Bethany turned away from the window. After she had undressed and bathed in the claw-footed tub in the adjoining bathroom, Bethany lay down to think. For a while, she'd been able to believe that she and Tiger were only a man and woman who had fallen in love with each other. Now, here in his mother's house, Bethany was reminded that they were from two disparate worlds. He was East, she was West. It was obvious that his mother would never accept her.
At seven o'clock Bethany rose and went to the ar moire. She looked at the lovely cheongsam that Tiger had given her and knew that it would be more than acceptable. But with a frown she put it back in the closet. It seemed to her that it was necessary to make a statement. She was not Chinese, she was an American, and tonight she would look like
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