‘Do we have to go to this, Doug?’ she asked. ‘I barely know them.’
‘Of course, we do,’ he snapped. ‘Bertie Cameron is the tuan of the biggest shipping company in the Straits. I need to stay on the right side of him. It’s good for business.’
That was always Douglas’s retort if she raised an objection to anything. Evie suspected that he used business as an excuse for retiring to his study and avoiding any pressure to converse. Yin and Yang she reminded herself. Respect the differences. Besides, how could she possibly deprive Jasmine of going to the party when Penny was her best friend?
Surely she could put on a brave face, grit her teeth and get through one afternoon there. And it was only the afternoon, with the assumption that people would go on elsewhere in the evening. While the grownups were drinking cocktails and eating canapés, there was to be a tea party for the children, complete with a conjuror. As soon as Douglas mentioned this to Jasmine, the little girl began bouncing up and down on her chair in excitement.
By the time the day of the party arrived, Evie felt like a whale on legs. Walking was akin to waddling, and her confidence – never high when in the vicinity of the club – was at rock bottom. Her pale yellow frock pinched under the arms and flattened her over-large breasts uncomfortably, but she had nothing else she could squeeze into that was suitable for a formal party during the day. Looking at herself in the mirror, she frowned at what she saw. Weren’t women supposed to bloom in pregnancy? She felt like a wilting flower. The primrose yellow of the dress made her appear jaundiced and washed out. A frump. That’s what she looked like. She told herself she didn’t care. Those shallow people could sneer if they wished.
The gathering was huge. Everyone who was anyone in Penang was there and the party had already spilled out onto the club lawns, when the Barringtons arrived. No expense had been spared. There were huge silver tureens filled with ripe juicy strawberries that someone told Evie had been specially flown in from Australia. Champagne flowed and flunkies moved between the guests ensuring their glasses were always full. Evie wished she could join the children instead – they were all sitting cross-legged on the side lawn, drinking orangeade and eating Eskimo Pies while the conjuror entertained them. A glass of iced water, a choc ice and somewhere to sit would be preferable to champagne and strawberries and milling around making polite conversation with people she barely knew.
Amidst the throng, she spotted Mary Helston. It was unusual to see Mary at the club but, of course, as the Camerons’ next door neighbour she had felt obliged to accept their invitation. Mary was deep in conversation with a man in airforce uniform. Evie had never seen him before. Perhaps this might be the beginning of a romance for her friend.
Setting her champagne flute down, she asked one of the waiters if she might have some water or a glass of fruit juice. Douglas had melted into the crowd and she could see the top of his head as he talked with Bertie Cameron and Reggie Hyde-Underwood. She looked around to see if she could spot Susan Hyde-Underwood but there was no sign of her. No doubt the fortunate woman had been able to use her young baby as a reason for not attending.
Edging to the side of the crowd, Evie thought she’d slip inside the club building and try to find somewhere to sit underneath a cooling fan. A hand tapped her on the arm and she turned. It was Dorothy Rogers.
‘Evie, how delightful to see you here.’ The woman looked her up and down. ‘And don’t you look well. Positively blooming! When are you due?’
‘Late June. Possibly early July.’
‘Ooh, not long! Well, congratulations, my dear. You look frightfully well on it. I’m delighted for you and Doug.’
‘Is Clifford here?’
Dorothy nodded her head in the direction where Doug was. ‘He’s just spotted your husband so he shot off to put the world to rights with him. No doubt he’ll be complaining about the lack of preparation for the possibility of war here. It’s all Clifford ever talks about these days. Is Doug the same?’
‘Not really. He’s very much of the school of thought that Malaya’s impossible to invade. Although he doesn’t seem to have a lot of faith in the armed forces if it does happen.’
Dorothy shook her head in silent acknowledgement of the last point.
‘Arthur Leighton says Sir Shenton Thomas is a decent chap,’ said Evie, of the Governor. ‘But none of them seem to take the threat to the Settlements seriously. I do hope they’re right.’
‘Men always seem more interested in scoring points off each other.’ Dorothy nudged Evie’s arm. ‘It’d be a different story if we girls were running things! I always say, if you want to get a job done, ask a woman!’
‘There are so many people here,’ said Evie, changing the subject. ‘Do you know the Camerons well?’
‘Unfortunately, yes.’ Dorothy gave her a wink.
‘I’ve only met them a couple of times but Jasmine plays with their daughter, Penny.’
‘I suppose you know Rowena and Bertie are daggers drawn?’
‘I had heard something on those lines.’
‘God knows why they’re throwing a party to celebrate their marriage. They’d be better off holding a wake.’ Dorothy rolled her eyes. ‘I shouldn’t gossip but some of these people deserve all they get.’ She looked at Evie with concern. ‘But you must be exhausted standing around like that, Evie, when you’re carrying a baby. Let’s go inside and find somewhere quiet to sit down and have a natter.’
‘Dorothy, you’re a
