Evie was rapt with attention, waiting as Arthur took a second slow draw on his cigarette before stubbing it out. ‘Trying to give the blessed things up,’ he said. ‘From the moment they arrived it was a disaster. Felicity hated Penang. She felt isolated on the rubber estate, so Doug bought a house in George Town for her to use when she wanted. But she disliked that even more. There may have been more for her to do in town but the humidity can be suffocating in the lowlands. She had a very difficult time with Jasmine’s birth and was in poor health from then on. She appeared to lose all her zest for life.’
None of this squared with the eulogy to Felicity that Veronica had given. She’d described her as a human dynamo, not a wilting flower.
Arthur swung his legs round and leaned back into the deckchair so Evie could no longer see his face. ‘Veronica and I were posted to Penang around the same time the Barringtons arrived. As we’re similar ages, naturally we became friends. It was sad to watch as Felicity faded away. She was always ill. One thing after another. Coping with a baby was too much for her so she left the care of Jasmine to a servant and grew more and more listless. It was as though she had no interest in anything or anyone. Almost as if she were willing herself to die. An extraordinary business. She contracted malaria and had no strength to fight it. Doug sent the child away to be cared for by the nuns and threw himself into running the business, so we rarely saw him in town any more. Jasmine was just three or four. ’
‘How awful for the poor child to lose her mother so young – and to be separated from her father.’
He nodded. ‘I think Doug would like her to be at home. I know that’s one of his reasons for wanting to re-marry. And from everything you’ve told me, Evie, I think he’s made a wise choice in you. I’m not saying you’ll find life there easy, but you’re made of stronger stuff than Felicity was.’
Evie stretched her mouth into a smile. ‘You’ve cheered me up, Arthur. Thank you. I don’t know how it will be, but rest assured I’ll give it my best effort.’
He got to his feet. ‘That’s the spirit.’ Giving her a mock salute, he added, ‘See you at dinner tonight?’
‘I’ll be there.’
When he’d gone, Evie hugged her knees, experiencing a new burst of energy. She wouldn’t let Veronica get under her skin again. Hadn’t Arthur himself said she enjoyed making trouble? Not for the first time she wondered how they’d come to be together. They were the most unlikely of couples. But people did say opposites attract.
With her first sight of Penang, Evie was entranced. The island was covered with jungle and the coastline was rocky. As the ship sailed between the mainland on the port side and the island, the dense jungle gave way to breathtakingly beautiful sandy beaches. Then there was George Town, with its elegant colonial buildings. How had Arthur described it? The Pearl of the Orient. All around the strait there was shipping, from Peninsular and Oriental passenger liners, numerous cargo vessels and tramp steamers, ferries, junks and sampans.
After they docked in Penang, at Swettenham Pier, Evie said goodbye to the Leightons, who were travelling on to Singapore. They assured her they would be in George Town in a couple of weeks, after Arthur’s post-leave briefing session at his Singapore headquarters.
‘I’d rather come straight back to Penang, but Arthur needs me,’ Veronica told Evie. ‘He hates to travel without me.’ She put a hand proprietorially on his arm. ‘My darling boy won’t let me out of his sight. And he’s hopeless without me to organise him.’
Evie found this hard to believe. As a senior civil servant with extensive responsibilities, it seemed unlikely he’d have attained and retained such a position if he were disorganised. Arthur made no comment but his face showed his embarrassment.
The couple’s relationship mystified Evie. Arthur seemed too ordinary to be married to an exotic and beautiful creature like Veronica. There was nothing sleek and polished about him, with his tousled hair, constantly slipping spectacles, too-baggy trousers and frequently ink-stained fingers. Veronica, when in his company, was always on her best behaviour. When they were together, she touched him constantly – a hand on his arm, a palm brushed against his cheek, her arm slipped through his – demonstrating possession, and making clear to the world that they were a couple. Yet, on board, she spent much of her time in the bar, flirting with any available men. Evie had often viewed her from a distance, watching her preen, perform and soak up the admiration of her coterie of admirers as they jostled to buy her next drink. Veronica was a man-magnet. If she entered an empty room, within moments it was packed. Women, on the other hand, tended to give her a wide berth. Evie was glad to see the back of her, even if it was only for a matter of days. Having Veronica around while she was getting to know Douglas would have sapped her confidence.
As she prepared to go ashore, Evie’s nerves returned. Thanks to her conversation with Arthur, this time it was not due to self-doubt but nervous excitement. In a matter of days she would be married. At least she presumed she would. Other than the telegram
