The Pearl of Penang by Clare Flynn (best books to read for students txt) 📗

clear he would never act upon it. As the thought formed, she felt a frisson of guilt – surely she would never act on it either? But the memory of that embrace in the sea wouldn’t leave her, and her thoughts kept returning to it and reliving it. Yet Arthur had betrayed her by telling Veronica. Somehow she couldn’t believe that to be the case. Veronica had to be lying. Surely? Was the woman playing mind games with her?

Even though Veronica’s words, if they were true, were evidence of Arthur’s perfidy, Evie couldn’t – wouldn’t – believe it. Just thinking about him made her breath shorten, her skin tingle and her heart race. A shiver of pleasure ran through her whole body from merely being in the same room as him. It was as if there was an unbreakable thread running between them, anchoring her, tethering her to him so that she couldn’t break away – didn’t want to. The mere thought of being close to him, across the same table filled her with a crazy joy. Crazy because there was no logic to it at all. Joy because her whole being sang. She and Arthur were meant to be together. Deep inside she felt an unshakeable certainty about that. But it was pointless. Futile. What cruel fate had determined they should be married to other people?

Over the weeks that followed, Evie went out of her way to avoid seeing the Leightons whenever possible and ensured she was never alone with Arthur. On the rare occasions when they did meet, his manner towards her was courteous but distant – yet often when she looked up suddenly, she caught him watching her, only for him to look away again immediately. Meanwhile her relationship with Doug continued in its odd seesawing fashion. Most of the time he was away at the estate and on the weekends when he was in George Town he was frequently involved in what he continued to maintain were pointless exercises with the Volunteers. Conversation between them was limited and driven entirely by Evie. But he continued to come to her bed. There, communication didn’t involve words. Evie was grateful it didn’t.

As the days and weeks after the declaration of war turned into months, the initial shock experienced by the expatriate Europeans that their countries were at war with Germany, turned into an atmosphere of ‘business as usual’. In fact, it seemed rather than that, it was ‘business is booming’, as the Straits Settlements enjoyed an unprecedented surge in demand for rubber, tin, iron ore and other minerals. The only cloud in the life of many of the expatriates was the shock of the sinking, in late November, of the former P&O liner, Rawalpindi, which had been well known to the numerous old India hands. The loss of the ship off Iceland, while on convoy escort duty, had brought the realities of the war closer.

As December arrived, Evie wondered what her first tropical Christmas would be like. She’d disliked the festive season since her father’s death. All it did was reinforce her own isolation and loneliness, especially in the knowledge that so many families were happy and rejoicing in each other’s company.

Mrs Shipley-Thomas had always spent Christmas at the home of a friend in Haslemere, leaving Evie to her own devices. Once Evie had got past feeling sorry for herself she’d at least enjoyed having the freedom of the house, able to please herself until her employer returned the day after Boxing Day.

But here in Penang, Evie had a husband and a child to spend the holiday with. She had extracted a promise from Douglas that he would be at the house in George Town for four days over the holiday season, and Jasmine was already showing growing excitement. For Evie it seemed bizarre to be talking to the little girl about the forthcoming arrival of Father Christmas, when the absence of winter, not to mention chimneys for Santa to climb down, made it a greater stretch of the imagination than would usually be required. In the end, she told Jasmine that the sleigh would land on the roof and Father Christmas would skim down the drainpipe and enter the house via the drawing room windows.

‘Isn’t the kid a bit old for all that?’ Douglas shrugged when she explained her strategy.

‘She’s only seven, Doug! Not exactly an adult yet.’

He rolled his eyes. ‘I suppose I’d better give you some extra money to buy her presents.’

‘What should we give her?’

Douglas shrugged again. ‘Your department. Don’t ask me.’ He reached in his pocket and pulled out his wallet. ‘Better get something nice for yourself too. Jewellery or something.’

Evie was about to protest. It summed up his attitude to her – unwilling to spare the time to get her something personal for Christmas. She felt her annoyance rising but bit her lip and looked away. She didn’t want him to see that she was hurt. It was almost five months since she’d arrived in Penang and in all that time he had shown not a sign of affection. That he had made it clear she wasn’t to expect it, when they had struck their bargain, didn’t alleviate the pain.

Once Douglas had gone, Evie decided to put on a brave face and enjoy spending his money to make Jasmine’s Christmas a special one. As to buying a piece of jewellery for herself, she would have none of it. She wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction. Should anyone enquire as to what her husband had given her as a Christmas gift, she’d tell them he hadn’t. In fact it was hard not to relish the thought of shaming him that way. And she wasn’t going to buy anything for him either.

Returning in the car with Benny, the seat beside her laden with gifts for Jasmine, Evie softened a little. The festive atmosphere had got through to her. She wasn’t going to use Douglas’s money to buy him a gift, but there was