The Pearl of Penang Clare Flynn (comprehension books .TXT) 📖

to the success of that. The service want their men to choose wives who are perfect hostesses and conversationalists, as able to chat to an irascible Turk with poor English, as an African tribal chief or the Sultan of Selangor.’

‘And Veronica can do all that?’ Evie hoped her voice didn’t give away her disbelief.

‘Veronica is a consummate actress. For her, it’s a role and she steps out onto the stage and plays it. She has a limitless supply of small talk, always knows the best places for visitors to go, the right people for them to meet. And she knows better than anyone how to flirt and flatter and is bloody good at organising things.’

Evie reflected that, apart from bossing her about and telling her where to buy her clothes, Veronica had never thought it necessary to do any of this in her case.

Stretching her legs out in front of her alongside Arthur’s longer ones, Evie churned up the sand with her heels. ‘If you don’t mind my saying it, Arthur, you two seem an unlikely couple. But I suppose they say opposites attract.’

He gave a dry laugh. ‘We’re more alike than you think. At heart we’re both selfish ambitious people.’

‘You don’t strike me that way at all. Not selfish. And there’s nothing wrong with being ambitious.’

‘Maybe there is when it causes you to do things you’re ashamed of.’

She looked at him, puzzled, but he looked away, avoiding her eyes, jumped to his feet and reached out to pull her up. ‘Enough talk. It’s time we had that swim, then I must get back to the office.’

They ran together into the warm sea. Evie struck out, cutting her way through the blue water. Arthur was right. It was even nicer being in the sea than in the swimming pool. And there wasn’t a soul around. He swam after her, catching her up. ‘You’re a strong swimmer,’ he said. ‘It’s hard keeping up with you.’

Arthur was laughing, the sun lighting up his tanned, wet face. He looked different without his glasses. Less serious. Until today she’d never seen him as sporty, but now she was all too aware of his strong athletic build. Suddenly she didn’t want him to go back to his office. She wanted him to stay here all afternoon with her, talking to her under the casuarina trees, telling her about Africa.

But what was she thinking? They were both married. The problems with Douglas were clouding her judgement. Evie started to swim back to the shore, but Arthur grabbed her arm and pulled her towards him. For one insane moment Evie thought he was going to kiss her. He pulled her closer. Their eyes met and she held her breath, but he moved away.

’Sorry,’ he said, speaking too quickly. ‘I thought there was a shoal of jellyfish. But it was only seaweed.’

She looked back at him, angry with herself for misreading the signs. Then, without knowing how it happened, she was in his arms and he was kissing her, as she had never been kissed before. They were almost out of their depth and Evie held tight to him, wrapping her legs around him to stay afloat as they kissed, frantically, passionately.

Arthur moved his head back and broke away. ‘That was unforgivable of me. I’m so sorry, Evie. I promise you it won’t happen again.’

She reached for him, holding onto his arms as they drifted further out of depth. ‘It wasn’t just you. It was me too. And I want it to happen again.’

He closed his eyes. ‘You’re my best friend’s wife. I had no business starting what can never be finished.’

Evie was swamped by a wave and he took her hand and they struggled back out of the sea. Collapsed onto their towels, she was confused, no longer sure of herself. Sure only that no matter how wrong that kiss had been it had felt more right than anything she’d done since coming to Penang.

She had to break the silence, the terrible silence that was surrounding them and smothering them. As if to mirror that, a rogue cloud crossed in front of the sun, darkening the beach.

‘Douglas doesn’t love me,’ she said. ‘He only married me to have a child. I have threatened more than once to go back to England. Every time, he promises to change, but he never does. He’s cold towards me. I sometimes think I disgust him.’

Arthur jerked his head round. ‘That’s impossible. How could you disgust him? You’re the loveliest person I’ve ever met.’ He put his head in his hands and bent forward. ‘Oh, Evie. If only things could be different. In another life. I know I could make you happy.’ He took a sharp intake of breath. ‘I think I’m in love with you and have been since the ship. I think about you all the time. I’m going crazy.’

Evie stared at him, astonished, but at the same time her heart lifted inside her, her breath jerky and uneven as she took in what he was saying.

‘But you have to know, I can never do anything about it. It would be wrong. I could never betray Doug. And I couldn’t do it to Veronica.’

Evie felt a rush of anger and indignation. She had never expected to have been put in this position, to be sitting half-naked on a deserted beach, with her husband’s best friend, after the most passionate kiss she had ever experienced. Adultery went against everything she believed in, but how could she possibly deny the reality of how she was now certain she felt about Arthur?

‘You can’t do it to Veronica? What about what she’s done to you?’

Arthur stared at her, visibly shocked. ‘You know? About her affairs? How?’

‘I’ve become friends with Mary Helston.’

He squeezed his eyes shut and his lips formed a hard line. ‘Look, Evie, I know how it looks. You probably think like wife, like husband. But I promise you, until today, I’ve never laid a hand on another woman. I was out of