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

nothing to stop her making him one. It would be more personal. It would be a demonstration that while he might be uncaring of her, she was still trying her best to make the marriage work.

‘Pull over, please, Benny.’ They came to a stop outside a large Indian fabric store. ‘I won’t be long.’

Inside, it was an Aladdin’s cave of fabric. A vast array of saris, woven and embroidered silks, bright colourful cotton sarongs, bolts of linen, voiles and muslin, as well as khaki cotton for the shorts that all the European men wore.

She selected some plain white Egyptian cotton and a small piece of black silk, delicately embroidered with Chinese dragons. Adding a couple of skeins of embroidery thread and some silk cord, she went to the counter to have the fabric measured and cut, then paid for her purchases. She would work on her gifts in the evenings after Jasmine had gone to bed.

A few days later, Evie made a trip to the doctor’s. She had missed her period two or three times and it eventually dawned on her that she might be pregnant. Terrified that it might prove to be a false hope, she was a bag of nerves as she sat in the waiting room.

She’d never needed to visit a doctor before and was self-conscious about being examined by a strange man, but told herself if the news was good it would be worth it.

The news was good. Dr Oates, a jovial character with a shock of white hair and a broad smile, asked her a few questions, made a quick examination of her breasts and pronounced that she was indeed expecting a baby.

‘I’d say baby should be ready to greet the world in June or July next year.’

‘What happens now? Do I have to have plenty of rest?’

‘Only as much as you feel you need. I’m a great believer in the benefits of regular exercise – even for expectant mothers. Pregnancy is not an illness.’

Walking home – she had not wanted Benny to know about the visit to the doctor – Evie was euphoric. At last she could tell Douglas what he wanted to hear. For once he would have to acknowledge she had done something right.

She wanted to choose the right moment to tell him the news. Of course, that depended on him being in George Town.

In the run-up to Christmas, Penang was an endless whirl of parties, concerts and dinners. Evie was grateful that she could use the excuse of Doug’s absence to avoid most of them. Perhaps it was her condition, but she had lost any inclination for alcohol – not that she’d been a great drinker before. The festivities included several organised by Jasmine’s school – but these Evie had no wish to duck. Her telephone calls failed to persuade Douglas to come across from the mainland to watch all or any of the school concert, a recital by the choir in which Jasmine performed a solo, sports’ day and the obligatory nativity play, in which his daughter was to play an angel. Evie knew if she told him about the baby he would probably come, but this was about Jasmine and she was irritated that he considered it too much trouble to witness his daughter’s performances.

Evie sat alone, applauding enthusiastically and trying to put on as bright a face as possible for the little girl, who was inevitably disappointed at her father’s absence.

In the school hall, looking round the room as the choir sang, Evie noticed there was a reasonable turnout of fathers. Attendance had been almost universal when it came to the sports day, with her husband one of the few absentees.

Douglas was never unkind towards Jasmine. It was more a case of benign neglect, paying her less attention than he paid to his dog, Badger. Occasionally Evie caught him looking at the child as if she were a curiosity. Maybe he was looking for similarities with her mother? Evie never dared ask. Most of the time though, he ignored the little girl, tolerating her chatter but rarely engaging with it.

There was one seasonal event that Douglas didn’t shirk. On Christmas Eve, a mixed doubles tournament took place each year at the tennis club. Evie discovered that the tradition was for husbands to partner their wives. She remembered that in order to duck out of a social engagement she had lied to Veronica that tennis wasn’t her game. Yes, she hadn’t played in years, but she had once been a formidable force on the court.

‘Do we have to play?’ she asked Douglas. It didn’t seem right that he was able to make time for this but not for any activities at Jasmine’s school.

‘It’s expected.’ He gave an audible sigh. ‘Don’t you play tennis?’

‘Yes. I can play. I just hate those clubby things.’

‘You can go home when we’re knocked out. I’ll have to stay for the prize-giving. My grandfather donated the trophy.’

‘Can’t you play?’

He looked at her as though she were a fly he’d like to swat away. ‘Of course I can play. What do you mean?’

‘You said “when we get knocked out”.’

‘There are one or two good players. The rest don’t take it very seriously. Look, Evie, all we have to do is put in an appearance. I have very little time to play these days.’

‘Were you ever any good?’

‘Penang Tennis Club mens’ singles champion for five years.’

‘Oh, crumbs.’

‘Felicity couldn’t bear to play in the heat. She only played once and we were knocked out in straight sets. So you don’t need to worry that you’ve a lot to live up to.’

‘I’ll do my best. I haven’t played much since school.’

Jasmine was to accompany them, as the Christmas Eve tournament was evidently a family occasion, with a children’s tea laid on and a visit from Father Christmas. The child was thrilled to be included in the excursion, which many of her classmates would be attending too.

As soon as they arrived at the tennis club, Jasmine ran off to join