The Pearl of Penang by Clare Flynn (best mobile ebook reader txt) 📕

darling, I won’t say a word about your little dressing up session today. Your secret’s safe with me.’

Before Evie could reply, the woman drained the contents of her glass, and jumped lightly to her feet. ‘Must rush. So many calls to make. But I had to make you my first, dear girl. Don’t get up!’ With that, she swept out of the room and the house.

Evie sat fuming, so incensed she couldn’t finish her ‘medicinal’ gin. Leaving it on a side table she went into the garden and paced up and down in the shade of the tall casuarina trees. When the heat of the day and her own anger got too much for her, she went inside and ran upstairs to her bedroom to wash away all traces of Felicity’s perfume. Afterwards, she switched on the ceiling fan and threw herself down on the bed.

She had no idea how long she’d been asleep when Aunty Mimi came in to wake her.

‘Tuan and Jasmee waiting you. Tuan say you come downstairs. Dinner nearly ready.’

Heart thumping at the next ordeal awaiting her, Evie followed the Malayan woman down the stairs and into the drawing room.

Jasmine Barrington was a tiny figure, dwarfed by the chair she was sitting in so that her legs dangled in front of her, unable to reach the floor. Her blonde hair was pulled back into plaits, each tied with a brown silk ribbon. She was wearing what was evidently school uniform: a yellow gingham dress with white ankle socks and bar shoes. Her face was pale with a cluster of freckles around her nose. Wide blue eyes dipped to the floor, after a furtive glance at Evie, giving the impression the little girl didn’t want to be here.

Evie bent down in front of the child, her hand extended for a formal handshake. ‘You must be Miss Jasmine Barrington. I’m very pleased to meet you. My name is–’

Before she could introduce herself, Douglas interrupted. ‘This is Miss Fraser, Jasmine. She’s going to be staying here with us.’ No mention of the upcoming wedding. Addressing Evie he added, ‘I’ll see you both later. I’m dining at The Club tonight.’ Without waiting for a response he went out of the room, leaving Evie stunned.

She looked at the little girl. ‘It looks like it’s just you and me this evening, Jasmine. Shall we go and see if Aunty Mimi has the supper ready?’

4

Evie and Douglas Barrington were married the following week. The ceremony, such as it was, was conducted in the old Anglican church, St George’s. The only guests at the service were the Leightons, who acted as witnesses, and Benny, who drove the car.

Jasmine was not included in the wedding party. She was left behind in the care of Aunty Mimi – Douglas had brushed off Evie’s request that she be present at the service, saying that he knew what was best for his daughter. Evie wasn’t even sure he had told the child what was happening. Her own overtures towards Jasmine had proved fruitless – all attempts to get her to talk were met with silence and the sucking of a thumb.

Glad that she had splashed out on one good frock before leaving London, Evie wore a navy and white linen dress, teaming the outfit with her old but serviceable pearls, a hand-me-down from her grandmother.

The ceremony was a rushed affair, and Evie felt deflated rather than exhilarated as they were declared man and wife in front of the empty church. The groom did not kiss the bride.

To her dismay, as soon as the ceremony was concluded, Mrs Leighton announced that she had arranged a surprise party for the couple. Douglas appeared furious.

‘You didn’t expect to get away without a little reception, did you, dear boy?’ Veronica said. ‘That’s not fair to darling Evie. Anyway, it’s all arranged. Champagne on ice. Just a tiny little celebration.’

She faced Evie. ‘We can’t wait to give you a real welcome and everyone’s dying to meet you and make their congratulations.’ Leaning forward to air-kiss her, she enveloped Evie in a cloud of Shalimar.

Douglas said nothing. He closed his eyes, like a man who’d just been told he had a terminal illness. In the car on the way to the Penang Club his expression remained angry and he maintained his silence.

The Penang Club was a large tiled-roof Victorian building, surrounded by trees with shorter palm trees in front of its porticoed entrance. To Evie’s astonishment and Douglas’s evident fury, as soon as they entered the building a gathering of around forty people were waiting for them. ‘Surprise!’ The guests were all assembled in the central entrance hall which was dominated by portraits of Queen Victoria and George V and a collection of intimidating oil paintings of past club presidents.

A beaming Veronica clapped her hands together. ‘Everyone’s been dying to meet you, Evie. The old devil can’t keep you hidden for ever. They all want to get to see the blushing bride.’ She put a hand on Douglas’s sleeve. ‘Surely you didn’t expect it to be just us four? We can’t possibly let wedding bells go unmarked.’

Arthur looked embarrassed. This was clearly entirely Veronica’s doing.

Evie discovered later that, special occasions aside, women were barred from the Club other than to dine in the Grill Room, so Veronica had clearly gone to much effort to get around this sanction. When they entered, champagne was chilling in buckets and waiters moved around between the guests offering canapés. The sound of increasingly well-oiled voices was deafening and Evie felt awkward and uncomfortable. After a while, most of the men drifted away to the men’s bar, leaving the women, gathered in small groups, talking intently and noisily. Evie realised she had no idea where Douglas was. They had been separated almost as soon as they entered the throng. After being introduced to her, the other women appeared to lose all interest in her and soon began to talk shop with each other.

Exhausted, and stressed from so many