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

We know they want Malaya. They want the tin and they want the rubber. They’ve had spies all over the Straits for years. And they could come at us from the north. From the Siamese – sorry I keep forgetting it’s Thai now – border. The situation is extremely volatile.’

Doug sneered. ‘From the north? No one would be mad enough to do that.’

Veronica interjected. ‘I find all this talk of war very depressing, don’t you, Evie? And I agree with Dougie. Hitler’s too far away to worry about, and a bunch of Japs are never going to have the guts to invade. I have faith in our army and air force. Not to mention the strength of the Royal Navy. Britannia rules the waves.’

She leaned forward, her hands with their perfectly manicured nails, resting on the edge of the table. ‘We seem to have forgotten today is Dougie’s birthday and we have to celebrate. We can’t let a rotten old war get in the way.’ With a wave of her hand, she summoned the waiter, who arrived at the table with a bucket of champagne. As he poured the drinks, Veronica added, ‘My main concern is that with France at war too, the supplies of “shampers” may get rather low.’ She rolled her eyes. ‘So, let’s drink and be merry, while we can.’

Arthur’s face showed a flicker of irritation but he said nothing.

Veronica leaned forward again, glass raised to drink Doug’s health. She pressed a small box into his hand. ‘A little birthday gift from me and Artie. Hope you like them.’

‘I told you, Veronica. No gifts.’

‘Do shut up, Dougie, and open it, you old spoil-sport.’

The box contained a pair of monogrammed gold cuff links.

‘The date’s on them too, so it looks like you’ll have a permanent reminder of the day war was declared.’ Veronica sipped her champagne. Turning to Evie, she asked, ‘And what did you give to your handsome husband?’

Evie felt her face burning, but was saved from having to answer by the arrival of a man at their table. He asked Arthur about the state of play with the war declaration. Once introductions were made – Bob Cameron was the local chief of one of the shipping lines and Evie realised he was the father of Jasmine’s friend Penny – the waiter arrived to take their orders and Evie avoided having to admit that she hadn’t known it was her husband’s birthday.

After Cameron left, the conversation remained on the subject of war.

‘Are many people likely to return to England to fight?’ Evie asked Arthur.

He shrugged. ‘A lot of chaps want to give Hitler a bloody nose, but to be honest, the war effort is best served by staying here producing rubber and tin. We’ll be needing a lot more in the coming months.’

Evie glanced at Douglas, who said nothing.

‘One thing that will be happening though, is stepping up the training of the volunteer forces. More TEWTs.’

‘What’s that?’ Evie asked.

‘Tactical Exercises Without Troops.’

‘More like Trivial Exercises to Waste Time.’ Douglas was clearly not in the best of moods.

‘One of the problems is that many of my colleagues seem to fear Communism more than they fear the Japanese,’ said Arthur, ignoring him. ‘Worried that Communists are stirring up the workforce.’

‘Not my workforce.’ Douglas leaned back in his chair, arms folded.

‘His Majesty’s government persists in trying to keep on the right side of the Japanese.’ Arthur shook his head. ‘And that’s in spite of the fact that we’ve known for years that this country is crawling with Japanese spies. There have been enough Japanese pearl-fishers to have mapped every cove and inlet of the entire peninsula. But we let them get away with it under our noses.’

Veronica groaned. ‘Boring.’

Ignoring her, Arthur went on. ‘The government’s also standing back and letting the Japs buy up most of our iron ore, regardless of the fact they’re turning it into armaments.’

‘The government’s stupid.’ Doug put his palms together and rested his chin on his fingertips. ‘They need to listen to us here on the ground. No one trusts the Nips – and the Chinks feel the same way we do about them. They’re not to be trusted. You know where you are with Chinamen – they want to strike a hard deal, outwit you if they can. But the Japs hate us to the core and the brutality of what they’ve been doing in the war in China over the past couple of years is a damned disgrace. Sheer brutality.’

The conversation was interrupted by the waiter bringing their main course of roast pheasant. Evie looked around the large restaurant and noticed that everyone appeared to be subdued. The sound level was lower than one might expect and several people were already leaving to return home. It seemed completely wrong to be sitting here drinking champagne – something that only Veronica appeared to be doing, the rest of them with untouched glasses.

Wanting to hear more about the political situation, Evie addressed her husband. ‘Why did you say you think the volunteer exercises are pointless?’ she asked. ‘They’ve been doing a lot of that kind of thing back in England.’

‘That’s the trouble. They’re only geared to train people in war, European style. What the devil use will that be if it comes to a war here, where we should be learning jungle warcraft?’

Arthur nodded. ‘I can’t argue with that, Doug.’

‘Maybe you need to start drumming it into the heads of your bosses.’

‘I do my best. The fundamental problem is that my lot and the military are at loggerheads. We understand the country. They think they understand war.’ Arthur pushed away his plate. ‘They’re so bloody over-confident. They think the peninsular’s impregnable and consider the Japanese inferior combatants. I just hope they won’t live to regret those massive assumptions.’

Veronica gave another groan. ‘For pity’s sake, will you two stop droning on about politics. This is meant to be a birthday party!’

As she spoke, the maitre d’ announced over the microphone that the resident orchestra would not