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Contents (54)
  1. The Hour Before Dawn
  2. Table of Contents
  3. PROLOGUE
  4. ONE
  5. TWO
  6. THREE
  7. FOUR
  8. FIVE
  9. SIX
  10. SEVEN
  11. EIGHT
  12. NINE
  13. TEN
  14. ELEVEN
  15. TWELVE
  16. THIRTEEN
  17. FOURTEEN
  18. FIFTEEN
  19. SIXTEEN
  20. SEVENTEEN
  21. EIGHTEEN
  22. NINETEEN
  23. TWENTY
  24. TWENTY-ONE
  25. TWENTY-TWO
  26. TWENTY-THREE
  27. TWENTY-FOUR
  28. TWENTY-FIVE
  29. TWENTY-SIX
  30. TWENTY-SEVEN
  31. TWENTY-EIGHT
  32. TWENTY-NINE
  33. THIRTY
  34. THIRTY-ONE
  35. THIRTY-TWO
  36. THIRTY-THREE
  37. THIRTY-FOUR
  38. THIRTY-FIVE
  39. THIRTY-SIX
  40. THIRTY-SEVEN
  41. THIRTY-EIGHT
  42. THIRTY-NINE
  43. FORTY
  44. FORTY-ONE
  45. FORTY-TWO
  46. FORTY-THREE
  47. FORTY-FOUR
  48. EPILOGUE
  49. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
  50. About the Author
  51. THE HOUR BEFORE DAWN
  52. By the same author
  53. Copyright
  54. About the Publisher

She turned and followed her daughter’s eyes. She was looking at Fergus and Laura suddenly caught the expression on Fergus’s face. Unmistakable. My God! He was in love with Fleur. Laura felt an icy finger run down her spine. Was guilt contributing to both their misery?

Laura had seen it all too often. An exotic posting, pretty wives and too many single males; a recipe for disaster.

Peter was walking across the garden towards them. ‘Darling, are you bearing up?’ he said to Fleur when he reached them. ‘People won’t stay too long, you know. Everybody just wants to feel they are supporting you…If you can just manage to say hello and thank people for coming…’

‘We’ll stay and circulate with you…You don’t have to stay talking…’ Laura grabbed a drink from a passing waiter and handed it to Fleur. ‘Have a drink, Fleur…it will help…’

Laura’s voice sounded as it always did. She surprised herself. She and Peter walked across the lawn with Fleur between them, but the small chink that had opened and warmed towards her daughter closed sharply again. David had deserved better than a flirtatious or unfaithful wife.

Peter had rented one of the government bungalows in Port Dickson for two weeks. They could reach Sam in Penang easily from there. They had booked the holiday in Penang some time ago and were meeting Sam and his girlfriend on their way home from Australia. Sam had done a year in a Melbourne hospital and had spent six months travelling before now returning to London and medical school.

Peter and Laura had hoped Ah Heng would go with them to Port Dickson before she started her job with the High Commission, but Eldest Brother died suddenly the day they flew back and there was a huge Chinese funeral that could go on for days.

After a week at Port Dickson, Fleur seemed more herself. Peter and Laura had no way of contacting Sam or any idea where he was coming from so one of them had to go to Penang to meet him. Sam, out of reach, did not even know David was dead, and Peter and Laura were reluctant to leave a message at the hotel. It would be too much of a shock.

Peter had not wanted to leave Fleur, but Laura would not travel on her own and he was torn. Fleur had assured them both she would be fine. She had to get used to being on her own. Of course they must meet Sam. She was OK. She could cope. Honestly…

They had left her reluctantly. There were no phones in the rest houses, which were quite basic, but there were other young families occupying the bungalows along the coast who promised to keep an eye on Fleur and make sure she did not feel lonely.

They had left her for twenty-four hours. Peter never forgave himself. Laura had to remember for the rest of her life, that she had, as always, made Sam her priority.