‘In a week or so. I’ll be there for a night. I’ve decided not to let Lawrence know. If he asks I’ll say I’m tied up in meetings. Which will be true. He’s keeping his distance at the moment anyway.’

‘He hasn’t made good on his threat to go for full custody?’

‘Not yet – and I’m taking no news as good news. It was probably just an empty threat anyway, and then when this opportunity in India came up, it didn’t suit him to have full custody anymore. Really, I don’t exactly see how he could sue for full custody from India. But still, it’s awful to live with this hanging over me; I’m waiting for the axe that could drop at any second.’ Grace felt her stomach churn at the thought, but shook herself out of it. ‘So you’re okay to look after Daisy, Mum?’

‘Of course. I’m not going anywhere exciting,’ she said with a smile.

‘Thank you. And yes, I think I’ve got enough excitement on my hands for both of us at the minute,’ replied Grace.

*

Johnny Pangisar had chosen the venue for the Singapore meeting, as well as Grace’s accommodation, and as Grace expected, everything was first class.

She’d arrived in Singapore early after an uneventful night flight from Sydney and cleared Customs in record time. After settling into her room at the Fullerton Hotel, which had once been the central post office on the waterfront, Grace spent time exploring its surrounds on the reclaimed land where Singapore was continuing to expand. She was impressed at this avant-garde city–state; its greening, a clever combining of nature with the urban streetscape, from trees on rooftops to hanging gardens on skyscrapers; stunning landscaping; the massed orchids at every turn. Sydney seemed rather moribund and cement-bound in comparison, and made her think again how valuable was the little world of ancient nature, just lightly retouched and directed, that embraced the Kamasan Hotel. Old nature, even in the lush tropics, was not easily replicated. This was part of the ‘something extra’ they could bring to the Kamasan in the competitive world of international hotel tourism, she reminded herself.

Her dinner invitation had been left in her room along with a gift: an exquisite finely woven seagrass handbag on a long slim plaited strap with a beautiful tortoise-shell clasp engraved in gold with her initials. This was no flimsy beach bag, she thought. She looked at the invitation: Please join us after today’s meeting for dinner at Odette, National Gallery, 8 pm. And après at the ‘Marquee’, Marina Bay Sands.