So, on the surface, all was well in the Barrington household, but Evie had to constantly remind herself of what the monk had said, particularly about Yin and Yang. Douglas and she definitely embodied marked differences in temperament and interests, so it was a continual struggle for her to attempt to understand him and embrace those differences. Trying to become close to a man who was intensely private, afraid to express his emotions, and whose greatest passion in life was growing rubber, was proving a challenge. Evie was all too aware that her husband was often impatient with her, irritated by her questions and her desire for conversation. She kept telling herself it was impossible to expect that a man of few words would be capable of changing into one who shared her interests and was ready to talk about them.

On the long silent evenings when, after Jasmine was tucked up in bed, Evie sat in the drawing room with her husband, she mostly read a book, while he rustled his way through the Straits Times, smoked his pipe and drank whisky. It was at times like these, alone with Douglas in a silence broken only by the sound of a ticking clock, that Evie couldn’t help her thoughts straying to Arthur Leighton, imagining how different it would be if it were him sitting opposite her. With Arthur the time flew by, without her noticing. They never lacked topics for conversation, each interested in what the other had to say. Arthur didn’t have the repressed emotions of Doug – in fact Evie suspected Arthur had a constant battle to keep a lid on them. She forced her attention back to the room, to her husband, to the father of her unborn child. Instead of wasting time on what might have been, she must focus all her energy on building a future with Doug.

They rarely went out. Neither of them enjoyed the mindless pursuit of pleasure by the Europeans in Penang. It jarred with Evie that while, back in England, people were coping with the blackout and rationing, here there were plentiful supplies of food and drink and a constant round of parties. It seemed sybaritic and selfish when there was a war on.

Occasionally they entertained at home, Douglas needing to talk business with dealers, inspectors and other estate owners, more conducive over a good dinner. Once or twice, when one of their guests was a single man or visiting Penang without his wife, she invited Mary Helston to make up the numbers. But it was apparent that Mary came because she didn’t like to refuse, and clearly felt uncomfortable if there was any possibility the man might see her as fair game, or if she suspected Evie of trying to matchmake. Evie was sad that Mary was alone, but her friend assured her that she was perfectly happy with her unmarried state, living with her parents.

Evie managed to avoid inviting the Leightons to these dinners unless Doug absolutely insisted on their presence. The hostilities between her and Veronica had not abated. But she couldn’t keep putting her husband off when he enjoyed Arthur’s company. And were she wholly honest with herself, she did too. With Arthur at the table, she was guaranteed an interesting evening, although whenever he left, Evie felt deflated, bereft, and wishing that it were he who shared her life.