‘Arthur, my love, I won’t argue with you. How can I possibly disagree when I feel the way I do, but it’s too late. I can’t possibly leave Doug now.’

He leaned back and pulled out a rare cigarette, lit it and took a deep draw. ‘I’m leaving Penang, Evie. With or without you. I want you with me. But if you won’t come I have to leave anyway. I can’t go on like this, being so close to you and unable to be with you. I’ve tried. Oh God, I’ve tried, but I can’t do it any more. And I can’t go on watching Veronica spiral ever downwards, knowing that I’m the cause of it.’

‘You’re leaving? Where?’ Evie felt as though the ground was coming up to meet her.

‘Singapore. I’ve been offered a position there, reporting directly to Sir Shenton Thomas. I accepted it this morning. I’m leaving straight away.’ He looked up at her, his eyes full of love and Evie almost weakened. ‘Please, Evie, come with me.’

She kept her hands across her belly, to feel the presence of her unborn child, willing it give her strength to hold her course, when every nerve in her body was screaming at her to give way, to say yes to Arthur. And it wasn’t only the baby, there was Jasmine too. Her family. How could she abandon the little girl who had lost her own mother and placed all her trust and love in Evie? ’No,’ she said, trying to control the quaver in her voice. ‘I can’t do that, Arthur.’ She took a big gulp of air. ‘I won’t do that.’

’That’s your final decision?’

She nodded, mutely. ‘And you need to get help for Veronica. Maybe moving to Singapore will be the best thing for her too. A new start for you both.’

‘Last night when we got back from the club she threw another fit and tried to stab me with a carving knife.’

‘What? She tried to kill you?’

He ran his hands through his hair again. ‘Look, Evie, you’ve seen how she’s spiralled out of control.’ He put his head back, staring up at the cloud-covered sky. ‘I just can’t do it any more. It’s not just because of how I feel about you and me. I can’t cope with her any more. The drinking. The drugs. The aggression. The infidelities.’ He heaved a deep sigh. ‘No one else knows this, but she’s started picking men up and bringing them home with her. I don’t know how long it’s been going on, but last week I got back after a late meeting to find her with a man. In our home.’

‘Oh God. That’s horrible.’

‘A young assistant manager for Guthrie’s. Off the boat a few months ago.’

‘I’m sorry, Arthur.’

‘I’m not sorry. It’s made me realise I was caught in a trap. I don’t care about the consequences any more. I’ve spent years trying to do the right thing by Veronica, feeling sorry for her, for what happened to her, for her problems. I’m done. I’ve nothing left to give.’