As she prepared to go ashore, Evie’s nerves returned. Thanks to her conversation with Arthur, this time it was not due to self-doubt but nervous excitement. In a matter of days she would be married. At least she presumed she would. Other than the telegram to confirm the Leightons’ contact details in London and the departure date of the ship, she’d heard nothing more from Douglas. Would he expect her to call him Doug – or even Dougie as Veronica Leighton did? Was he as excited about what was happening as she was? Would he be as handsome as she remembered?

While Arthur Leighton seemed to believe her forthcoming marriage would be a successful and lasting one, it was nonetheless a marriage driven by convenience. Douglas Barrington needed a wife to keep his house, bring up his child and, hopefully, provide him with more children. While maybe in time he might grow to love her, it was too much to expect that he would feel that from the start.

Evie, however, was certain she would love him at once. How could she not? Over the years, the memory of that waltz together had never faded. It was a moment frozen in time. The feel of his hand in the small of her back, the warm touch of his smooth fingers, the way he had led her so that she hadn’t felt at all clumsy, but light and graceful. Even though it had been the occasion of his marriage to the beautiful Felicity and Evie had known he was merely playing the part expected of him, she had treasured the way he had made her feel. That dance had marked her transition from childhood and her hope for the possibilities ahead of her. Maybe it was a foolish fantasy – a little girl’s dream of a handsome prince – but this dream was coming true.

She would do her utmost to be a good wife to Douglas, to make him happy, to give him cause to love her. She would be different from Felicity. Life in Malaya might prove a challenge but she was determined to adapt to it. Hot weather wasn’t going to get her down. And anyway, people did acclimatise eventually – the Leightons certainly had. But she reminded herself they’d lived in Africa beforehand, so they would have been used to the heat.

As she stood at last on the dockside, Evie’s heart jumped in her chest and she struggled to breathe. Douglas Barrington wasn’t there to meet her. A Malayan man moved towards her purposefully. She swallowed her disappointment and forced a smile. He introduced himself as Benny and told her he was Douglas’s syce in George Town.

‘I look after motor car and house of Mister Ballington when he in George Town. Not much time. He not here today, Mem. He busy. In Singapore. Come. Bags in car.’

Evie was crushed. After the long sea voyage, and building herself up for meeting Douglas at last, it was all for nothing. She was stung. Since he was travelling down to Singapore, why hadn’t he suggested she stay on board and meet him there? Common courtesy dictated that, when she’d come so far and risked so much. For him to have been unwilling to spare the time to greet her in person was a humiliation. Her resolve to be a supportive and compliant partner evaporated. Digging her fingernails into her palms, she struggled to prevent her emotions showing on her face, and followed a smiling Benny to the waiting car.