‘Thank you. I will do my best.’ She was about to take her leave but then blurted, ‘But the other man. He has been good to me and he arranged the funeral. I’ve treated him badly even though he has been a rock to me. Just now he told me loves me and I was angry. I shouted at him.’ She twisted her hands again.

‘Remember to love self. Love self and trust your god. God will help you find peace. Goodbye, daughter.’ He rose to his feet and disappeared behind the curtain.

Evie stared after him, uncertain if she was any the wiser, but feeling a sense of calm that she had lacked when she’d walked into the temple. She planted a kiss on Hugh’s forehead and left the building.

28

The world changed again for Evie in December 1941, with the news of the bombing of Pearl Harbour by the Japanese. Nerves among the expatriate community had been taut since the summer, when the Americans had initiated an embargo of Japanese oil and implemented sanctions and, thanks to Vichy France, the Japanese now had air bases in Indo-China, so the threat had moved dangerously close to Malaya. But with Pearl Harbour and the simultaneous amphibious landings at Kota Bharu on the north east Malay coast near the Thai border, all pretence that the Japanese were not to be taken seriously disappeared. Both the USA and Britain were at war with Japan.

Earlier in the war, the British had been clear that, in theory, the priority for defence after Britain itself, was Malaya with its mineral and rubber wealth and the strategic harbours of Penang and Singapore. Yet Churchill and the War Cabinet had overturned this assumption and dropped Malaya below the Middle East and Russia in the pecking order. Only Singapore had any serious defensive presence – but with insufficient and obsolete aircraft, below par divisions, no tanks or anti-tank guns. On top of this, there was serious dissent between the military and government authorities. The Commander-in-Chief of the combined military forces complained of alarmist press reporting and seemed more intent on discrediting his colleagues than facing the prospect of the enemy.

In Penang too, there was internal bickering, a refusal to allocate sufficient funds to civic defence and a neglect of air defences, rendering the island vulnerable to attack. The authorities were guilty of bungling – trenches had been dug, only to be filled in again, and there was a general refusal to face the possibility of invasion.

Life for Evie had, until now, been completely focused on her two children. No thought of leaving Malaya had entered her head. Penang was their home. It was her husband’s final resting place and she and Jasmine tended his grave regularly. Besides, where would she go? To return to Britain was unthinkable. Not only was there danger there, the voyage itself was long and beset with risks. Her family’s livelihood depended on the income from the rubber estates and since Douglas had always intended his son to inherit and manage these eventually, Evie wanted to stay true to his intentions. That meant staying put.