Arthur’s mouth twitched and a look of sadness darkened his face. ‘Is that how she died? They executed her? Do you know how?’

Evie shook her head. ‘Mary wouldn’t tell me anything else. She can’t bear to talk about her experiences under the Japanese but she wanted me to know what Veronica did for them all.’

‘So, the poor girl finally found a way to redeem herself. There was always a well of goodness deep inside Veronica. I’m glad it found a way to reach the surface.’

He kissed her again, slowly, lovingly.

‘So, will you marry me, Arthur?’

‘You’re proposing to me?’ His face broke into a broad grin and he drew her close to him again. Then he grew serious. ‘You might want to change your mind when you see what they did to me. I’ll understand if you do.’

‘I promise you, Arthur Leighton. There is nothing that will ever make me change my mind where you’re concerned – well, unless you decided you don’t want my children too.’

‘My dearest darling, Jasmine and Hugh will be loved and cared for by me as if they were my own. Doug was my friend. And I’m Jasmine’s godfather.’ He frowned. ‘But that’s the other thing you need to know. After what I went through, it’s possible I may not be able to father a child of my own.’ As soon as he’d said it, he added, ‘I may be firing blanks. But as I can attest right now, I don’t think there’ll be any problems in getting the guns to fire.’ He grinned at her.

Evie needed no more encouragement. She jumped to her feet and took his hand. ‘Come on. We have a lot of time to make up, my darling.’

If you enjoyed The Pearl of Penang

It would be fantastic if you could spare a few minutes to leave a review at the retailer where you bought the book.

Reviews make a massive difference to authors - they help books get discovered by other readers and make it easier for authors to get promotional support – some promotions require a minimum number of reviews in order for a book to be accepted. Your words can make a difference.

Thank you!

CLARE’S NEWSLETTER

Why not subscribe to Clare’s monthly newsletter? Clare will update you on her work in progress, her travels, and you’ll be the first to know when she does a cover reveal, shares an extract, or has news of special offers and promotions. She often asks for input from her subscribers on cover design, book titles and characters’ names.

Don’t worry - your email address will NEVER be shared with a third party and if you reply to any of the newsletters you will get a personal response from Clare. She LOVES hearing from readers.

As a special thank you, you’ll get a free download of her short story collection, A Fine Pair of Shoes and Other Stories

Here’s the link to sign up - Click below or go to clareflynn.co.uk to the sign-up form. (Privacy Policy on Clare’s website)