It was hard for Evie not to feel daunted by that herself.

Noticing her expression, Miss Helston hurried to add, ‘Most of them get used to it in the end. Wait here a moment.’

She hurried out of the room and returned with a book. ‘Take this, I have no need of it. I learnt Malay as a toddler from my amah. It’s a dictionary called Malay for Mems. Everything you’ll need is in there. Try a few phrases at a time and you’ll soon build up your vocabulary. Even the Chinese and Indians know how to speak Malay so it’s essential for communicating with your servants. And we Europeans tend to pepper our sentences with Malay words.’

‘I have picked up that the tuan is the boss and I know I prefer a pahit to a stengah.’

Miss Helston laughed. ‘Nothing like getting your priorities right. You certainly won’t get far in Malaya without knowing what your favourite tipple is.’

‘Thank you so much, Miss Helston. That little book will be an absolute godsend.’

‘And there are many compensations to living in Penang. The beaches are beautiful. And it’s cooler up in the hills. People enjoy living standards that are much higher here than they’d have in England. And the flowers and plants are stunning.’ She leaned forward. ‘Have you been up to Penang Hill?’

Evie shook her head. ‘I haven’t really been anywhere yet. Just short walks around George Town. I’m finding the heat exhausting.’

‘You’ll soon acclimatise. And up on the Hill it’s much cooler. Maybe we could go together. There’s a little train to take you up. The views are stunning. You can see the whole island.’

They arranged to meet the following week. As Evie and a reluctant Jasmine were leaving, Miss Helston said, ‘And please call me Mary.’

‘I’m Evie.’

They shook hands and Mary’s face beamed with pleasure. ‘I’m so pleased to have met you, Evie.’

Mary Helston had not exaggerated about the panoramic views from Penang Hill, which turned out not to be a single hill but a whole series of them. When they got off the funicular railway, Evie saw George Town laid out below them. Beyond the town was the narrow stretch of water which separated them from the mainland, and a cluster of small islands. The view across the Straits to the Kedah Peak took Evie’s breath away. The crystal waters of the Straits were speckled with fishing boats, and the mainland was draped with the pale silvery green of distant paddy fields. She gazed out across the panorama and decided she had never seen anything so beautiful. All around them they heard the ceaseless susurration of cicadas and the trilling of birds. Even the trees were explosions of colour. Tulip trees – the flames of the forest – framed the views with their vibrant orange flowers like upturned claws. Evie wished she were a painter.

Mary told her the area had been developed by the British colonial settlers, seeking a refuge from the blistering heat of George Town.