But what was she thinking? They were both married. The problems with Douglas were clouding her judgement. Evie started to swim back to the shore, but Arthur grabbed her arm and pulled her towards him. For one insane moment Evie thought he was going to kiss her. He pulled her closer. Their eyes met and she held her breath, but he moved away.

’Sorry,’ he said, speaking too quickly. ‘I thought there was a shoal of jellyfish. But it was only seaweed.’

She looked back at him, angry with herself for misreading the signs. Then, without knowing how it happened, she was in his arms and he was kissing her, as she had never been kissed before. They were almost out of their depth and Evie held tight to him, wrapping her legs around him to stay afloat as they kissed, frantically, passionately.

Arthur moved his head back and broke away. ‘That was unforgivable of me. I’m so sorry, Evie. I promise you it won’t happen again.’

She reached for him, holding onto his arms as they drifted further out of depth. ‘It wasn’t just you. It was me too. And I want it to happen again.’

He closed his eyes. ‘You’re my best friend’s wife. I had no business starting what can never be finished.’

Evie was swamped by a wave and he took her hand and they struggled back out of the sea. Collapsed onto their towels, she was confused, no longer sure of herself. Sure only that no matter how wrong that kiss had been it had felt more right than anything she’d done since coming to Penang.

She had to break the silence, the terrible silence that was surrounding them and smothering them. As if to mirror that, a rogue cloud crossed in front of the sun, darkening the beach.

‘Douglas doesn’t love me,’ she said. ‘He only married me to have a child. I have threatened more than once to go back to England. Every time, he promises to change, but he never does. He’s cold towards me. I sometimes think I disgust him.’

Arthur jerked his head round. ‘That’s impossible. How could you disgust him? You’re the loveliest person I’ve ever met.’ He put his head in his hands and bent forward. ‘Oh, Evie. If only things could be different. In another life. I know I could make you happy.’ He took a sharp intake of breath. ‘I think I’m in love with you and have been since the ship. I think about you all the time. I’m going crazy.’

Evie stared at him, astonished, but at the same time her heart lifted inside her, her breath jerky and uneven as she took in what he was saying.

‘But you have to know, I can never do anything about it. It would be wrong. I could never betray Doug. And I couldn’t do it to Veronica.’

Evie felt a rush of anger and indignation. She had never expected to have been put in this position, to be sitting half-naked on a deserted beach, with her husband’s best friend, after the most passionate kiss she had ever experienced. Adultery went against everything she believed in, but how could she possibly deny the reality of how she was now certain she felt about Arthur?