‘But if it’s your birthday.’

‘It doesn’t mean I want a gift.’

It was another punch in the stomach. She didn’t feel like a wife at all. The way he spoke to her was more suited to his assistants or his housekeeper. Curt. Snappy.

Arguing was pointless. ‘How old are you?’ she asked lamely.

He looked upwards and sighed. ‘Forty-three. And before you ask, I don’t want a cake with candles on it either.’

She took a sharp intake of breath. ‘I wouldn’t presume.’

‘Good,’ he said. ‘I’m going to play a round of golf. Be ready for seven. We’ll have dinner at the E&O before the concert.’ He started to walk out of the room, then looked back at her and added, ‘Wear that dress again. The one you wore for the dinner.’

Fuming, she sat down, her hands on her thighs to steady her shaking. Not a how-are-you?, not even a question about Jasmine – and certainly not a touch or a kiss. She was starting to think she was married to two different men.

Taking a deep breath, she told herself that at least he’d noticed the dress and must have liked her in it.

She went out into the garden to find Jasmine, who was busy telling stories to her dolls.

When they walked past the giant floral displays of birds of paradise and protea, into the elegant restaurant at the Eastern & Oriental, the Leightons were waiting at the table. Evie was nervous about being in their company for the first time since her afternoon on the beach with Arthur, hoping her face wouldn’t give away her tangled emotions. The prospect of being near to Arthur filled her with both dread and exhilaration. No matter how many times she had replayed their kiss in her head it still seemed like a dream – but a dream that set her heart racing and filled her with a desperate longing to experience it again.

But all personal concerns soon fled. Arthur rose from the table to greet them, his face furrowed. Even Veronica looked pale and edgy.

‘We declared war on Germany today.’ Arthur’s mouth was drawn into a tight line.

‘When?’ Douglas gave a little shake of the head. ‘We knew it was coming.’

‘Less than an hour ago. Eleven in the morning in London. The PM’s speech was on the wireless but there was so much static it was barely comprehensible.’ He reached into his jacket pocket and handed Douglas a sheet of paper. ‘Here’s the transcript.’

Douglas scanned it rapidly before handing it back to Arthur, who turned at once to Evie and offered it to her. The words ‘no such undertaking has been received, and that consequently this country is at war with Germany’ were stark. While it was true that the prospect of another war in Europe had seemed an inevitability for a long time, being far away in Malaya had made it feel remote and removed.

Arthur said, ‘I have to go back to the office after dinner. I can’t stay for the concert. Sorry.’