glass he had placed earlier on one of the bunks, filled to the brim with water. It was lying on its side, empty. ‘That’s what’s wrong with it, Miss Roper.’
Clive Godwin was at the Campbells’ party with a new girlfriend – a shy mouse who looked at him adoringly. Just the sort he needed. Denys was there too, which had been no surprise. She told him about failing the ambulance-driving test.
‘I shouldn’t worry about it, sweetie. It wasn’t your sort of thing, anyway.’
‘Oh, I’m not giving up, Denys. Not now.’
He invited her sailing – someone had lent him a boat.
‘The same person who lent you the MG?’
‘No, this is a different chap. One of those intrepid Volunteers. They’ve sent him off to play soldiers upcountry.’
He collected her in the MG and they drove out to the sailing club at Changi where the boat was moored – a rather smart little dinghy called
Kittiwake
.
She watched him fiddling about with the sail. ‘I hope you know what you’re doing, Denys.’
‘I was born and brought up by the sea, I’ll have you know. My misspent youth was spent going up and down the Solent.’
‘In England?’
‘Of course. The best country in the world, in my opinion.’
‘What made you come to Malaya, then?’
‘Adventure. Loot. The call of the mysterious East.’
‘But you’ll go back to England – in the end.’
‘Lord, yes. Eventually.’
‘Marry some nice girl and settle down?’
‘That’s the general idea.’ He pulled on a rope and the sail rose, billowing and flapping in the breeze. ‘You, I hope.’
‘Me? I wouldn’t do at all, Denys. I don’t like England. I’m staying put in Malaya.’
‘You’ll change your mind, mark my words. Hop in quick. We’re all set to go.’
They sailed along the east coast, weaving in and out of little islets that were no more than mangrove swamps. Denys, she soon saw, had spoken the truth about knowing how to sail. All she had to do was sit back, watch the scenery and duck her head whenever the boom went over.
‘That beach looks lovely, Denys. Can we go and swim there?’
‘Anything you say, O Princess. But you’ll have to take your clothes off.’
‘I’ve got my bathing costume on underneath.’
‘Drat.’
He ran
Kittiwake
gently on to the shore. The beach had pure-white sand edged with palms and the whispering casuarina trees, and it was completely deserted. They walked along its length and she kept stopping to pick up pretty shells. At the far end she shaded her eyes with her hand to look out across the shimmering sea.
‘My father’s convinced the Japs are going to drop bombs on us.’
‘Not much likelihood of that.’
‘I didn’t think so either. But some newspaper correspondent came to dinner the other night and I overheard him talking to my father afterwards.’
‘Eavesdroppers never hear anything good.’
‘That’s true. And this wasn’t good at all. He thinks we’re in deadly danger. He said the Japs will certainly attack us and that we aren’t properly defended or prepared.’
‘Newspaper chaps make it all up.’
‘But my father believed him. He’s having an air raid shelter built in the garden and he’s thinking of packing my mother and me off to Australia. Isn’t it ridiculous?’
They turned to walk back.
Denys said, ‘Maybe it’s not such a bad idea, though, sweetie. Just to be on the safe side.’
She stopped, staring at him. ‘You don’t really imagine I’d leave, do you, Denys? Like a meek little lamb?’
‘Well, no … not actually.’
They walked on; she picked up another shell – a pretty pink and white one. ‘The newspaper man also said that the Japs will know everything about us from the ones that have been living in Singapore. They’ve been spying on us, apparently.’
‘No need to worry about that any more. A lot of the Nips scarpered back in July – haven’t you noticed how few there are around these days?’
She frowned. ‘The Jap who runs the camera shop
Clive Godwin was at the Campbells’ party with a new girlfriend – a shy mouse who looked at him adoringly. Just the sort he needed. Denys was there too, which had been no surprise. She told him about failing the ambulance-driving test.
‘I shouldn’t worry about it, sweetie. It wasn’t your sort of thing, anyway.’
‘Oh, I’m not giving up, Denys. Not now.’
He invited her sailing – someone had lent him a boat.
‘The same person who lent you the MG?’
‘No, this is a different chap. One of those intrepid Volunteers. They’ve sent him off to play soldiers upcountry.’
He collected her in the MG and they drove out to the sailing club at Changi where the boat was moored – a rather smart little dinghy called
Kittiwake
.
She watched him fiddling about with the sail. ‘I hope you know what you’re doing, Denys.’
‘I was born and brought up by the sea, I’ll have you know. My misspent youth was spent going up and down the Solent.’
‘In England?’
‘Of course. The best country in the world, in my opinion.’
‘What made you come to Malaya, then?’
‘Adventure. Loot. The call of the mysterious East.’
‘But you’ll go back to England – in the end.’
‘Lord, yes. Eventually.’
‘Marry some nice girl and settle down?’
‘That’s the general idea.’ He pulled on a rope and the sail rose, billowing and flapping in the breeze. ‘You, I hope.’
‘Me? I wouldn’t do at all, Denys. I don’t like England. I’m staying put in Malaya.’
‘You’ll change your mind, mark my words. Hop in quick. We’re all set to go.’
They sailed along the east coast, weaving in and out of little islets that were no more than mangrove swamps. Denys, she soon saw, had spoken the truth about knowing how to sail. All she had to do was sit back, watch the scenery and duck her head whenever the boom went over.
‘That beach looks lovely, Denys. Can we go and swim there?’
‘Anything you say, O Princess. But you’ll have to take your clothes off.’
‘I’ve got my bathing costume on underneath.’
‘Drat.’
He ran
Kittiwake
gently on to the shore. The beach had pure-white sand edged with palms and the whispering casuarina trees, and it was completely deserted. They walked along its length and she kept stopping to pick up pretty shells. At the far end she shaded her eyes with her hand to look out across the shimmering sea.
‘My father’s convinced the Japs are going to drop bombs on us.’
‘Not much likelihood of that.’
‘I didn’t think so either. But some newspaper correspondent came to dinner the other night and I overheard him talking to my father afterwards.’
‘Eavesdroppers never hear anything good.’
‘That’s true. And this wasn’t good at all. He thinks we’re in deadly danger. He said the Japs will certainly attack us and that we aren’t properly defended or prepared.’
‘Newspaper chaps make it all up.’
‘But my father believed him. He’s having an air raid shelter built in the garden and he’s thinking of packing my mother and me off to Australia. Isn’t it ridiculous?’
They turned to walk back.
Denys said, ‘Maybe it’s not such a bad idea, though, sweetie. Just to be on the safe side.’
She stopped, staring at him. ‘You don’t really imagine I’d leave, do you, Denys? Like a meek little lamb?’
‘Well, no … not actually.’
They walked on; she picked up another shell – a pretty pink and white one. ‘The newspaper man also said that the Japs will know everything about us from the ones that have been living in Singapore. They’ve been spying on us, apparently.’
‘No need to worry about that any more. A lot of the Nips scarpered back in July – haven’t you noticed how few there are around these days?’
She frowned. ‘The Jap who runs the camera shop
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