He raised his arms high and wide, greeting them all with equal enthusiasm. His colour too had risen, making him look much more himself; he was thinner, of course — but she could feed him up, Blanche found herself thinking.

‘That feels right!’ he said, beaming across at Blanche. ‘I can’t deny that feels right. I’ll stay here tonight, anyway.’

He climbed on to the bungalow steps and raised a hand. ‘Thanks, my friends. You’ve made me very happy. It does me good to see you all again. Let me have tonight to rest up and find myself again and I’ll be round to see you all tomorrow.’

They waved and cheered him as they went off back to their duties and their homes. Standing at George’s side, Blanche warmed to these self-effacing, warm-hearted people. She turned to find George watching her.

‘What are you thinking?’ he asked.

‘I’m thinking how much I like these people and how bloody mad it makes me feel to think of them being exploited.’

‘We’re only at the beginning of it,’ George said dourly. ‘This country’s got a long way to go before it stands up independent and rid of the scourge of gun-happy extremists.’

‘And you’ll stay and help?’ She was aware that there was a lot of feeling out of opinions and intentions going on. Was Liz telling her she would go back to England? Was she asking if George intended to stay in the Far East.

‘I’ve given a lot of my life to this country.’ He paused, looking out over the milky tin lakes where lilies proliferated. ‘I think I may be too old to go back to frosts and snows.’ He looked at her as if the real answer lay with her. ‘If I’m wanted, I’ll certainly stay.’

‘Send Chemor back to Rinsey,’ she said quietly, drawing him by the hand towards the bungalow. ‘Tell him to say I’m staying over at Bukit Kinta for tonight.’

‘I’ll never let you go from me again if you do this,’ he said in no more than a whisper.

‘You can’t be sure of that,’ she said, still smiling brightly as if to the retreating crowd.

‘I’m sure!’ he breathed, and the tone of his voice brought a response she felt had been unused for as long as her capacity to blush.

He beckoned to Chemor and gave him the instructions. The Dyak glanced at Blanche and she added, ‘You’ll see all the guards are posted, everywhere well-guarded?’

Chemor acknowledged with a salute.

‘Fine!’ George approved. ‘See you tomorrow, my friend.’

They stood in the doorway and watched him go as if he were the last guest at a prolonged party, watching until the Ford disappeared in the dust, so their solitude could be assured.

George dropped his case to the floor and, catching her hand, pulled her to him, slipping his arm around her waist. The contact of their two bodies was electrifying. She had thought him like a rugger player when she had first met him; now she knew his fitness exceeded her expectations. He held her close for a few more seconds almost as if confirming that first sensation. It was vibrant, she could have told him. It was sensational.

He lifted her and carried her to the bedroom, placed her back on her feet and began to take his own clothes off with a deliberation that had the most blatant sexuality she had ever known. She was so surprised and overwhelmed that she still stood fully clothed when he stood fully exposed.

Then, instead of taking a step towards her, he stepped away as if placing himself as audience and invited her to follow his lead. She did. Neither too slowly nor too quickly, but with the discipline of experience. Yet the knowledge was tight between them that in neither of their lives had there been anything quite like this before.

When she was naked she tossed up her chin and walked tall and proud towards him, feeling this was the most arousing thing she had ever done. If she had ever been ready to share love and sex with a man this was the moment.

George lifted her as she reached him and they stood united — only afterwards did they go to the bed.

*

Early the next morning there were movements in the kitchen, noises of china being moved and smells of bacon being fried. George went to investigate. He returned grinning.

‘Li Kim’s back. He looks a bit dishevelled. The police took him in before the raid, questioned him and only released him late last night.’

‘Did they seriously suspect him?’ Blanche asked, sitting up and letting the sheet fall around her like drapes around a classical torso.

‘Possibly. His trouble is, like many another, he tries to be on the winning side, whichever it is,’ George commented as he took off the shorts he had slipped into. ‘Though, heaven help the Orientals, over the centuries many of them have had to be pretty inscrutable to survive at all. However — ’ he climbed back into bed and scooped her to him — ‘he’s pretty sure he’s on our side at the moment.’

They breakfasted royally, and before Chemor arrived, Ira telephoned from Singapore with the news that he had the offer of a job in the firm’s Singapore office, which he intended to take. ‘But I’m to come back to Bukit Kinta as mine manager for the next two months so that you can have immediate leave, if you wish.’

‘Yes, I’ll take the leave,’ George told him, ‘and I’ll go to Rinsey this morning.’

Chemor repeated his hooter performance as they arrived at the plantation gates. Blanche revelled in hearing George’s belated protest and seeing the affection that radiated from everyone towards this man — hers! she thought.

Liz greeted George with genuine affection and enthusiasm — and her mother with a knowing nod and a drawn-out,

‘Hmm.’

‘What do you mean by hmm?’ Blanche asked.

‘I think I mean I feel free to go off to Penang on the first train from Ipoh to Butterworth, ferry across to George Town — Alan will come and meet me there. I’ll find a hotel … ’

‘On your own?’ Blanche frowned. ‘I’m not sure — ’

‘Look, Mother, the most dangerous bit will be from here to Ipoh. The trains are guarded. Penang island is safe — even the soldiers hand their rifles in when they get there.’

‘It has to be safer than in the jungle among the CTs where she went chasing after him before.’

‘Oh! It’s nice to have an ally, George,’ Liz said. ‘It’ll be great having you around — in the family?’

Blanche spluttered a little and made derogatory noises.

‘Oh, come one, Mother! Don’t be coy! I know the look of someone who’s been bowled over. You looked suddenly ten years younger when the news came of George’s release — and there had to be something or you’d have put this chap in his place way back.’

‘You should have told us both,’ George said. ‘Saved a lot of time.’

‘I don’t reckon you’ve wasted much.’ Liz stood watching the two of them, then pointed at her mother. ‘That is the second time in my life I ever remember my mother blushing, and the other time was yesterday!’

‘Don’t labour it,’ her mother warned.

‘I reckon we should come clean,’ George said.

‘Actually she’s quite wrong!’ Blanche said airily. ‘It felt more like twenty years — even thirty.’

‘Which means,’ Liz concluded, ‘I definitely should not be here! I’m off to Penang!’ She went to the door, put her hand on her heart and declaimed, ‘You’ve got each other. And I’m just going to see if Anna’s finished my ironing, so I can pack.’ She waved, left the lounge, then peeped back. ‘Be good!’

Blanche made a pretence of chasing her out but, reaching the door, closed it quietly. ‘Elizabeth has quite amazed me. Not just by guessing what was going on, but I thought she might be upset because of her father.’

‘It gives her freedom,’ George said. ‘Let’s not grumble about the things that go right for us.’

*

The next day Liz crossed the channel to Penang on one of the ferries which cross and recross looking like nothing so much as a flotilla of gigantic water beetles straggling across the water.