Oriental Hotel (36 page)

She was hoping still that he would be unable to justify his opinion, so that she could dismiss it as pessimism. But the set of his mouth as he took out a cigarette and lit it, shielding the lighter flame with his hand, warned her that his answer was all too ready.

‘You really want to know? All right! Point number one – a fortress needs to be safe on all sides. Singapore is only safe as long as the Japs don't move down the Malay Peninsula and attack it from the landside. Point number two – a sea fortress is all very well, and guns pointing out to sea as those are might settle for any warships that tried to move in. But what about the air? And point number three. As far as I can make out, the whole defence of Singapore is based on it being able to hold out for seventy days until the Eastern fleet arrives to bail it out. What Eastern fleet, I'd like to know?'

She stood in silence for a moment, assimilating what he had told her, and could not think of a single argument to throw at him. What he had said was all too feasible, too sickeningly possible; all she could not understand was why no one else seemed to be saying it.

The dread was a weight in her and she asked heavily, ‘And what about Hong Kong?'

‘Hong Kong doesn't stand a cat's chance in hell. Even the Chiefs of Staff who are shutting their eyes to the fact that Singapore is vulnerable admit that. There's no way Hong Kong can be defended, and you might as well face the fact. What you must do is get back, get your son and get out.'

The sinking feeling deepened. ‘You think so?'

‘I certainly do. Take him and get the hell out of it, whatever your husband says. Which brings me to why I wanted to see you.'

A crazy leap of the heart.
Why? Why did you want to see me?

‘Since he's coming here to meet you, I take it he will arrange your passage back to Hong Kong from here.'

A falling away, down – down – down – into that black, bottomless pit.

‘I suppose so, yes.'

‘That's all right, then, And you'll be able to fix yourself up with somewhere to stay until he gets here?'

‘Yes. The Raffles, I hope.'

‘The Raffles! Where else? I shall see you there then, I expect.'

‘Yes.'

As he strolled away, the emptiness within her was a great, aching void. Despite all that had been between them, he had not even touched her. Despite all they had shared, he had not once looked at her in that way which turned her bones to water.

That's because he has had what he wanted from you, she thought, the knowledge like a knife thrust of pain. Had it really meant nothing to him? How was it possible that she could have felt so much when he had felt so little?

As the ships manoeuvred in Singapore Harbour, she was reminded again of the threat hanging over this pan of the world that she had grown to love. Get your son and get out, Brit had said – a further proof that it was immaterial to him whether or not he saw her again. But also sound advice. If things were this serious, she must take Alex and go. If the Japs came, the horror that would come with them was almost unimaginable.

Taking Alex to safety must be her objective. Everything else she must put from her mind.

The off-shore breeze blew the scent of the East to her nostrils and breathing it in, Elise tried to turn her thoughts to planning what she had to do.

Of all the famed Oriental Hotels, the Raffles was perhaps the most famous of all.

Named for the founder of Singapore, Sir Stamford Raffles, pattonised by royalty and by prominent people from the world of theatre and the arts, it stood proudly on Beach Road, raising its dark green and white façade to the blue Malayan sky.

In the Tiffin Room, paved with Carrara marble, surrounded by galleries with ornate columns and arches and crowned by an elaborate skylight, sultans and wealthy Straits Chinese mingled with members of the royal house of Johore, while planters from up-country drank gin-slings in the bar where Somerset Maugham had watched colonial life pass by and Noel Coward sat when he visited the Lion City.

On her way through the streets of Singapore, Elise had been uncomfortably aware that the military activity of the harbour was much in evidence ashore too – soldiers were everywhere, an anti-aircraft gun was positioned outside the Raffles, and at their HQ opposite the hotel a squad of Straits Settlement Volunteers drilled with more enthusiasm than precision.

But within the hallowed walls, the Raffles seemed unmoved by the prospect of impending doom. There were still daily tea dances, a pageant of youth and beauty had been organised in aid of charity, and the hotel's routine continued to run on oiled wheels.

A chambermaid unpacked for Elise and ran her a scented bath in the adjoining bathroom with its distinctive red and white towels. After the cramped conditions of the last few days, it was bliss to soak herself and some of her depression seemed to float away on the perfumed water.

Soon Gordon would be here and the madness which had been Brit would be over for good. He would take things in hand as he always did, arrange for her and Alex to go to safety. Perhaps he would even bring Alex with him to Singapore, so that they could go straight on. She hadn't thought of that – now excitement stirred, as it occurred to her that such a plan might have been behind his decision to meet her. She could hardly wait to see Alex again. And when would they be here? The voyage from Hong Kong took about five days, but of course she had no idea when they would have sailed.

She got out of the bath and the warm air dried the droplets on her skin even before she towelled herself. Pulling on her kimono, she telephoned down to ask Reception to check when sailings from Hong Kong were expected. The reply surprised her – the next steamer was due in four days'time, having left Hong Kong yesterday. Knowing this tightened every nerve to an almost unbearable pitch of anticipation. At this very moment, Gordon and perhaps Alex too were sailing towards her. In four days' time she would see them again. Through the anticipation she felt a swift shaft of fear that everything would not be as it had always been; that she would find they had become strangers. No, of course not. That was ridiculous!

At dinner there was no sign of Brit, but the inevitable Hemmings couple were there, forcing their unwelcome company on her, so that she found herself wondering if they had become her self-appointed guardians as a result of seeing her dancing with Brit that night in Penang. There could be no other reason, surely, for the leech-like behaviour they had adopted. It could hardly be that they liked her company – her attitude towards them would have been enough to deter the most ardent admirers.

After coffee had been served she excused herself, feeling that another minute in their company would drive her to the madhouse, but she was not yet ready to go to her room.

I could go for a walk, she thought. Singapore had never been a city to hold any terrors for her – fresh and cleaner than most of the cities of the Orient, in the European areas where the tuans lived at any rate, it seemed at the same time almost peaceful compared with the rush and bustle that was Hong Kong.

There were no seasons here – everyday was hot and humid, punctuated by brief, refreshing showers – but the evenings were tropic warm and pleasant and the left-over heat of the day kissed the skin gently. As she left the Raffles she passed but scarcely noticed the Military Police standing guard at the doors. They were just a part of the military presence that was beginning, with the glow of her after-dinner liqueur, to seem more comforting than threatening. Brit had to be wrong about the vulnerability of Singapore, for goodness sake! There were enough troops and armaments here to protect it against a much greater army than the Japs could send.

And the japs were still everywhere – running their textile shops in Middle Road, Hylam Street and Maley Street, lending their names to massage parlours, dental clinics, photography studios and hairdressing salons, and putting out decorative paper fishes to flutter in the breeze and announce the birth of their new babies. Surely they would not still be here, living, working and giving birth, if an invasion was imminent?

Deep in thought, she walked on along the waterfront and was unaware of the clatter of heavy boots following her until two soldiers fell into step one each side of her.

‘You're the sheelagh who came out of that grand pub, aren't you?'

‘She is, Arne. I saw her with my own two eyes.'

Automatically her chin lifted a shade, and looking from one side to the other she linked Australian army uniforms with the Australian accents. The two men were big and bronzed from the hot midsummer they had left behind, good-natured enough but obviously very drunk.

‘Now, you look nice enough for a Pommy, darling. You won't refuse two blokes who're going to fight for your safety, now will you?'

She stopped walking, drawing herself up very erect and looking from one to the other. Her heart had begun hammering and she was aware of sharp, trembling fear, but she had no intention of letting them see it.

‘Who the hell do you think you're talking to?'

For a moment the two men looked stunned, then they began to laugh. ‘ Come off it, darling! Don't get on your high horse with us.'

‘We've got a hoity one here!'

One of the soldiers put a hand on her arm and she jerked it away. ‘Take your hands off me!'

They laughed again. ‘A Pommy with spirit! Now there's a thing!'

‘Hey Pommy, give us a kiss!'

Then one soldier lurched towards her and automatically she jerked away so that she collided with the other. His arms caught her and she smelled the liquor fumes on his breath.

‘Let me go, you disgusting little man!'

‘Hey, there's no need to be offensive!' Good humour was being replaced by drunken aggression. ‘ Did you hear what she called you, Kev?'

‘I did, Arne.'

He was threateningly close now, and she felt almost suffocated by him. ‘Get away,' she tried to say, but no words would come and the towering presence of him seemed to him her like a wall of heat. Then, as suddenly, he was gone, lurching and tripping over his own feet as someone pushed him roughly from behind.

‘Let her go, you oaf!' It was Brit's voice, Brit who put himself between her and the second soldier. ‘Are these two jokers bothering you?'

She had neither heard nor seen his approach, now her knees went weak with relief. ‘ Brit! Oh, they're just …

‘
Are they
?'

The first soldier was picking himself up unsteadily, the other seemed anxious only to appease. ‘We didn't mean any harm, sir. We just wanted her to get us into the Long Bar at that Raffles, that's all. We saw her come out and we figured she could get us past that bloody MP on the doors.'

‘What did you think we were going to do? Rape her?'

‘We heard of the Raffles back home. Now we've come to defend it and they won't let us past the door'cos we're not bloody officers. There's no justice …'

‘None!' Brit said roughly.

The soldier straightened, rolled and straightened again.

‘Couldn't
you
get us in, sir?' he persisted with drunken optimism.

‘Not bloody likely! Now get moving before I help you on your way.'

‘All right, all right …'

As they went, remaining upright with almost comic determination, relief drew a small, shuddering laugh from Elise.

‘Thank you!'

‘That's the second time I've had to rescue you from drunks, isn't it? You seem to make a habit of attracting them.'

‘You could say that.' Incongruously she found herself remembering not only the time on the
Stranraer
when he had intervened to rescue her from the soldiers, but also the night at the E & O when
he
had been the drunken aggressor; with the memory came again the thrust of treacherous desire, rebellion against the days and nights of knowing she must not want him.

She had been half turned towards him as the thought caught her and with the twist of longing her eyes moved against her will to seek his. At the same moment he turned and the fusion as they met stopped them both where they stood. Never had she experienced anything this powerful. For long moments it was as if her body ceased to exist; the whole of her being had been drawn up into that look. Her heart had stopped beating, her breath was suspended, she was nothing – just apart of him, something so infinite it was beyond comprehension.

Then abruptly awareness returned, flooding into her veins and bringing each nerve ending to aching life. She was alive; every inch of her was yearning towards him, magnetised as her eyes had been by an unseen force.

Without speaking they drew together in one fluid movement and were in each other's arms. He was enveloping her; she felt she was drowning in him and the need to be closer, to have him within her, was a searing, rushing flame, blinding in its intensity.

He raised his lips but kept her within his arms, allowing her to turn just enough to put one foot in front of the other. Stumbling as the drunken soldiers had done, stopping every few yards to kiss or cling, they went back along the waterfront towards the Raffles. On the Beach Road the poor local Indians loafed, watching the dancers under the soft colour floodlighting in the Verandah Ballroom; at the main door the MP saluted, hiding a smile behind his neatly clipped toothbrush moustache, but she was unaware of it. Nothing existed beyond the driving force of desire. Nothing – not reason, not guilt, not fear. Only the need to be with him completely and utterly once more.

At his door he held her aside, searching for his key, in the soft light his face shadowed and mysterious. It sent fresh waves of love throbbing through her, but she no longer asked for this to be reciprocated. It would be enough to be here with him …

Then the door was open and he was leading her through the sitting room to the bedroom beyond. There was no fumbling, nothing to spoil the mood of completeness; her cheong-sam slipped off like a snake shedding an outworn skin. The bed had been turned back; as the silk sheets caressed her bare skin she luxuriated in utter sensuality. Then he was beside her, his warmth merging with hers, his body crushing, mastering. And winding her arms around his neck, she abandoned herself to the most ecstatic experience she had ever encountered on God's earth.