His head went up and his lips parted in a smile as he saw her. She ran to him, caught his arm and kissed his cheek. There were ‘Aah!’s of approval, nods and smiles from the many waiting women.
‘So we’re lucky,’ she said. ‘I might have still been queuing on that side.’
‘I never thought — ’ He paused and frowned. ‘I never thought of you out here, waiting with everyone else. Do you know what I feel like? I feel like having what my mother would have called “a good blart”.’
‘You haven’t time.’ She nodded ahead to where Chemor stood beside the car, his grin so wide it looked impossible he should get all those teeth back behind his lips. ‘But you do feel all right?’
‘Better by the minute.’ He gave her waist a quick squeeze before they reached Chemor.
George greeted his tracker with a hug, a handshake and a thump on the shoulder. There were tears in the Dyak’s eyes. ‘I glad see you, boss. Need you ... ’ Words escaped him. ‘ ... all place.’
‘Looks like I may be a bit of a wanderer, anyway,’ he said, holding tight to Blanche’s hand. ‘Where do we go from here?’
‘There’s always room at Rinsey,’ she told him, though the query in his voice reminded her of Ira Cook’s message. ‘Bukit Kinta is also available. Ira’s been summoned to a meeting in Singapore. He rang specially to say to regard the bungalow as your home as always.’
George opted to go first to have a look at the mine. He was quiet as they drove. Leaning far back in the seat, he stared out at the countryside, but he was holding Blanche’s hand tight. She accepted his need for silence.
‘Not sure,’ he began, as Chemor swept the car triumphantly on to the track to the mine, ‘I’ll ever feel quite the same about this place. Well, of course, it isn’t my place to feel anything about, really … ’
‘Ira could opt for the New York office again, given a chance. And surely now you’ve been exonerated ... ?’
Any further speculation was cut short as Chemor blasted on the car horn: three short bursts, three long, three short. He drew the car to a rapid halt in a miniature dust storm before the bungalow, turned triumphantly and announced, ‘V sign, boss,’ and repeated the performance on the horn.
Blanche took one look at George’s face and burst into laughter. ‘What a discreet arrival!’
There had been speculation among the staff about their former boss’s return. The hooter blast swept away all doubts and as George stepped out of the vehicle he was immediately cheered by several of his workers. A cry went up and in less than a minute people were flocking from all directions to greet him, the men wanting to shake his hand or pat his back, the women and children beaming, clapping and calling, ‘Welcome home! Welcome home, Mr Harfield, sir. Tuan! Tuan!’
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.’