"I can't wait to see the hotel. The brochure description sounds wonderful. '
An old colonial ex-family home, set on a hill surrounded by a plantation of rubber trees, fruit and natural vegetation'
she had read to Steve earlier that week. "I wonder if the countryside is much as I remember."
"I expect there'll be lots of changes, so don't get too excited. Look at the UK now. The rural areas are mostly small pockets dotted between the sprawl of towns and farmland. There's not a lot of true wilderness left anywhere."
Diana knew he was right. Progress again, she decided. Malaysia was supposed to have some proper nature reserves, and she hoped they hadn't cut all of the indigenous trees down and sold the wood to Japan.
~~~~~
The airport was about thirty miles from the city, and Diana and Steve's hotel was further up country. Collecting their luggage from the carousel, they were soon on their way along a fine modern road towards their destination. The road was new tarmacadam and not one of the red-dust tracks Di remembered so well from when she was twelve. One remarkable advance she observed was the fierce air conditioning in the taxi-cab. With the outside temperature and humidity high in the nineties, she soon forgot her misgivings about modern progress.
Forty minutes later, they were bumping along a smaller road, an avenue of trees shading them from the glaring sun. Further from the highway, more and more of the vegetation became wild; Nipa and Nibong palms, epiphytes such as orchids and ferns, bamboos, bananas, and creepers with brilliant flowers of every hue were draped over fences and clambered up the trees, all jostling for space.
"This is more like it," Di said, looking eagerly about. "Much more the Malaysia I knew."
She fell silent as the car pulled off the road through a pair of stately gates hanging from huge square pillars and swept up the driveway. Ahead, she could see an imposing building. Painted white, it was two stories high with a wide, shady veranda which seemed to run completely around the perimeter. The gardens were a riot of colour, numerous varieties of plants competing in the well-tended flower beds. Di caught a glimpse of a small flock of jewel-coloured birds as they flew from what she remembered as a Rambutan fruit tree. Further across the lawns was the welcome glint of blue water coming from a swimming pool.
The whole effect was stunning. Di and Steve looked at each other with delight. This was going to be a perfect place for a relaxing holiday.
~~~~~
Each guest room was a suite comprising a large bedroom complete with a huge en-suite bathroom and a connecting door leading to a comfortable sitting-room. From here, a deep balcony ran along the outer walls of both bedroom and sitting-room. The whole suite was light and airy, the furniture covered in a restful green material with matching drapes and bed cover. Air conditioning and overhead ceiling fans completed the luxury.
Steve soon spied the minibar and declared himself satisfied with the contents. "Everything we need, darling. Plenty of orange juice for you too. Would you like a drink now?"
Di was gazing out of the window at a large flock of brightly-coloured birds. Some with tail-feathers which were remarkably long, while others were dazzling in other ways: pigeons with emerald-coloured wings and others a riot of scarlet. "What I'd really like is a good cup of Malayan-grown tea."
"Good idea. Would you like room service or shall we go down to the lounge?"
"Let's go down. If I stay here, I'll fall asleep on this cosy-looking bed, and I really want to get used to this time zone as soon as possible."
"Are you sure you don't need a rest? You look a bit peaky still."
"Steve I'm fine! I'm pregnant, not ill! Besides, I've been resting for the last God knows how many hours on that plane. Let's go and explore. We might meet some of the other guests. You never know who might be staying here."
Sliding her feet back into her sandals, she rose from her armchair and gave him a big smile. "This place definitely has the look of a Somerset Maugham play, don't you think?" she said, mimicking a perfect upper-class accent. "I wonder if there's an exciting history connected to it."
Matching her accent, Steve replied with his own smile. Both being good actors, it was a game they regularly played. "There's bound to be. It's well over a hundred years old, and I read in the guide over there on the desk that the Chalcot family have lived here since before the turn of the twentieth century. Apparently, they own or owned vast tracts of land, mostly given over to rubber and some fruit - might be pineapple, but I could be wrong."
"Really? Chalcot does ring a bell," Di replied, raising her eyebrows with interest.
"Well, I suppose it would. The last Chalcot was a life peer I believe, and the lady who now owns this place is an 'Honourable'."
"I told you! I bet they have some good stories to tell."
"Di! Haven't you had enough excitement recently? I would have thought two murders in our home village were too many for anyone. Apart from my business meeting tomorrow, we're here for a holiday. We both need a rest and Malaysia seemed far enough away for us to forget the dramas of Agios Mamas."
"Of course. Don't fuss so. I'm not looking for excitement, trouble or otherwise. I was just saying."
Steve gave her his 'old-fashioned' look which Di knew well. He didn't have to say any more. He could read her like a book.
"Come on then. Let's go downstairs. I'm dying for a cuppa."
~~~~~
The lounge held a commanding view overlooking a lawn which sloped towards a naturally wooded area. Through open doors, they could see flower beds bordering a pathway leading to a building situated some distance away. Squinting against the sun, Diana decided that in England, this building would have been declared a folly or at best a summer house.
Everywhere she looked, she was astounded at the vividness of the colours around her. Coming from Cyprus, they were used to a climate that was hot and dry. During the long summer months, plants mostly withered and died, leaving dusty dormant bushes and gasping wilting trees waiting for the life-giving winter rains. Here in Malaysia, a tropical monsoon climate created a fresh and colourful landscape. Huge hibiscus flowers in red, pink and yellow were arrayed with tall, stately lilies and flags. The trees were clothed in liana and hung with terracotta pots, each containing an orchid plant. Di was astonished at the variety in colour, shape and size of each flowering plant.
"Come and sit down, darling. The tea is here." Steve spoke from behind her.
Turning, Di walked back into the room, a delighted look upon her face.
"This place is just gorgeous. Have you seen all the orchids? I'd forgotten how beautiful the flowers are here. Did you know orchids represent the largest flower family in the plant kingdom?"
"No I didn't. How do you know that?" He passed a cup over to her.
Before she could answer, Di's attention was caught by a figure entering the lounge from the hallway. The woman's age was indeterminate and difficult to guess. She could have been anywhere between forty and late fifties. Small in height, she was almost skeletally thin and her mousey-coloured hair was cut short and straight. A pair of spectacles dangled around her neck, attached to a silver chain. She was dressed in a short-sleeved, white aertex shirt and slacks cut to mid-calf length. Catching sight of Diana and Steve, she paused and then as if changing her mind walked over to where they sat.
"Mr and Mrs Rivers, I believe. I'm Miss Chalcot, how do you do? Welcome to Kebun Pertama. I do hope you enjoy your stay here with us." Her voice was clipped and controlled. They would have expected nothing less from an 'Honourable'.
Steve immediately stood up to shake their hostess' hand, realising this was the owner of the hotel.
"How do you do?"
Diana took the outstretched hand in turn and wondered at the iciness of it. She found herself staring into a pair of grey, appraising eyes.
"Mrs Rivers, I've read your books."
"Oh." Diana felt a little nonplussed by Miss Chalcot's statement, not expecting it.
"Don't look so worried. I said 'books'. If I hadn't enjoyed the first, I certainly would not have bothered with the others."
"Thank you," Di mumbled.
"Yes, very entertaining. I can see why your style has been likened to a modern day Agatha Christie, although they contain a bit more sex I suppose. But you set a splendid scene and portray your characters well. You've invented some wonderful murders, and yet you do not dwell too much upon the blood and gore as some contemporary fiction does nowadays, thereby letting the readers use their own imagination. What are you working on at the moment, another mystery thriller for your series?"
For once, Diana was taken aback and found herself taking a breath. This woman's manner was so direct, almost intimidating.
"I-I've just finished a novel set in Cyprus and I haven't yet begun anything else," she stammered.
"Do you have a story in mind?"
"Um, nothing concrete, just a few ideas I've had playing around in my head for some time but nothing that's really grabbed my attention."
"Good. So you're doing nothing at the moment?" Again, Di felt like she was under interrogation and gave a slight shake of her head.
"Then you might be interested in looking through some old papers of mine."
"Oh. Well yes, yes of course." Di's heart sank. She had met so many people who thought they
'had a book in them'.
Ninety-nine times out of a hundred most of the stuff was unprintable.
Miss Chalcot obviously thought the matter was concluded, as she gave them a nod and left the lounge.
Sitting back down, Steve gave Di a wicked grin. "Well, that's curtailed you, my love."
"Yeah, nothing I like more than reading other people's masterpieces." She gave a sigh. "I could hardly have been rude and said 'no', could I?"
Chuckling at the sour look upon her face, Steve indicated their drinks. "Come on, finish your tea and we'll have a swim. The pool looks very inviting and there's a Jacuzzi somewhere here too. It will get rid of all your aches and pains from the flight."
"Sounds good to me. Spa baths also massage swollen legs, and I could do with a little help there. What time is your business appointment tomorrow?"
"Ten o'clock. Why? Do you want to come into KL with me?"
"No thanks. I think I'll just relax for a day or so. We've got over three glorious weeks - plenty of time to explore the city."
"Fine, I'll ask where the best shops are located, as I expect you'll want to replace half your wardrobe while we're here." He gave her a grin.
"Only half? Ha ha! Prices are bound to be reasonable and Cyprus is not the best place for clothes shopping. Yes, I'll be happy to spend a day or so looking."
This time, Steve gave a laugh. "You name me one woman who 'just looks'. I foresee my wallet being much lighter at the end of this holiday."
Chapter 2
Steve left for KL after breakfasting with Diana on their shady veranda. Despite the relative coolness of the morning, she could already feel the humidity rising.
Di tidied their room and slipped into her bathing costume. The longer than usual top covered her stomach and her bump was barely noticeable. After filling her beach bag with the necessities for a quiet swim followed by a read in the shade, Di left the room and walked down to the pool.
The clear, turquoise-coloured water looked enticing and she was soon doing some easy breaststroke laps of the pool. Recognising the other guests from last night in the dining room, Di exchanged pleasantries while she swam. She had learned that their hotel was only half full, which accounted for the space and quietness about the place. Cool and refreshed, Di dried herself off and sat down with her e-reader for a morning of peaceful relaxation.