Milton Harrington said that as soon as we docked he would set about making the arrangements.

Our stay in Cape Town was given over to the departure of Miss Cartwright. Constantly we had to reassure her that we should be perfectly safe without her.

We should be met in Sydney by William Granville. I should stay with Felicity until after the marriage; and then Mr. Harrington would help me to arrange a passage home, introduce me to the Captain of the vessel and some of his numerous friends who would surely be sailing because he knew so many people who made the journey often.

It would all work out satisfactorily in his capable hands.

And they were indeed capable. He took charge of everything. Miss Cartwright was to stay for a week in one of the best hotels. He introduced her to some of his friends who would be sailing to England. They would all be together and there was nothing to fear.

As for her charges, she could trust Mr. Harrington to do the same for them as he had done for her.

I was amazed that she was prepared to put so much trust in a man she had not known a few weeks before. I put it down to the power of his personality. Power was the word. He exuded power, and while that power was benevolent, that was very comforting. But I was wondering how one would feel if one were in conflict with it.

I felt there was so much I had to learn about this man.

Those days in Cape Town passed quickly. We had only a short time for sightseeing of perhaps the most beautiful of all the places we should visit. I shall never forget the sight of Table Mountain with what they call the tablecloth over it. There it was reaching to the sky and over the plateau frothy white clouds looking very like a tablecloth. The weather was warm, but not too hot; the flowers were colourful and the scenery majestic.

Miss Cartwright was in a state of nerves at the parting. I thought at the last minute she was going to change her mind and return to the ship. She kept talking about abandoning her duty and I knew her conscience was having a fearful battle with her dread of the sea. Conscience was defeated; and when we sailed out of Cape Town we left Miss Cartwright behind.

I had the impression that Milton Harrington was pleased that she had gone. Indeed, sometimes I thought he had skilfully manoeuvred her departure. Why?

He would have his motives. He was a man of motives. He was also occupying my thoughts far too much. I thought, He is a little brash; he is rather arrogant; he is certainly bold.

Felicity was impressed by him. I noticed that she was a little nervous in his presence. He had an effect on her too.

Now that Miss Cartwright had left, it seemed reasonable that I should move in with Felicity and leave my Australian companion with the cabin to herself.

This I did, and sharing a cabin brought us into closer contact. Consequently, our relationship changed a little.

We used to lie in our bunks, she above, me below, and talk until we fell asleep. I found that a certain drowsiness and the gentle rocking of the ship was more prone to bring out confidences than sitting on deck in the sunlight.

At length Felicity spoke of her fears.

"I wish this voyage would go on and on," she said.

"Oh, you are enjoying it then?"

"Yes... once I got used to the sea. The first part was dreadful. I just wanted to die."

"Like poor Miss Cartwright."

"I was so amazed that she went. I never thought she would. She's always been so strict about watching over me."

"I think Milton Harrington persuaded her."

"She was very taken with him. Annalice, what do you think of him?"

"Oh, I don't make hasty judgements."

"But you must have some idea."

"Well, I find him interesting... stimulating in a way. The sort of person it is quite amusing to meet... briefly ... on a ship. We reach Sydney ... we say goodbye to him ... and in a few months' time we shall be saying, 'What was the name of that man we met on the ship ...?'"

"You can't really believe that. Why, he has promised my aunt that he will make sure you have a safe passage home."

"Well, perhaps not a few months ... a few years, say."

"I don't think I shall ever forget him. It was the way he got rid of my aunt."

"Got rid of her?"

"Oh yes... He wanted her to go, didn't he?"

"Why should he?"

"Chaperones can be rather restricting."

I laughed. "Since she spent most of her time prone in her cabin she could hardly have been restricting."

"Her very presence was restricting. Now we are two young females all alone."

"Felicity, you're not scared?"

She was silent for a moment, and I went on: "You are, aren't you? Why don't you tell me?"

"I should have liked to go back with my aunt."

"Felicity! But you are going to the man you love." She was silent again and I went on: "I guessed you were worried. Wouldn't you like to talk about it?"

"It all happened so quickly."

"You were, as they say, swept off your feet."

"Well, I think I wanted something to happen ... because ..."

"Because what?"

"Oh nothing... William was there. I met him when we went to tea at a neighbour's. He talked to me and was clearly interested. Then I saw him quite a lot after that and he asked me to marry him. It seemed the best thing..."

"And now you are wondering."

"I'm thinking that I don't know him very well. And I'm all those miles from home. It's like going to strangers."

I was silent, trying to find the right words to comfort her. I was thinking of what Milton Harrington had said about his drinking habits. Poor Felicity! She was too weak, too helpless to cope with this situation into which she had thrust herself.

"It's my own fault," she said. "That doesn't help. It makes it worse really if it is something that you could have avoided. It serves you right..."

"No," I agreed, "it doesn't help. But you are imagining the worst. You'll probably find when you get there that you will like it very much. He must have fallen in love with you, otherwise he wouldn't have asked you to marry him ... and you must have liked him.''

"I don't think it was quite like that. He came to look for a wife. Quite a lot of people would have been suitable. He just happened to meet me."

"That's life. It is a matter of being in a certain place at a certain time. That is how we meet our fate."

"You don't understand. I was flattered to be taken notice of. I was pleased because someone wanted to marry me. I see now how stupid I was. You see, there was someone else. I love him, you see. I always have."

"And he?"

"He's in love with someone ... not me."

"Oh, Felicity, I'm so sorry."

"My aunt thought I should marry him. They all thought I should, but when he fell in love with this other one, that was the end. Ever since I was fourteen I thought... Well, we were friends, our families I mean, great friends. We saw each other often ... and when he was in love with someone else ... and it was so obvious ... I just felt lost and lonely and terribly hurt and when William said, 'Will you marry me and come back to Australia with me,' I thought it was a good way out ... till I realized what it meant."

"I understand so much now, Felicity," I said. "I knew something was troubling you."

"And soon I shall be there ... all alone."

"You'll have your husband."

"That ... is what I am afraid of."

I tried to comfort her. "I think a lot of brides feel like this on the eve of their weddings."

"Do you?"

"I'm sure of it."

"I'm glad you came with me, Annalice."

"You know why I wanted to come."

"Yes, because of your brother."

We were silent for a while.

Then I said: "Felicity, are you asleep?"

"No."

"It will be all right," I told her.

She did not answer.

There were hot days while we crossed the Indian Ocean and our constant companion was Milton Harrington.

"Don't forget I have promised Miss Cartwright to keep a wary eye on you," he said. "She will almost be home by now, poor lady. I am glad I was able to alleviate her sufferings."

"You were most assiduous in your care for her," I told him.

"I am a very humane man."

"You are certainly not a modest one."

"I deplore modesty. It is almost always false, you know. I prefer to come out into the open. If I had a poor opinion of myself I should expect others to have the same."

"Because in your case you think you must always be right. Therefore if you were modest—which it is almost impossible to conceive—there would have to be a reason for it. And as that is equally impossible, you could never be modest."

"It seems a little involved but I imagine your reasoning is correct, Miss Annalice. When we reach Sydney, which we shall do very shortly, I shall want you to come to Cariba to visit me."

"Oh, but I am going to stay with Felicity for a while."

"You know I promised the estimable Miss Cartwright to look after you. I am to book your passage home and to see that you are accompanied by suitable companions."

"There was no mention of a trip to Cariba."

"I want to show you the plantation. Why are you so remote? An ice queen, that is what you are. I believe I have the means of melting the ice, and as queens are women, stripped of their regality they are quite human really."

"I am surprised I seem icy to you. I thought I was being rather friendly."

"You did express gratitude for what I did for Miss Cartwright certainly. Sometimes when I catch you on the deck or elsewhere I fancy I see a little gleam of warmth in your eyes ... as though they are glad to see me."

"I find you entertaining."

"Indeed? Shall I tell you what I find you?"

"I am sure you are going to, whether I give my permission or not."

"Right again. I find you enchanting."

I was silent and he leaned towards me and taking my hand, kissed it.

"I want you to come to Cariba and stay awhile," he said. "I am not going to lose you. I am determined in that."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that I am obsessed by you. I am delighted by everything about you. The way you look, the way you talk... even your cool manner towards me... everything enchants me. This is the most delightful and exciting voyage I have ever made—and I have made many. And why? The answer is clear. It is due to Miss Annalice Mallory."

"I think I should tell you that I am contemplating marriage with someone in England."

"Then the contemplation must cease."

I couldn't help laughing. "You are the most arrogant man."

"It is what you admire so much."

"Who said I admire you?"

"You do. In a hundred ways. Words are not always necessary. You and I... together ... That is how it should be. I'll take you out to the plantation. Well have a wonderful time together. Never mind this man in England. How can he love you? If he did, he would never allow you to take a trip to the other side of the world without him. Where is he? / would not let you out of my sight."

"You are very vehement, Mr. Harrington. I expect you have a wife at home on your island and this is a prelude to some planned seduction."

"I have no wife ... as yet. But I intend to remedy that."

"Is this a proposal of marriage?"

"You don't imagine I would suggest anything else to a lady of your breeding and character?"

"You are absurd."

"It is maddening on this ship. There are people everywhere. I want to be alone with you. There is nowhere to go. I want to show you what it is like to be really loved."

"I have already told you that I know very well what it is like to be loved. I have been surrounded by loved ones all my life. And now I have already told you that I have an understanding with someone at home who is very dear to me. When I go back I am going to be married."

"I don't believe it," he said.

I shrugged my shoulders. "Your belief or disbelief does not alter the facts."

"I shall not let you go, you know. I am not the man to meet the one person in the world I want to marry and then let her slip away from me."

"You are a very forceful man who is in the habit of getting his own way. I don't doubt that. But this is one occasion when you will not. In view of what you have just said, I think it would be better if you and I saw less of each other."