voice held amusement. "One might call those famous last words. You'll know, as I said before, when we're in the Bay."
They came to rest at the prow and leant idly over the rail, and Barbara glanced up at the dark profile by her side. "What a pessimist you are, Mr. Rockwood!"
"I have very little to be optimistic about."
"I'm surprised you should say that," she said impul sively. "It sounds like an admission of defeat,"
He faced her, his jaw-line pugnacious. "My dear young lady, every time I talk to you, you sound more like a Crusader than ever. Why is it that women never know when to leave well alone? I don't think it pessi mistic to acknowledge defeat. On the contrary, it's folly not to do so."
"Then the world is full of fools."
"Possibly, but I prefer not to be counted as one of them."
Once again Barbara wondered what had marred his life, for only an unhappy man could speak so bitterly. And yet studying his rugged face, with its arrogant nose and chin, and seeing the strong hands gripping the railings, she could not imagine him submitting willingly to any blow Fate might deal him.
As Rockwood had prophesied, Barbara's hopes of being a good sailor were optimistic, and she spent two agonizing days in her cabin, feeling so ill that she longed to die. To her secret chagrin Miss Bcrresford did not succumb to the Bay and delighted in helping the stewardess look after her companion, flitting continu ally in and out of their communicating cabins and turning a deaf ear to Barbara's entreaties that she lie down and rest.
Gradually the sickness abated, and it was a pale girl who finally emerged from her cabin as the boat passed the Rock of Gibraltar and entered the more peaceful waters of the Mediterranean. As the sun's intensity increased the decks blossomed with gaily coloured deck chairs, mattresses, lilos and play-suits, and gradually the barriers of reserve between the passengers were broken down. Deck games and various other amuse ments were organized and slowly everyone was inveigled into some form of social activity.
Barbara joined in the sports and played deck quoits and tennis every morning with the other young people, and sun-bathed next to Aunt Ellie in the afternoons. Rockwood never joined in any of these pastimes— indeed he seemed to be the one passenger who could not be persuaded to do so, and spent his time keeping as far away from the friendly crowds as possible.
One morning, climbing to the top deck to ask if he had a further supply of his aunt's sedative, Barbara came upon him unawares, her crepe-soled shoes making no noise on the ladder. Unconscious of her presence, his face wore an expression of such misery that a feel ing of almost maternal solicitude overwhelmed her and she longed to make some gesture of comfort. But as soon as he turned and saw her his face changed com pletely, once more assuming the arrogance and aloof ness she knew so well, and she chided herself for having softened even for an instant towards a man who seemed to have so little use for sympathy.
Barbara looked forward to visiting their ports of call and was disappointed when Aunt Elbe was confined to bed with a headache the day they docked at Marseilles. But she comforted herself with the hope that she would be able to visit it on their return journey, and her en forced sojourn on board while most of the other pas sengers went ashore made her the more eager to see Naples later that week. .
She was up early the morning they arrived there and watched breathlessly as they entered the Bay described as one of the most beautiful in the world. The town clustered down to the very edge of the water-front, the sky so blue that it seemed to reflect the colour of the sea, while in the distance the peak of Vesuvius towered menacingly above the city.
Rockwood had refused to allow his aunt to go ashore and as far as Barbara was aware remained on board himself, and she knew she could safely leave Miss Berresford under his supervision. She
They came to rest at the prow and leant idly over the rail, and Barbara glanced up at the dark profile by her side. "What a pessimist you are, Mr. Rockwood!"
"I have very little to be optimistic about."
"I'm surprised you should say that," she said impul sively. "It sounds like an admission of defeat,"
He faced her, his jaw-line pugnacious. "My dear young lady, every time I talk to you, you sound more like a Crusader than ever. Why is it that women never know when to leave well alone? I don't think it pessi mistic to acknowledge defeat. On the contrary, it's folly not to do so."
"Then the world is full of fools."
"Possibly, but I prefer not to be counted as one of them."
Once again Barbara wondered what had marred his life, for only an unhappy man could speak so bitterly. And yet studying his rugged face, with its arrogant nose and chin, and seeing the strong hands gripping the railings, she could not imagine him submitting willingly to any blow Fate might deal him.
As Rockwood had prophesied, Barbara's hopes of being a good sailor were optimistic, and she spent two agonizing days in her cabin, feeling so ill that she longed to die. To her secret chagrin Miss Bcrresford did not succumb to the Bay and delighted in helping the stewardess look after her companion, flitting continu ally in and out of their communicating cabins and turning a deaf ear to Barbara's entreaties that she lie down and rest.
Gradually the sickness abated, and it was a pale girl who finally emerged from her cabin as the boat passed the Rock of Gibraltar and entered the more peaceful waters of the Mediterranean. As the sun's intensity increased the decks blossomed with gaily coloured deck chairs, mattresses, lilos and play-suits, and gradually the barriers of reserve between the passengers were broken down. Deck games and various other amuse ments were organized and slowly everyone was inveigled into some form of social activity.
Barbara joined in the sports and played deck quoits and tennis every morning with the other young people, and sun-bathed next to Aunt Ellie in the afternoons. Rockwood never joined in any of these pastimes— indeed he seemed to be the one passenger who could not be persuaded to do so, and spent his time keeping as far away from the friendly crowds as possible.
One morning, climbing to the top deck to ask if he had a further supply of his aunt's sedative, Barbara came upon him unawares, her crepe-soled shoes making no noise on the ladder. Unconscious of her presence, his face wore an expression of such misery that a feel ing of almost maternal solicitude overwhelmed her and she longed to make some gesture of comfort. But as soon as he turned and saw her his face changed com pletely, once more assuming the arrogance and aloof ness she knew so well, and she chided herself for having softened even for an instant towards a man who seemed to have so little use for sympathy.
Barbara looked forward to visiting their ports of call and was disappointed when Aunt Elbe was confined to bed with a headache the day they docked at Marseilles. But she comforted herself with the hope that she would be able to visit it on their return journey, and her en forced sojourn on board while most of the other pas sengers went ashore made her the more eager to see Naples later that week. .
She was up early the morning they arrived there and watched breathlessly as they entered the Bay described as one of the most beautiful in the world. The town clustered down to the very edge of the water-front, the sky so blue that it seemed to reflect the colour of the sea, while in the distance the peak of Vesuvius towered menacingly above the city.
Rockwood had refused to allow his aunt to go ashore and as far as Barbara was aware remained on board himself, and she knew she could safely leave Miss Berresford under his supervision. She
Similar Books
