over her with a glass in his hand.
"Drink this, it'll make you feel better."'
Barbara sipped the liquid, making a face at its acrid taste. "What is it?"
"Some Vichy water with an aspirin dissolved in it." He stood looking down into her flushed face, the curly tendrils of hair clinging damply to her forehead the nape of her neck, and his expression softened im perceptibly. "I suppose you'd do it all over again if you could, even at the risk of missing the boat."
Her face crinkled into a smile. "This is the first time that phrase has been applied to mc so literally. Yes, I would. How did you guess?"
"Because I'm beginning to know you."
She looked up at him in surprise. "I'm sorry if you were really worried about me.'.' She stood up and laid her hand impulsively on his arm as it rested against the ship's rail, "'It won't happen again, I promise."
He stiffened at her touch and moved slightly away. "I had no qualms for your safety," he said coldly. "You're a level-headed young woman and quite capable of taking care of yourself. But my aunt isn't of the same opinion and I was afraid she was going to have hysterics. It is your duty to keep her calm and not add to her excitement."
Barbara lilted her head back. "Really, Mr. Rock- wood, your compliments become more back-handed the longer I know you."
"I wasn't aware of having paid you a compliment."
She Hushed and turned away to pick up her handbag and sunglasses. "If you'll excuse me, I'll go down to your aunt."
Barbara avoided Rockwood the whole of next day, and pleading a headache as her excuse for not going up on deck, ordered lunch lo be sent down to her cabin.
Although she managed to avoid her employer during the day, it was impossible not to encounter him at dinner each evening, and she was studiously formal and polite. But three days after the incident Rockwood followed her out on deck after coffee, and she was leaning on the rail watching the white trail of foam in the ship's wake when she heard his voice behind her.
"You shouldn't be out here without a jacket.|"
"Your interest in my health is quite unnecessary," she replied without turning her head. "I'm capable of taking care of myself."
"Those words have a familiar ring." His voice held a him of amusement. "Like most females you resent being called capable. I wonder why. 'Helpless,' 'naive,' 'dependent', arc quite acceptable, but to suggest that they arc as capable as a man seems to put their backs up immediately, in spite of the fact that they arc sup posed to be modern, emancipated women."
"I shouldn't think you'd have to try very hard to put anyone's back up, Mr. Rockwood.''
'Tact isn't my strong suit, I admit," he conceded, and moved forward to stand by her side. "We arrive at Athens tomorrow morning. I suppose you intend going ashore?"
"Certainly. I wouldn't dream of missing it."
He eyed her speculatively. "Does it really mean so much to you to see these places?"
"Do you really want to know, or are you just asking me out of idle curiosity?"
"I should really like to know,"
She was silent for a moment. Then she said: To be able to travel has always been one of my most cherished ambitions and one which seemed to be destined to remain just an ambition, because until I took this job I had very little hope of fulfilling it. Strange countries, strange people and different ways of life are as stimulating to my imagination as—as a cordon bleu chef is to a hungry gourmet"
"An unusual comparison, but quite apt," he mur mured.
"Unusual or not, it's the way I feel. When I lived in London and travelled on the tube during the rush-hour I used to feel sorry for all the people hurrying from their homes to their offices and back again to their homes at night, jostling and crowding each other, strap-hanging wearily in the smoky atmosphere. I used to wonder whether they ever realized the humdrum monotony of their existence and longed to break out of it. or whether they were content to spend the rest of their lives
"Drink this, it'll make you feel better."'
Barbara sipped the liquid, making a face at its acrid taste. "What is it?"
"Some Vichy water with an aspirin dissolved in it." He stood looking down into her flushed face, the curly tendrils of hair clinging damply to her forehead the nape of her neck, and his expression softened im perceptibly. "I suppose you'd do it all over again if you could, even at the risk of missing the boat."
Her face crinkled into a smile. "This is the first time that phrase has been applied to mc so literally. Yes, I would. How did you guess?"
"Because I'm beginning to know you."
She looked up at him in surprise. "I'm sorry if you were really worried about me.'.' She stood up and laid her hand impulsively on his arm as it rested against the ship's rail, "'It won't happen again, I promise."
He stiffened at her touch and moved slightly away. "I had no qualms for your safety," he said coldly. "You're a level-headed young woman and quite capable of taking care of yourself. But my aunt isn't of the same opinion and I was afraid she was going to have hysterics. It is your duty to keep her calm and not add to her excitement."
Barbara lilted her head back. "Really, Mr. Rock- wood, your compliments become more back-handed the longer I know you."
"I wasn't aware of having paid you a compliment."
She Hushed and turned away to pick up her handbag and sunglasses. "If you'll excuse me, I'll go down to your aunt."
Barbara avoided Rockwood the whole of next day, and pleading a headache as her excuse for not going up on deck, ordered lunch lo be sent down to her cabin.
Although she managed to avoid her employer during the day, it was impossible not to encounter him at dinner each evening, and she was studiously formal and polite. But three days after the incident Rockwood followed her out on deck after coffee, and she was leaning on the rail watching the white trail of foam in the ship's wake when she heard his voice behind her.
"You shouldn't be out here without a jacket.|"
"Your interest in my health is quite unnecessary," she replied without turning her head. "I'm capable of taking care of myself."
"Those words have a familiar ring." His voice held a him of amusement. "Like most females you resent being called capable. I wonder why. 'Helpless,' 'naive,' 'dependent', arc quite acceptable, but to suggest that they arc as capable as a man seems to put their backs up immediately, in spite of the fact that they arc sup posed to be modern, emancipated women."
"I shouldn't think you'd have to try very hard to put anyone's back up, Mr. Rockwood.''
'Tact isn't my strong suit, I admit," he conceded, and moved forward to stand by her side. "We arrive at Athens tomorrow morning. I suppose you intend going ashore?"
"Certainly. I wouldn't dream of missing it."
He eyed her speculatively. "Does it really mean so much to you to see these places?"
"Do you really want to know, or are you just asking me out of idle curiosity?"
"I should really like to know,"
She was silent for a moment. Then she said: To be able to travel has always been one of my most cherished ambitions and one which seemed to be destined to remain just an ambition, because until I took this job I had very little hope of fulfilling it. Strange countries, strange people and different ways of life are as stimulating to my imagination as—as a cordon bleu chef is to a hungry gourmet"
"An unusual comparison, but quite apt," he mur mured.
"Unusual or not, it's the way I feel. When I lived in London and travelled on the tube during the rush-hour I used to feel sorry for all the people hurrying from their homes to their offices and back again to their homes at night, jostling and crowding each other, strap-hanging wearily in the smoky atmosphere. I used to wonder whether they ever realized the humdrum monotony of their existence and longed to break out of it. or whether they were content to spend the rest of their lives
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