The Island of Love (Camfield Series No. 15) by Barbara Cartland Page B

than the sea will do.”
    “Now try to sleep,” Lydia begged, “and you will soon get your ‘sea legs.’”
    Heloise drank a little of the soda-water, then lay back against the pillows.
    There were several things she wanted fetched and put beside her before finally Lydia was able to get away to her own cabin.
    Now she did not feel as tired as before, and she thought of the Earl all the time she was undressing.
    When finally she got into bed it was quite a long time before she fell asleep.
    The next three days were a misery.
    Almost before they were out of harbour and crossing the Irish Sea the ship began to pitch and roll and by the time they reached the Atlantic it was very rough indeed.
    Heloise made such a fuss about being sea-sick that after twenty-four hours of her moaning and groaning and repeating over and over again that she would rather be dead, than endure any more, Lydia sent for the ship’s doctor.
    Because he was a man Heloise made an effort to be charming to him, and as he was obviously bowled over by her beauty he called half-a-dozen times a day to see if there was anything he could do to alleviate her suffering.
    Finally, he gave her a sedative which made her sleep, and almost worn out with having been at her side both by day and by night, Lydia found for the first time that she had a few minutes to herself.
    Despite the fact that the sea was very rough she knew she must have some air.
    She felt stifled in the cabin and knew however cold and unpleasant it might be outside it would at least be better than listening to Heloise’s complaints.
    She put on her thickest clothes and her tweed overcoat which she had worn in the country.
    She was aware it would be quite impossible to keep any sort of bonnet on her head, so she put a chiffon scarf over her hair and tied it in a bow under her chin.
    Walking unsteadily because the ship was heaving very uncomfortably she found her way onto the Promenade Deck which was wisely divided with a railing from those who were brave enough to sit outside in deck-chairs.
    There were several men walking round the ship and even they looked a little ‘green about the gills,’ but there were no women.
    Lydia, because she never had time to think about herself, was not aware that they looked at her in surprise and then in admiration as she started to walk along the Deck.
    Despite the waves that occasionally splashed over the side and the wind which seemed to be howling overhead like a banshee, the sea looked magnificent with white crested waves which reminded her of the fairy stories she had read as a child.
    She had been told then that the waves were the horses of the Princes of the sea, and she believed in them as she believed in mermaids and the water-nymphs who lurked in streams and lakes and could be seen resting on the banks only at dawn and dusk.
    She was thinking of this when she heard somebody beside her say:
    “You are very adventurous, Miss Westbury! I did not expect to find you braving the weather. But perhaps you are an experienced sailor?”
    Lydia turned her head to find the Earl was standing beside her and she replied:
    “How could anything be so magnificent? I am expecting Neptune at any moment to rise up in all his majesty, his trident in his hand.”
    The Earl laughed.
    “I am afraid I cannot offer you anything so Royal until we reach Hawaii, but you will be meeting the richest man in America when you get to New York.”
    “Do you mean Mr. Vanderbilt?” Lydia enquired.
    “Of course, but I am surprised you should be aware of whom I meant.”
    Lydia thought it was slightly insulting that he should think her so ignorant.
    Then she knew that had he been talking to Heloise she would not have known the name of any Americans, even the President.
    “I shall certainly be interested in meeting Mr. Vanderbilt,” she said, “if I have the opportunity.”
    She added without thinking something which had been in her mind ever since they had started the