and the knowledge that she had that she had laid herself open to a humiliating rebuff.
‘I’m going to my cabin,’ she announced stiffly. ‘I think it’s growing a little cool up here.’
‘Do you?’ He was leaning on the rail, and smoking his cigarette. ‘Well, I’ve no doubt you’ll find Tom looking for you somewhere. You seem to have made a deep impression on that young man. But I wouldn’t advise you to get seriously involved with him. Never get involved with a man you meet on a long voyage !’
Karin glanced at him, realized he was most unkindly laughing at her, and plunged for the ladder. Inevitably her high heel caught on the edge of one of the steps that was protected by a metal band, and she would have fallen several feet and almost certainly sustained a broken ankle, if nothing worse, only Willoughby managed to be behind her at precisely the right moment and maintained her balance for her with a steel-strong right hand that looked extraordinarily dark by contrast with his white shirt cuff.
When they reached the bottom of the ladder he allowed her to shake herself free, but shook his head at her wa rn ingly.
‘You know,’ he said, almost conversationally, ‘it’s your hair. You can’t help it, naturally, but your temper gets out of hand so swiftly that it’s liable to lead you into trouble. Next time just hurl some abuse. Don’t risk your neck! ’
Then with a careless, amused, white-toothed smile he left her — left her to find her own way back to her cabin, and to snub Tom badly when she ran into him. He was just about to tell her that he had been hunting for her all over the ship when she bit her lip and fairly hissed at him:
‘Oh, leave me alone, please!’
And wisely, he left her alone.
CHAPTER FOUR
In the tropics most passengers were affected by the heat, and blossoming friendships flourished or died according to the effect the soaring temperature had on the individuals concerned. Karin was not in the least upset when one or two of her most persistent admirers, growing somewhat disgruntled as a result of her obvious determination to hold them at bay, transferred their attentions to quarters where they were more favourably received, and where the response was more encouraging; but the faithful Tom Paget was not amongst these.
But the Indian Ocean acted as a kind of tonic. It was still extremely hot, and the nights were very frequently unbearable, but in the very early mornings, and again at sunset, there were some delightful periods when an actual wind seemed to arise, and it was as good as a cooling shower to people who had the energy to drag themselves on deck and take advantage of it.
There were several children on board, particularly in the first-class, and Karin was always willing to help out with them during those long, hot days at sea. It relieved the sorely tried parents, and as Mrs. Makepiece raised no objections, and, indeed, spent most of her days lying supine in a deck-chair — only reviving in the evenings sufficiently to enjoy a good dinner and play bridge — it would have been a little unreasonable of her if she had objected.
It was too hot for games, too hot for marathon exercise routines round the deck ... but never, according to the number of couples who disappeared nightly from the main public rooms and were afterwards to be come upon in various secluded corner s of the boat deck and the promenade deck, and even the deck where the swimming-pool, that attracted such numbers in the daytime, was covered in at night to prevent accidents, too hot for flirtations and rather more amorous affairs.
It was at this stage of the voyage that Kent Willoughby was less s uccessful in keeping his feminine pursuers at a distance. After so long a t sea natural shyness evaporated, and primitive determination took its p lace, and the ladies who had earmarked him from the beginning as w ell worth an effort to impress with their charms refused to let him off a s easily as they
‘I’m going to my cabin,’ she announced stiffly. ‘I think it’s growing a little cool up here.’
‘Do you?’ He was leaning on the rail, and smoking his cigarette. ‘Well, I’ve no doubt you’ll find Tom looking for you somewhere. You seem to have made a deep impression on that young man. But I wouldn’t advise you to get seriously involved with him. Never get involved with a man you meet on a long voyage !’
Karin glanced at him, realized he was most unkindly laughing at her, and plunged for the ladder. Inevitably her high heel caught on the edge of one of the steps that was protected by a metal band, and she would have fallen several feet and almost certainly sustained a broken ankle, if nothing worse, only Willoughby managed to be behind her at precisely the right moment and maintained her balance for her with a steel-strong right hand that looked extraordinarily dark by contrast with his white shirt cuff.
When they reached the bottom of the ladder he allowed her to shake herself free, but shook his head at her wa rn ingly.
‘You know,’ he said, almost conversationally, ‘it’s your hair. You can’t help it, naturally, but your temper gets out of hand so swiftly that it’s liable to lead you into trouble. Next time just hurl some abuse. Don’t risk your neck! ’
Then with a careless, amused, white-toothed smile he left her — left her to find her own way back to her cabin, and to snub Tom badly when she ran into him. He was just about to tell her that he had been hunting for her all over the ship when she bit her lip and fairly hissed at him:
‘Oh, leave me alone, please!’
And wisely, he left her alone.
CHAPTER FOUR
In the tropics most passengers were affected by the heat, and blossoming friendships flourished or died according to the effect the soaring temperature had on the individuals concerned. Karin was not in the least upset when one or two of her most persistent admirers, growing somewhat disgruntled as a result of her obvious determination to hold them at bay, transferred their attentions to quarters where they were more favourably received, and where the response was more encouraging; but the faithful Tom Paget was not amongst these.
But the Indian Ocean acted as a kind of tonic. It was still extremely hot, and the nights were very frequently unbearable, but in the very early mornings, and again at sunset, there were some delightful periods when an actual wind seemed to arise, and it was as good as a cooling shower to people who had the energy to drag themselves on deck and take advantage of it.
There were several children on board, particularly in the first-class, and Karin was always willing to help out with them during those long, hot days at sea. It relieved the sorely tried parents, and as Mrs. Makepiece raised no objections, and, indeed, spent most of her days lying supine in a deck-chair — only reviving in the evenings sufficiently to enjoy a good dinner and play bridge — it would have been a little unreasonable of her if she had objected.
It was too hot for games, too hot for marathon exercise routines round the deck ... but never, according to the number of couples who disappeared nightly from the main public rooms and were afterwards to be come upon in various secluded corner s of the boat deck and the promenade deck, and even the deck where the swimming-pool, that attracted such numbers in the daytime, was covered in at night to prevent accidents, too hot for flirtations and rather more amorous affairs.
It was at this stage of the voyage that Kent Willoughby was less s uccessful in keeping his feminine pursuers at a distance. After so long a t sea natural shyness evaporated, and primitive determination took its p lace, and the ladies who had earmarked him from the beginning as w ell worth an effort to impress with their charms refused to let him off a s easily as they
Similar Books
