most young women of her age of fending for herself, and Mrs. Makepiece found her extraordinarily useful, very conscientious and thoughtful, and began to be really fond of her.
‘When we get to Australia,’ she said, when it seemed that Australia was not very far away any longer, ‘I shall introduce you to all the friends I know, and with a little luck I’ll find you a rich husband.’ When Karin laughed at this — and was secretly alarmed by the thought of being married off to a tough Australian sheep-farmer type, however large his bank balance — Mrs. Makepiece shook her head and looked displeased. ‘Oh, you mustn’t imagine all Australians are coarse and ill-mannered,’ she defended the large circle of acquaintances she would soon be revisiting. ‘They’re not. I know one or two quite charming men — and they’re bachelors! You’ll go down splendidly, my dear, because you’re so very English. And I give you my word I really intend to see you married before I return to England. I’ve a feeling that marriage is the only thing for a girl like you!’
Karin could not agree with her, and running into Kent Willoughby after repeated threats of this sort she wondered whether he had some idea that Mrs. Makepiece had plans for her ... and that he also strongly suspected what those plans were. Mrs. Makepiece was inclined to talk unwisely sometimes at dinner, particularly after more than one glass of champagne.
‘Karin is such a charming girl I mean to see to it that she has a really wonderful time when this voyage is over,’ she confided to the rest of the diners at her table on more than one occasion. ‘A far more wonderful time than she’s had on this trip so far ... ’ glaring at Kent Willoughby as if she held him personally responsible for Karin’s failure to have what she considered a really remarkable time — considering her looks, and everything about her — during the trip.
Willoughby smiled in a faintly amused fashion.
‘The voyage isn’t over yet, Mrs. Makepiece,’ he reminded her.
‘No; but it soon will be. And, in any case, this Australian trip is always a bit tiresome. It lasts so long, and unless there are some really exciting people on board ... well, it isn’t much fun for a girl,’ glaring once more at Willoughby.
‘Oh, come now, Mrs. Makepiece!’ he exclaimed. ‘I may have formed entirely the wrong impression, but it seems to me that Miss Hammond is always surrounded by admirers. Why,’ smiling in an odd, derisive way at Karin, ‘sometimes they’re so thick that one simply cannot force a way through the crush.’
‘Young men!’ Mrs. Makepiece exclaimed disdainfully. ‘When a girl like Karin marries she wants something more than a young man who has yet to make his way in the world!’
The captain smiled, as if he partly agreed with Anthea Makepiece, but was a little amused by her, and Willoughby pretended to look amazed.
‘You astound me,’ he declared. ‘What about poor Tom Paget? Surely it doesn’t matter that he’s young, and has presumably to make his way in the world, if love’s young dream is involved?’ His eyes were now mockingly fixed on Karin and when she flushed indignantly they dropped to the ring on her finger. ‘Don’t you believe in love’s young dream, Miss Hammond? I’m sure, somehow, that you do,’ he said softly and silkily.
Karin decided there was no necessity for her to answer him, and as she had finished her dinner she excused herself and left the table. She was making her way with quick, somewhat agitated steps up on to the deck when she found Willoughby was also moving purposefully in the same direction, and that he was close to her elbow. She wheeled round and looked at him with upraised eyebrows, and he smiled and took her by the arm.
‘I’m afraid it hadn’t really occurred to me that the voyage was nearly over, ’ he said. ‘In a week now you and I will have parted company. Do you suppose we shall ever meet again once we say
‘When we get to Australia,’ she said, when it seemed that Australia was not very far away any longer, ‘I shall introduce you to all the friends I know, and with a little luck I’ll find you a rich husband.’ When Karin laughed at this — and was secretly alarmed by the thought of being married off to a tough Australian sheep-farmer type, however large his bank balance — Mrs. Makepiece shook her head and looked displeased. ‘Oh, you mustn’t imagine all Australians are coarse and ill-mannered,’ she defended the large circle of acquaintances she would soon be revisiting. ‘They’re not. I know one or two quite charming men — and they’re bachelors! You’ll go down splendidly, my dear, because you’re so very English. And I give you my word I really intend to see you married before I return to England. I’ve a feeling that marriage is the only thing for a girl like you!’
Karin could not agree with her, and running into Kent Willoughby after repeated threats of this sort she wondered whether he had some idea that Mrs. Makepiece had plans for her ... and that he also strongly suspected what those plans were. Mrs. Makepiece was inclined to talk unwisely sometimes at dinner, particularly after more than one glass of champagne.
‘Karin is such a charming girl I mean to see to it that she has a really wonderful time when this voyage is over,’ she confided to the rest of the diners at her table on more than one occasion. ‘A far more wonderful time than she’s had on this trip so far ... ’ glaring at Kent Willoughby as if she held him personally responsible for Karin’s failure to have what she considered a really remarkable time — considering her looks, and everything about her — during the trip.
Willoughby smiled in a faintly amused fashion.
‘The voyage isn’t over yet, Mrs. Makepiece,’ he reminded her.
‘No; but it soon will be. And, in any case, this Australian trip is always a bit tiresome. It lasts so long, and unless there are some really exciting people on board ... well, it isn’t much fun for a girl,’ glaring once more at Willoughby.
‘Oh, come now, Mrs. Makepiece!’ he exclaimed. ‘I may have formed entirely the wrong impression, but it seems to me that Miss Hammond is always surrounded by admirers. Why,’ smiling in an odd, derisive way at Karin, ‘sometimes they’re so thick that one simply cannot force a way through the crush.’
‘Young men!’ Mrs. Makepiece exclaimed disdainfully. ‘When a girl like Karin marries she wants something more than a young man who has yet to make his way in the world!’
The captain smiled, as if he partly agreed with Anthea Makepiece, but was a little amused by her, and Willoughby pretended to look amazed.
‘You astound me,’ he declared. ‘What about poor Tom Paget? Surely it doesn’t matter that he’s young, and has presumably to make his way in the world, if love’s young dream is involved?’ His eyes were now mockingly fixed on Karin and when she flushed indignantly they dropped to the ring on her finger. ‘Don’t you believe in love’s young dream, Miss Hammond? I’m sure, somehow, that you do,’ he said softly and silkily.
Karin decided there was no necessity for her to answer him, and as she had finished her dinner she excused herself and left the table. She was making her way with quick, somewhat agitated steps up on to the deck when she found Willoughby was also moving purposefully in the same direction, and that he was close to her elbow. She wheeled round and looked at him with upraised eyebrows, and he smiled and took her by the arm.
‘I’m afraid it hadn’t really occurred to me that the voyage was nearly over, ’ he said. ‘In a week now you and I will have parted company. Do you suppose we shall ever meet again once we say
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