Noel.
“Wait here for me!”
“You can’t just run off.”
“I won’t be long.”
“Daddy said we had to stay together,” he reminded her.
But the parental decree had already been forgotten. Alexandra went rushing off along a passageway, then turned a corner. Her brother set off in pursuit, wondering what could possibly have made her bolt like that. When he reached the corner, he turned into another long passageway, but it was quite deserted. Where had his sister gone? There were so many options. Companionways led up and down. At the far end of the passageway was a T junction that gave her further possibilities. Was it conceivable that Alexandra had gone into one of the cabins? Noel was puzzled and anxious. He knew that he would get a stinging reprimand from his parents if he returned to the lounge alone. They would blame him for Alexandra’s disappearance. He began a hasty search.
The girl, meanwhile, was on the deck above, scampering toward a half-open door at the far end of a passageway. She was almost out of breath when she reached it. When she tapped on the door, it was opened immediately by one of the officers.
“Hello, Alexandra,” he said. “I had a feeling that you might turn up.”
“You told me that Bobo was always fed at set times.”
“Oh, yes. He never misses his grub. You could set your watch by him.”
“Can I come in?” she asked.
“Of course.”
The officer stood back so that Alexandra could step into the cabin. On the floor in a corner was a plate with a few remnants of scraps that had just been eaten by the cat. With an urgent tongue, Bobo was now lapping up milk from a bowl. Alexandra waited until he had finished before she bent down to touch him. Licking his lips with satisfaction, he turned to look at the girl; then, with no warning, he hopped up onto her knee. Alexandra cradled him and stroked his fur with a gentle hand. The purring was like the revving of an engine.
“Hello, Bobo,” she said. “Did you enjoy your meal?”
“He’s never let anyone pick him up before,” observed the officer. “Not even me.”
Alexandra giggled. “Bobo is my friend. Aren’t you, Bobo?”
By way of reply, the black cat rubbed his head softly against her arm.
Her patience was finally rewarded. Genevieve Masefield had no difficulty in identifying her. The woman had a natural beauty that was subtly enhanced by a sparing use of cosmetics and a stylish silk dress in a shade of green that matched her eyes. Though she seemed to be in her early twenties, there was a poise and maturity about her that hinted at more years than were at first apparent. Her smile, frugally used, seemed to light up her whole face. Genevieve watched her talking to a distinguished-looking man with a dark beard. Their conversation was long and intense. When it finally came to a close, the man rose to his feet, kissed her hand with great courtesy, then left the room. Genevieve got up from her own seat and glided across to the woman.
“Excuse me,” she said affably. “I wonder if I might have a word with you?”
“Of course,” replied the other. “Please sit down.”
“Thank you.” Genevieve lowered herself into the chair beside her. “My name is Genevieve Masefield, by the way.”
“Katherine Wymark,” said the other, appraising her. “To be honest, I was rather hoping for the opportunity to meet you, Miss Masefield. You aroused the envy of every woman in the dining saloon. Myself included.”
“I can’t believe that.”
“Oh, come on. You must surely have grown used to being the center of attention by now. The women were envious because the men couldn’t take their eyes off you. There’s nothing to touch that classical English beauty,” she said with a confiding smile. “It has such purity. An all-American girl like me just can’t compete with that.”
“I wouldn’t have thought that you had any shortage of male attention,” remarked Genevieve pleasantly. “There are probably dozens
“Wait here for me!”
“You can’t just run off.”
“I won’t be long.”
“Daddy said we had to stay together,” he reminded her.
But the parental decree had already been forgotten. Alexandra went rushing off along a passageway, then turned a corner. Her brother set off in pursuit, wondering what could possibly have made her bolt like that. When he reached the corner, he turned into another long passageway, but it was quite deserted. Where had his sister gone? There were so many options. Companionways led up and down. At the far end of the passageway was a T junction that gave her further possibilities. Was it conceivable that Alexandra had gone into one of the cabins? Noel was puzzled and anxious. He knew that he would get a stinging reprimand from his parents if he returned to the lounge alone. They would blame him for Alexandra’s disappearance. He began a hasty search.
The girl, meanwhile, was on the deck above, scampering toward a half-open door at the far end of a passageway. She was almost out of breath when she reached it. When she tapped on the door, it was opened immediately by one of the officers.
“Hello, Alexandra,” he said. “I had a feeling that you might turn up.”
“You told me that Bobo was always fed at set times.”
“Oh, yes. He never misses his grub. You could set your watch by him.”
“Can I come in?” she asked.
“Of course.”
The officer stood back so that Alexandra could step into the cabin. On the floor in a corner was a plate with a few remnants of scraps that had just been eaten by the cat. With an urgent tongue, Bobo was now lapping up milk from a bowl. Alexandra waited until he had finished before she bent down to touch him. Licking his lips with satisfaction, he turned to look at the girl; then, with no warning, he hopped up onto her knee. Alexandra cradled him and stroked his fur with a gentle hand. The purring was like the revving of an engine.
“Hello, Bobo,” she said. “Did you enjoy your meal?”
“He’s never let anyone pick him up before,” observed the officer. “Not even me.”
Alexandra giggled. “Bobo is my friend. Aren’t you, Bobo?”
By way of reply, the black cat rubbed his head softly against her arm.
Her patience was finally rewarded. Genevieve Masefield had no difficulty in identifying her. The woman had a natural beauty that was subtly enhanced by a sparing use of cosmetics and a stylish silk dress in a shade of green that matched her eyes. Though she seemed to be in her early twenties, there was a poise and maturity about her that hinted at more years than were at first apparent. Her smile, frugally used, seemed to light up her whole face. Genevieve watched her talking to a distinguished-looking man with a dark beard. Their conversation was long and intense. When it finally came to a close, the man rose to his feet, kissed her hand with great courtesy, then left the room. Genevieve got up from her own seat and glided across to the woman.
“Excuse me,” she said affably. “I wonder if I might have a word with you?”
“Of course,” replied the other. “Please sit down.”
“Thank you.” Genevieve lowered herself into the chair beside her. “My name is Genevieve Masefield, by the way.”
“Katherine Wymark,” said the other, appraising her. “To be honest, I was rather hoping for the opportunity to meet you, Miss Masefield. You aroused the envy of every woman in the dining saloon. Myself included.”
“I can’t believe that.”
“Oh, come on. You must surely have grown used to being the center of attention by now. The women were envious because the men couldn’t take their eyes off you. There’s nothing to touch that classical English beauty,” she said with a confiding smile. “It has such purity. An all-American girl like me just can’t compete with that.”
“I wouldn’t have thought that you had any shortage of male attention,” remarked Genevieve pleasantly. “There are probably dozens
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