Justina did not find a carriage to take her back to the ship as it was not far and the tall masts in the dock meant she could hardly go wrong in finding her way.
She was so angry, she hardly noticed the heat.
How did Lord Castleton dare to talk to her so?
It did not occur to her that her anger was a way of disguising her longing for Lord Castleton to insist that her engagement to Sir Thomas was over.
Her fiancé was a handsome man and could be very charming, but Justina knew now she could never be happy with him.
She kept remembering her sister, Elizabeth, and how her initial happiness with Philip had so quickly evaporated.
As she walked, angling her parasol to ward off the sun’s rays, Justina was very conscious of her bruised upper arm. Did it mean that Sir Thomas was the same kind of man as Philip? Or was it just that she had not managed yet to find the way to handle him?
Even if she was able to find out how to keep him happy, Justina knew that she would still be miserable.
It was because she loved Lord Castleton.
She recalled what her other sister, Victoria, had said about being in love. She knew she fulfilled all the conditions.
She thought about Lord Castleton all the time, he made her feel all fluttery whenever he was near and his presence made life so much brighter.
Nothing had ever been as exciting as playing the duet in the concert with him.
It was hopeless, though. Not only was she engaged to Sir Thomas, Lord Castleton was not in love with her. He thought of her as a girl who needed guidance, the daughter of a friend of his.
Her eyes filled with tears as she remembered how she had shouted at him. He had looked astonished. Which was not surprising.
Justina had never felt more miserable in her whole life.
After her rudeness to him in the restaurant, Lord Castleton would never want to speak to her again.
She found the ship and hurried up the gangway, hoping she would not meet anyone. She wanted nothing more than to find her cabin and burst into tears.
Immediately she reached the deck, however, Faith and Charity appeared. They looked immensely pleased with themselves.
“Justina!” they both shouted. “Do look, we are engaged!”
Two hands were thrust before her. Each wore a small diamond ring on the fourth finger.
“Mama is overcome with happiness,” said Charity. “She thinks we have been very clever.”
“And indeed we can announce our engagements immediately,” pouted Faith. “Mama says she knows Papa will approve because Tony and Bertie are model soldiers.”
“Won’t you wish us happy, Justina?” gloated Charity.
“Of course,” said Justina, sincerely pleased for them.
“I think you have found the best of men.”
She kissed both of the girls.
“Will you do us a great favour?” asked Charity.
“If I can,” said Justina, thinking that all she wanted was to get away from them.
Their evident happiness only increased her misery.
“Mama insists we exercise Muffin now the noon heat has passed over, but Tony and Bertie want us to go to the Telegraph Office to send messages to their parents and to Papa,” said Faith.
“Of course I will,” said Justina. “I love exercising Muffin.”
She meant it. The little dog had given her so many happy hours with Lord Castleton and Breck.
It would not be the same on her own, but it would still be better than collapsing in tears in her cabin.
On the upper deck she found Harry throwing a ball to Breck and frustrated squeals were coming from Muffin’s kennel.
“Why,” exclaimed Justina. “I see you have found something to wear.”
Harry grinned at her.
“It’s a bell boy’s uniform. The Captain said I could wear it until something more suitable came along.”
The kennel Steward came and opened up Muffin’s kennel.
“Are you going to exercise a dog as well?” cried a delighted Harry. “That’s great! I say, isn’t Lord Castleton swell? I think he’s a corker.”
He threw the ball and both dogs streaked after it.
“Lord Castleton says he’s going to speak to my father about my school.”
Justina thought she had never seen such a change in anyone as in Harry. Gone was the bedraggled and miserable little boy of last night. In his place was a youngster eager to get on with life.
Breck brought the ball back and dropped it at her feet. She picked it up and threw it again. This time it was Muffin who retrieved it, catching it in her mouth after the first bounce.
“I say, isn’t that dog clever!” admired Harry.
“We’d better be careful about throwing the ball too far, we don’t want it to go overboard,” said Justina as he threw it enthusiastically once more.
“So, Justina, this is where you have got to.”
Her heart sank as she turned around.
Sir Thomas looked as angry as she had ever seen him.
“What is this I hear about you going off to lunch with Castleton?”
Justina summoned her courage.
“He said there was a special invitation – from Lord Cromer’s representative – and I was asked – because of my father,” she stammered.
“Don’t tell me any more of your lies. One of my whist chums saw you lunching together. There was no representative of Lord Cromer or anyone else with you.”
Muffin took the ball to Harry, who picked it up and stood nervously bouncing it on the deck.
“He wanted to tell me what had happened with Harry,” said Justina, becoming angry herself. “There was nothing for you to get agitated about.”
“So you say.”
The white patches appeared again on either side of his nose.
Harry bounced the ball some more. Breck, obviously realising that no one was going to throw it for the moment, settled down onto the deck. Muffin, though, was gazing eagerly at Harry as he rhythmically bounced the ball.
“Boy, do you have to do that?” Sir Thomas snarled, sounding even more infuriated.
Justina took a deep breath. Any minute now he would grab her by the arm in one of his punishing grips, thrust his face into hers and make some demand.
She had had enough.
“Don’t talk to Harry like that,” she said spiritedly.
“Don’t you talk to me like that,” he responded.
Harry was rooted to the spot throwing the ball from one hand to the other.
Justina took a deep breath. Before, though, she could say anything, Sir Thomas wrenched the ball away from Harry and threw it into the sea.
“I told you not to do that,” he shouted.
Then they all watched, transfixed, as Muffin ran, jumped and sailed through the railings after the ball.
Justina screamed and ran to the side. Far below she could see the little dog thrashing around in the water.
“Do something!” she cried to Sir Thomas.
“Idiotic animal. Serves it right if it drowns.”
“I’ll fetch her,” yelled Harry.
He stripped off his jacket, nimbly ducked between the railings and jumped in after the dog.
“No, Harry!” howled Justina, too late to stop him.
She looked frantically round the deck, but the Steward was not to be seen.
Breck rose to his feet and wandered over. Justina grabbed his collar.
Then she saw a lifebelt hanging on the railings. She thrust Breck at Sir Thomas and told him to take hold of him.
Too surprised to do anything else, he hung onto the dog.
It only took Justina a moment to unfasten the lifebelt and throw it in after Harry.
It landed not far from him.
The dock was busy with small craft, but their ship was in a quiet area and no one seemed to have seen either the dog or the boy splash into the water.
Justina could see that Harry was not a good swimmer. He had managed to reach the dog, but trying to hold both the animal and grab the lifebelt was too much for him.
If help did not arrive soon, both would drown.
“You must save them,” she screamed at Sir Thomas. He paled.
“I can’t swim,” he wailed.
Justina looked around the deck again but there was no one in sight.
She discarded her hat and stripped off her muslin skirt and petticoat.
“Justina!” cried an outraged Sir Thomas. “What on earth are you doing?”
“Find someone to lower a lifeboat,” she called as she climbed over the railing.
It seemed a long way down to the water and for a moment she hesitated. Then she remembered diving into the water with her brother from their private little cliff on holiday in Scotland. Forget the ship and the little boats, she told herself, remember how marvellous the experience was.
She lifted her arms and dived.
The water was cool after the heat on deck. She tried to keep her mouth closed as she went down and down.
At last, spluttering, she clawed her way back to the surface. Thank Heavens, she thought, that the ship had been stationary. At least she did not have far to swim to reach Harry and Muffin.
However, the water in the dock was horribly dirty. She must try very hard not to swallow any of it.
Harry was trying desperately to keep afloat without releasing the dog.
Justina looked around for the lifebelt, found it bobbing not far away and brought it to the boy
“Give me Muffin,” she gasped. “And hang onto the lifebelt. A boat will soon be here to pick us up.”
She hoped desperately it would happen.
Harry seemed to want to cling onto the dog and Justina had to repeat her instructions.
At last she managed to grasp hold of Muffin and thrust the lifebelt at Harry. He looped an arm around it and finally it looked as though he was not in imminent danger of drowning.
Justina trod water and held the little dog in her arms. Muffin tried to lick her face. She was trembling and her coat was drenched.
“Are you all right, miss?” Harry managed to say.
She saw that he was using his legs to keep the lifebelt and himself near to her.
“I am fine,” she called reassuringly to him. “You were wonderful to jump in after Muffin. A real hero.”
“You’re the hero, miss.”
“Nonsense,” Justina said stoutly. “I am a good swimmer. Try not to swallow any of this filthy water.”
By now there were shouts coming from the ship. Passengers were appearing at the side of the main deck and waving their arms.
Then Justina saw that one of the lifeboats was swinging from its davits and appeared to be about to descend. Sir Thomas for once had done something she had asked.
Before the boat could get near the water there was a shout from the deck.
“Justina, hold on, I’m coming.”
There was an enormous splash and a few moments later Lord Castleton appeared in the water beside her. A pair of strong arms enfolded her and the dog.
“My darling, what on earth did you think you were doing?” he asked.
“It’s all my fault, sir – I mean, my Lord,” stammered Harry.
“Don’t talk,” begged Justina. “This water is filthy.”
The feeling of Lord Castleton’s arms around her managed to be both inexpressibly comforting and exciting.
Then she said,
“Did you call me, ‘darling’?”
“Don’t talk, this water is filthy,” said Lord Castleton, repeating her words with a smile in his voice, but his arms tightened strongly around her. His strong legs treading the water kept them both afloat without Justina having to make any effort.
Justina was happy to let him hold her without further questions.
And now the lifeboat was in the water and two crewmen were rowing it towards them.
“Take the boy first,” instructed Lord Castleton as they drew close.
A few moments later, Justina, Lord Castleton and Muffin were safely aboard and a blanket had been wrapped around each of them.
Justina, suddenly conscious that only pantaloons covered her lower limbs, was very grateful for a respectable covering.
“Where did you come from?” she asked Lord Castleton after she had thanked the crew.
“I met the Arbuthnot twins on my return to the ship and they told me you were exercising Muffin. I arrived on the upper deck to find pandemonium.”
He put an arm around her, holding her close against him.
“The deck Steward was securing Breck in his kennel looking as though Armageddon had arrived and Watson was screaming something about a man overboard. I tried to get him to explain what was going on, but all he’d say was that your behaviour was inexcusable, something about a dreadful animal, and that he had told me the stowaway should have been confined to quarters.”
He looked across at Harry. Despite the heat, the boy was shivering badly.
Justina thought it was probably shock more than anything else.
“Did you really jump in to save Muffin?” Lord Castleton asked Harry.
“He’s an absolute hero,” Justina enthused.
“If only he hadn’t thrown that ball into the sea,” groaned Harry, his teeth chattering.
“It was very foolish,” Justina agreed and then told Lord Castleton exactly what had happened.
Next the lifeboat was back at the ship.
Cheers greeted them from the passengers watching the drama.
“Let me take Muffin,” suggested Lord Castleton as the crew held the boat steady for them to step off.
At the top of the gangway stood the Captain.
“Miss Mansell, I salute you,” he said. “And I apologise for the fact that the kennel Steward had taken a few moments away from his post at the critical time. He will be severely reprimanded.”
“Oh, please, don’t,” pleaded Justina. “He has always been most helpful and I am sure he must have had something important to attend to.”
“I agree,” added Lord Castleton just behind her. “It was an unfortunate conjunction of events, nothing more. You are not to blame young Harry either. He is a hero too. Now, I think brandy is called for. Heaven only knows what diseases float around in that dock. Be so good as to send large tots down to both Miss Mansell’s and my cabins. And we’d be grateful if someone could dry this mutt off and return her to her kennel.”
The Captain clicked his fingers and a Steward appeared and took hold of Muffin.
Behind the Captain stood Dorcas, holding out Justina’s dressing gown.
Justina preferred to keep the blanket around her, but she was grateful for Dorcas’s presence.
“We have to talk. If you are not too exhausted, send your maid to me after you have changed,” said Lord Castleton, his arm round the still shivering Harry. “Make sure she drinks the brandy,” he said to Dorcas.
She nodded and led Justina towards her cabin.
Justina was exhausted. Now she was shivering as well. The over-long blanket caused her to stumble as she tried to make her way through the crowds of passengers.
A moment later, she had been swept up in strong arms and Lord Castleton was saying,
“Please, can you let us through?”
Passengers fell back as he strode to the cabins. Justina laid her head gratefully against his chest.
She could feel the beat of his heart beneath his wet clothes.
She thought she must have misheard what he had called her as he landed in the water, but she felt protected and cared for.
All too soon, they were at her cabin.
Dorcas opened the door and she was gently laid on the bed.
“Make sure those wet clothes are removed as quickly as possible,” Lord Castleton ordered.
“A bientôt,” he added to Justina and was gone.
“What you need is a hot bath,” said Dorcas. “Not that we’ve got anything like that here. But we have got hot water.”
She helped Justina out of the wet clothes, tut-tutting about the state of the muslin shirt.
“Can’t get that back into condition before India, alas.”
Justina could not care less about the clothes she had felt were so flattering only a few hours ago. All she was waiting for was to see Lord Castleton again.
Dorcas worked quickly and skilfully, sponging down Justina’s tired body and drying her hair as much as she could with a towel.
The brandy arrived and Justina sipped it gratefully, feeling the fiery strength travelling along her veins, bringing new life and, hopefully, something to fight the germs she must have ingested with the filthy dock waters.
Dorcas was full of gossip as she tended to Justina.
“Those Arbuthnot girls, they’ve managed to land their fish,” she muttered as she vigorously dried Justina’s bare body. “Poor lads, they never stood a chance. Not after them girls realised his Lordship wasn’t a bit interested in either of them.”
“Dorcas, where do you hear these things?” Justina demanded, trying to comb through her tangled hair. “You’ve spent most of the voyage in your bunk!”
“I keeps my eyes and ears open,” Dorcas replied, taking the comb out of Justina’s hand and gently wielding it through the damp mass of curls.
“And something else,” she added. “That Mrs. Bloxham, her maid’s an old mate of mine. Anyway, as I was saying, Patty’s an old comrade in arms, as you might say, and she’s given me the low down on her Mistress.
“Wealthy widow she is. Last husband was a Nabob out in India. Dropped off his perch six months ago, he did, on a visit to England. Mrs. Bloxham has been taking her time getting back to India. Patty says she’s looking out for a new husband, one with a bit more class than money. Bloxham apparently had the money but not the class. Anyway, Patty says she’s got her eye on your Sir Thomas.”
Justina said nothing.
“So I told Patty that she better look elsewhere. But Patty seemed to think Mrs. Bloxham had quite made up her mind, no matter what arrangement has already been made. And what that woman sets her mind on, she gets, so Patty says.”
Justina felt a huge surge of relief.
The nightmare might nearly be over.
Mama and Papa would be sorry, but Justina knew they would never want her to be unhappy, no matter how suitable the husband.
“Will you want to retire, miss?” asked Dorcas. “Or shall you want to dress again?”
“Dress, please, Dorcas.”
If Lord Castleton wanted to talk to her, Justina certainly was not going to go to bed!
Quite soon, she was dressed and her hair was starting to dry. Still damp for the most part, strands were beginning to spring out in a fiery aureole around her head.
Justina felt a strange lassitude creep over her. Part of her longed for the meeting with Lord Castleton, but part of her was afraid. Afraid not only of what might transpire, but also of what might not.
Hanging over her was the fact that she was still engaged to Sir Thomas.
“Now, shall I knock on his Lordship’s door and say you are ready?”
“No!”
Dorcas looked taken aback.
“No, miss?”
“I cannot talk with his Lordship now. Say – say – oh, say if he still wants to speak to me, I’ll be free later.”
“Very well, miss. It’s not my place to question your decision of course,” said Dorcas, obviously about to do just that.
Justina was so bound up in what she had to do, she had no energy left to argue with her maid.
“Quite,” she said in tones of finality and left the cabin.
It took her time to find Sir Thomas. At last she tried a corner of the Promenade deck where he had several times taken her for a quiet conversation.
Sure enough, there he was – with Mrs. Bloxham, the two of them seated on deck chairs and looking as though they were perfectly comfortable with one another.
It was Mrs. Bloxham who noticed her first.
“Why, Miss Mansell! Please, come and join us. I was only saying a few moments ago to Sir Thomas how incredibly brave you were to fling off your clothes and dive into the dock after that little dog.”
“It was mainly Harry I was anxious should not drown, though of course I wanted Muffin rescued as well. Mrs. Bloxham, would you think me very rude if I asked to speak to Sir Thomas alone?”
He stood glowering at her.
“I should not think of abandoning Mrs. Bloxham on her own.”
“Oh, don’t be ridiculous, Tom. Go along and see what your little friend wants. I shall do very well here,” coaxed Mrs. Bloxham with easy familiarity.
“I shall return soon,” said Sir Thomas and followed Justina round the corner. “I take it you have come to apologise,” he started as soon as they were alone.
“What do you mean, apologise?”
“For your appalling behaviour in diving into the dock.”
It occurred to her that he might feel guilty that he had been unable to help and that was why he reacted in this way. Whatever the reason, it provided a perfect opportunity for her to say what she had prepared.
“Sir Thomas, I see no need to apologise. Harry was drowning and he needed help. Luckily, I am a good swimmer. I knew I would be in no danger and it was natural to help.”
“You exposed your legs!”
“They were clad in pantaloons, I only wish they hadn’t been, they weighed me down,” Justina countered belligerently.
“That is an indecent statement.”
Justina looked at him steadily.
“Sir Thomas, you have paid me an enormous compliment by asking me to be your wife.”
A cautious look came into his eyes.
“But I think you now see that I am not qualified to be a suitable partner for one in your position,” Justina continued. “You need someone who understands how not to offend your sensibilities and is properly aware of how to behave in all situations. I am afraid that my behaviour would cause you constant anguish.”
She glanced down at the deck.
“Also, I am afraid that you could be under a misapprehension over my father’s financial status. My dowry will be very small. I am sure that would not worry you, but I felt you should know.”
She looked pleadingly at him.
“Our engagement has not been announced and it is simplicity itself to break it off now. I will explain my unsuitability to be your wife to my parents and they will appreciate how very understanding you have been.”
Justina came to the end of her prepared speech and held her breath.
Something very much like relief came over his features.
“Justina, you have hurt me to the quick, but,” he added hurriedly, “I have been feeling for some time that your physical beauty had blinded me to the fact that we do not deal well together. As you say, the engagement has been informal and there will be no blame attached to either side if it is severed.”
He took a step towards her, the look she had come to dread in his eyes.
“Perhaps one last kiss?”
She backed away, grateful that there was an avenue of escape behind her.
“Sir Thomas,” she said, holding up a hand. “It is better we part as friends –and remain so for the rest of the voyage. Now, I am sure that Mrs. Bloxham will be counting the moments until your return to her side.”
His expression altered and a cunning look came into his eyes.
“Yes, indeed, it would be only fair to continue to keep her company. You will inform Mrs. Arbuthnot of the situation regarding our relationship?”
Justina nodded.
“And I hope she will inform Castleton,” Sir Thomas continued with the hint of an underlying threat. “I would not like you to feel it was necessary to approach him on the subject.”
Justina was anxious not to alienate him in any way as the interview had gone far more smoothly than she had feared.
“I am sure Mrs. Arbuthnot will do all that is required,” she said.
A moment later he had returned to Mrs. Bloxham and Justina leaned against the railings feeling suddenly weak.
But her overwhelming emotion was relief. At last she was no longer tied to Sir Thomas.
All around the ship, Justina could see preparations were being made to leave the port and enter the Suez Canal. Passengers were beginning to line the sides of the ship to watch her departure.
Justina walked along the Promenade deck, looking for Mrs. Arbuthnot.
Instead, she found Harry, now dressed in a smart sailor suit and accompanied by Mrs. Partridge, who seemed much improved by having a young lad to look after.
“Miss Mansell,” said Harry excitedly. “I have been down to your cabin looking for you, I want to thank you for saving me. Mama and Papa will be so grateful.”
“Thank you for jumping in after Muffin,” Justina said, planting a kiss on his cheek. “My, you do look smart.”
Harry looked doubtfully down at his immaculate white suit.
“It’s a bit fancy. I think I preferred the uniform.”
“Harry! Major and Mrs. Partridge have been very kind in choosing your new wardrobe, you need to thank them!”
“Don’t worry, he’s said all the right things,” Mrs. Partridge smiled back at her.
The sadness was still in her eyes, but she now had an air of resolution about her that had been lacking before.
“John and I will enjoy looking after him for the rest of the voyage.”
“But I will see Miss Mansell and Lord Castleton, won’t I?” piped up Harry.
“You can’t get away from people on board a ship, I am afraid,” laughed Mrs. Partridge. “Unless you keep to your cabin, that is.”
“I shall look forward to playing deck quoits with you,” Justina told Harry.
“Come along, we want to see the ship sail and then it will be time to change for dinner,” said Mrs. Partridge.
Justina left them hanging over the railings as crewmen prepared to release the ropes securing the ship to the quay. Already the engines were throbbing.
She was preparing to give up her search when Mrs. Arbuthnot suddenly appeared.
“Dear Justina, I have been looking everywhere for you. You and that poor little boy have saved my precious Muffin! I can never thank you enough.”
She brought out a lace handkerchief and dabbed carefully at her eyes.
She put the handkerchief away.
“And have you heard the wonderful news of Faith and Charity’s engagements?” she asked, her face alive with delight. “My precious little girls, so happy, such lovely young men, the Colonel will be so pleased.”
Justina said everything appropriate.
“And this evening Tony and Bertie will join our table. Two additional diners will be a squeeze, but we shall just have to enjoy being cosy with one another.”
“There will only be six of us, Mrs. Arbuthnot,” Justina intervened hurriedly. “Sir Thomas and I have agreed that we do not suit and have broken our engagement.”
“Broken your engagement, Justina?” Mrs. Arbuthnot lost some of her vivacity. “Are you sure that is wise? Such a catch as Sir Thomas is?”
Justina did not want to upset the good lady, her heart was in the right place even if her mouth ran away with her.
“We should not have suited,” she replied firmly. “It is fortunate that we found this out so soon. Mama and Papa and Aunt Theodora will agree. Now, should we not be changing for dinner?”
“You are right, my dear, it will not do to be late this evening of all evenings.”
Justina returned to her cabin and found Dorcas waiting for her.
“Lord Castleton was that put out you disappeared without talking to him,” were her first words to Justina.
Justina was dismayed.
“Did he suggest another arrangement?” she asked.
“He waited a good half hour for you and then I heard him leave his cabin.”
Without any message for her!
Justina’s heart sank.
She had sorted out one problem, but in the process had alienated the most important person in the world. “I have got this gown ready for you, miss. I hope you will approve.”
“Anything will do,” Justina said listlessly.
Justina might not care how she looked, but Dorcas considered it her duty to turn out her Mistress in the first rank of fashion.
By the time she had finished, Justina was a vision in the white lace dress, her copper hair beautifully arranged on top of her head with curly wisps artfully framing her face.
*
The Arbuthnot table was merry, Faith and Charity laughing and joking with their fiancés, Mrs. Arbuthnot ordering champagne and going into ecstatic accounts of her plans for a joint wedding.
Mrs. Bloxham was sitting at Sir Thomas’s table. Justina bowed to them as she took her place with the Arbuthnots and received a gracious acknowledgement.
It took a little time before Justina could bring herself to look towards Lord Castleton’s table.
He sat, as usual, by himself, studying papers. However, he took longer than usual to eat his meal and sat drinking a glass of wine after he had finished.
Justina had to force herself not to look in his direction. She did, however notice him leave. He took a route out of the Saloon that did not pass their table.
Justina felt an overwhelming depression. She had offended him. He did not want to talk to her now.
The Head Steward appeared at the table followed by another Steward holding an ice bucket containing a bottle of champagne.
“With Lord Castleton’s compliments to the Misses Arbuthnot,” he proclaimed.
“How very kind,” Mrs. Arbuthnot gushed. “What a shame he is no longer in the Saloon so that we can thank him. But we shall find him later.”
The Head Steward issued instructions for the champagne to be poured.
During this operation, Justina found that a folded piece of paper had been unobtrusively slipped beneath her side plate.
When she glanced up at the Head Steward in surprise, he gave her the tiniest of nods together with a complicit smile.
No one else at the table seemed to have noticed anything.
She carefully and secretly placed it in her reticule.
A feeling of great excitement filled her. It must be from Lord Castleton.
After a little, she excused herself saying that she was exhausted.
No one seemed surprised and good wishes followed her out of the Saloon.
Once outside, she read the message.
“I shall be on the upper deck and hope that you will be able to join me there.”
It was signed with a large ‘C’.
For a moment Justina stood and looked at it. Excitement coursed through her. Lord Castleton did want to see her.
Then reason took over. She had abandoned him in a public restaurant and made him look a fool. Then he had been forced to dive into a filthy dock to rescue her.
Of course he wanted to see her – and in a private place that was not a cabin where someone could invade their privacy and compromise both him and her.
All the excitement drained away.
Well, she had better get it over with.
Justina carefully folded up the note and replaced it in her reticule. After the voyage was over, she would at least have it to remember him by.
Slowly she mounted the companionway to the upper deck.
Despite her conviction that nothing pleasant awaited her at the top, Justina found her steps quickening as she reached the small landing that led out onto the deck.
Nervously she opened the door and stepped outside.
The night was softly warm, the air caressing as the ship steamed along the Canal in darkness. The sky above was studded with stars, the moon silvered the narrow stretch of water they were travelling along.
Light from the ship’s living areas dimly lit the deck and Justina could make out the kennels where Breck and Muffin would now be safely asleep.
Beyond, standing by the railings and looking out at the bare banks of the canal was the tall, aristocratic figure of Lord Castleton.
He turned as soon as Justina started across the deck towards him.
“You came,” he said and she recognised relief in his tone.
It gave her courage.
“I was surprised to receive your note as I thought you had decided I did not want to speak to you.”
“But you do?”
“It was very rude of me to leave you like that at the restaurant this afternoon, I want to apologise, my Lord.”
“Oh, do stop calling me that. My name is Marcus.”
Justina thought it suited him perfectly.
“And also my – Marcus, I want to thank you for jumping into the water to save Harry and me. And Muffin,” she added scrupulously.
“Have you seen Harry?”
She nodded.
“He is fine and Mrs. Patridge seems to be enjoying looking after him.”
“She and her husband returned from shopping in Port Said with a whole retinue of shop assistants carrying parcels.”
There was an underlying humour in his voice that allowed Justina to relax slightly.
Being so close to him was a dizzying experience.
She could feel every breath he drew and was conscious of his nearness in a way that made her shiver, despite the warmth of the night air.
She knew that she would never love anyone else with the intensity that she loved him.
He moved slightly towards her, leaving only a small gap between them. He peered at her face as though he would discern her expression by the light of the moon.
“You accused me at lunch of behaving like an uncle or surrogate father,” he said abruptly, speaking very fast. “That is not the case. My feelings towards you are not at all avuncular nor paternal – ”
It took a moment for Justina to understand what he was saying and then she gave a little gasp.
“You have placed me in a damnable position with your unacknowledged engagement – knowing what I know and believing what I believe.”
Justina felt a joy such as she had never experienced begin to flood through her. Surely she could not misinterpret his words?
“Which is what, Marcus?”
It was sheer delight just to speak his name and feel his hands grip hers tightly.
“To know that this engagement is all wrong for you and not to be able to tell you what I feel.”
“What do you feel, Marcus?”
She was unable to resist saying his name again.
She could sense his sudden stillness as he took in her intimate, caressing tone.
“Do I understand that you are no longer engaged to Thomas Watson?”
His voice trembled as though he wanted it so much to be true, he hardly dared to believe it.
“We have agreed that we would not suit. That is why – ” her voice, too, trembled. “That is why I could not meet you earlier.”
“What are you saying?”
“I knew that before I saw you again, I had to be free.”
“And you are!” he said triumphantly. “And you feel as I feel!”
“How do you feel, Marcus?”
Justina had to hear him say it even though every fibre of her being was telling her that what she had longed for so desperately was coming true.
“That I love you as I never dreamed I could love. That you have brought me to life again and I cannot face the desolation of what my existence would be without you at my side,” he said, the words tumbling over themselves.
“I know you adored your late wife and I know I can never take her place.”
He put his finger over her lips.
“Shhh, no more. Somewhere Ariadne is smiling her approval of what is happening. Our relationship was very special, but it is in the past. You are my present and my future.”
He drew her into his arms and held her tight.
“Ever since I first saw you defending that damn mutt Muffin, you captured my heart. I knew that you were the only one for me.”
His hand gently raised her chin so that the moonlight fell full on her face.
“My darling, you are the most beautiful woman in the world and also the kindest, most loyal and most fun. I love you. I want you to marry me and make me the happiest man in the world.”
Then his head came down and his mouth fastened on hers.
Justina felt her soul rise in her body.
Unimaginable sensation filled her as she responded to his kiss. It was so different from the times Sir Thomas had kissed her.
This was what love was like.
It was as though their bodies had become one and risen to the Heavens above.
If she held out her hand, she would be able to touch the stars that spangled the night’s velvet.
Heavenly joy was hers and life could begin.