difficult hers had been. Surely they couldn’t all be wrong? But if he was trying to get round her by flattery he could think again. She knew exactly the type of man he was. “Maybe I was mistaken,” she admitted at last, “but I’m not entirely convinced.”
“I’m sorry, but there it is. You’ll only believe what you want to, despite anything I say. You’ve made it quite plain I can do no right in your eyes.”
Lorna lowered her lashes. He made her sound thoroughly disagreeable, and although she had no wish to be friends she didn’t want to be the object of his scorn.
“I must say they serve delicious food on this ship,” continued Ashley, eating his coq au vin with relish, and acting as though there was nothing wrong between them. “I shall be sorry to leave her at the journey’s end.”
Realising it would be juvenile to carry on arguing when he was making an attempt to be friendly, Lorna nodded. “I agree. I’ve become very fond of her myself.”
“Tell me,” he paused a moment to look at her, “I’m inquisitive why a girl like you should be travelling alone. Are you visiting relatives in South Africa?”
Lorna carefully considered her reply. She must not involve Margo in any way. “I’m—er—visiting friends,” she said at length, “but not in South Africa.”
He frowned. “We’ve passed Madeira and don’t stop again before Cape Town. Then after Durban the ship returns to England.”
“I know. I’m going to the Seychelles Islands. I’m catching a plane from Durban.”
“The Seychelles, eh?” Ashley looked surprised. “How long do you intend staying? It’s very quiet there. I shouldn’t think it would suit you.”
“And how do you know what I would like?” retorted Lorna coolly.
“Don’t most young girls like a gay time?” he scoffed. “There’s not much night life on the islands. In fact there’s hardly any life at all. Mahe isn’t too bad, but most of the other islands live a hundred years behind the times. The inhabitants are mainly retired people who desire peace and quiet in their old age. You’ve hardly reached that state yet. How old are you—seventeen? eighteen?”
“I’m nearly twenty-one,” replied Lorna with dignity, thinking he was taking an uncommon interest in her affairs considering the way she had treated him earlier.
“So old!” His eyes twinkled, making him look suddenly younger. “I’d never have guessed. Which island are you visiting?”
“I really don’t see that it’s any concern of yours,” replied Lorna stiffly, “but if you must know, it’s Verva.”
“Oh ! Van Heerden’s place.”
“That’s right. Pieter van Heerden,” supplied Lorna, wondering how he knew, and wanting to laugh at his surprise.
“You know him?”
“Quite well. Actually I’m staying at his house.”
“I see."
There was a wealth of meaning in those two words which caused Lorna to retort angrily, “I don’t think you do. If you’re insinuating what I think, I’m afraid you’re entirely wrong.”
“Am I? Pieter van Heerden’s no stranger to me, and I happen to know that he wouldn’t invite a young girl to Verva without a very good reason.”
“Perhaps he has that reason,” said Lorna distantly, suddenly desirous of putting Ashley in his place.
“Perhaps he has.” Ashley’s reply was very faint and for a split second Lorna thought she saw a look of disappointment cross his face, but it was gone so quickly she knew she must have been mistaken. What reason could he possibly have for being disappointed? None at all as far as she could see.
Maybe she ought to have told him that Pieter was marrying her sister— But no—that would lead to more explanations and before she knew it she would be revealing her relationship to Margo. It also puzzled her that he knew Pieter, when Pieter himself had given no indication that Ashley was a friend of his.
For the rest of the meal Ashley remained silent, but Lorna found this infinitely preferable
“I’m sorry, but there it is. You’ll only believe what you want to, despite anything I say. You’ve made it quite plain I can do no right in your eyes.”
Lorna lowered her lashes. He made her sound thoroughly disagreeable, and although she had no wish to be friends she didn’t want to be the object of his scorn.
“I must say they serve delicious food on this ship,” continued Ashley, eating his coq au vin with relish, and acting as though there was nothing wrong between them. “I shall be sorry to leave her at the journey’s end.”
Realising it would be juvenile to carry on arguing when he was making an attempt to be friendly, Lorna nodded. “I agree. I’ve become very fond of her myself.”
“Tell me,” he paused a moment to look at her, “I’m inquisitive why a girl like you should be travelling alone. Are you visiting relatives in South Africa?”
Lorna carefully considered her reply. She must not involve Margo in any way. “I’m—er—visiting friends,” she said at length, “but not in South Africa.”
He frowned. “We’ve passed Madeira and don’t stop again before Cape Town. Then after Durban the ship returns to England.”
“I know. I’m going to the Seychelles Islands. I’m catching a plane from Durban.”
“The Seychelles, eh?” Ashley looked surprised. “How long do you intend staying? It’s very quiet there. I shouldn’t think it would suit you.”
“And how do you know what I would like?” retorted Lorna coolly.
“Don’t most young girls like a gay time?” he scoffed. “There’s not much night life on the islands. In fact there’s hardly any life at all. Mahe isn’t too bad, but most of the other islands live a hundred years behind the times. The inhabitants are mainly retired people who desire peace and quiet in their old age. You’ve hardly reached that state yet. How old are you—seventeen? eighteen?”
“I’m nearly twenty-one,” replied Lorna with dignity, thinking he was taking an uncommon interest in her affairs considering the way she had treated him earlier.
“So old!” His eyes twinkled, making him look suddenly younger. “I’d never have guessed. Which island are you visiting?”
“I really don’t see that it’s any concern of yours,” replied Lorna stiffly, “but if you must know, it’s Verva.”
“Oh ! Van Heerden’s place.”
“That’s right. Pieter van Heerden,” supplied Lorna, wondering how he knew, and wanting to laugh at his surprise.
“You know him?”
“Quite well. Actually I’m staying at his house.”
“I see."
There was a wealth of meaning in those two words which caused Lorna to retort angrily, “I don’t think you do. If you’re insinuating what I think, I’m afraid you’re entirely wrong.”
“Am I? Pieter van Heerden’s no stranger to me, and I happen to know that he wouldn’t invite a young girl to Verva without a very good reason.”
“Perhaps he has that reason,” said Lorna distantly, suddenly desirous of putting Ashley in his place.
“Perhaps he has.” Ashley’s reply was very faint and for a split second Lorna thought she saw a look of disappointment cross his face, but it was gone so quickly she knew she must have been mistaken. What reason could he possibly have for being disappointed? None at all as far as she could see.
Maybe she ought to have told him that Pieter was marrying her sister— But no—that would lead to more explanations and before she knew it she would be revealing her relationship to Margo. It also puzzled her that he knew Pieter, when Pieter himself had given no indication that Ashley was a friend of his.
For the rest of the meal Ashley remained silent, but Lorna found this infinitely preferable
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