She hesitated for a moment before she added,

“You do believe that the Prince is – dangerous?”

“I am sure of it,” Lord Dorrington replied quietly.

“I would not like you to think that I am the type of female – who imagines all sorts of horrors,” Alyna said. “But there is – something about him – ”

“Describe it,” Lord Dorrington interposed.

Alyna after a short pause said,

“I think he is cruel – very cruel. He said that I was like a small animal caught in a trap that there was no escape from. I had the feeling that when he said it that he would – gloat over any animal or – woman that he found in such a – position.”

Lord Dorrington did not answer and Alyna went on as if she was speaking to herself.

“He wanted Mama to punish me and he told her that when we were married he would make me – obey him. I don’t like to think of how – he would do – so.”

“Then don’t think about it,” Lord Dorrington said sharply. “Forget him, Alyna! You are leaving him behind! You are running away to safety! What exactly did you put in the note to your mother?”

“I told her,” Alyna answered, “that I could not marry the Prince, that it was impossible! I had therefore gone away to the country to stay with friends and I begged her to make no effort to find me.”

“Do you think that she will heed your pleadings?”

Alyna thought for a moment.

“Mama might be glad to be rid of me,” she said, “but I have the feeling – a very strong feeling, that the Prince will not give up so – easily.”

There was a note of fear in her voice at the last words.

“We shall just have to hope,” Lord Dorrington said, “that he takes your running away again as an insult rather than an incentive to pursue you.”

”I hope – so,” Alyna whispered without much conviction in her voice.

They drove for some minutes in silence.

Then Alyna said,

“It seems as if I am just a problem to everyone. I cannot think why Prince Ahmadi should want me when no one else seems to.”

“No one else?” Lord Dorrington enquired.

“Mama has never been very fond of me,” Alyna said, “and I have been thinking of what she said last night. Do you really think that Papa had no – affection for me?”

She sounded so young and so obviously hurt by what had been said that Lord Dorrington replied kindly,

“You must be intelligent enough to realise that, when women are incensed, they say a lot of things that are not true, but which they use as weapons.”

He let his words sink in before he went on,

“Your mother was angry with you, she wished to hurt you and she succeeded. There is no reason for us to assume that what she said was the truth. She would have said it anyway.”