In those ways, Mabena was much more like her. But in others, they were different too. She did need to protect her position—something Libby never had to worry about. She’d better remember that and help her guard it. With a matching sigh, Libby nodded.

“Now, you needn’t look so sad, my lady. St. Mary’s is one of the prettiest places on earth, and you’re going to have a fine time cataloguing every creature and plant you can find. Don’t worry so over a trifle like what name I’ll call you.” Mabena’s eyes, when Libby looked over at her, flashed with laughter. “Perhaps I’ll just take up calling you Mea Domina. That’s your Latin designation, isn’t it?”

Libby laughed and then leaned over the rail again to watch the world swimming by beneath them. Not that she could see much through the froth of their wake, but the glimpses were fascinating. She ought to have convinced her family to spend more time at the seashore. How lucky Mabena was to have grown up with such variety of life at her fingertips. “I’m looking forward to meeting your family. They’ll be there to greet the ferry, right?”

“Ah . . .” Mabena cleared her throat in a way Libby had never heard her do before. She lifted her gaze from the water to her friend’s face. It had a strange look upon it. A bit sheepish. A bit . . . guilty? “It was a friend of mine who sent that telegram, my lady, not my mother. My family’s all on Tresco. We’ll be summering on St. Mary’s. Not that the two aren’t close enough to go between—by boat—and I’m sure you will meet them, but they’re not down the lane as I led your mother to believe.”

“Then why . . . ?” She didn’t even know what to ask. Where to begin. She felt no stab of anxiety over realizing there wouldn’t be a family a few paces away to see to her comfort and care—that hardly mattered. But hadn’t Mabena’s idea for a visit sprung from the desire to see her family again?

“Tresco’s too small to support as many tourists. We’d never have found a place to let there at such a late date.” The twinkle returned to Mabena’s dark eyes. “And besides—there’s a reason I left the isles. Being near family is all well and good, but being able to breathe without them asking if you find the air satisfactory has its merits too. A bit of distance between us and them will be a good thing.”

She could hardly argue with that, given her reasons for wanting this holiday. Perhaps Mabena had a brother like Bram. Not that she’d ever mentioned any siblings. Or really spoken much of her family at all, come to think of it.