After a short silence Lord Castleford turned round and said,

“What is the alternative? How can I possibly explain your presence here to anyone, especially when the ship is full of soldiers who have been wounded by your countrymen?”

Yamina did not reply and after a moment he carried on even more angrily,

“Can you imagine a worse situation for me than to find myself harbouring one of the enemy and furthermore a member of the Sultan’s harem, whose escape might have far-reaching repercussions?”

“That is why it would be best,” Yamina said quietly, “for no one to learn – that I am here.”

“How is that possible?” Lord Castleford snapped.

“I heard your valet say that you were having your food in this cabin. Perhaps it would be wisest, if you can trust him, to take him into your confidence, but no one else on board need know of my existence. When we reach Athens, I can be set ashore with the rest of your luggage and disappear.”

Lord Castleford did not reply and after a moment Yamina went on,

“I am afraid that I shall have to ask you for – a little ready money until I am able to sell some of my jewels, but I promise you will be reimbursed for anything you lend me.”

There was a faint touch of irony in her voice and now Lord Castleford said furiously,

“You have thought it all out, have you not? Well, I assure you, I will not be part of anything so underhand or ridiculous! Do you really imagine that I can arrive in Athens, the British Minister, bringing with me an exotic houri who is in fact one of England’s enemies?”

“I admit it would be difficult to explain if anyone heard about it,” Yamina answered, “but what I am suggesting – is that no one need know.”

“You intend to stay here in my cabin?” Lord Castleford asked incredulously.

“Why not?” Yamina enquired. “If you are afraid, you can lock me in the trunk!”

There was something scathing in the way she spoke that made him look even angrier than he had before.

“The whole thing is preposterous, absurd, incredible!” he declared. “Who would believe I was completely innocent if there was even a whisper in diplomatic circles that I had travelled to Athens accompanied by a woman in a trunk?”

“That is why – we must be very careful,” Yamina agreed.

“We? We?” he said. “What have I done to be embroiled in this deplorable situation? And what is the Sultan going to say when he finds out that you have vanished?”

He paused to say almost apprehensively,

“Naturally you will be missed and it will not be very difficult for anyone to guess how you escaped.”