“I agree,” Yamina said disarmingly. “I do understand how annoying and upsetting this must be for your Lordship and, while I dislike you as much as you dislike me, I assure you that the alternative to playing this trick on you was so frightening that I was already prepared to die rather than accept it.”

“And what was that?” he asked gruffly, curious despite himself.

“The Kizlar Aga, the Black Eunuch, intended that I should join his harem.”

Yamina saw the expression in Lord Castleford’s eyes as she spoke and realised that the idea really shocked him.

“You can hardly expect me to believe that the Sultan would have agreed to that!”

“I was not one of the Sultan’s women,” Yamina explained. “Mihri, his favourite, who at the moment pleases him to the exclusion of all others, gave me refuge by pretending I was her sister. I have never seen the Sultan and he has never seen me – but because the Black Eunuch wants a hold over Mihri, the favourite Ikbal, he intended that I should become one of his slaves.”

Lord Castleford walked across the cabin.

“Those are your problems,” he said. “You cannot expect me to involve myself in anything so controversial or indeed so explosive from the point of view of my career.”

“I can understand that,” Yamina replied. “That is why I am suggesting that no one need ever know of my presence here.”

Lord Castleford moved backwards and forwards without speaking.

Then he said,

“What else can I do but agree?”

“Nothing else,” Yamina answered calmly.

“If it was ever questioned,” Lord Castleford said, almost as if he spoke to himself, “one can hardly contemplate the scandal, the gossip, the innuendoes!”

“That is why no one must know! It should not be difficult.”

“Difficult? Of course it will be difficult!” Lord Castleford contradicted. “And apart from anything else, I have no wish to have a woman with me in my cabin. I had hoped for some privacy and a chance to work.”

“I promise I will be very unobtrusive.”

Yamina looked round and after a moment said,

“What I suggest is that we lower the mosquito nets over the bed, which will provide me with an excellent hiding place if anyone should come in to see you unexpectedly.”

“That is unlikely!”

“Your servant,” Yamina went on, “can make you up a comfortable bed on the floor.”

“Thank you!” Lord Castleford said sarcastically. “You are obviously extremely solicitous for my comfort!”

Yamina smiled and it now was a smile of sheer amusement.

“I assure you that most Oriental beds, which are really no more than cushions on the floor, are far more comfortable than the mattresses that Europeans consider so essential. But if you prefer, you can have the bed and I will have the cushions.”

“You talk as if we are setting up house together,” Lord Castleford parried disagreeably.