He showed her dolphins and flying fish and once an albatross came gliding on huge outspread wings above the mast. It was not an unadulterated pleasure, however. Whenever they met it seemed there was always at least one other member of the family nearby. If they walked, her brother would always find it necessary to take some exercise too. If they stood at the rail, her mother or father would be settled in a seat not far away. They were usually out of earshot, so their conversation was uninhibited, but talking was as far as their relationship was allowed to progress.

He told her about his time on the Shenandoah and she talked about the life she had left behind in Ireland; and eventually he admitted to having grown up in the workhouse. She said she was glad he had known what it was to be poor, among the lowest of the low, because it placed them on an equal footing.

Shortly after leaving Cape Town they hit bad weather and the entire O’Dowd family were prostrated with seasickness – all except Kitty. Gus persuaded her to join him in a corner of the deck where the superstructure gave some shelter from the wind, and also from prying eyes, and under the pretext of keeping her warm, he put his arms round her. She did not object, but huddled close to him, and emboldened he bent his head and tried to kiss her.

His first attempt was not a success. She moved her head and he found his lips pressed to her ear, but then she realigned herself and he found her lips. He half expected a slap, or that at the least she would insist on moving away. But instead he discovered he had a willing partner. His heart was pounding, and his body was responding in ways he would have been ashamed to admit, and after a few minutes they drew apart, breathless and unsure what to do next.

The situation was resolved by an order from the bridge. ‘All passengers below! Batten down the hatches.’

She pulled away. ‘I’ll have to go.’

‘Yes,’ he agreed. ‘Come on, I’ll take you.’

He escorted her to the head of the companionway that led down to the steerage level. Most of the other passengers were already below decks and as he watched her descend he wished he could save her from the noisome darkness that would ensue, once the hatches were secured, but he knew that to keep her out would only end with them both in trouble.