Susan twisted her mouth slightly, a facial contortion which Catherine interpreted as meaning that Mackenzie’s existence did not contribute materially to making life bright at Culebra.
“Mac is all right enough,” Susan explained, “but him is very quiet an’ serious.”
After a moment’s hesitation, she added:
“Jones was livelier.”
“Then why you leave Jones?”
Susan let the question pass.
“Marriage is dull,” she said: “you are not you’ own mistress. It is true you ’ave a honourable position, but what is the good of that if it don’t make you any happier?”
With unconscious inconsistency she continued. “Sam promised to marry me when we was at sea, but he wouldn’t do it afterwards. It would have been better for him if he did keep his word.”
Catherine was looking at her narrowly as she spoke. She saw quite clearly that Susan was not satisfied with her present situation. And yet she was in a position that hundreds would have envied.
“Perhaps if you did wait, Jones would have married you,” Catherine suggested.