If her father with all his knowledge and experience had slithered into a financial quagmire, what made her think she could redeem the situation? It was ridiculous. Impossible. The alternative? Acceptance. Oddly enough, society would blame her less for admitting defeat than for meddling in matters that were a male preserve. Her uncles had stated it clearly enough: women were totally unsuited to business or finance. They were simply voicing what every right-minded person – man and woman – knew to be true. Each sex had its own spheres of interest and influence, and the interests of all were best served by ensuring they remained separate. She had always been separate. Set apart from her contemporaries by her unusual education, by a father who indulged her interest in the boat yard and, inevitably, by her height, it was too late now to start conforming. Nor, in her heart of hearts, despite being deeply apprehensive, did she wish to. As for the man on the path, she could not afford to spend precious time and energy on pointless speculation.
