Since those mad days at sea much had happened in her life. She found herself bewildered, undaunted, certainly, but wary. Her father came home only to die, and he left her in the ward of his sister Beatrice. She discovered that she was wealthy, mistress of large estates in the south: a rare matrimonial prize, in effect. She was gathered under her aunt's ample wing, and knew not what to make of that lady. There was no gainsaying Doña Beatrice's kindness, but there was more to her than mere indolent good humour. Dominica had not been long under her roof before she discovered that her uncle, even her cousin too, were puppets, whose strings were pulled by Doña Beatrice. She suspected that she also was to be a puppet, and lifted her chin at the thought. Doña Dominica, accustomed for many years to be mistress, did not take kindly to a subordinate position, nor could she stomach the strict rule under which well-born maidens lived in Spain. She let it be seen that she had a will of her own, and tossed up her head to face wrath. None came; no one had ever seen Doña Beatrice put out. She blinked her sleepy eyelids, and continued to smile. "Charming, my dear, charming! It suits you admirably," she said. Nonplussed, Dominica stammered: "What suits me, aunt?" Doña Beatrice made a little gesture with her fan. "This display of spirit, my dear. But it is wasted, quite wasted. Show my poor son these flashing looks: I am much too old to be moved, and far too lazy." Dominica, aware even then of the family's designs, chose to come into the open. "Señora, if you mean me for my cousin's bride, I think it only fair to tell you that I will have none of him, so please you." "Of course I mean you for his bride," her aunt said calmly. "My dear, pray sit down. You fatigue me sadly." "I had guessed it!" Dominica said indignantly. "It was not very difficult to guess," said Doña Beatrice. "But we shall not talk of bridals yet. Decency must be observed. I have often thought how absurd is this to do we make over death, but it is the way of the world, and I never go against custom." "Señora--I do not like my cousin enough!" Doña Beatrice was not at all disturbed. "No, my love, I had not supposed you did. I find him very lamentable myself, and I bore him. But what has that to do with marriage? Do not make that singular error of confusing liking with marriage. It has nothing to do with it." "I choose to think it has, aunt. I could not marry where I did not love." Her aunt yawned behind her fan; she looked amused, tolerant. "Be advised by me, my dear, and be rid of such notions. Marry for convenience and love at discretion. I assure you, these things smoothe themselves when one is married. As a maid you are bound to be prim. It is all very different when you are comfortably established." Dominica stared, and could not forbear a giggle. "Do you advise me to wed my cousin, señora, for the sake of taking a lover afterwards?" she asked, half-shocked, half-entertained.