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agreement to marry Sid Watson, was not a good decision.
    If I excused myself for bed, they would surely let me be. I would wait until either they retired themselves, or I heard them settled and talking in the drawing room; then I could sneak away. I think it must have been the alcohol that both gave me the courage to tackle this plan and robbed me of my common sense.
    I stood and excused myself, saying that I wished to retire for I was still weary from the day’s events. Both men stood and bid me goodnight, Griff handing me an oil lamp to light my way.
    In my room, I packed together my most important things. I was now one outfit short, for the daily help had taken it for washing. Again that was something I’d concern myself with once I was back in the company of my friends in Auckland. I counted out many minutes, and when I crept down the hallway and listened at the door, I heard the muffled conversation of the two men, so I took my chance to leave.
    The first problem I encountered was that I was unable to move my trunk. Although small, it was too heavy for me to carry. I would have to leave it behind and hope that when I reached my destination, Griff would forgive me and be gracious enough to forward it on.
    I walked cautiously to the closed drawing room door at the end of the hallway and listened again. Most certainly I could hear a conversation taking place, although I couldn’t discern their words. With my heart hammering, and the blood pounding so loud in my ears that I was sure they too could hear it, I crept towards the door at the back of the house. I released the latch and stepped into the moonlit night.
    The path along the side of the house was partially lit by the lamps hanging in the kitchen and living room. I took careful steps that became even slower once I found myself in complete darkness near the road. As my luck was running, the moon took a moment to slip behind thick cloud and the little light I had was gone. Inching my way forward, I took care not to trip myself on the ruts and small rocks that littered the way.
    Suddenly, a sound surprised me. A haunting sound that carried through the night like a baleful lament.
    Morepork...morepork.
    I bit my lip to catch my cry of alarm that would have given me away. What sort of creature called into the darkness in such a manner? Pushing the idea of some malevolent nocturnal monster from my head, I drew a steadying breath and summoned whatever calm remained within me so that I could continue on my way.
    The sound of the breaking waves seemed closer, and I could smell the briny scent of the ocean. In my calculations I decided I was almost at the rough track that served as the only road leading into the township.
    My sleeve snagged, stopping my progress. As I turned to free myself I felt a tug on the cloth at the back of my skirts and the more I struggled, the more entangled I became. Something scratched my face and then the back of my hand as I tried to push it away.
    “You’ve got yourself in quite a muddle there, young lady.”
    I screamed.

Book 1, Part 5
    GRIFF
    I would have preferred Katie had sat with us longer so that we could be certain she was agreeable to our plan, but Ari had placed his hand on my arm, restraining me when I had wanted to go after her.
    “If you follow her, she will feel the chains of imprisonment that will make her want to run. Let her think we trust her, and she’ll be more comfortable.”
    Ari was right in his reasoning. “She will attempt to run, I’m sure of that,” I told him.
    Just then, I heard a sound, and I hurried to lift the window sash to find Huhu, Ari’s tamed tui, tapping to gain entry. Most evenings, the bird stopped by for a piece of fruit or some honey, and this gave me an idea. I turned to Ari, and he nodded and smiled. Many times, words between us were unnecessary as we seemed to understand each other’s needs and meanings without speaking.
    I mixed some honey with water for Huhu and gave it to Ari to use as a