EPILOGUE: APRIL 1997

The Boeing 747 broke through the scattered clouds. Below the silvery thread of the river Thames curled its' way through London. Sir Charles and Lady Quartermain were thrilled to be back. "See down there Susan, that's where the old Royal Albert Docks used to be. I set sail from them on my first voyage to New Zealand, forty one years ago.  Now it's now a small airport; it all seems like yesterday."

Charles Quartermain was taking up his new position as New Zealand's High Commissioner to the Court of St. James. The task in front of him weighed heavily. It was all part of the healing process for his country following the pain and economic injury of the last three years.

Charles and his party had lost the last election. The economic disruption caused by the foot and mouth outbreak had been too much for the people of New Zealand. Some had compared his loss to 1945 when Winston Churchill had been ousted after leading his country to victory in world war two. The new Prime Minister, Dr. Tony Blake, had not taken long to invite Charles to consider the London post.

For Lady Quartermain, it was a return to the country where she'd spent most of her early adult life. She had been appointed to Queens College at Oxford University, as visiting Professor of Jurisprudence. She felt this successfully maintained her independence from Charles and his career.  She looked adoringly at him.  His excited face was not too different from the one she'd fallen in love with when he was a young Merchant Navy Officer. The pressures of the last decade had taken their toll, but at fifty eight he still stole her breath away. His inner strength, compassion and wisdom had been carved by his extraordinary life experiences.

She leant over the arm of their first class seats and whispered; "You know Charles, you're dead sexy... especially with the sun behind you." Charles roared with laughter, quite disconcerting the plane's Purser, who announced, "Sir Charles, the head of Chancery will meet you, with the High Commission car and chauffeur. We land at Heathrow in five minutes time, please fasten your seat belts.

THE END

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