Kristen Tomassi is the name of an American girl staying at the Manor while her musician boyfriend does some recording. Richard is immediately attracted to Kristen and has several trysts with her while her boyfriend is still in town. Richard hires her to renovate the Manor to avoid having her leave for America to continue her study in architecture. She is twenty when Richard marries her. Her sister is named Meryll, and she marries Nik five months after she and Richard marry in 1973. Richard and Kristen almost drown in Cozumel on a capsized fishing boat. They swim ashore and promise to stay together forever. Ironically, one evening they swap partners on another houseboat named Duende, where Kristen falls in love with Kevin Ayers. They split in 1974 while Richard has trouble with Virgin Records whose only star is Mike Oldfield. Kristen is no longer in love with Kevin and returns to Richard when she hears about Joan. By then, however, Richard is involved with Joan and has no interest in his first wife.