by Katie Fforde
Without commenting, Jo passed the open tin that was full of a rather crumbly but fruit-filled cake, which was going to do as pudding if she couldn't manage anything more exciting. 'Do you think the others will want it?’
Tom nodded, his mouth full. 'Deffo,' he said eventually, blowing crumbs.
Dora followed Jo up the stairs carrying the cake, the sugar and the teaspoons. The wheelhouse was more crowded than ever, full of laughing men carrying radios and trading insults with Marcus. After she'd had time to mentally disentangle them she realised there were only three.
‘Tea?' said Jo, and Dora was horribly reminded of her own mother, when faced with a fellow committee member she didn't know well.
‘Joanna,' said Marcus, making Dora wonder why on earth he called her that when no one else did, 'these chaps are from the River Police. They just need to check us over since we're going past Westminster.'
‘I don't know why you're risking your life going anywhere with this old renegade, madam,' said one.
‘Believe me, I'm not here by choice, but do please have some tea and cake.’
Dora turned away. If she caught Jo's eye, they would both start to giggle – Jo had sounded so like someone on television.
‘Wow, look at that,' said one of the younger policemen, looking at the sunbathing Carole through the window. 'That's Marcus's girlfriend,' said Jo sternly.
‘Oh, sorry, mate,' he said. 'No offence.’
Marcus was chatting to the more senior officer and didn't seem to notice what was going on.
‘I'll go and see if Carole wants any tea,' said Dora, and left, hoping that Carole wouldn't suddenly find caffeine an acceptable substance, or worse, demand fennel, or camomile, or any other fluid that reminded Dora of cats.
‘The police are here,' said Dora to Carole's sunglasses. 'Mm. I saw the launch pull up. Would you mind looking at my hair? Do you think the product's done enough now?’
‘It depends how blonde you want it. Doesn't it go on working for a bit?'
‘Mm. I like a good bright blonde though.'
‘You don't want it to go brassy,' said Dora bluntly. 'And you have to think about the condition.'
‘I do have a wonderful conditioner I use. It's horribly expensive but worth it, I think.’
Dora sat next to Carole and stretched her legs in front of her. Then she rolled up her jeans. 'My hair is always rather boring. My er – ex-boyfriend liked the natural look, so I never played around with colours.'
‘Did you go out for long?'
‘About four years too long. I might try some highlights.'
‘In my experience men don't care what you do to make yourself look good as long as you look good.'
‘So have you and Marcus been together a while?' Carole had asked the question first, so Dora felt it was all right for her to ask the same.
‘About eighteen months.’
As Carole seemed perfectly relaxed about this question, Dora probed a little deeper. 'Marcus is awfully attractive, I can see that, but don't you find he's a little old for you?'
‘Oh no. I like older men. I feel safe with them. I also find Marcus terrifically sexy.'
‘Oh.'
‘The trouble is, lots of other women do too. Which is why I have to keep myself in tip-top condition. And make sure I'm there to head off the competition. I don't usually come on these trips, you know.'
‘No?'
‘No. I was quite surprised when Marcus said I could.’
‘So why do you suppose he did that?’
Carole yawned. 'Dunno, really. It's possible he wanted everyone to know he's spoken for. I reckon he gets hit on a lot by needy females.’
Dora took off her deck shoes and wriggled her toes in the sunshine, feeling insulted and eager not to show it. Between her and Jo, whom did Carole perceive the 'needy female' to be? Well, she could set her mind at rest about one of them.
‘I have to admit that although I love my dad to pieces I wouldn't want to go out with anyone even near his age.' Dora closed her eyes, to simulate a lack of concern about Carole's reaction. It was just possible that if she declared her disinterest, Carole might get off when they got to Queenborough, where they were mooring for the night. Surely she couldn't suspect Jo of having her eye on Marcus? Just because she was single, it didn't make her needy.
‘Maybe when you're a little older yourself you'll come to appreciate the older man. He's more likely to take you to nice places than a younger one. Although your Tom's very cute.'
‘He's not my Tom,' said Dora, wishing after all that she'd never got into this, 'we're just friends.'
‘Oh? Well, it's nice to know where everyone stands.' Carole was still apparently concentrating on topping up her tan, but a twinge of unexpected jealousy shaded the sun a little for Dora. Did Carole fancy a bit of young flesh on the side? And if so, why did she care?
*
The day progressed. Dora and Jo watched London slip past: the South Bank, Tate Modern, London Bridge, the infamous Millennium Dome. It was all rather exciting as they hadn't seen these parts of London from this vantage point before. Gradually the river widened as they got nearer to the Estuary, so that the landmarks, warehouses and executive flats became scarcer and scarcer until eventually Tom told them that Queenborough was coming up. Although it was only early afternoon, Dora could tell that Jo was flagging and said, 'Once we get there, you must stop looking after everyone and let them look after themselves. You slope off for a nap. We're bound to be starting early again tomorrow.'
‘I'll certainly try. I feel as if I've been up for days, and as if weeks have past since we set off from the moorings.’
‘Yes! Weird, isn't it? What have you planned to eat for supper? I'll help.'
‘Moussaka which I've done already, with carrots, peas and rice. Carole can have carrots, peas and rice. Did you get to know her a little today?'
‘Not really. She's been with Marcus for eighteen months, apparently. One thing she said was odd, though. She more or less implied she was here to keep an eye on him.’
‘In what way, keep an eye on him?'
‘So he doesn't go off with other women, which is pretty much us. Or worse, he thinks we're needy and after him. She says it happens a lot.’
Jo's expression hardened. 'So we're needy, are we?' She knew she was right not to trust his olive branch that morning.
‘I don't think she meant that we were in particular, just that single women in general are.'
‘I think that makes it worse! It's bad enough when men stereotype women and say and think patronising things about them but when women – young women – do it too, it's just too bad.’
Dora nodded. Although she was indignant for a slightly different reason, she was happy to follow on in the tide of Jo's. 'I know! She just assumed me and Tom were a couple and said he was cute. When I said we were just friends, she said it was nice to know where everyone stood.'
‘Well, he is cute, Dora, and you can't blame Carole for noticing.’
Dora shook her head. 'I don't know what's going on in her mind, to be honest.' Or was it her own mind that confused her? 'I do know what she does to her hair though,' she added on a more frivolous note. 'But she's not very easy to get to know.'
‘You couldn't get through the factor fifty-five sun-cream, you mean? Oh my goodness, I can't believe I said that.’
Dora laughed. 'I think Karen would be proud to think that you've discovered your inner bitch.'
‘Karen might be, but I'm not. She's just a child, I shouldn't be making unkind remarks about her.’
Noises from above indicated that they might be arriving very shortly. 'Let's go up and look at Queenborough,' said Jo.
There wasn't a lot to see. They were tied up to a concrete hulk moored in the river and there was no way of getting ashore. Carole was standing on deck, staring out. Dora and Jo joined her, as extra fender-holding didn't seem to be required.
‘No shops,' said Carole.
‘No,' agreed Jo, who'd wanted
to stock up on water and various other Carole-friendly products.
‘Retail therapy will have to wait until we get to Holland,' said Marcus, who chose that moment to emerge from behind the wheel.
‘I personally don't regard grocery shopping as therapy,' said Jo, still rattled by him.
‘Marky, darling, I wanted to buy some chocolate,' said Carole in a tone only a hairsbreadth away from a whine.
‘Surely you don't eat chocolate, do you, Carole?' asked Jo in surprise.
‘Chocolate has anti-oxidants, provided it has enough cocoa solids in it,' Carole explained kindly.
‘Oh,' said Jo, who knew that, and went down below. Dora was about to follow her when Carole said, 'What's got into her?'
‘Being up since before dawn and having to cater for people with peculiar food fads, probably,' said Dora and went down to join Jo in the galley.
‘That animated Barbie doll is getting right up my nose,' said Dora.
‘Have a good blow and you'll feel better,' said Jo, laughing, and feeling better herself. 'It's bloody Marcus who's getting on my – nerves.'
‘Jo, I really hope you weren't going to say "tits",' said Dora. 'What would the Flower Circle think?'
‘They'd agree with me, to a woman. Now I'm going to have what my mother would have called "a nice lie down".’
*
When Jo got up, a couple of hours later, she found that Tom and Dora had organised supper. A panful of prepared carrots was waiting and there was even a salad. 'Go up on deck and have a drink. Marcus and Ed are up there.’
Jo didn't particularly want to sit with Marcus, especially as she knew Carole would be there too, but nor did she want to spend any more time in the galley than she had to. Her pre-trip cookathon had used up all her enthusiasm for the moment.
She had had a quick shower after her nap and put on make-up and a long white linen shirt, which probably made her seem the size of a house, but was comfortable and fresh-feeling – suited, she felt, to sitting on deck drinking white wine. So, having checked her make-up, she went to join the others.
Any concern she might have had about having to make polite conversation with Carole, whom she had very mixed feelings about, and Marcus, whom she was still annoyed with, and Ed, whom she loved for many reasons, were dispelled the moment she joined the group. Marcus was talking shop.
‘We'll have two people on watch at all times. We should get there in daylight, but if for any reason we don't, the same applies. Four hours on, four off, alternating one hour steering periods.'
‘I don't have to do that, do I?' asked Carole.
‘We're all shipmates together, love,' said Ed cheerily. Jo, who had been about to ask to be excused, as she was the official ship's cook, kept quiet.
‘There's no point in people crowding the wheelhouse,' said Marcus. 'Tom seems a capable lad. I'll go on with Tom. You can choose between Dora, Joanna or Carole.'
‘You've put me in a right spot, Skipper. I'll have young Dora. Jo's working hard enough already, producing meals fit for seagoing kings.'
‘What about me?' asked Carole, obviously feeling left out.
‘You can do what you're best at, darling, looking decorative,' Marcus said, with a hint of sarcasm Jo noticed.
She regarded Carole, wondering why she didn't slap Marcus, or at least give him a filthy look. But Carole just simpered. She was obviously as simple as she looked. 'Would you like me to get you another beer?' she asked.
‘If you're offering and I think Ed would like another one too,' Marcus said.
Carole got up and stretched, revealing a stomach you could have ironed sheets on if it hadn't been for her belly button piercing. She went to the top of the stairs and called down to Dora and Tom, 'Could we have another couple of beers up here, please?'
‘I don't think that's quite what is meant by getting someone another drink,' said Jo, as mildly as she could, seeing as she was feeling anything but mild.
‘I expect they want some fresh air anyway,' said Carole, 'I'm sure I would if I had to cook.'
‘We'll be organising a cooking rota later,' said Jo, 'so you'll find out.' Jo had never been prone to bitchiness but she just couldn't help it. Carole just had that effect on her.
Tom appeared at the top of the steps, holding cans of beer and a bottle of wine. 'Would we like to eat up here, in the fresh air? Or downstairs at a table. It's quite hot down there.'
‘What would you like, Joanna?' asked Marcus, causing her to start. She'd been deeply annoyed with him, finding him arrogant and high-handed, and now here he was, being considerate.
‘It would be quite an effort to drag everything up here, wouldn't it?'
‘Not if everyone helps themselves to what they want and then brings it up,' said Tom. 'I could bring up some sofa cushions.'
‘That sounds lovely!' said Carole. 'I'll just have the vegetables, or salad, whatever it is that hasn't got a face.'
‘The plan is we're going to help ourselves,' said Jo gently, hoping she didn't sound too patronising. 'If you're going to be here, with us all, you have to join in properly.’
Carole and Jo looked at Marcus, both hoping for support for their separate causes. They were both disappointed. He was up the bows with Ed, looking at navigation lights. Jo wished he'd take his girlfriend in hand for all their sakes.
*
Dora was woken by Ed going to the bathroom. It was the following morning and as Marcus had insisted on every one having a reasonably early night, and not drinking too much, she felt sleepy, but not desperately so. She stood on her bunk and looked out of the window. Another perfect day, the dawn making even the mud flats look rose-tinted and romantic. She decided to take Jo a cup of tea in bed, hoping to find her still there, and not yet up and doing.
The previous evening had been spent playing Monopoly, which Jo had bought specially, 'in case every one's rubbish at making their own entertainment'.
Marcus didn't play. He retired to his cabin with the charts and, presumably, a good book, but everyone else had. It had been fun. Well, Dora insisted to herself that it had been fun, but she was aware of being niggled. Was itbecause Tom was so helpful to Carole, assisting her to win, or was it because Carole was so coy and giggly with him? Now, she pushed it out of her mind. If Tom liked giggly, clingy women, did she want to have anything to do with him? As she pulled on her jeans she reminded herself firmly that they were just friends, and so who he chose to flirt with was nothing to do with her.
Jo was grateful for the tea. 'I was up really early yesterday; today I feel as if my limbs are made of lead.'
‘Well, there's no need for you to get up yet. I'll see the chaps get breakfast.'
‘I suggest you just give them toast and cereal. They can have bacon butties for elevenses.' Jo sank back on to her pillows. 'I should have thought about buying soya milk. Lots of people have allergies to dairy products.'
‘Yes, but they usually tell you about them beforehand. They don't just turn up demanding special food.'
‘Poor Carole,' said Jo, sipping her tea with her eyes closed. 'We mustn't be horrible about her.'
‘Why not?' said Dora and nipped back to the bathroom, having heard Ed leave it.
Everyone was a little quieter that day. The first excitement of being on the move had worn off and maybe people felt daunted by the prospect of crossing the North Sea. Marcus delivered a safety lecture, talking about life jackets, what to do if anyone fell overboard, how to launch the dinghy -which fortunately Tom seemed to know all about – and the importance of everything being tied down in the galley. Dora and Jo confessed their anxiety to each other while they were preparing lunch, having debated fixing the tomatoes with elastic bands before they cut them up. They didn't want to share their worries with anyone else.
‘After all, if Carole's not bothered, we don't want to put ideas into her mind,' said Jo.
‘Yes, ignorance is bliss,' said Dora, 'or it seems to be in her case.'
‘I don't think she's actually that happy,' sai
d Jo.
‘Don't you? She's got Marcus, who she adores, doesn't have to lift a finger, looks like a supermodel, what more can a girl want?'
‘A bit of fulfilment, possibly,' said Jo. 'Although before when I said that about her not being happy, I hadn't really thought it. I'm probably making things up. Take no notice. I just wouldn't fancy being hooked up with Marcus myself.'
‘Really? I think he's very attractive, for an older man.’
‘Oh, he's attractive all right; I just wouldn't fancy being his girlfriend.’
What Jo did fancy being she kept hidden even from herself, throwing herself into domestic activity as a distraction. How could a woman of her age, approaching the menopause with the speed of a flying bullet, have such inappropriate feelings for a man she wasn't sure she even liked? However attractive the cause, it must have some chemical reason. When she got back on dry land, she'd go and see a doctor and sort out some medication. She sighed. She hadn't always disliked Marcus. When he took her for a walk and talked her out of being frightened, she'd liked him very much.
*
'Well, that's the last we'll see of land for a while.' Dora had delivered Ed his hourly cup of tea. It was about two o'clock in the afternoon. 'Now we've got to miss the Goodwin Sands, all the ships in the shipping lanes, and then we're laughing.'
‘Aren't the Goodwin Sands terribly dangerous?' Dora asked him. 'I think I've heard of them.'
‘They're all right if you keep a good lookout and pay attention. It's not foggy, or windy, and we've got a good crew. Nothing can possibly go wrong. Cheers!' Ed downed half a mug of hot tea in one.
About an hour later Jo decided to confront her mixed feelings about their skipper and join Ed and Marcus in the wheelhouse. Tom had been steering for the past hour and had gone to find Dora. Carole was lying on deck, wearing more than a bikini now they were on the sea and it wasn't quite so warm, and Jo was bored. She realised she hadn't felt sick or terrified and grudgingly put this down to Marcus's ability to calm her nerves. It would be a good idea to find out where they were, where they were going and to practise being normal while close to Marcus – something she found disconcertingly difficult.
