India smiled at me then and picked up the cocktail menu.
‘Well, there’s time for another quick one, don’t you think? Let’s have a White Lady.’
‘What’s in that?’ I asked, relieved she had moved into safer waters and we were still okay, or as okay as two sisters who were trying to mend their relationship could be. One day at a time. One cocktail at a time.
‘Just a little bit of gin,’ she said with a wicked twinkle. And I gave a laugh. It was going to be lethal, but maybe that’s just what we needed.
The ship gave a sudden definite lurch as India went up to the bar. The weather was worsening. Outside we could see spray drenching the windows and, beyond, the lowering grey skies. The waiter laughed and made a grab for an ice bucket that was sliding towards the edge of the bar.
‘Whoa there, the forecast said it was going to be a bit bumpy once we headed out. Batten down the hatches!’
I had always thought of myself as a good sailor. I’d even coped pretty well with a gale in the Bay of Biscay, but then I’d never been on the Atlantic. This was going to be interesting.
We went to Peter and Paula’s class after lunch in the ballroom. Two cocktails or not, the weather was getting rougher. This time the dominant colour for our dance masters was turquoise. A turquoise satin shirt for Peter and matching sequins and ruffles for Paula.
‘The foxtrot!’ Peter declaimed, spinning Paula round in front of him. ‘And not just any foxtrot – we are going to teach you something called the American foxtrot. As with so many things, America took a good idea and improved it.’
‘What, like turning chips into curly fries or pasta into mac and cheese?’ I said.
India nudged me. ‘Sssh!’
Peter was still talking. ‘You’ve all heard of slow, slow, quick, quick, slow? Well, here is where you use it. It’s simple, effective and easy to learn. Promenade twinkles, fallaway twinkles and closed twinkles with a promenade-closed ending can all come later. For today we are back to the basic steps and the sway and glide of one of the most versatile of dances.’
There seemed to be a shortage of male partners this time. There was certainly no sign of Liam.
India and I did what we could, grasping on to each other’s elbows and treading all over each other’s feet, but it was increasingly difficult to glide and sway attractively when the ship was ploughing through what felt like quite significant waves.
‘And glide and glide, feet relaxed and rocking. Walk through the music and glide, and glide and slowly, slowly,’ Peter hollered over the music.
After a few minutes of stumbling around and treading on each other we gave up.
‘Wow, I don’t think I should have had that White Lady,’ India said as we made our way to the edge of the dance floor. ‘I think I need a sit-down.’
We sat down on a couple of the gilt chairs that surrounded the dance floor. India leaned her head in her hands and groaned a little.
‘But this ship has the most sophisticated stabilisers anywhere on the high seas,’ I said, paraphrasing the ship’s publicity literature. ‘You can’t be seasick?’
‘Okay, I’m not. I just need a rest. Don’t you feel it?’
‘No, not really. Just a bit of movement.’
‘I think we need to go up to where I can see the horizon, don’t you?’
‘Okay, if you think it will help.’
We made our way up to the promenade deck and went outside into the fresh air. This in itself was not straightforward. The doors to the deck were very heavy and were being kept closed by a force seven gale outside that wanted them shut; one of them swung back, making me rock even more.
Eventually we made it to the sheltered area at the back of the ship where we could see the angry grey waves crashing away behind the ship. There were also an outdoor pool and a hot tub there, both of which were roped off with ‘Danger Do Not Enter’ signs on them. They seemed a bit unnecessary to me. We watched mesmerised as the water in them slopped and crashed about with the motion of the ship, spraying the contents over the side. It was very impressive. Anyone even considering going in would have to be certifiable.
‘I think I need a cup of tea,’ India said rather weakly.
This in itself was startling; India never drank tea.
We struggled with the doors again to get back inside and found her a cup of tea and a piece of cake that she couldn’t eat.
‘Are you sure you’re not pregnant?’ I said.
‘Definitely not; I think I’m seasick.’
There were lots of other people with the same suspicion. Even some of the diehard food court regulars were sitting looking steadfastly out of the window with only a glass of water for company.
I left her there, clinging on to the table, and brought back some seasickness pills.
‘The pharmacist says either stay up and look at the horizon or go to sleep,’ I said.
India took her tablets and finished her water.
‘Bed,’ she said. ‘I think that would be best. I’m going to bed.’
‘Do you want me to come with you?’
‘Not unless you feel ill too?’
After she’d gone I sat and finished her piece of cake – always tidy, that’s me. Then I went off for a wander. Even after all this time there were parts of the ship I hadn’t seen yet, including a spa, a casino, a gym and a cinema. Marnie was due to give another talk tomorrow morning but the only thing going on now in the space between afternoon tea and cocktails was a talk in the smaller of the two lecture theatres on the ship’s catering. Well, at least it would mean a nice sit-down. I went in and found a seat near the back. A stout chef in his whites was already talking.
‘The Champs-Elysées restaurant routinely serves seven hundred and fifty covers per sitting. The ship has its own bakery and pastry departments. I am the executive chef and one hundred and two chefs work under my supervision …’
I was aware someone was edging along the row of seats towards me and I looked up with a polite smile. It was Marnie Miller and she was smiling too but in a rather odd way.
She sat down next to me and crossed her legs elegantly.
‘… the ship loads dry and frozen goods every ten days. Dairy products and fresh seafood every week. There is a permanent provisions team of nine people who load and distribute throughout the ship’s galleys and bars …’
‘Hi,’ I said.
‘I’m glad I caught up with you. I want to talk to you,’ Marnie whispered back.
I didn’t answer. Something about this – I wasn’t sure what – made me feel very uneasy indeed.
‘… the ship has nine bars and eight different places to eat. Every day seventy pizzas, three hundred English scones, and two thousand canapés are consumed. On this transatlantic crossing we expect to use over thirty tons of fresh fruit and vegetables, twenty thousand litres of fresh milk and over thirty thousand eggs …’
That answered the egg question then. I would have to tell Gabriel next time I saw him.
‘I need to have a quiet word,’ Marnie repeated, her voice hissing serpent-like in my ear. ‘It’s in your own interests. I think you should listen. It’s about Gabriel Frost.’
Chapter Seventeen
Bitches’ Brew
Grand Quinquina, Genever, Vodka, IPA Beer
I didn’t move for a while. Next to me Marnie was also still, but it was a sort of rigid, listening immobility that was unnerving. At last the chef stopped talking about pastry and bread making and how many different sorts of cheese there were on board (twenty-one) because he had encountered a technical hitch with the projector. The images of cases of wine being trundled on board the ship had frozen. Golly, there were a lot of them.
There was therefore a bit of a delay as a harassed-looking crew member in a blue boilersuit came on to the stage to try and sort things out, pushing buttons and turning the projector on and off while the chef looked at his watch and muttered.
Marnie reached across and touched my arm with her teeny tiny
hand. ‘I want to help you, Alexa. You’re playing with fire. It would be wrong of me not to say something.’
I looked at her. ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about,’ I said at last.
Marnie pulled a sad face and patted my arm again. ‘I think you do. I know it’s embarrassing but I know what he’s like.’
‘What who is like?’ I said, playing for time.
‘Gabriel. Gabriel Frost.’
Down on the stage the chef was starting to get rather annoyed judging by the colour of his face. The original crew member had been joined by two others and all three of them were pressing buttons and sighing and pointing at the side of the stage.
Marnie stood up and gestured for me to follow her. Which, sheep-like, I did.
She walked out towards the cocktail bar and ordered two drinks. I’m not sure what they were except they were pink and rather vicious. Something to do with Polish vodka and raspberries I guessed.
‘Now then,’ Marnie said. She took a deep breath and looked across at me, her beautiful eyes sympathetic and sad. ‘I know Gabriel Frost is an attractive man; we’re all girls here, aren’t we? We can say it like it is. But you need to be careful. I don’t think you know what you’re doing.’
How old was I? Twelve?
‘What do you mean?’ I said with a careless little laugh.
‘I think I know what’s been going on; I’m not blind. I know Gabriel has been making a fuss of you, knowing you to be a bit of an innocent. He can spot things like that.’
Innocent? I don’t think so.
I shook my head and frowned. ‘And?’
‘I guess some might say this was none of my business.’
‘Yes, they might,’ I said sternly, wishing I was almost anywhere else.
She sipped her cocktail and put the glass down on the table before she spoke.
‘He’s only recently divorced. I mean a man as good-looking as that would have been married, wouldn’t he?’
I tried to look nonchalant and thought back to the Nordic blonde I had imagined with the beautiful children and the cool, laid-back, exquisite life. Well, I knew that wasn’t true any more.
‘So?’
‘So he likes to find women like you, naïve women who are impressed by him.’
I took another gulp of my drink. It was icy and very strong. ‘And?’
‘He’s very charming, isn’t he? He’s well known for it. Hell, he even tried it on with me when we first met.’ She laughed. ‘But our relationship is strictly business. The thing is, when he’s got what he wants, he loses interest.’
‘How do you know this?’
She gave a funny little laugh. ‘I know Gabriel. He’s bright and clever and drop-dead gorgeous, isn’t he? You were tempted, weren’t you? He made you think you were different, didn’t he?’
‘Well, yes …’
Marnie’s expression hardened and I knew I’d made a mistake. She had been fishing, guessing before, but now she knew.
‘His wife – and those poor children caught up in it all. Both of them needed therapy after everything. And Elsa was such a sweet person. She didn’t deserve what she put up with. And I’ve got to tell you, his divorce was supposed to have been very unpleasant.’
Her voice had dropped to an appalled whisper.
I reeled back, horrified, and Marnie nodded. ‘I’m afraid so. Elsa was gorgeous, terrifically bright and attractive. I think that’s what Gabriel couldn’t bear. That other men found her attractive. He was always accusing her of something. She was so lovely.’
‘Was? Did he kill her?’ I gasped.
Marnie shook her head and her red hair span out like a flame. ‘No, goodness me, nothing like that. Oh, Alexa, it’s just so hard to talk about. Sure, Gabriel’s a great guy, but he isn’t ready to move on. He’s still hung up on Elsa and you can’t honestly think … well, let’s just say I’ve seen him do it too many times to count and I just wouldn’t want to see it happen again,’ she said, looking sad.
I sat stock-still, my heart rapidly speeding up, as I tried desperately to believe that all I felt for him was lust: nothing serious. But, God, that was a lie.
However, looking at Marnie’s searching eyes, I held it all together. I couldn’t bear for her to know what I felt. So I coolly shrugged my shoulders. ‘It’s nothing serious,’ I said, trying to sound strong.
She reached out and touched my hand, her tone dripping in sympathy. ‘Be careful.’
I could feel the disappointment settling in my stomach like a stone. I realised that despite my best efforts I had been doing what I always did. Imagining that this particular man, this one, could be it. The love of my life, someone I met and fell for who fell in love with me. That magical moment when everything went right for a change.
In years to come, when people asked us how we’d met, he would reach for my hand and smile and we would remember my chucking champagne over him. Hmm, no. Perhaps we would have to remember something else. Like that moment on deck when he kissed me and my legs went all wobbly. The man I had been waiting for.
And now it didn’t feel like that any more. I didn’t feel attractive and exotic; I felt a fool. God, I was an idiot. I should have known better.
‘Hey, are you coming along to my next talk tomorrow? Spring-Clean Your Life? You might find it useful.’
I blinked a bit and forced a smile to my lips. I wasn’t going to give her the satisfaction of seeing she had got to me, not on any level.
‘Yes, sure. India has a bit of seasickness at the moment though. That’s where she is, sleeping it off with some medication. Hopefully she’ll be okay.’
Marnie gasped and reached into her handbag. ‘Look, I have just the thing! Take these – they’re brilliant. And don’t worry about giving them back. I have some spare ones in my suite. They are the best for seasickness.’
She handed me two wristbands and explained how they worked – something to do with pressure points or ley lines; some sort of voodoo. I wasn’t really listening. And then I went back to our cabin to see how India was getting on. My feet seemed heavy and tired now. All the excitement had gone. Instead of walking past Gabriel’s door with the little thrill of anticipation that he might be there, that he might open the door and give me that smile, I was apprehensive, worried in case he did.
*
India was propped up on her pillows sipping some water.
‘Where have you been? I’m bored,’ she said, her lower lip pushed out in a resentful pout.
I shut the cabin door behind me very quietly.
‘I went to a talk on the ship’s catering.’
‘Sounds fascinating,’ she said sarcastically as she lifted her head tentatively off the pillow, before letting it fall again.
‘It was quite interesting actually; did you know the ship gets through six tons of chicken a week? And two tons of sugar?’ I said, keeping my tone as light and encouraging as I could. I’d developed that voice to use at work when a house sale had fallen through at the last minute. I needed to be impartial, unemotional but helpful. It was the only thing I could think of doing at the moment.
‘Strangely enough I didn’t know,’ she said.
‘And on the average seven-day cruise sixty-two thousand alcoholic drinks are consumed. That’s over four alcoholic drinks per passenger per day. And that’s eight times as much as normal,’ I continued, feeling my voice getting strained as I tried to keep hold of my emotions.
‘Yes, that sounds about right,’ she groaned.
I looked over at her. She did still look a bit peaky.
‘How are you feeling?’ For a second I stopped thinking about Gabriel and the conversation I’d just had with Marnie. I held out the wristbands. ‘I saw Marnie and she sent you these. They’re supposed to work on seasickness.’
‘Wow.’ India’s eyes widened as though I was giving her an unparalleled treasure. ‘That’s kind of her.’ And I had to admit it kind of was.
She slipped them on to her wrists and sat up looking tho
ughtful.
‘Yes, I think they are working. I feel much better already. I must thank her. Where did you see her?’
‘In the talk on catering. She’s giving another talk tomorrow morning, wanted to know if we were going.’
‘Well, yes! Of course! After all we are besties now,’ she said with a smile, shaking her wrists at me with a flourish to display the bands.
I wandered around the cabin, picking up clothes and making half-hearted attempts to tidy up.
‘What’s the matter?’ India said.
‘Nothing.’
‘There’s something, I can tell.’ India got out of bed and pulled on her dressing gown. ‘Yes, I’m definitely feeling better. That’s brilliant. Sometimes the old ways are the best. Now what is it?’
I took a deep breath. ‘Marnie came looking for me and she warned me off Gabriel.’
‘What? Bloody hell. What a cheek! Really?’
‘She talked about his ex-wife. She said he was just using me.’
‘Wow.’ India looked thoughtful. ‘I’d say that was none of her business, but well, you did know there had to be a catch, right?’
‘God, I’m such an idiot. I fell for it again.’
‘Oh, Alexa,’ she said. She put her arm around me awkwardly and we sort of hugged for a bit. We’d never gone in for a lot of hugging.
‘I know, I know, I’m an idiot,’ I said, through tears that had suddenly started flowing down my cheeks. I brushed them away angrily. What was the point in crying?
‘Don’t be silly; of course you’re not an idiot. I mean you always do get your hopes up, don’t you? But is that a bad thing? To hope for something lovely?’ India said, handing me a tissue to mop my eyes. ‘Look, what time is it?’
‘Six-thirty,’ I said mournfully.
‘It’s time we got dolled up. Isn’t it the Black and White Ball this evening? There’s no need to stay here and feel sorry for yourself. So what if Gabriel’s not the forever guy for you; who cares when there are plenty more fish in the sea?’ she trilled, throwing a sequinned gown at me and making me almost smile. India was right, wasn’t she? It wasn’t the end of the world, but somehow I couldn’t get rid of this sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. I’d thought this time was different.
Come Away With Me Page 18
