conversation with an elderly lady who could only walk slowly, and he held back to assist her onto the coach, then sat beside her. Olivia settled down next to a young man who knew all about the river and talked non-stop.
At last the coach drew up at the top of a steep bank, at the bottom of which was the river, and
Olivia was first off and found herself swept forward by the crowd. Looking back, she saw that Lang was still helping the old lady. He signalled for her to go on without him, so she headed down the steps to the boat and joined other passengers milling around the chief steward. He gave them a smiling welcome, and declared that he was always at their service.
‘Now I am going to show you to your cabins,’ he said. ‘You will find them all clean and comfortable, but if any of you should want something of a higher standard we have two upgrades available. Follow me, please.’
Out of the corner of her eye Olivia saw Lang, still with the old lady, giving her his kindest smile. She waved and turned away to follow the steward.
The cabins were, as he’d said, clean and comfortable, but on the small and spare side. Olivia sat on her narrow bed, looking around at her neat, efficient surroundings, and felt there was something lacking. Wasting no more time, she went looking for the steward.
‘Can I see the upgrades, please?’
‘I’m afraid only one is left.’
It was a luxurious suite with a living room, bathroom and a bedroom furnished with a huge bed that would have taken three. From the corridor outside came the sound of footsteps approaching. Someone else was going to inspect the place and she had one second to decide.
‘I’ll take it,’ she told the steward.
He too had heard the footsteps and moved fast, whipping out a notepad and writing down her details. By the time the door opened, the transaction was complete.
‘It’s taken,’ he sang out.
The newcomers, a man and a woman, groaned noisily and glared at Olivia.
‘Can’t we come to some arrangement?’ the man demanded of Olivia. He was an oafish individual, built like an overweight walrus.
‘Sorry, it’s mine,’ she told him.
‘Aw, c’mon. You’re on your own. What difference can it make to you?’ he demanded belligerently. ‘Here.’ He flashed a wad of notes. ‘Be reasonable.’
‘Forget it,’ she said firmly.
‘Let me show you out,’ the steward urged.
The man glared but departed. As he left she heard him say to his companion, ‘Damned if I know what a woman alone needs with a place like this.’
It was a good argument, she thought wryly. Just what did she need with a huge double bed? She should stop being stubborn, admit that her own cabin was adequate and give up this delightful palace, possibly even take the money. That was what a sensible woman would do.
But suddenly she couldn’t be sensible any more.
Lang, having been shown to his cabin, was also regarding it with dismay. When he’d suggested joining Olivia on the cruise, this functional little room wasn’t what he’d had in mind. He considered taking an upgrade, but how was he to explain this to her? She would immediately suspect his motives, and the fact that her suspicions would be correct merely added to his problems.
But at last, annoyed with himself for dithering, he approached the steward, only to discover that he was too late. Both upgrade suites were taken.
‘Surely there must be something?’ he pleaded with the steward.
But this achieved nothing. He was left cursing himself for slowness, and generally despairing.
‘You too?’ said a man’s voice behind him.
Lang turned and saw a large, belligerent-looking man scowling in frustration.
‘They shouldn’t give those upgrades to just anybody,’ he snapped. ‘We went for the top one-nothing but the best for the missus and me-but it had already been taken by some silly woman who didn’t need it.’
‘Maybe she did need it,’ Lang said.
‘Nah, she was on her own, so why does she want to bother with a double bed? Hey, that’s her over there in the green blouse-All right, all right.’
His wife was tugging his arm. He turned aside to squabble with her, leaving Lang in a daze.
Olivia was watching him across the distance, a slight smile on her face. He returned the smile, feeling delight grow and grow until it had stretched to every part of him. She began to move forward until she was standing in front of him, looking up, regarding him quizzically.
‘I’m not sure what to say,’ he told her.
‘Don’t tell me I’ve made you speechless?’ she said, teasing and serious together.
‘You do it often.’
The oaf had seen her and turned back to resume battle.
‘Look, can’t we talk…?’ He fell silent, realising that neither of them was aware of him. They had eyes only for each other.
‘Oh, well,’ he mumbled at last. ‘If it’s like that.’
He let his wife drag him away.
Lang didn’t speak, but he raised an enquiring eyebrow as though the question was too awesome to be spoken aloud.
Olivia nodded.
‘Yes,’ she said softly. ‘It’s like that.’
From somewhere came the sound of footsteps, calls, engines coming to life, and there was a soft lurch as the boat began its journey.
‘Let’s go and watch,’ he said.
She nodded, glad of the suggestion. The time was coming, but not quite yet.
Up on deck they watched as the boat glided gently into the middle of the river and started its journey downstream between the tall hills on either side. After a while they went to the rear where a blazing-red sun was beginning to set, sliding slowly down the sky.
To Olivia’s eyes that setting sun seemed to be prophetic, marking the end of one thing and the beginning of another. Now she could no longer equivocate about her feelings for Lang, either to herself or to him. By seizing the chance of the upgrade, she’d given herself away, and she was filled with gladness.
No more pretence, no more hiding behind barriers that offered no real protection, no more denial that he had won her heart. She wanted to sing for joy.
‘Isn’t it wonderful?’ she murmured.
He was standing behind her, his hands on her shoulders. ‘Wonderful,’ he said. ‘And you know what would be even more wonderful?’
She leaned back. ‘Tell me.’
He whispered softly in her ear. ‘Supper.’
She jumped. ‘What did you say?’
‘I told you I was ravenous, and that was hours ago. They must be opening the restaurant about now.’
The joke was on her. She’d thought they were going to float away in misty romance, and all he cared for was his supper. But it wasn’t really a delusion; the tenderness in Lang’s face as he gazed down at her told her that.
‘Let’s go and eat before I fade to nothing,’ he said.
‘We’ll do anything you want,’ she vowed.
At that moment she would have promised him the earth.
The restaurant was a cheerful place with large tables where six people could crowd, calling cheerfully across at each other. But in one corner it was different. Olivia and Lang sat at a table small enough for only themselves, speaking little, sometimes looking out of the window at the banks gliding past in the gathering darkness.
He really was hungry, and ate as though his last meal had come. She left him to it, content to sit here in a haze
