‘He’s the one who’s sorry. I can look after myself.’
‘Now she tells me. After I put on that cheesy display of heroics.’
‘You’re not cheesy,’ I assured him.
We went back inside and had another dance, holding each other close so that Raymond would get the point if he happened to be looking. Actually, he wasn’t. He’d retired for the night.
But some word must have gone around, because while Jack was fetching me a drink I found myself facing Grace.
‘I hope you’re proud of yourself,’ she said, in a voice like a razorblade. ‘It’s all due to you that Jack has offended Raymond Keller, and that’s a disaster for him.’
‘Jack doesn’t seem to think so.’
‘As though
‘Well, it wasn’t for his sparkling conversation, that’s for sure,’ I retorted.
‘It’s because he’s a man of substance.’
‘I know that. He’s told me a hundred times, and I’m not interested.’
‘Oh, please, don’t play the innocent with me. You’ve been flaunting yourself-turning his head with your cheap fancy-woman tricks, just like you turned Jack’s. And what’s the result? A brawl. Keller has a black eye, and Jack’s lost a useful contact.’
‘I’m sorry about that. But I don’t see why you blame me.’
‘Because a woman like you is always to blame. You’ve got big ideas, haven’t you? Just because Jack’s spent a bit of money on you, you think you’ve got him for life.’
‘Is that what I think?’
‘Of course it is. I know women of your sort. You think you’re entitled to anything you want, but you’re just an amusement to Jack. He’ll toss you aside when you’ve served your purpose.’
No matter what, I was determined not to let her make me angry.
‘Well, that’s his decision,’ I said, as coolly as I could manage.
Jack returned with the drinks at that moment. Grace sniffed and flounced off. When Jack asked me what she’d said I passed it off lightly. But I couldn’t help worrying in case I’d really damaged him.
CHAPTER SEVEN
AFTER that misunderstanding with Raymond the party began to break up. We made an unscheduled stop in Gibraltar because Raymond discovered that urgent business called him home, and Selina’s father apparently received a call announcing a crisis in one of his firms. He needed to fly home too, immediately, and Selina and her mother went with him. Derek announced that he would also leave the ship.
Grace said it was all my fault.
‘He’s seizing his chance to get Selina to himself,’ she snapped. ‘They’ll be engaged before you’re home.’
‘I sincerely hope so.’
‘Poor Selina has been
I grinned. ‘No, she’s just realised what a lucky escape she’s had. Why don’t you write me off as a hopeless case and spend the rest of the trip being nice to Harry?’
Grace sniffed.
I was making plans. After all, Bully Jack was supposed to be the great organiser, the strategic genius who won out by planning everything to the last degree. Let’s see if I could do it when it really mattered.
I fixed it so that when we docked in Southampton a fleet of cars would meet the passengers and whisk them back to London-except for me and Della, who would remain onboard for one more night. That way I reckoned we’d have privacy.
Grace didn’t like leaving the two of us alone together, but she restricted her comments to, ‘Well, I suppose if you’re determined to make a fool of yourself-’
‘I am,’ I assured her. ‘Absolutely determined. And I’ll tell you something else. I’ve never enjoyed being a fool so much.’
On the last full day the sun was hot and we all lounged by the pool. Della was the last to arrive, advancing slowly so that everyone could look their fill.
I had to hand it to her. As per my instructions, she wore a different bikini every time, and she did things to a bikini that no other woman had ever done. Her figure was deceptive. While it was covered she looked almost too thin. In fact she was merely slim, and nicely rounded, but to realise that you had to see her wearing next to nothing, which was fine by me.
A steward came to say that the captain would like a word with me, to sort out last-minute things before we reached home. With an effort I tore my eyes away from Della and went to the bridge.
It took only half an hour to deal with the details, then I hurried back to the pool to find that Della had gone.
‘She went down to the cabin,’ Jenny said. ‘I think she wanted to make a phone call.’
I thought Jenny had probably got that wrong, because as far as I knew Della had nobody to phone. But when I approached the cabin I could hear her voice, obviously talking to someone.
‘Darling, I didn’t know-I wasn’t expecting this yet-are you sure you’re all right? Oh, that’s wonderful-I can’t wait to see you again. ‘Bye, darling, bye.’
I heard her hang up.
I stood there a moment. For some reason I was reluctant to go in and see her. I wasn’t sure why.
While I waited I heard a noise I didn’t understand. If I’d been fanciful I might have thought she was crying. But that soft, gasping sound could have been anything-even my imagination.
Why should she cry? It had been a happy phone call. She’d said ‘that’s wonderful’. When I went in she would tell me what it was all about.
When I opened the door she was standing at the window, looking out to see. She turned and gave me a brilliant smile. And if it looked a bit forced, I decided that was my imagination too. I’d started seeing ghosts around every corner, and no other woman had ever made that happen to me.
‘All right?’ I said.
‘Fine,’ she said brightly. ‘Never better.’
‘Jenny told me you’d come down here. She said something about a phone call.’
‘Yes, I needed to make one, but everything’s all right now. Come on, let’s go back to the pool. I need another swim.’
She sashayed past me and for a moment I was distracted by the sight of her smooth golden skin. I’d already admired it earlier that day, but each time was like seeing it for the first time.
So I forgot that she hadn’t told me about the phone call and followed her tamely and happily back to the pool. Which, I realised later, was exactly what she’d meant me to do.
In the water she was like a mermaid, diving and twisting, always just ahead of me, teasing, tantalising, driving me off my head. I’d never wanted her as much as I did right then, and time was passing. Being a perfect gentleman had been fine while there was all the time in the world, but we would soon be in port.
In the late afternoon we docked at Southampton. Cars were waiting, goodbyes were said. Grace gave me her blessing in her own inimitable way.
‘Whatever happens, you’ve brought it on yourself.’
I grinned. ‘Thanks, Gracie.’
Instead of eating on board I took Della to a tiny waterfront restaurant where the lights were low and the atmosphere intimate. Corny stuff, but it was an evening of sheer delight.
