Page 58 of The Cruise

Alone, Kath sighed. ‘Oh, Jim,’ she said out loud, ‘what would you make of me now?’ She continued to stare at the silvery sea. ‘How did you feel when you fell? Were you angry or scared?’ Kath shook her head. ‘I tried to be such a good wife, always there, doing my best, running around after you and the boys.’ She tilted her glass and let the last dregs trickle down her throat.

Suddenly, Kath slammed the glass on the table.

‘Well, it served you damned right!’ she swore. ‘It was a good job I saw you running off with your wretched last will, or I wouldn’t be sitting here now.’

* * *

Dicky was intrigued. Leaning forward, he cocked his head and strained to hear Kath's conversation with herself. She was rambling about her husband, who had taken a fall. Dicky nearly jumped out of his skin when Kath slammed her glass on the table.

But the words that followed left him stunned.

Had he heard Kath say she’d pushed Jim when reaching out to grab his last will and testament? She was blathering on, but Dicky soon had the gist. He winced as Kath remembered the deepening pool of congealing blood and Jim’s fading pulse. He heard her laugh when she told her heavenly husband that the ambulance crew didn’t know that his accident was her fault. A set of steep steps had justified his fall, and no one was any the wiser.

Well, would you believe it, Dicky thought as he darted back into the shadows. Here was an opportunity! The old bag had a secret so big that it would ruin her golden years should it ever be known.

The door suddenly opened, and a woman rushed in.

‘There you are!’ Jane called out. ‘I’ve been looking for you everywhere.’ She moved to Kath’s side and, reaching for the notebook, placed it in Kath’s bag. ‘Anne’s dumped Dicky and had a win on the blackjack tables. She’s celebrating with champagne; you must come and join us.’ Jane placed her hand under Kath’s shoulder and hoisted her out of her chair. ‘But, by the look of things, you’re three sheets to the wind already.’

Dicky watched the pair stagger out of the room. As the door closed, he stood and walked to the picture window. Staring out, he looked heavenwards. ‘Well, Jim,’ said Dicky, smiling. ‘It looks like your trouble and strife has just done me a favour.’

Rubbing his hands together, Dicky straightened his collar and walked confidently from the library.

ChapterTwenty-Five

Jane woke early the following morning and opened her eyes to stare at the ceiling in Hibiscus. Reflecting on each day of the cruise, she remembered all the ports she’d visited with Kath and Anne and all the fun they’d had on board. There were only a few days left, and Jane intended to make the most of them.

She glanced over to Kath, who was snoring. Jane knew Kath would have a fuzzy head today after her drinking session the previous night. Anne, asleep on her back, had a beatific smile. No doubt dreaming of her casino winnings, Jane thought, and how she might spend them.

Creeping from her bed, Jane wriggled out of her Rudolph onesie and pulled on her swimsuit and kaftan. The pool would be deserted, and she could have an early dip. She closed the door of Hibiscus and made her way through the ship until she came to the lido deck, where sunlight played on the surface of the kidney-shaped pool. Leaving her towel and kaftan close by, Jane kicked off her sandals and slid in.

It was heaven. An apricot haze rose from the far horizon, highlighting the island of Antigua ahead. She swam a few strokes and turned to lie contentedly on her back, gently swishing her hands and feet. The water was her friend, and there was nothing judgemental about swimming. Immersive and supportive, it caressed her body as though lulling her into believing she was a beautiful nymph who could glide and move as free as the birds in the open sky above. Jane determined that when she got home, she would invest in structured swimwear, indulge in expensive club membership, and swim to her heart’s content. She’d always been put off by the skinnies who postured by the pool, but this cruise reminded her of how much she loved the water.

Staring at puffballs of cloud floating in ripples over the blue sky, Jane thought about the cookery event, when Chef Jaden hosted an afternoon demonstration of traditional gingerbread houses. The auditorium was packed as guests waited to be entertained. Jane, the first to arrive, took a seat directly in front of the stage, and when Jaden asked if anyone would like to assist, her hand flew into the air, and she was invited to join him.

As the demonstration began, Jaden was distracted by two passengers who asked him about his background. Itching to make a start, Jane began to mix and mould and, in moments, had a tray of gingerbread ready for the oven.

‘My goodness,’ Jaden said as he turned back to Jane, ‘how efficient, I have a new assistant!’

What followed took Jane by surprise.

Jaden, watching her work, began to ask questions, and suddenly the demonstration was turned on its head. Guests sat forward as they listened to Jane’s replies. She spoke of her job, the chefs she’d worked with, and the situations she’d found herself in. Jaden was delighted to hear Jane mention many of his idols. As they explained to the audience how to decorate the gingerbread, she gained confidence and tripped out tales of Michelin star mishaps and behind-the-scenes at food festivals, where more went on beneath the celebrity chef’s apron than above it.

‘You should go on tour.’ Jaden laughed as Jane regaled the audience with another hilarious culinary story. ‘You can cook, and have many funny anecdotes. I’d pay to see you any day.’

As Jane turned onto her tummy and doggy-paddled around the pool, she wondered how on earth she’d found the confidence to be so involved with the event. It was as though stepping out of the backstage shadows had given her a shot of adrenaline. With the spotlight shining on her for a change, she’d relished the opportunity.

A crew member wiped down tables and chairs, and guests appeared dressed in swimwear. Jane decided that it was time to get out as Harold approached.

‘Loved your show!’ Harold called as he pulled a T-shirt over his head. ‘Nancy was saying that she reckoned you should be on TV.’

Jane was about to correct Harold and remind him that it had been Jaden’s show and she was only his helper, but something made her stop. She smiled as she wrapped a bath sheet around her body and picked up her belongings. ‘Enjoy your swim,’ she called to Harold, then headed back to Hibiscus.

* * *

Selwyn stood on deck, leaning on a handrail, staring ahead at the bay. Diwa had told him that St John’s Harbour bay was also known as Heritage Quay, which hosted three piers enabling as many as five cruise ships to dock simultaneously in Antigua. He could see that theDiamond Starwas not alone and a massive ship with an Italian emblem towered alongside. Selwyn wasn’t sure he’d like to be on board with thousands of passengers and wondered how the island coped when everyone disembarked for the day. He much preferred the relative cosiness of the ship he was travelling on.

The sun was already hot, but theDiamond StarDaily’s weather forecast told of heavy showers in the afternoon. Selwyn had arranged a trip with Diwa’s help. Now, all that he had to do was persuade Jane to accompany him.

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