Page 85 of The Cruise

In round spectacles, with a Gryffindor scarf knotted at his neck, Peter held up a wand, pointing to Kath and Anne. ‘Have you enjoyed your cruise?’ he asked.

‘Brilliant, Harry!’ they both replied.

Kath was unmistakable as Mary Poppins and held onto her bulging bag. ‘Tell me again, who are you supposed to be?’ she asked Anne.

‘Lora Croft.’ Anne rolled her eyes. ‘FromTomb Raider.’

‘I’ve no idea who she is but I like your hair in a ponytail and those combat boots look comfortable.’

Anne shook her head. She’d watched the film with Kath twice on Netflix.

Bridgette joined them as Cruella de Vil. ‘Having fun?’ she asked, raising sharp eyebrows, and pouting bold red lips.

‘Goodness, how on earth did you squeeze into that?’ Kath asked and stared at the tight leather pantsuit clinging to every inch of Bridgette’s body.

‘No underwear and plenty of talc.’ Bridgette shook her two-toned black and white wig. ‘I think the Captain would have liked it.’

Jane was dressed for a Caribbean carnival, and, in terms of costume, she stole the show. Over a colourful swimsuit cut deep into the cheeks of her bottom she wore a giant headdress with vibrant feathers that fanned out like a peacock displaying its tail. Covered in body glitter and eyes dazzling with makeup, Jane was first on the floor with Selwyn. The pair made an eye-catching sight.

‘I can hardly believe my eyes,’ Kath said as she watched Jane twerk whilst Selwyn, as Maverick fromTop Gun, moved and grooved in a green flying suit, dog tags flying, aviator glasses firmly in place.

‘Me too.’ Anne grinned. ‘Whatever happened to the plain and timid Jane who set off on this cruise?’

‘She fell in love.’ Kath smiled. ‘I believe that anything can happen on a cruise.’

‘To think it was me who came on this holiday to husband-hunt!’ Anne pondered as she watched Jane jiggle around.

But Kath had gripped Anne’s shoulders as Danny Zucco danced towards them, flicking his quiff, a determined gleam in his eye.

Anne stared at Dicky and her smile began to spread. She remembered going to customer services to settle her onboard account, only to be told that it was paid in full and five hundred dollars credited to her card. Dicky had come up trumps.

‘You’re the one that I want!’ Dicky sang and held out his hands.

‘As one of the Captain’s T-shirts might say’ – Kath laughed and thrust Anne into Dicky’s arms –It’s Time to Seas the Day!’

ChapterThirty-Six

Three months later

On a long stretch of golden beach beneath the white cliffs of Dover, a group stood together and stared out to sea. Gathered from different locations, they’d come together to say goodbye to the Captain, whose nephew had been happy to let the friends scatter his uncle’s ashes.

‘It seems fitting to scatter him in the sea he often sailed from,’ Bridgette said as she clutched a ship-shaped urn.

One by one, they took a handful of ashes and threw them into the English Channel.

Bridgette called out to the sky that in time, she would join the Captain and Hugo, but first, she had more cruises to sail on and talks to give.

Anne and Dicky stood hand in hand. Soon they would be heading off to Benidorm, where Dicky had a six-month gig in a club. He’d eased all the anxieties of her divorce as he worked hard to help Anne pack up the house, and they’d enjoyed staying at Jane’s cosy cottage while the paperwork was completed. Anne had abandoned her husband-hunting. She had her casino winnings in a deposit account and confided to her friends that she was going to have fun with Dicky and see how things worked out.

‘We’re taking a leap of faith!’ Anne called out to the wind as she tossed ashes into the sea.

‘Just like the Captain!’ Dicky said and hurled a handful too.

His grin was wide, and as he hugged Anne, he silently vowed to do everything he could to make her happy. With his cruise contract money in place, they were able to make a fresh start. Peter had paid the whole amount and told Clive that Dicky had exceeded all expectations and would be welcomed back anytime.

For Kath, the day felt like a new beginning. Instead of returning home, she was heading to the cruise terminal in Dover to join aDiamond StarWorld Cruise. She would be gone for almost a year. Her sons had been furious when Kath rented out the house and told them she had no idea when she would return, but Kath was oblivious to their anger. ‘I’m just a silly forgetful old woman,’ she’d muttered to Hugh as he ranted in a phone call.

Then she’d hung up and blocked her sons’ numbers.

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