Page 67 of The Cruise Club

‘You must get to know everyone,’ Ruskin said. He stared as the couple moved away, remembering that Peter had told him that Neeta had lost her valuable earrings.

‘It’s a small ship, and I must entertain,’ Dicky continued. ‘As a crew member, it’s part of my job to be friendly.’

‘Of course.’

‘Well, thanks for the drink, but I need to get on. Rehearsals are calling.’ Dicky stood.

‘I hope you find your chain,’ Ruskin said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully as Dicky walked away.

‘Any room for two tiddlers?’ the Yorkshire man called out and approached the vacant chairs beside Ruskin.

‘Help yourself,’ Ruskin said. He winced as the man shook his hair and droplets of water sprayed everywhere.

‘You’re that writer,’ the man said. ‘We’re Don and Debbie,’ he continued and sat down.

‘Have a towel.’ Ruskin reached out, handing Debbie a large fluffy towel. ‘You appeared to have got into a bit of trouble in the pool.’

‘Nowt to worry about,’ Don said, ‘Debbie likes to think she’s a mermaid but keeps forgetting she hasn’t got fins.’

From beneath the towel, Ruskin heard Debbie groan. Emerging with wet hair plastered over her face, she shot Don a withering look.

‘Can I get you both a drink?’ Ruskin asked.

‘Aye, a couple of beers would refresh our parts.’ Don settled back, his face turned to the sun.

Their drinks arrived, and Debbie dug into a dish of peanuts as she sipped her beer.

‘Dicky was telling me that he’s lost a gold chain,’ Ruskin began, ‘he’s quite upset about it.’

Don sat up, and Debbie began to fidget in her chair. ‘Not as upset as I am,’ Don looked angry. ‘Debbie misplaced a diamond droplet necklace that cost me a fortune, and Peter, that useless purser, is doing nothing about it.’

‘Oh dear, I am sorry, Debbie. Do you know where you lost it?’

Don rolled his eyes and interjected, ‘If she knew where she lost it, we’d have found it by now.’

Don’s face was red, and as Debbie stretched out her foot and kicked his ankles, Ruskin decided that if Debbie wasn’t going to speak for herself, it was time for him to move away.

‘Well, it’s been pleasant meeting you, but I have a workshop to prepare.’ Grabbing his bag and placing his notebook deep in the folds, Ruskin slipped into his sandals and stood up. ‘I hope you find the misplaced jewellery.’ He gave a courteous nod.

As Ruskin walked away, he heard Don angrily say to Debbie, ‘The only thing misplaced around here, is your necklace and my patience!’

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Carmen stood by the railings on the promenade deck of theDiamond Starand stared out to sea. Then, closing her eyes, she whispered a grateful prayer to whatever higher deity protected cruise ship passengers during their voyage.

They’d thought that Sid was at death’s door, suffering from a heart attack, but tests in the medical centre confirmed nothing more serious than acid indigestion, causing Sid’s severe pain, probably brought on by an overload of rich and fatty food. There was a possibility that Sid may have a hiatus hernia, and he was to make an appointment with his own doctor as soon as he got home. Now armed with medication, Sid was advised to avoid trigger foods, watch his diet and drink soothing peppermint tea.

Opening her eyes, Carmen studied the deep blue of the Tyrrhenian Sea, stretching endlessly, the horizon occasionally dotted with passing ships and cruise liners. She thought about Fran as they’d anxiously waited for Sid to undergo tests. Fran had battled to stay calm for her husband’s sake, but Carmen knew her new friend was suppressing her distress.

‘He’s the centre of my world,’ Fran said as she gripped Carmen’s hand and dabbed at her eyes. ‘I can’t imagine life without him. We’ve known each other since we were teens.’

‘Tell me about your life together,’ Carmen asked, keen to divert Fran from the activity in the adjacent room.

In the small waiting room, Fran leaned back in her chair and explained that Sid had always dreamed of putting their hometown of Blackpool on the culinary map. During the dark days of the pandemic, when their takeaway business had soared, their bank balance reached a level they’d never imagined.

‘Now that we can afford it, let’s give a fancy restaurant a go, lass,’ Sid pleaded. ‘If it doesn’t work out, we can always return to selling fish and chips.’

‘Why don’t we buy a place in Spain?’ Fran asked, still reluctant to commit and conscious that her cookery skills wouldn’t quite cut it. After all, they had money to buy a nice villa and retire early.

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