Page 70 of The Cruise Club

‘B… but Betty, married again? She’s been set in her ways for decades,’ Carmen spluttered.

‘Well, she seems to have embraced the whirlwind that is Holden, and you might be in for a surprise.’

Carmen was momentarily speechless. ‘Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. He could be after her money.’

‘Let him have it. It’d be worth every penny and you can always come and live with me. Just think,’ Theo said, ‘freedom beckons for you.’

Theo’s voice was warm and sincere, and Carmen hugged the phone to her ear. She might not be lucky in love, but she’d struck pure gold in friendship.

‘But in the meantime,’ Theo continued, ‘Fran has asked us to their suite for drinks to thank us for today.’

‘She doesn’t have to do that,’ Carmen said. ‘I’d do anything for Fran and Sid.’

‘Me too, but I say we accept their kind invitation, and I’ll pick you up in an hour. Would you consider having dinner with me, too?’

‘My lovely Theo, there is absolutely nothing in the world at this moment that I’d like more. Thank you, I’ll see you soon.’

Carmen replaced the phone and sat up.

She felt bittersweet at the thought of parting ways with Theo, Fran and Sid. Their friendship added a new brightness to her days. She spent so much time alone, wrapped up in her writing and the demands of Betty’s daily life, that she didn’t know how good companionship could feel. Saying goodbye and returning to her predictable world was strangely disheartening.

This fleeting escape, the cruise of her dreams, would end soon, and she would head back to the grey routine of her life in Butterly. The pleasure of interesting excursions and spontaneous conversations would fade, replaced by the familiar quiet of Desbett House and solitary hours spent coaxing words onto a screen.

Carmen suddenly decided that with only two more sun-drenched days ahead, she should make the most of them and stop worrying about her novel. Now that she had the framework of her book in place, it was time to put it to one side. Feeling anxious that she was rejecting the main reason for being here, Carmen knew that she was grateful for Ruskin’s time and tuition, but as she swung her legs over the side of the bed, she made her mind up that she couldn’t take any more of his critical comments and wouldn’t be attending the early morning mentoring sessions.

‘I’ll send him a note,’ Carmen decided, aware of the need to be polite, and taking a pen and a sheet ofDiamond Starstationery, she began to write.

Ruskin,

I want to express my gratitude for the time and effort you’ve invested in me, but I won’t be continuing with your mentoring sessions. They have been invaluable, and I appreciate the expertise you’ve shared in our discussions. That said, I have decided that I need to enjoy every moment before the cruise ends and I return home to finish my current novel.

Thank you for all you’ve done to support me.

With my best wishes,

Carmen

Trusting that she’d hit the right tone, Carmen slipped the note into an envelope. She’d ask Fernando to deliver it to Ruskin’s suite and hope that Ruskin wouldn’t be offended. But she reasoned he was so thick skinned, she had no doubt that he wouldn’t notice her absence.

Now, the most important thing she had to decide was which of her new fabulous outfits she would wear that evening.

In the comfort of Fran and Sid’s suite, the setting sun cast a breathtaking backdrop as Theo and Carmen stood on the balcony alongside the reunited pair, who were happily back in each other’s arms, and watched the horizon transform into a canvas of pinks and purples merging with the deep blue of the sea.

Dressed for the occasion, Fran wore a flowing dress of rainbow colours with silver bangles jingling on her arm. Sid, in smart trousers and a bright yellow shirt, wore a smile as vibrant as Fran’s outfit.

‘I could live on a ship,’ Sid said, ‘everything feels so peaceful at times like this, as though the moment is suspended while we pause to take in the beauty of the amazing world out there.’

‘Blimey, you’re getting all lyrical.’ Fran laughed. ‘Sid Cartwright, the writer, who’d have thought it?’

‘Fran has a point, Sid,’ Theo added. ‘Have you ever thought about writing?’

‘No,’ Sid sipped from a glass of ice-cold sparkling water, ‘not until now, but my little upset this morning has made me think.’

‘What about, my sweetheart?’ Fran asked.

‘How hard we work when we should be thinking about slowing down and enjoying our golden years.’

‘Well, that’s the first time I’ve ever heard you say anythinglike that.’ Fran touched Sid’s arm. ‘I thought you liked our working life.’

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