Page 75 of The Cruise Club

Ruskin wondered at the ability of one human to inflict pain on another, where words hit harder than blows. Without even noticing the hurt in her eyes, the husband had cut deep with his comment, and Ruskin was struck again by the thought that his own comments might have been too harsh for Carmen to bear.

Sipping his coffee, he tried to remember Carmen’s body language as he barked out instructions and critiqued her work. She’d kept her head lowered, and her eyes focused on the words on her screen. Remembering her note, it suddenly occurred to Ruskin that perhaps she’d had enough of his aggressive teaching method.

But how else could he hide his feelings?

He sighed and stared at the busy plaza, recalling the previous evening when he’d sat alone in the corner of the piano bar. When Theo had entered the room with Carmen on his arm, Ruskin looked up. Against a hum of conversation and the gentle chink of glasses, the couple unknowingly commanded attention. Theo’s handsome face, impeccable suit and colourful waistcoat were a much-loved sight for those familiar withMcCarthy’s Kitchen Adventures. Carmen turned heads in her elegant silky gown, the deep blues catching the dim lighting, the fabric skimming her figure and swirling gently like the sea, with her hair pinned in a sophisticated style adding to her allure.

From his corner, he’d watched her. His gaze traced everydetail, from how her head tilted as she listened to Theo, to the fluid movement of her hands as she held a flute and carefully sipped champagne. When her eyes swept the room, he thought that for a moment, they met his, but she’d turned back to Theo, unaware of the man in the corner, who was aching for her with a desire she didn’t know.

The man at the adjacent table scraped back his chair, rousing Ruskin from his thoughts.

‘If you’ve finished filling your face, we’d best get a move on,’ Don said to his wife, studying the bill and carefully counting out euros. ‘This place must think it’s feeding royalty,’ he grumbled. Turning to leave, he grinned when he recognised Ruskin. ‘It’s you, that writer bloke, we meet once more,’ Don said. ‘I expect you can afford these prices.’

Ruskin ignored the comment, knowing that if the couple could afford the cost of the cruise, they could afford refreshments in this café. Taking the opportunity, he asked Debbie, ‘Did you find your necklace?’

‘No, and we’re never likely to,’ Don cut in before Debbie could reply. ‘Debbie is so damn careless I’ve told her she’s not to wear her jewellery when we’re out.’

Debbie’s lips pressed into a thin line, and her hands clasped around her cup as though it was the only thing anchoring her. She stared at Don, and Ruskin caught the flicker of pent-up anger as Don continued, ‘She’s a liability wherever we go.’

Fearing that Debbie was about to hurl the cup at the back of Don’s head, Ruskin stood and placed his payment on the table. ‘Well, I hope you both enjoy your time on the island,’ he said, smiling at Debbie.

Deciding that he must salvage the day and not be carried away with his unrequited longing for Carmen or the sting of being stood up for their early lessons, he told himself that for a few hours he wouldn’t agonise over what he could have done differently. As he walked away and climbed higher through the old town’s narrow lanes, he vowed to enjoy the day and remind himself why he loved travelling.

Carmen and Theo strolled through the charming streets of Ibiza together, having decided to do some sightseeing while leaving Betty to enjoy a quiet day aboard the ship.

‘Is your mum all right?’ Theo asked as they walked along a tree-lined avenue where the gentle gradient led to the Dalt Vila.

‘Yes, I think she’s tired though,’ Carmen said. ‘I heard her come back to her cabin at silly o’clock when she began to bang on the wall with her cane.’

‘Announcing good news?’ Theo’s brows were raised with an expectant expression as he turned to study Carmen.

‘No, there was no talk of a proposal. She said the surprise had been to go to the Mermaid Theatre where he’d arranged a spotlight dance for just the two of them.’ Carmen paused. ‘But as I was helping her to bed, she told me that Holden was taking her to a party tonight.’

‘The plot thickens! But I am sure you’ll have news of an engagement before the cruise ends.’

Carmen nodded. ‘Wouldn’t that be nice.’

Reflecting on Betty’s chatter the previous evening,Carmen recalled a marked change in her mother. She’d completed the usual elaborate routine of removing Betty’s makeup, unpinning the pineapple brooch from Betty’s dress and placing her pearls in their leather box, carefully hanging her clothes, then arranging her hair in a nighttime net, and Betty seemed almost gentle instead of her usual bossy self.

Carmen could just about remember a kinder Betty reading her bedtime stories as a child, wrapped in the warmth of her fleecy dressing gown as they snuggled together in bed. Back then, cocooned with her mother, Betty’s arms had felt warm and safe. She remembered the rich, spicy scent of Youth-Dew by Estée Lauder, Betty’s favourite perfume then, as she brushed Carmen’s hair in long, patient strokes, humming a nursery rhyme. Tonight, Carmen felt that a trace of the gentler Betty of Carmen’s childhood had returned.

Taking a pot of face cream, Betty spoke with an uncharacteristically soft tone as she smoothed the lines on her face. When she reached out to thank Carmen and kiss her goodnight, the gesture left Carmen struggling to conceal her surprise.

‘Are you enjoying the cruise?’ Carmen asked.

‘Do you know something?’ Betty settled back on her pillows. ‘I think I am.’

Carmen was astonished to see Betty smiling, and the shock made her sit down. Instead of the painful endurance etched permanently into Betty’s expression, Betty’s normally guarded eyes almost twinkled as she reached out to take her daughter’s hand.

‘Does Holden make you happy, Mum?’ Carmen softly asked.

‘Yes, I feel like a young girl again. Holden is kind, and it’s lovely to have a man flatter and cherish me.’ Betty appeared wistful. ‘I haven’t felt like this in years, not since your dad and I courted.’

‘Goodness…’ Carmen was momentarily lost for words as she studied Betty’s face. ‘But Dad was kind too,’ she whispered, ‘and he loved you.’

‘Ah, your dad and love…’ Betty squeezed Carmen’s hand. ‘That’s another story,’ she said and shook her head. ‘But love has a funny way of finding you when you’ve stopped searching for it, like a flower that blooms in the most unexpected place.’

Now on her way to the Cathedral of Santo Domingo, Carmen couldn’t help but think about Betty’s words as Theo led her through an alley. Had love blossomed for her mother on theDiamond Star? Betty surely hadn’t been searching for it, but love seemed to have appeared in the most unlikely of places for a woman of Betty’s sharp demeanour, which could deter even the most devoted admirer – though that wasn’t the side of her nature that she showed to Holden.

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