Page 34 of Barging In
“Have you ever spoken to him?”
“No, I did a guided tour around the museum once. Did you know he’s the UK’s leading expert in corsetry? He’s been on television talking about it, and he’s written books. I think he even lectures at Oxford.”
“Oh, wow! You’vereallydone your research.”
Max pinked.
“Was the tour interesting?” Clem asked, genuinely interested.
“I don’t think I took in a single word he said.”
“Too busy drooling?”
“Something like that.” Max smiled.
Clem chuckled. “You should take him a slice of coffee and walnut. Chat him up.”
Max squirmed. “Oh no, I couldn’t. I’m rubbish at that sort of thing.”
A fast-moving figure crossing the bridge caught Clem’s attention — Victoria. She slumped in her chair, hopeful the woman would walk on by. She didn’t. Instead, she approached the bow, and Clem braced herself for another conversation.
Victoria held up her hands where she stood on the bank. “I come in peace; I promise.”
There was a dampness on her forehead and a tremble in her voice when she spoke. Her blue eyes were unreadable, like she was half there, half tangled in deep thought. There was something so magnetic about her that Clem pushed her buzzing thoughts aside. Something was wrong, and her heart squeezed with concern.
“Are you okay?” Clem asked, brushing her hair from her shoulders.
“No, not really,” Victoria admitted. “I’m a cateringmanager down, and I’m hosting a party of fifty tomorrow afternoon, which I need to cater. Christine’s parting gift was cancelling the entire food order. To top it off, a couple of members of staff left with her.”
“Shit.”
“Precisely,” Victoria said with a heavy breath. “Look… can we start again?”
“I’d like that,” Clem said, unable to prevent the smile that was forming on her lips.
She stood and offered her hand, gesturing with her head to the boat. Victoria blinked; then, as if noticing she was being invited aboard, she stepped onto the gunwale and took Clem’s hand. Her skin was soft, softer than Clem had expected, and her grip was vice-like as she descended into the bow.
“Thank you.”
Clem gestured to her empty chair. “Sit.” When Victoria hesitated, she added, “Now.” She smiled, realising she was echoing Victoria’s exact words from earlier in the week. Why had she remembered them so precisely?
Victoria smiled, too, as if she was having the same thought, and lowered herself into the seat.
Max jumped up and offered his chair to Clem, then perched on the gunwale with his glass.
“Thanks,” Clem said, turning the chair to face Victoria better, still unsure what exactly she was doing here. “Victoria, this is Max, he owns the neighbouring boat.”
Victoria gave him a nod. “Hi.” She turned her attention to the bottle on the small table. What’s that?”
“Scrumpy,” Max said. “Want a glass?”
Clem noticed a slight tremble in Victoria’s hands. The scrumpy was pretty good at settling any anxiety, but something told her Victoria might need an entire vat of it.
Victoria nodded. “Please.”
Clem turned to Max. “Could you grab—” Before she could ask him to grab a glass from inside, Victoria had picked up Clem’s half-full glass and downed it in one go.
She coughed, eyes watering, then wiped away the alcohol-induced tears. “Wow, that has a kick.”
